Subject: Palm Warbler at Ocean Shores
Date: Feb 17 18:35:45 2002
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded on route to Ocean Shores, but made a stop in
Olympia for the Northern Mockingbird between 9am-10:15am, but the bird was
not found. We didn't stress in attempting to further the search due to
having 7 personal Northern Mockingbirds for the state to date, but we are
glad it was seen this evening and hopefully it will remain. A Merlin and 3
Western Scrub Jays were present during our visit in the general vicinity
while searching for the Northern Mockingbird. We birded our way to Ocean
Shores, despite the relatively constant rain showers in the Ocean Shores
vicinity, with minor breaks at times but our best bird of the day was a
single PALM WARBLER observed at the base of Damon Point along Marine View
Drive at 2:30pm in a thickly vegetated Scotch Broom thicket. The warbler
could not be relocated upon some searching, but the weather rapidly
decreased. Our other highlight of the day was a large flock of "rockbirds"
observed along Point Brown Ave. immediately west of the Ocean Shores STP
that contained 32 ROCK SANDPIPERS and 23 SURFBIRDS, which presumably came in
flying from the western portion of the Point Brown Jetty, but due to the
increased amount of visitors at the jetty the birds attempted to find an
additional location to roost.

Heading west we briefly stopped by Mud Bay/mouth of Perry Creek at 10:30am
with a few additions to our day including:

7 Barrow's Goldeneyes
22 Greater Yellowlegs
240+ Dunlin

A Merlin was observed along Hwy.12 at MP 17.1,west of Elma.

The adult male TUFTED DUCK was again present in the extreme SW corner of the
Hoquim STP upon a short visit at 11:50am roosting on a submerged log at
close range. The Rough-legged Hawk was also again noted near the entrance to
Bowerman Basin,perched in a Red Alder tree east of main road.

At Ocean Shores we spent a few hours at incoming tide searching a few key
locations, despite the weather but came up with a few additional species in
addition to the Palm Warbler including:

17 "Dusky"Canada Geese and 14 "Cackling"Canada Geese at the O.S.Golf Course
22 Greater Scaups and 48 Lesser Scaups at the Ocean Shores STP
8 Black Scoters at the O.S.Game Range
1 adult Peale's Peregrine Falcon perced atop the navigation tower behind the
O.S.S.T.P.
12 Semipalmated Plovers at the north side of the base of Damon Point
5 Surfbirds and 13 Black Turnstones at the Ocean Shores Marina
3 Yellow-rumped"Myrtle"Warblers

Our third Merlin of the day was noted along S.R.109 at MP 7.5,west of Gray
Gables upon heading towards home, and a male Am.Kestrel was our last bird of
the day observed along Hwy.8, just east of Elma.

We checked the Schouweiler Rd.wetland to and from destinations and again
located 3 species of swallows with few others species except 2 Virginia
Rails, but our morning visit made viewing conditions much less notable than
our return trip in the late afternoon, but managed to get quality views of
most of the swallows including:

4+ Tree Swallows
2 Violet-green Swallows
20 Barn Swallows


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net