Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded Grays Harbor and Pacific Cos., mainly covering
the south portion of Grays Harbor along S.R.105 to Tokeland, and Brady Loop
Rd. Our main highlight as far as an unexpected sighting was a bright adult
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK along Brady Loop Rd. at 5:30pm, which was heard first,
then well observed and photographed at the same location where this same
presumed bird was first noted by Greg Toffic in January 2001 and remained to
possibly March, as this bird now developed into full adult plumage,
consisting of bright rufous upperparts, brighter rust-orange underparts,
amongst the barred breast. Back coloration consisted of black and white
checkered pattern, bordered by dark rufous flight feathers, being very
noticeable in flight. Tail was noted by having wide white bands bordered by
very dark bands, being white at the very tip. This bird behaved in the same
manner than the immature bird this past winter, but hearing the bird call
three times, before seeing it made the sighting much more appealing and
worthwhile, as we were originally watching the immature WHITE-TAILED KITE,
which was viewed on private property north of the Brady Loop Rd.
etland,( by PERMISSION ONLY )to attempt photographes, along with checking
the wetland along the recently built dike. As mentioned before it is
presumed that this is the same individual than this past winter due to the
same location, similiar behavior, and being such a rare sighting for this
location, so hopefully this bird shall remain in this area, as food and
appropriate habitat is plentiful.

Our second highlight of the day was a nonbreeding adult BAR-TAILED GODWIT
roosting on the Tokeland Marina jetty at 12pm, amongst good numbers of
shorebirds to be listed below, as this bird was immediately observed by it's
overall pale gray upperparts, being almost silver in contrast to the darker
brown back, and the white supercillium that was well observed as this bird
stood amongst the other larger shorebirds, and smaller Short-billed
Dowitchers.

Our day consisted of checking a few mentioned locations twice, including
Brady Loop Rd., and Bottle Beach,(both sites in Grays Harbor Co.), as well
as birding Midway Beach Rd., and Tokeland at incoming tide from
11am-12:45pm. Weather conditions were quite favorable, being similiar to
yesterday's conditions by consisting of isolated morning drizzle, turning to
mostly cloudy to partly sunny skies, and occasional minor wind throughout
the entire day. Shorebird numbers were again quite low, as noted yesterday,
but a few locations proved very successful for diversity, and we were able
to locate several additional highlights, among more common expected species,
with the most notable species mentioned below:

Red-throated Loon
12 at Midway Beach Rd.,Pacific County(PA)

Pacific Loon
7 at Midway Beach Rd.,PA

Sooty Shearwater
43 at Midway Beach Rd.PA

Brown Pelican
7 at Westport,Grays Harbor Co.(GH)

Green Heron
1 at Brady Loop Rd.,GH

Northern Pintail
1 female at Brady Loop Rd.,GH

Am.Wigeon
1 female at Midway Beach Rd.,PA

Am.Kestrel
1 along Hwy.12, west of Elma,GH

Snowy Plover
26 at Midway Beach Rd.,PA(12 adults,12 immatures, and two recently fledged
young)

Semipalmated Plover
37 at Bottle Beach,GH
58 at Midway Beach Rd.,PA

Greater Yellowlegs
1 at Brady Loop Rd.,GH

Whimbrel(high count)
387 at Tokeland,PA

Marbled Godwit
143 at Tokeland,PA

Red Knot
3 at Bottle Beach,GH

Sanderling
16 at Midway Beach Rd.,PA

Western Sandpiper(low count)
6 at Midway Beach Rd.,PA

Least Sandpiper
12 at Midway Beach Rd.,PA
37 at Brady Loop Rd.,GH

Short-billed Dowitcher
167 at Bottle Beach,GH
64 at Tokeland,PA

WILSON'S PHALAROPE
1 at Brady Loop Rd.,GH

Parasitic Jaeger
1 dark morph bird at Midway Beach Rd.,PA

Black-legged Kittiwake
18 at Midway Beach Rd.,PA

Anna's Hummingbird
3 at Bottle Beach,GH

Horned Lark
5 at Midway Beach Rd.,PA

Western Scrub Jay
3 along Hwy.8, just west of Elma,GH
6 at Brady,GH


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net