Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I attempted to relocate the adult PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER
that we observed yesterday along Hwy.12 near Satsop in addition to get
photographs for documentation. We were very successful in locating the
presumed same individual after extensively searching,scoping,and scanning
many of the freshly plowed and shortly vegetated fields in the immediate
area from Wenzel Slough Rd. to Brady Loop Rd. in eastern Grays Harbor Co. We
were able to finally, but briefly relocate the Pacific Golden Plover in a
flock of 102 Black-bellied Plovers foraging in a plowed field along the
eastern portion of Brady Loop Rd. at 12:45pm in our spotting scope,then the
bird was observed again after Marv Breece arrived at the location and the
unstable weather(scattered rain showers with near constant wind at times)had
let up allowing fair but good views of the Pacific Golden Plover as it
foraged loosely with the larger Black-bellied Plovers. The bird was observed
for 15 minutes then up to two flocks of Black-bellied Plovers flew to the
south, which also included the Pacific Golden Plover,but the bird was
undetected in flight. We were fortunate to relocate the Pacific Golden
Plover at this location,as it may remain in the area amongst the
Black-bellied Plovers depending on the amount of coverage. Due the distance
of the Pacific Golden Plover in the plowed field from the immediate road we
were unable to get photographs, and at times the bird was somewhat difficult
to observe in our spotting scope, as it blended in with the plowed up dirt
clumps and stubble, but once detected by movement the bird was well
observed.

In general we locatted relatively good numbers of shorebirds along Brady
Loop Rd., with lesser numbers along the western portion of Wenzel Slough
Rd., including increased numbers of foraging Black-bellied Plovers and
Whimbrels in addition to other shorebird species to be listed below. We
stopped by the Nisqually NWR at 8:30am, but were unable to relocate the
Solitary Sandpiper that we observed the 1st of May before heading west to
the Satsop-Brady area. A male Wood Duck perched in a leafing out Big Leaf
Maple along the Nisqually River loop boardwalk,as was a single Red-breasted
Sapsucker.

Notable species that were observed in the Elma-Brady areas included:

Black-bellied Plover
102 along Brady Loop Rd.(100 birds in full to partial breeding plumage,with
2 birds in nonbreeding plumage)

Semipalmated Plover
1 along Hwy.8,east of Elma
3 along Brady Loop Rd.

Greater Yellowlegs
2 along Brady Loop Rd.

Lesser Yellowlegs
7 along Wenzel Slough Rd.
9 along Brady Loop Rd.

Whimbrel(high count)
232 along Brady Loop Rd.

Marbled Godwit(unusual for location)
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Ruddy Turnstone
5 along Brady Loop Rd.

Western Sandpiper
87 along Wenzel Slough Rd.
245+ along Brady Loop Rd.

Least Sandpiper
54 along Wenzel Slough Rd.
175+ along Brady Loop Rd.

Dunlin
7 along Wenzel Slough Rd.
24 along Brady Loop Rd.

Short-billed Dowitcher
2 along Wenzel Slough Rd.
68 along Brady Loop Rd.

Long-billed Dowitcher
1 along Hwy.8,west of Elma
14 along Wenzel Slough Rd.
3 along Brady Loop Rd.

Band-tailed Pigeon(high count)
180+ along Wenzel Slough Rd.(with lesser numbers noted in other nearby
areas)

Western Scrub Jay
1 at Brady
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Warbling Vireo
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Orange-crowned Warbler
5 along Brady Loop Rd.

Yellow Warbler
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Black-throated Gray Warbler
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Wilson's Warbler
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Golden-crowned Sparrow
14 along Brady Loop Rd.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net