Patrick-

I can't believe my unbelievably poor timing. I was at Tokeland Sunday around 6-7 pm and battled the wind, but no b-t godwit figured out among the flock. I'm glad you came up with some bigger numbers Sunday because I saw more than the Saturday report, and there were still whimbrels arriving. Also 2,000+ Sooty Shearwaters at the Cape Shoalwater/North Cove area west of Tokeland.

Monday morning was foggy until about 10:30. I found the Common and Red-throated Loons, but no Yellow-billed after a trip around Damon Point and past the plover closure area. I spent an hour on the jetty with the 4 rock shorebird species you noted, and watched the Sooty Shearwaters for awhile (although most were on the water rather than flying), with passing flocks that total 200+ murres and 600+ Rhino Auklets as the tide went out. The WTP area had more than 1,200 Heerman's Gulls, and 2 cormorants that appeared to be Pelagics. As the tide was way out I tried Bill's Spit, but other than 62 Semi-palmated Plovers there was nothing too exciting there. So I left again without the birds I was looking for (this is probably refreshing to those others who have seeked and not found) but got away from the Columbia Basin heat for awhile and still got to Tacoma in time to pick up my family at the train station.

Randy Hill
Othello

----- Original Message -----
From: Ruth Sullivan
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2000 8:47 PM
Subject: Manx Shearwater at Ocean Shores, GH


Hello Tweets,

My mother and I birded the Ocean Shores and Tokeland areas, with a few other areas in both Pacific and Grays Harbor Cos.,(including partial dragonfly scouting in Pacific County on the 23rd) on July 22nd and 23rd with 113 species. The weather was variable on the 22nd, with isolated drizzle at times to partly sunny skies(late), and mostly cloudy to mostly sunny skies, and morning fog on the 23rd. The main highlight was the MANX SHEARWATER on the 23rd, seen at two times near the Ocean Shores(Point Brown)jetty. The first observation by myself only in our Leica spotting scope was at 7:18am from the sandy beach at the base of the jetty, just offshore and to the N of the jetty in a feeding flock of Heermann's Gulls, and 10+ SOOTY SHEARWATERS. The second observation was at around 7:45am, by my mother only, also from the sandy beach at the base of the jetty, as I tried from various points from the jetty with NO luck for 1 1/2 hours. The bird was described as a small, "black and white" shearwater, showing black, NOT brown upperparts, and white underparts, with grayish or pale white underwings, during the brief observations. The bird would loosely associate itself with the larger SOOTY SHEARWATERS, but seemed to forage in its own directions, as it weaved in and out of the feeding flock of other waterbirds. The white from the underparts was visible going up long the side of the neck, as being diagnostic in this species. This species, probably the same individual was noted on the 22nd from the south shore of Damon Point on Grays Harbor, and on the 9th of July from the Ocean Shores Jetty by Steve Mlodinow and Dennis Duffy.who we ran into both, at two locations on the 22nd, with last location at Bottle Beach, where he announced he had the bird earlier from Damon Point. Both days I concentrated on any feeding flocks from the south shore of Damon Point W to the mouth of Grays Harbor, but only on the evening of the 22nd and the morning of the 23rd,(after hearing about the recent sighting), really concentrated on this species, with great success. This is my second MANX SHEARWATER in WA, with the other sighting being also in July.


Our trip started out on the 22nd at the east end of the Ocean Shores Game Range, just west of the posted Snowy Plover nesting area at Damon Point at 7am, where my mother and I observed the first-year YELLOW-BILLED LOON, then later joined by Phil Kelly, who birded with me to the Damon Point "pond", then back to our vehicles. At the pond was several Western and Least Sandpipers, 7 Short-billed Dowitchers, and a lone SANDERLING. On our way back we encountered 2 DUNLIN, 1 WHIMBREL, and 2 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS among highlights at the base of Damon Point. Upon arriving back to our vehicles we were joined by Ken Knittle and Wayne Tillay, who had just seen the loon along with my mother again, and were on their way to Tokeland, where we all travelled to in search of the BAR-TAILED GODWIT, despite recent onshore drizzle.

Other notable species from the Ocean Shores Game Range included:

14 RED-THROATED LOONS
3 BRANT
1 NORTHERN PINTAIL
2 RUDDY TURNSTONES
24 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS


At Tokeland we were joined by Marv Breece, Steve Pink, and others at 11:45am, where I quickly scoped the exposed mudflats at the Tokeland Marina, and located the BAR-TAILED GODWIT, which flew to another location, then briefly relocated an hour later, then again flew to another location, and not relocated again, just before it began to drizzle quite heavy on an incoming tide, at 2:45pm on the jetty itself, along with nearby Whimbrels, and Marbled Godwits.

Other notable species at Tokeland included:

48 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS
142+ MARBLED GODWITS
68 WHIMBRELS
8 WILLETS
2 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS
167 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS
1 BLACK TURNSTONE
4 GREATER YELLOWLEGS
80+ WESTERN SANDPIPERS
1 adult PEREGRINE FALCON
18 TURKEY VULTURES

On our way back to Ocean Shores, my mother, Marv Breece and others, and myself, quickly birded Bottle Beach, where we met Steve Mlodinow, and Dennis Duffy, who were on their way to Tokeland, who as mentioned before told us about the Manx Shearwater, and other species. The exposed mudflats at Bottle Beach, were still quite evident, but a few species were noted including:

22 WHIMBRELS
35 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS
24 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS
14 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS
48 WESTERN SANDPIPERS

My mother and I birded the Hoquim STP, before arriving at Oyhut, near Ocean Shores, where 17 GREATER and 3 LESSER SCAUPS were noted.

We encountered 125 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 60 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, along SR 115, just S of Ocean City S.P., in a canal, that has produced good numbers of Greater Yellowlegs in past years, in migration, as they roost in the lily pads, fallen trees, and now a wooden bridge, the width of the canal. A small nature trail is accessed from the middle school, along the semi-forested west side of the canal. Other species of note included:

1 GREEN HERON(seen by Phil Kelly)
1 female WOOD DUCK
1 COOPER'S HAWK
1 pair of OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS

Back at Ocean Shores we headed to the Ocean Shores Game Range, where the YELLOW-BILLED LOON was again seen througout the evening by several birders. While here I scoped the active feeding flocks offshore, where a single PARASITIC JAEGER, 2 MARBLED MURRELETS, and 20+ SOOTY SHEARWATERS, among the more common waterbird species. A walk from the north side of the game range to the Damon Point pond at dusk, produced 28 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 2 RED KNOTS, and 1 female GREEN-WINGED TEAL, as the last few birds/species of the day.

The next day we started out at the Ocean Shores jetty, where the MANX SHEARWATER, as mentioned previously was noted on two occasions during a two hour visit. The weater was calm, and improving conditions prevailed upon the added watch from the tip of the jetty, where good numbers of SOOTY SHEARWATERS increased to 1,100 birds, and good numbers of Rhino.Auklets, and Common Murres persisted, among other waterbird species, with notables that included:

1 PACIFIC LOON
2 WESTERN GREBES
1 BRANDT'S CORMORANT
5 MARBLED MURRELETS
10 SURFBIRDS
3 WANDERING TATTLERS
10 RUDDY TURNSTONES
13 BLACK TURNSTONES
4 WESTERN GULLS
1 PARASITIC JAEGER
1 female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD(a personal first for this location)

After birding the Ocean Shores area, along with a return trip to succesfully locate the YELLOW-BILLED LOON again, but further out, my mother and I headed back to Tokeland, where we observed and photographed the BAR-TAILED GODWIT from 1-2pm, along the breakwater(inside the jetty) at the Tokeland Marina, with excellent views of the bird, compared to the previous day, along with better weather. Greater numbers of shorebirds overall were evident, with most species as noted in the following, along the presence of a single juvenile SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER at close range.

122 WHIMBREL
167 MARBLED GODWITS
12 WILLETS
48 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS(same)
210 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS

On our way home we checked a few locations, mainly for dragonflies, in Pacific County only, along with some birding including an audible pair of PEREGRINE FALCONS, just N of the Raymond Airport, along SR 105, a SORA and 2 adult VIRGINIA RAILS, with 1 young between MP 16 and 17(Cedar River) along SR 105, and 1 adult GREEN HERON along the Willipa River at Raymond. 2 pair of Osprey were at Montesano, and another GREEN HERON was observed flying along Hwy.12 at Elma. A very rewarding trip, and one of my best this year!


Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net