Hi Tweets -

Today, Lee Barnes, Colin Thoreen and I spent the day in Gray's Harbor
County, much of it in Ocean Shores. We started out the day at Brady Loop
Road. Just after we pulled up we had an interesting interaction between
the WHITE-TAILED KITE and two NORTHERN HARRIERS. It started with the
Kite perched on a snag being harassed by a harrier and driven off the
snag. The kite did a loop and high dive and drove the harrier off, and
settled back on the snag. We also had a very dark morph RED-TAILED HAWK
in the vicinity.

We then pushed on the Ocean Shores. We made an attempt for the TROPICAL
KINGBIRD at the location near Scorpian Court with no luck. We did have a
flyover by a COOPER'S HAWK, a nice flock of small birds including
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, BROWN CREEPER,
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, and BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEE. We also had FOX and SONG SPARROWS.

At Bill's Spit with a very high tide we had distant looks at gulls,
MALLARDS, AMERICAN WIGEON, one EURASIAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL,
BUFFLEHEAD and BALD EAGLE.

We made a stop at the Scotch Broom thicket near the Silver King Motel
and searched for the PALM WARBLER. We got a quick look at what was
likely the Palm, a rather grayish bird with an indistinct supercilium,
light underparts with distinct streaks on the breast and flanks, and
most distinctly bright yellow undertail coverts. Whitish tail spots were
also seen. A small flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS was also in the
area.

At Damon Point we braved the rain to pick out some KILLDEER, LEAST
SANDPIPERS, MEW, GLAUCOUS-WINGED and WESTERN GULLS. On the water we had
COMMON LOONS, WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, BUFFLEHEAD and RED-NECKED GREBE.

At the jetty the seas were truly impressive with large breakers and
spray breaking over the jetty right by the beach and showers of rain
driven by a stiff wind. We had a large cloud of probably DUNLIN in the
distance, many SANDERLING along the beach, WESTERN, GLAUCOUS-WINGED, and
a few RING-BILLED GULLS, and a nice group of rockpipers clustered in
protected spots close to us. They included BLACK TURNSTONE, SURFBIRD,
and a ROCK SANDPIPER.

Back at Bill's Spit, we had the same birds as earlier, but somewhat
closer and added FOX and SONG SPARROWS, DUNLIN, and BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVER. We also had NORTHERN FLICKER.

We stopped at the Hoquiam Ponds with BUFFLEHEAD, NORTHERN SHOVELER,
RUDDY DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, one GREATER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCK and a
probable EARED GREBE.

On our return stop at Brady Loop Road we had a brief flyby of the
WHITE-TAILED KITE, NORTHERN HARRIER, perched RED-TAILED HAWK. At a
distance, behind the red barn west of the road we had brief views of
what was most likely the RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, but it most
uncooperatively disappeared behind the distant tree line.

Considering the weather, a satisfying day.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville, Wa
bellasoc at isomedia.com