Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and birded portions of Ocean Shores at several key shorebird
locations along with a few other birders during our visit including David
Chaffin of Tennessee,Ian McGregor,Ryan Shaw,and Bill and Nancy LaFramboise.
Shorebird numbers were quite variable with the highest concentations and
numbers of individual species that included Short-billed Dowitchers with
1,100+ birds at Bill's Spit during incoming tide. Lesser numbers of Western
and Least Sandpipers,and Semipalmated Plovers were noted at several
locations throughout the Ocean Shores area,but numbers were moderate. Our
main highlight of the day was an adult female BAR-TAILED GODWIT viewed from
Chinook Drive,just north of Bill's Spit amongst a flock of 168 Marbled
Godwits,64 Whimbrels,and 650+ Short-billed Dowitchers. We viewed the bird in
our spotting scopes well from 11am-11:30am during incoming tide along with
Ian McGregor until the bird flew off with most of the other shorebirds to
the south. This appeared to be the same individual adult female Bar-tailed
Godwit in still remaining partial breeding plumage than my mother and I
observed on the 14th of July at Damon Point due to ALL the plumage
characteristics matching.

During the remainder of our stay at Ocean Shores after 12pm,my mother and I
were joined by David Chaffin along with Ryan Shaw where we all checked
several other shorebird locations including the Ocean Shores Game
Range,Damon Point,the Ocean Shores Marina,and Bill's Spit for any additional
species,and to attempt to relocate the Bar-tailed Godwit, but with NO luck.
After 2pm my mother and I birded alone checking a few more areas including
the Ocean Shores Jetty,the Ocean Shores STP,and several beach access
locations than in previous weeks. We were unable to locate any major
shorebird flocks at any of the three beach access locations that we checked
during two visits,and it seemed Bill's Spit was the most productive and
diverse shorebird locaton of the day. On our way home my mother and I
checked along Madrona Beach Rd. at Mud Bay west of Tumwater at 6pm,then we
made a quick visit to the Nisqually NWR to check for any shorebirds along
the McAllister Creek Trail at 6:30pm.

A list of our highlights for the day included:

Pacific Loon
1 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Green-winged Teal
4 at the Hoquim STP

Northern Pintail
1 at the Hoquim STP

Cinnamon Teal
2 at the Hoquim STP

Northern Shoveler
3 at the Hoquim STP
1 remaining female with 9 young at the Ocean Shores STP

Greater Scaup
1 male at the Hoquim STP

Surf Scoter
27 off Bill's Spit
17 off the Ocean Shores Game Range
23 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

White-winged Scoter
45 off Bill's Spit
3 off the Ocean Shores Game Range
8 off/over the Ocean Shores Jetty

Hooded Merganser
1 at the Hoquim STP

Osprey
1 along Marine View Drive,north of the Ocean Shores Game Range

Northern Harrier
2 at the Ocean Shores Game Range

Cooper's Hawk
1 over Bill's Spit

Ring-necked Pheasant
1 female with 10 young along Greenview Ave.,northwest of the Ocean Shores
STP

Black-bellied Plover
8 at Bill's Spit

Snowy Plover
1 female with 3 remaining young at the Ocean Shores Game Range

Semipalmated Plover
42 at Bill's Spit
37 at the Marine View Drive beach access

Greater Yellowlegs
63 at Cyber Lake
34 at Mud Bay along Madrona Beach Rd.
2 at the Nisqually NWR

Spotted Sandpiper
1 at the Nisqually NWR

Whimbrel
107 at Bill's Spit
8 at the Ocean Shores Marina

BAR-TAILED GODWIT
1 adult female at Bill's Spit

Marbled Godwit
208 at Bill's Spit
9 at the Ocean Shores Marina
3 over the Ocean Shores Jetty

Ruddy Turnstone
10 at the Ocean Shores Game Range

Black Turnstone
2 at the Ocean Shores Game Range

Surfbird
1 at the Ocean Shores Game Range

Red Knot
4 at Bill's Spit

Western Sandpiper
good numbers at several locations,with our largest account including 700+ at
Bill's Spit

Least Sandpiper
lesser numbers compared to Western Sandpipers at all locations with 52+ at
Bill's Spit and 37 along Airport Way,east of the Hoquim STP

Short-billed Dowitcher
6 at Cyber Lake
1,100+ at Bill's Spit

Long-billed Dowitcher
1 at the Nisqually NWR

Tufted Puffin
2 off the Ocean Shore Jetty

Olive-sided Flycatcher
1 at Cyber Lake

Horned Lark
2 at Damon Point

Hutton's Vireo
1 near Bill's Spit

Evening Grosbeak
1 at the Nisqually NWR

Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net