Subject: Coastal birding
Date: Nov 10 21:42:11 2002
From: Ruth Sullivan - GODWIT at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I ventured over to the coast in Grays Harbor and
northern Pacific Co.,mainly in search of Red Phalaropes that have recently
been reported along the Oregon coast and very recently at Westport and
vicinity. The weather throughout the day was not too severly stormy along
the immediate coast,despite recent weather forecasts and we managed to have
fairly good weather with only occasional rain showers and moderate winds at
times. Swells and wave conditions were fairly high at times,as noted at both
the Ocean Shores and Westport Jetty,but conditions and diversity were best
at the Ocean Shores Jetty(but tourists in search of storm watching were
greatest here),especially for Red Phalaropes in which we observed 42 birds
near shore,as they actively foraged on the surface of the water and also
along the immediate shoreline on the north side of the jetty. We also
encountered a loose flock of 28 Red Phalaropes on the Ocean Shores Game
Range(accessed from the Ocean Shores STP,with a lone bird flying by the
sewage ponds, and an additional bird photographed on land at close range
along the shoreline at the O.S.Game Range). At Westport depsite weather
conditions we only observed 2 Red Phalaropes from the jetty north of
Westhaven SP and an additional bird found dead at Midway Beach Rd.,where we
ended are day. Overall Red Phalaropes were nowhere near the amounts that
have recently been reported along the Oregon coast(with reports in the
several hundreds and thousands)at one location,but each day could host
different counts.

Among several highlights listed below most notable at Ocean Shores were
impressive flocks of Starlings along Ocean Shores Blvd. north of the Ocean
Shores STP with approxiametely 7,000+ birds noted,and throughout the day
very few raptors noted with our only 2 Red-tailed Hawks observed along Brady
Loop Rd. Also good numbers of gulls were noted at several key locations
including inland along Wenzel Slough Rd. with 870+ Ring-billed Gulls(with
400 Ring-billed Gulls noted along Brady Loop Rd. with lesser numbers of Mew
Gulls at both locations)and at Bill's Spit with 2,300+ California Gulls with
17+ Herring Gulls among a few other gull species.We also encoutered two
dragonflies along Duck Lake Drive at Ocean Shores,being 2 Shadow
Darners(Aeshna umbrosa),which of this species is the latest to be
encoutered.

Three of the main highlights of the day away from Red Phalaropes were a
basic-plumaged YELLOW-BILLED LOON at the Ocean Shores Game Range amongst a
very large flock of all three scoters and 1 nearby Common Loon,and a single
SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER and 1 first-year SABINE'S GULL off the Ocean Shores
Jetty,both seperately riding the huge waves and surf. The Yellow-billed Loon
was noticed immediately in our Leica spotting scope by showing the definite
dark ear patch,straw-yellow upturned bill,and fairly pale dusky sides and
neck compared to a nearby winter-plumaged Common Loon in overall
coloration,with bulk and size difference,as well as head shape noted.

Our day began in eastern Grays Harbor Co.,where we checked a few locations
in the Elma-Brady area,including Brady Loop Rd. then continued west to the
Hoquiam STP by 10am. We birded the Ocean Shores area from 10:45am-1pm with
several highlights for the day,before we traveled towards Westport with a
stop made along Ocosta Third Street at 2:15pm. We checked the Westport area
on briefly due to the rather poor visibility and weather conditions then
continued south to Midway Beach Rd.,where we birded until near dark at 5pm.
A list of our main highlights for the day included the following:

YELLOW-BILLED LOON
1 basic-plumaged adult at the Ocean Shores Game Range(accessed from the
Ocean Shores STP)

Eared Grebe
1 at the Ocean Shores STP

SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER
1 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Brown Pelican
2 at the Hoquiam STP
20 off the Ocean Shores Jetty
15 at the Ocean Shores Game Range
320+ at Westport

Great Egret
1 along S.R.105 at MP 31(east of Westport)

Tundra Swan
8 at Vance Creek County Park near Elma
16 along Brady Loop Rd.

Eurasian Wigeon
1 female at Lake Minard(accessed along Marine View Drive next to the cement
water tower at Ocean Shores)

Canvasback
88 at the Hoquiam STP

Harlequin Duck
1 female at the Ocean Shores Game Range

Black Scoter
7 at the Ocean Shores Game Range(with 580+ Surf Scoters and 62 White-winged
Scoters)

WHITE-TAILED KITE
1 adult along S.R.105 at MP 31(presumably the same individual previosuly
reported from near Bottle Beach at Ocosta Third Street)

Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 along S.R.105(west of Burrows Rd.)

Cooper's Hawk
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Am.Kestrel
1 along Hwy.12 at Schouweiler Rd.(west of Elma)

Merlin
1 along Schouweiler Rd.

Ring-necked Pheasant
2 along Brady Loop Rd.

Black-bellied Plover
4 along Wenzel Slough Rd.
10 along Brady Loop Rd.
1 at the Ocean Shores Jetty
1 at the Ocean Shores Game Range
1 at Damon Point

Snowy Plover
8 at Midway Beach Rd.

Greater Yellowlegs
2 at Cyber Lake(accessed from S.R.115 north of Ocean Shores)
18 at Ocosta Third Street

Long-billed Curlew
9 at Bill's Spit

Black Turnstone
3 at the Ocean Shores Jetty
2 at the Ocean Shores Game Range
2 at the Westport Jetty

Surfbird
8 at the Ocean Shores Jetty

Western Sandpiper
43 at Midway Beach Rd.

Least Sandpiper
108 at the Hoquiam STP(observed along the northern shore of Grays Harbor
south of the Hoquiam STP)

Dunlin
4 at the Hoquiam STP
8 at the Ocean Shores Game Range
58 at Westport
8,500+ at Midway Beach Rd.(with 175+ Sanderlings)

Long-billed Dowitcher
8 at the Hoquiam STP
34 at Ocosta Third Street

Wilson's Snipe
4 along Brady Loop Rd.
3 at the Hoquiam STP
2 at the Ocean Shores Golf Course
1 along Ocosta Third Street

RED PHALAROPE
42 at the Ocean Shores Jetty
28 at the Ocean Shores Game Range
2 at Westport

Bonaparte's Gull
1 at the Ocean Shores Jetty

Heermann's Gull
1 at Westport

Thayer's Gull
1 1st winter bird at Damon Point

SABINE'S GULL(very late date)
1 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Black-legged Kittiwake
4 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Horned Lark
5 at Midway Beach Rd.

Western Scrub Jay
1 along Hwy.12 at Elma
2 along Brady Loop Rd.

Western Meadowlark
4 at Midway Beach Rd.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net