Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded the northern route of Grays Harbor,specifically
in the Ocean Shores area as weather conditions were quite variable at times
throughout the day,being best and calmest in the morning with occasional
rain showers/sunbreaks throughout our entire stay at Ocean Shores. We
extensively searched for returning shorebirds like yesterday,as well as
other species as we combed many of the main areas in the general Ocean
Shores vicinity at regular visited locations. Overall we encountered
increased shorebird activity and numbers at many locations that were visited
with 4 main highlights during our visit including:

1 apparent molting adult PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER at Damon Point. The bird was
first heard calling then seen flying at close range from the south portion
of the paved road east of the Damon Point parking lot,then the bird was
pursued and relocated at the west end of the Damon Point "pond",where it was
further well observed and photographed during our 2 hour visit to Damon
Point within several brief rain showers.The birds call was very distinctive
as the bird gave the two noted whistled "chew-WI" call note three seperate
times in flight. The bird showed consistant black splotching on the belly
surrounding the white upperparts and sides and unmarked undertail coverts.
The cap,back,and wings including the scauplars,and tertials showed obvious
gold fringes within more distinctive and smaller gold flecking on the
back.The white stripe extending from the eyebrow down to the belly was
noatable,but faded at times. The primary projection on the bird in flight
was obviously at the tail or just slightly beyond the tail as noted in our
observations,and the bill was notably fairly long and thick-based. The black
legs seemed quite long which is notable in this species,although we could
not compare them to an American Golden Plover. The bird appeared to be in
molt due to the amount of black spots on the belly and a relatively
unclean,crisp appearance along with at least two wing feathers sticking out
on the back. The bird remained during our entire visit heavily feeding and
foraging,so perhaps it may depart soon,depending on the weather and other
factors. This is our earliest fall record to date,as we normally encounter
this species in August,with most records in September.

Our second highlight of the day was a breeding pair of SNOWY PLOVERS with 3
young on the Ocean Shores Game Range,with an additional male in the same
immediate area. The Snowy Plover family were noted at this same location
that in previous years,but not this early in the season as in previous years
we have noted a pair of Snowy Plovers with at two young chicks,such as
August 2001,with one young remaining for at least one week later from our
observations.

Our third and fourth highlight of the day was an adult TUFTED PUFFIN and 1
CASSIN'S AUKLET flying north off the west tip of the Ocean Shores Jetty
during our morning visit,as sea and wind conditions were very calm.

A list of other notable species at selected locations and times follows
below from Ocean Shores:

Hwy.12 east of Elma 6:50am

1 Am.Kestrel

Ocean Shores Jetty 8:05am-9:30am

1 Red-throated Loon
2 Pacific Loons
140+ Sooty Shearwaters
75+ Brown Pelicans
1 male HARLEQUIN DUCK
58 Surf Scoters
27 White-winged Scoters
1 Wandering Tattler
3 Black Turnstones
1 Surfbird
25 Western Sandpipers
275+ Heermann's Gulls
48 Common Murres
13 Marbled Murrelets(including one bird in or near winter plumage)
1 CASSIN'S AUKLET
1 adult TUFTED PUFFIN


Ocean Shores STP 9:45am-10am

1 female Northern Shoveler(with 6 young)
1 female Hooded Merganser
1 Ring-necked Pheasant(heard only)
1 Greater Yellowlegs
18 Western Sandpipers

Ocean Shores Game Range(accessed from Marine View Drive) 10:15am-11:50am

1 Red-throated Loon
2 Common Loons
42+ Brown Pelicans
23 Surf Scoters
11 White-winged Scoters
1 Ring-necked Pheasant(heard only)
3 adult SNOWY PLOVERS(with 2 adults with 3 chicks)
1 Semipalmated Plover
3 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Whimbrel
205+ Western Sandpipers
22 Least Sandpipers

Bill's Spit 12pm-12:50pm(incoming tide)

56 Black-bellied Plovers
4 Semipalmated Plovers
90 Whimbrel
2 Red Knots
105+ Western Sandpipers
34 Least Sandpipers
72 Short-billed Dowitchers
240+ California Gulls
35 Caspian Terns

Damon Point 1pm-3pm

32 Brown Pelicans
7 Surf Scoters
3 White-winged Scoters
1 PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER
2 Semipalmated Plovers
3 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Lesser Yellowlegs
550+ Western Sandpipers
70+ Least Sandpipers
8 Horned Larks

In general Ocean Shores was very productive for so early in the season,but
is normally productive anytime of year with such great diversity of species.
A great two days of birding.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net