Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I enjoyed a rewarding day checking and birding several locations between Vance Creek Co.Park naer Elma to Tokeland in Pacific Co.,as we left Tacoma in sunny,clear weather,but that changed as we approached Olympia along I-5 with cloudy skies and minor drizzle at times,which followed through the day and our way home from we encountered light rain shhowers from Elma to Tacoma. We had several key highlights during our rather short birding day beginning at Vance Creek Co.Park at 10:30am and ending the day at Midway Beach Rd. at 3:15pm,as light conditions began to decrease due to low clouds. We birded with Steve and Jan Watson at several locations during the day,as they travelled the similiar route. Our main highlight of the day was 3 SWAMP SPARROWS during our visit at 12:10pm-1pm along Third Ocosta Street,which of 3 birds that were all heard giving their sharp,metallic "chip" call only 2 birds were well observed. We located the first bird immediately exiting off of S.R.105 onto Third Ocosta Street and travelling south for short while down,where the first stand of dense grass and wetland vegetation that is apparent on the east side of the road,which the bird was first heard actively calling,but was NOT seen. The second bird was also heard then well observed at very close range,but was very elusive and skulky,as it moved around cautiously through the thick vegetation along the main road within a 5 minute period. The third and last bird was laso heard then briefly seen for a few seconds amongst several Song Sparrows with a few Lincoln's Sparrows and Marsh Wrens nearby,in which the bird's call stood out considerably more than the lighter,thinner "chip" given by a few nearby Lincoln's Sparrows at this location. All birds were searched for thoroughly during our visit with Steve and Jan Watson,but were not relocated or heard again.The habitat along the entire Third Ocosta Street in areas is very appropriate to host Swamp Sparrow(s)due to fairly heavily flooded areas of pastures and wetland margins,but this is an exceptional number of individuals,so maybe there are more to be found at other locations in western WA. Listening for the birds is key and essential,as their call if heard is distinctive that is similiar to a Black Phoebe,but "pishing" for a lengthy period of time may actually cause the birds to stay hidden and unresponsive,but it worked prior to seeing 2 of birds.

Our day began at Vance Creek Co. Park,where we briefly ran into Jan and Steve Watson east of the park along Wenzel Slough Rd. My mother and I relocated the female REDHEAD that remains at the eastmost pond at the park amongst a small flock of Ring-necked Ducks and other waterfowl,which we checked before we continued on our way to Brady Loop Rd. then continued west to Ocosta Third Street,where Steve and Jan joined us again,while we were also enjoying great views of an immature WHITE-TAILED KITE that was feeding on the remains of it's recent catch,being a Western Meadowlark. The White-tailed Kite remained during our entire visit and was also observed on our way home from Midway Beach Rd.,as we drove by along S.R.105. This is our first observation of an immature bird at this location since we located an adult bird on several occasions this season since the 15th of September. After checking along Ocosta Third Street we briefly checked Bottle Beach during outgoing tide that produced very good numbers of waterfowl and Dunlin among other shorebird species. Continuing west and south we also briefly checked the Tokeland Marina and vicinity with a good assortment of large shorebirds and other waterbirds were noted,before we headed back north and ended our day at Midway Beach Rd.,where we joined Steve and Jan again. We all enjoyed great views of 29 SNOWY PLOVERS that were well observed at close range resting in exposed tire tracks as well as foraging in a tight flock along the immediate shoreline during outgoing tide. We also observed a single female LONG-TAILED DUCK(Oldsquaw) that was observed flying north a few yards offshore within good viewing range,and further offshore were 10 Brown Pelicans and a single dark-morph NORTHERN FULMAR that ended our species list for the day.

A list of our notable highlights for the day at selected locations and times follows below:

Vance Creek Co. Park and vicinity 10:20am-10:45am

2 Common Loons
1 Western Grebe
14 Double-crested Cormorants
1 REDHEAD

Hwy.12 at MP 19(westbound) east of Elma 10:50am

26 Black-bellied Plovers
5 Dunlin

Brady Loop Rd. 11am-11:30am

37 Tundra Swans
7 Trumpeter Swans
1 adult Cooper's Hawk

S.R.105 at MP 42(west of Markham,Grays Harbor Co.) 12pm

1 Red-breasted Sapsucker

Ocosta Third Street 12:10pm-1pm,3:30pm

17 "Dusky"Canada Geese(observed with 7 "Cackling"Canada Geese along S.R.105 at MP 27)
1 immature White-tailed Kite
1 Northern Harrier
4 Red-tailed Hawks
1 female Am.Kestrel(observed along S.R.105)
2 Virginia Rails(heard only)
67 Wilson's Snipe(high count)
5 Lincoln's Sparrows
3 SWAMP SPARROWS
1 Western Meadowlark

Bottle Beach 1:15pm-1:30pm

1 adult"Peale's"Peregrine Falcon
13 Black-bellied Plovers
6 Western Sandpipers
700+ Dunlin
1 Lincoln's Sparrow

S.R.105 at MP 23(Elk River bridge) 1:35pm,3:25pm

1 adult"Peale's"Peregrine Falcon

Tokeland and vicinity 1:45pm-2:15pm

1 Red-throated Loon
34 Red-necked Grebes
2 Black-bellied Plovers
58 Long-billed Curlews
400+ Marbled Godwits
15 Willets
28 Sanderlings
6 Western Sandpipers
300+ Dunlin
24 Long-billed Dowitchers
1 Wilson's Snipe

Midway Beach Rd. 2:30pm-3:15pm

3 Pacific Loons
1 NORTHERN FULMAR
10 Brown Pelicans
1 LONG-TAILED DUCK
1 Northern Harrier
29 Snowy Plovers
13 Western Gulls


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net