Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded the Ocean Shores area,as we scoured and hiked many of the accessible areas including the entire perimeter of Damon Point/Catala Spit,which produced our best shorebird highlight of the day,being a single juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper. We encountered a total of 20 species of shorebirds throughout the day,specifically at Ocean Shores and this was due to most of the day spent of foot. The Buff-breasted Sandpiper was observed at 3:10pm during outgoing tide at the extreme tip of Damon Point foraging along the exposed sandy beach shoreline pecking alone at beach vegetation and was observed only briefly,but well as the time did not allow for more observations. The entire walk out to the exact location of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper took almost an entire hour from the main parking lot that requires a fee,but was well worth the hike as a few other species were encountered as well. This species was anticipated as we were driving out to Ocean Shores and previous days,so it made the sighting that much more worthwhile and hopefully this bird or more birds will continue at Ocean Shores with enough effort involved. Overall shorebirds were in good numbers,although we did not encountered the large numbers or "masses" along the ocean beaches during our evening visit probably due to tide conditions.

Our second main shorebird highlight of the day was a multiple flock of golden plovers at the Oyhut Wildlife Area(accessed from behind the Ocean Shores STP)also at outgoing tide during our second visit to this location during the day between 4:05pm-4:45pm. The flock was observed foraging on the partially exposed mudflats just beyond the fluorescent orange and black navigation tower at the Oyhut Wildlife Area,which contained a total of 16 birds,being 14 Pacific Golden Plovers(12 alternate-plumaged adult birds,2 juvenile birds)and 2 Am.Golden Plovers,which were both juvenile birds. Two Pacific Golden Plovers and one of the juvenile Am.Golden Plovers flew off towards the ocean beaches and were never relocated,as 13 bird remained and allowed very exceptional comparisons between the two species,as the foraged and partially bathed in the saltwater"pool" within the mudflats.

Our best songbird migrant of the day was a single Northern Waterthrush encountered and heard calling briefly at 9am amongst a rather small mixed songbird flock at the Hoquiam STP that contained 8 other species. The bird foraged very low in bushes just north of the intersection of Paulson Rd. and the actual Hoquiam STP,where the road continues north to the Hoquiam Airport. The entire flock of songbirds was attracted mainly to "pishing" and the imitation of a Northern Pygmy Owl,but the flock quickly dispersed within 5 minutes,but made for a good start to our day. The Manx Shearwater was again observed twice during a visit made to the Ocean Shores Jetty between 10:30am-12pm in a large extensive feeding flock at the mouth of Grays Harbor between the tip of the Westport Jetty and the Ocean Shores Jetty.


A notable species itinerary list of locations visited at selected times follows below:

Hoquiam STP 8:50am-9:15am

1 Northern Pintail
1 Cinnamon Teal
3 Greater Scaup
1 Lesser Scaup
1 Bufflehead
1 Osprey
15 Semipalmated Plovers
12 Red-necked Phalaropes
2 Bonaparte's Gulls
1 Pacific-slope Flycatcher
1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
5 Cedar Waxwings
2 Warbling Vireos
5 Orange-crowned Warbler
6 Yellow Warblers
18 Black-throated Gray Warblers
1 Northern Waterthrush
8 Common Yellowthroats
3 Wilson's Warblers


Cyber Lake(accessed behind the North Beach Middle and High School along S.R.115 north of Ocean Shores) 9:45am-9:50am

14 Wood Ducks
5 Greater Yellowlegs
4 Red Crossbills


Ocean Shores Golf Course(accessed along Ocean Shores Blvd.) 10am-10:05am

1 Greater Yellowlegs

Ocean Shores STP 10:20am-10:28am

14 Northern Shovelers
9 Least Sandpipers
1 Long-billed Dowitcher
3 Red-necked Phalaropes


Ocean Shores Jetty 10:30am-12pm(incoming tide)

1 Red-throated loon
7 Pacific Loons
3 Common Loons
150+ Sooty Shearwaters
1 Manx Shearwater
120+ Brown Pelicans
23 Surf Scoters
14 Wandering Tattlers
18 Black Turnstones
82 Surfbirds
5 Red-necked Phalaropes
320+ Heermann's Gulls
1 adult light-morph Parasitic Jaeger


Driftwood Drive to Marine View Drive beach access(on foot) 12:10pm-12:35pm

28 Black-bellied Plovers
70 Sanderlings
1 Western Sandpiper
2 Dunlin
200+ Heermann's Gulls


Oyhut Wildlife Area(accessed behind the Ocean Shores STP) 12:45pm-1:30pm(incoming tide)

3 Semipalmated Plovers
370+ Western Sandpipers
14 Least Sandpipers
2 Baird's Sandpipers
6 Short-billed Dowitchers


Oyhut Wildlife Area(accessed along Marine View Drive across the road from the large cement water tower) 1:45pm

1 Black-bellied Plovers
1 Semipalmated Plovers
200+ Western Sandpipers


Grand Canal(accessed along Discovery Ave. next to the Discovery Inn) 1:55pm

1 adult Green Heron


Damon Point 2:15pm-3:45pm

4 Red-throated Loons
45 Brown Pelicans
450+ Double-crested Cormorants
1 Surf Scoter
8 Semipalmated Plovers
2 Whimbrel
300+ Western Sandpipers
44 Least Sandpipers
2 Baird's Sandpipers
1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper
180+ Heermann's Gulls
3 "Streaked"Horned Larks


Oyhut Wildlife Area(accessed from Marine View Drive) 3:50pm-4pm

2 Black-bellied Plovers
1 Semipalmated Plovers
3 Greater Yellowlegs
350+ Western Sandpipers
105 Least Sandpipers



Oyhut Wildlife Area(accessed from behind the Ocean Shores STP) 4:08pm-4:45pm

60+ Surf Scoters
14 Pacific Golden Plovers
2 Am.Golden Plovers
9 Semipalmated Plovers
1 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Wandering Tattler
4 Whimbrel
30 Western Sandpipers
18 Least Sandpipers
1 Baird's Sandpiper



Driftwood Drive to Butter Clam Street beach access(on foot) 4:55pm-5:35pm

180+ Sanderlings
6 Western Sandpipers
1 Dunlin
1 juvenile Common Murre(stranded/resting on upper beach)
1 juvenile Rhinoceros Auklet(stranded/resting below high tide line)


In addition my mother and I observed a single Western Scrub Jay on route to the Hoquiam STP this morning along Hwy.12 at Elma.



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net