Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded portions of Ocean Shores and vicinity,again
checking for returning fall migrating shorebirds at several locations with
good results and increased diversity and activity. Our main highlight was an
adult female BAR-TAILED GODWIT at Bill's Spit amongst a large flock of
other nearby shorebirds to be listed below. The bird was observed and
photographed between 2pm-3:20pm at incoming tide and viewed from several
locations from various vantage points including Claire and Mariner
Courts.(accessed from Wakina Street). The bird was immediately seperated
from the nearby Marbled Godwits by showing completely white
underparts,distinctive white supercillium,and a buffy-brown wash on the
upperparts and breast bordering the white throat. The back was fairly pale
brown and not well marked overall,showing pale fringes on the scapulars,and
the distinctive shorter legs were noted compared to the nearby taller,and
larger Marbled Godwits. The bird was observed well at several locations
until it was last observed at Bill's Spit foraging with other large
shorebirds,before they were ALL flushed by am immature Peregrine Falcon at
3:20pm.

Our other highlight was a molting adult PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER observed and
photographed amongst a large flock of roosting shorebirds along the beach
accessed from the Marine View Drive beach access at slowly outgoing tide at
4:55pm,during our second visit during the day to this exact location(with
much increased shorebird numbers and diversity than a previous visit.) This
could very possibly be the same individual bird than we noted on the 7th of
July due to the similiar plumage characteristics,but the bird did not remain
after it and the nearby large foraging shorebird flock were flushed by
beachcombers. Nevertheless our day was very rewarding and satisfying,except
for the near constant stiff coastal winds after 1pm. We extensively searched
thoroughly through the vast and variable sized shorebird flocks carefully
for any rarities,although during the entire day shorebird diversity seemed
to increase as tide conditions were in our favor with high tide being in the
early evening. We encountered a total of 17 species of shorebirds with
minimal effort along with many additional highlights to be mentioned below
at selected locations and times:

Ocean Shores Jetty 11am-12pm

1 Red-throated Loon
1 Western Grebe
8 Brown Pelicans
13 Surf Scoters
24 White-winged Scoters
4 Black Scoters
3 Wandering Tattlers
3 Ruddy Turnstones
6 Black Turnstones
42 Short-billed Dowitchers(flying over)
140+ Heermann's Gulls
7 California Gulls
30 Common Murres
1 Marbled Murrelet
22 Rhinoceros Auklets
3 Tufted Puffins

Driftwood Drive/Marive View Drive beach access(accessed from Ocean Shores
Blvd. and S.Sand Dune Way) 12:15pm-1:15pm

10 White-winged Scoters
18 Black-bellied Plovers
27 Semipalmated Plovers
10 Red Knots
42 Sanderlings
140+ Western Sandpipers
110+ Short-billed Dowitchers

Ocean Shores STP 1:30pm-1:45pm

1 female Northern Shoveler(with 9 young)
1 Northern Harrier
75+ Whimbrel(flying over,then landing on the nearby Ocean Shores Game Range)
1 Sanderling
135+ Western Sandpipers
6 Least Sandpipers
14 Short-billed Dowitchers

Bill's Spit(including observations from nearby Mariner and Claire Cts.)
2pm-3:20pm(incoming tide)

34 Surf Scoters
1 immature Peregrine Falcon
168 Whimbrel
1 BAR-TAILED GODWIT
305+ Marbled Godwits
87+ Western Sandpipers
385+ Short-billed Dowitchers
280+ California Gulls
42 Caspian Terns

Damon Point/Ocean Shores Game Range 3:30pm-4:45pm

29 Semipalmated Plovers
1 Whimbrel
480+ Western Sandpipers
17 Least Sandpipers
2 Short-billed Dowitchers
2 Horned Larks

Marine View Drive beach access 4:55pm-5:50pm(outgoing tide)

88 Black-bellied Plovers
1 PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER
37 Semipalmated Plovers
38 Red Knots
78 Sanderlings
580+ Western Sandpipers
1 alternate-plumaged DUNLIN
440+ Short-billed Dowitchers

Cyber Lake 6pm-6:10pm

1 Osprey
38 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Least Sandpiper
1 Olive-sided Flycatcher
1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow

In addition to much of our bird observations we encountered a few mammal
species with the most noteworthy being a Long-tailed Weasel upon our late
afternoon arrival to the Marine View Drive beach access,as it quickly ran
across the trailhead. Up to 7 species of dragonflies were also noted at
several locations during our visit to Ocean Shores as well including:

Boreal Bluet
Northern Bluet
Pacific Forktail
California Darner
Blue-eyed Darner
Variegated Meadowhawk
Cardinal Meadowhawk

On our way home we encoutered a Western Scrub Jay along Hwy.12 at Elma,then
one Western Scrub Jay along 100th Street in Lakewood,Pierce County.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net