Hello Tweets,

Today Dave Hayden and my mother and I enjoyed portions of the Grays Harbor
Co Shorebird Festival with additional birding made at several locations to
and from destinations, including Brady Loop Rd., Johns River Wildlife Area,
the Hoquim STP, the Schouweiler Rd. wetland west of Elma and our primary
birding location being Bottle Beach State Park and associated areas at
incoming and outgoing tides.One of the best locations that we and other
birders encountered good numbers of foraging and roosting shorebirds during
tide changes was along Ocosta Third Street, which is immediately south of
the entrance to Bottle Beach S.P., where the shorebirds were observed
foraging at close range in flooded areas,freshwater margins. Throughout the
day we encountered relatively good numbers of shorebirds at most locations
as was expected, including our last shorebird species of the day being 95
Whimbrel along Hwy.12 at MP 16 west of Elma as they were observed feeding in
a recently plowed field north of the highway as we were heading towards
home. The most abundant shorebirds during the day were by far Western
Sandpipers noted at most locations in increasing numbers with lesser numbers
of Short-billed Dowitcher, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover,
Greater Yellowlegs, Red Knot, and Semipalmated Plovers in that relative
order of abundance throughout the day, with a total of 13 species of
shorebirds for the entire day. The most notable shorebird species for the
day for us included: 75+ Red Knots at Bottle Beach, 10 LESSER YELLOWLEGS at
3 locations, and 1 nonbreeding plumaged Ruddy Turnstone at Bottle Beach.
Throughout the day we ran into many birders, which was expected including a
short visit made at the Hoquim High School at 9:15am. Weather cooperated the
entire day with NO rain and only some minor wind at times, which made
birding conditions favorable. A list of additional highlights for the day at
selected locations included:

Common Loon(high count)
45+ off Bottle Beach

Am.Bittern(heard only)
3 at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland,west of Elma

GREEN HERON
1 bird observed flying over the Hwy.12/S.R.107 interchange at Montesano

Tundra Swan
1 injured bird at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland

Greater White-fronted Goose
4 at Brady Loop Rd.
14 at the Johns River Wildlife Area

"Cackling"Canada Goose
15 at Brady Loop Rd.
4 at the Johns River WA

Wood Duck
1 pair along Ocosta Third Street
1 pair at the Johns River WA

Cinnamon Teal
1 male at the Hoquim STP
1 pair along Ocosta Third St.
1 pair at the Johns River WA

Common Goldeneye
1 female off Bottle Beach

Cooper's Hawk
1 adult along Hwy.12 at MP 16,west of Elma

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

Virginia Rail(heard only)
1 along Third Ocosta St.
1 at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland

Sora(heard only)
2 along Ocosta Third St.

Black-bellied Plover
143+ at Bottle Beach
4 at Brady Loop Rd.

Semipalmated Plover
3 at Brady Loop Rd.
32 at Bottle Beach
14 along Ocosta Third St.
3 at the Johns River WA

Greater Yellowlegs
24 at Bottle Beach
17 at Ocosta Third St.
42 at the Johns River WA
14 at Brady Loop Rd.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS
3 along Brady Loop Rd.
3 along Ocosta Third St.(including one apparent molting bird)
4 at the Johns River WA

Short-billed Dowitcher
850+ at Bottle Beach
225+ along Ocosta Third St.
65+ at the Johns River WA
2 at Brady Loop Rd.

Common Snipe
4 at the Hoquim STP
7 along Ocosta Third St.
1 at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland

Bonaparte's Gulls
6 at the Hoquim STP

Vaux's Swift
12 over the Hoquim High School

Northern Rough-winged Swallow
2 at Brady Loop Rd.

Western Scrub Jay
1 laong Devonshire Rd. south of Hwy.12 and north of Friends Landing

Cassin's Vireo
1 singing bird at the Hoquim HS

WARBLING VIREO
2 at the Hoquim HS

Black-throated Gray Warbler
6 at the Hoquim HS
1 at the Hoquim STP
2 at Friend's Landing

Wilson's Warbler
7 at the Hoquim HS

Lincoln's Sparrow
1 at the Hoquim HS
1 at Bottle Beach

Golden-crowned Sparrow
4 at the Hoquim HS
2 at Bottle Beach
7 at the Johns River WA


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net