Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and Iocated a juvenile RUFF at Elma in Grays Harbor Co. that was visible from two locations. We located the Ruff at 9am along Hwy.12 westbound at MP 18.9 in a large pasture west of the actual town of Elma north of Vance Creek Co. Park,in which the bird loosely associated with a large flock of Black-bellied Plovers and a few other shorebird species. The bird was then relocated and observed from another location north of Hwy.12(accessed from Monte-Elma Rd.). We relocated the bird again on our way home from Ocean Shores between 4:20pm-4:40pm,where we left the bird(and also from informing three other birding parties at Ocean Shores of this sighting including Mark Oberle,Dr.Steve Lindsay of Idaho, and Jan and Steve Watson. The bird actively foraged in a large,open pasture amongst other shorebirds,as it searched for earthworms and other grubs,which we actually saw the bird consume. The bird upon locating the bird in the morning was quickly seperated from the other shorebirds by the bird's overall structure and color,and feeding behavior. The bird would prance around amongst the other nearby shorebirds actively searching for food during all observations,but at times the entire flock of shorebirds would scatter and fly to another location,but remained in the general vicinity of the initial sighting,as the bird was viewed in flight. The bird's overall color was a warm buffy brown(face,upperparts,being palest below)with a dark back and crown. The legs were long and yellow,and the bill was considerably short along with the rather small head,giving the bird a large bodied appearance.This sighting is an exceptionally late record for WA and a rather unusual location,but it is apparent the bird arrived recently due to the very active feeding behavior that was observed and it is possible ther bird may remain for a few days upon further searching.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net