On Sunday, May 20, Anne Winskie and I did our fourth annual May survey of
Graysmarsh, a private property just north of Sequim in Clallam County, for
birds and vascular plants. We found 104 species, a bit below our average
(we have been as high as 119), but the count date was intentionally a bit
later than previous surveys, which have coincided with the county-wide May
counts.

An impressive songbird movement was apparent from first light. Decent high
counts were registered for OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (5), W. WOOD-PEWEE (8),
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER (22), HOUSE WREN (4, one of these just off the
property along Wilcox Rd), WARBLING VIREO (20), YELLOW (23) and WILSON'S
(29) WARBLERS, and W. TANAGER (12). Of the last four, several birds were
out of +/- normal habitat; one group of four Warbling Vireos was atop a tall
Doug-fir heavy with insects, and single-to-a-few migrant Yellow Warblers
were found singly in almost any reasonably-sized grove of trees/shrubbery.

The south Graysmarsh area, heavily forested with mature Doug-fir, was
especially heavy with migrants, and this area is normally slower than the
scrub and forest areas near the main wetland. Rarities recorded here
included a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE in rose thickets at the Doug-fir forest edge (an
unlikely site and this species is a rare local breeder in Clallam County,
nesting only at two sites in the Sequim area), and a DUSKY FLYCATCHER (also
at the forest edge, second record for Grays). The "big one that got away"
(possibly) was a potential Hermit Warbler amidst a better-than-average
movement of Townsend's Warblers singing in the treetops; although the song
was promising, I could not bring the bird into view and it would have been
north of the normal range, and we have all these hybrids.

In the late category, there was a HERMIT THRUSH along the Port Williams Rd
part of the property and a GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW at Einarsen Meadow(which
in fact lingered to the next morn, May 21).

Also of possible interest but more expected for Graysmarsh in May: 42 Great
Blue Herons (although some double-counting possible, we did have 22 in one
group), 2 Cinnamon Teal, 3 Blue-wings, 6 N. Pintail, a 1st-year male Black
Scoter off the beach, four Turkey Vultures (high number), also highest count
of 9 Spotted Sandpipers along the beach, and 6 gull sp., including two late
Mews, 5 California and 8 Bonaparte's Gulls, and two MacGillivray's Warblers
(they are uncommon at the site in spring).

Shorebirds were scarce, as were swallows and woodpeckers. 10-11 new
vascular plant species were added to the property list, now at over 400
taxa. Also, at nearby Carrie Blake Park the next day, the loyal Bullock's
Oriole pair was observed in the tall cottonwoods while pushing our boys on
the swings.

Interestingly, I also returned briefly on May 21 to a couple of sites at
Graysmarsh, things were much quieter--no out-of-place Warbling Vireos, just
the territorial Pacific-slope Flycatchers, less Wilson's. Evidently much of
the May 20 passage had moved north overnight. Isn't migration great?

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
scottratkinson at hotmail.com















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