Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I enjoyed another good day of birding at Ocean
Shores,which we combined with a trip to Tokeland in the late afternoon,along
with a few additional areas that we visited. We encountered many of the same
species that we observed yesterday at Ocean Shores and vicinity, including
the first-year FRANKLIN'S GULL that was again observed at the Hoquim STP at
10:45am, the alternate-plumaged PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER at 3pm at the same
location as yesterday being the beach access from Driftwood Drive during
incoming tide amongst a much smaller flock of Black-bellied Plovers compared
to yesterday. The bird was also observed by Tyler Davis, who we also birded
with shortly at the Ocean Shores Game Range earlier in the day. The bird was
much more visible and cooperative today,allowing more quality photographs
compared to yesterday. The juvenile SOLITARY SANDPIPER and two juvenile
Red-necked Phalaropes were also again observed today at the Ocean Shores
STP,but our best surprize was locating 7 SNOWY PLOVERS on the Ocean Shores
Game Range(accessed from the Ocean Shores STP)with 3 adults(2 females,1
male),and 4 immatures in one single area,which was a notable sighting due to
the recent lack of confirmed breeding in past years at this location, in
addition to the number of birds present. At Tokeland we managed to locate
good numbers of ALL the major large shorebirds,which we hadn't seen at this
location this entire season in addition to large numbers of Caspian
Terns,which we carefully scanned through as at other locations during day
for Elegant Terns,due to the recent sightings of this species in northern
Oregon as of the 8th of August. We located our largest roosting flock of
Caspian Terns for a single location today at Tokeland with 200+ birds noted
from the south end of Graveyard Spit. Lesser numbers of Caspian Terns
persisted at other locations such as on the Ocean Shores Game Range,and the
general Ocean Shores area,which can flucuate on a daily basis. Perhaps the
Elegant Terns will be found in WA this fall with enough effort from other
birders at coastal locations. Shorebird numbers throughout the day were
quite variable,but still the most readily noted with highest concentrations
and diversity from the Driftwood Drive beach access and ALL the regular
large shorebirds species noted at Tokeland,with a short visit to Bottle
Beach during outgoing tide that hosted much of the regular occuring
shorebirds species,but lighting conditions limited our viewing capabilities
resulting in not being able to accurately count the shorebirds. The
freshwater marshy area along the Ocosta Third Street hosted both yellowlegs
and Long-billed Dowitchers,as well as a few other notable species to be
listed below. This location although hosting quite vegetated surroundings
and fairly high levels of freshwater that may flucuate hosts potential
habitat in fall for Ruff,Stilt Sandpiper,and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper due to
the relative abundance of yellowlegs and dowitchers,as well as varying
levels of freshwater margins.

A list of notable highlights for our entire day at listed locations and
times follows:

Hoquim STP 10:45am

1 first-year FRANKLIN'S GULL

Ocean Shores Golf Course 11:15am

1 Lesser Yellowlegs
3 Western Sandpipers
22 Least Sandpipers

Ocean Shores STP/Ocean Shores Game Range 12pm-2pm(incoming tide)

2 Common Loons
62+ Brown Pelicans
6 Northern Shovelers
30 Surf Scoters
9 White-winged Scoters
2 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS
3 Northern Harriers
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 adult "Peale's"Peregrine Falcon
7 Snowy Plovers(3 adults,4 immatures)
1 Semipalmated Plover
1 Greater Yellowlegs
1 SOLITARY SANDPIPER
1 Wandering Tattler
1 Spotted Sandpiper
14 Western Sandpipers
42 Least Sandpipers
3 Short-billed Dowitchers
2 Long-billed Dowitchers
2 Red-necked Phalaropes
105+ Heermann's Gulls
68+ Caspain Terns
5 Northern Rough-winged Swallows

Bill's Spit 2:30pm-2:45pm

3 Black-bellied Plovers
1 Marbled Godwit
8 Western Sandpipers
32 Least Sandpipers
14 Short-billed Dowitchers
1 Olive-sided Flycatcher
2 Hutton's Vireos
2 Black-throated Gray Warblers

Driftwood Drive beach access 3pm-3:50pm(incoming/outgoing tide)

450+ Black-bellied Plovers
25 Semipalmated Plovers
1 PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER
3 Ruddy Turnstones
13 Red Knots
2,200+ Sanderlings
230+ Western Sandpipers
68 Short-billed Dowitchers

Ocosta Third Street 5:20pm

2 Wood Ducks
6 Blue-winged Teal
6 Greater Yellowlegs
3 Lesser Yellowlegs
2 Least sandpipers
6 Long-billed Dowitchers

Tokeland 5:50pm-6:50pm

1 Northern Harrier
2 Semipalmated Plovers
12 Willets
217 Whimbrel
17 Long-billed Curlew(16 adults,1 juvenile)
178 Marbled Godwits
70+ Western Sandpipers
3 Parasitic Jaegers
240+ Heermann's Gulls
200+ Caspian Terns
20 Common Murres

Hwy.8/Hwy.101 interchange west of Mud Bay in Thurston Co. 8:35pm

1 Great Horned Owl

Our mammal highlight of the day was a young BLACK BEAR observed along
S.R.115 near Ocean City State Park,which was nearly hit by oncoming
traffic,but quickly resided back to thick cover along the edge of the main
road. Park rangers after our sighting indicated there has been a recent
family of Black Bears in the vicinity.



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net