Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded the Elma-Brady area in eastern Grays Harbor
Co., mainly in search of the juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpiper that we found
on the 30th, but we could NOT relocate the bird, despite extensive coverage
made by 6 additional birders of many of the accessible fields in the area
that hosted shorebird flocks. Despite major efforts I was able to obtain up
to 3 photographes for the WRBRC for documentation on the 30th, but are
unsure of the quality of them at this point, until later this week when they
will be developed. The weather today remained cloudy, but a cold, brisk
northern wind at times, then rain beginning after 2:30pm. Due to the recent
heavy rains on the 1st, any of the associating fields in the region were
flooded, along with a few roads including western Wenzel Slough Rd., and
portions of the western Brady Loop Rd. complex, with over a foot of standing
water at some locations. Many of the birders scoped any existing fields that
hosted shorebirds, as many of the shorebirds were observed during our entire
visit along western Wenzel Slough Rd. foraging and roosting in any available
land strips, but other fields east and north of Wenzel Slough Rd. also
hosted lingering shorebird flocks containing Dunlin, Black-bellied Plovers,
and Western Sandpipers in that order of abundance. It is very possible that
the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper left during the early morning hours today, after
the severe winds and rains diminished, and rains lessened, or it could have
possibly been taken by a immature Peregrine Falcon that was hunting the area
throughout the day, as noted by several birders during our visit. Due to the
late date it would most likely continue to associate with other shorebird
species, as we found it on the 30th for company, but it could linger by
itself as well. Several highlights that were noted by my mother and I/and or
additional observers in areas covered from Vance Creek County Park west to
Brady Loop Rd., while searching for the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper between
7:40am-2:30pm included the following:

1 RED-THROATED LOON(present at the flooded Brady Loop Rd. wetland by Ken
Knittle and Marv Breece, then most likely the same bird noted shortly later
in the well flooded areas at the western portion of Wenzel Slough Rd., as
noted by several observers.) This species is quite scarce in eastern Grays
Harbor Co., away from salt water, but probably follow the nearby Chehalis
River from Grays Harbor in Aberdeen). My mother and I noted a high count of
3 birds several winters ago along the western portion of Wenzel Slough Rd.
near Vance Creek County Park.

Brady Loop Rd.

5 Tundra Swans
2 Snow Geese
2 male Eurasian Wigeon
1 dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk
2 Am.Kestrels
45+ Dunlin
1 Western Scrub Jay
24 Western Meadowlarks

Wenzel Slough Rd. to Vance Creek County Park, Elma, and Satsop

4 Canvasbacks
87 Ring-necked Ducks
17 Greater Scaup
38 Lesser Scaup
3 Common Goldeneyes
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 partial albino Red-tailed Hawk
1 immature Peregrine Falcon
64 Black-bellied Plovers
340+ Dunlin
42 Western Sandpipers
3 Least Sandpipers
30 Bonaparte's Gulls
2 Herring Gulls
2 Thayer's Gulls
57 Mourning Doves
2 Western Scrub Jays
1 Am.Pipit


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net