Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I spent a few hours in the Ocean Shores area,specifically with special attention made at the Ocean Shores Jetty during outgoing tide between 1pm-3pm. Although the northerly winds were quite persistent at times we managed to have a fairly good assortment of waterbirds with an extensive scoping made from the tip of the jetty and additional checking made in the vicinity of the base of the jetty. Our main highlight was 2 MANX SHEARWATERS observed at three separate times within a 25 minute period in the range of 60-120 yards offshore from the tip of the jetty. The first observation was made after nearly an hour of careful scoping from the tip of the jetty at 1:50pm when a fairly small black and white shearwater was observed to the northwest of the tip of the jetty at approximately 60-70 yards offshore,where the obvious field marks of the species were noted including the solid black upperparts(from head to tail) followed by wholly white underparts including very pale underwings,white undertail coverts and the white extending slightly up onto the neck, as the bird was noted only in flight,then 20 seconds later a second individual matching the same identical plumage of the first bird,(but showing very slightly browner-tinged black upperparts)was noted approximately 4-5 yards away from the first individual to the south,as both birds flew alone and continued in a northerly direction along with several Pacific Loons. Due to the windy conditions the birds were lost in the waves,but then at 1:57pm a single Manx Shearwater was noted slightly further offshore than the original sightings at around 90 yards offshore,but in the general northwesterly direction,but close to an offshore fishing vessel heading south towards Westport and like the initial observations this individual also continued north. The final observation made by careful scoping was made at 2:15pm,where a single Manx Shearwater was noted approxiatemetly 120 yards offshore,but conditions improved briefly to obtain the basic field marks as in the prior observations and after the last sighting overall sea conditions seemed to decline due to hazy conditions and sun glare. This was a first personal spring record for us for this very rare species,as we have encountered this species during the early fall at this same location in past years of single birds. We are aware of only two other confirmed spring records of this species in WA observed on the Westport pelagic trips with one bird observed on the 24th of March,2001 and 2 birds observed on the 18th of May,2002. Our overall visit to the Ocean Shores Jetty was quite good due good numbers of waterbirds including Pacific Loons,Common Murres and Rhinoceros Auklets being the most abundant waterbird species during our visit followed by both Surf Scoters and lesser numbers of White-winged Scoters noted flying north. Other notable species observed during our visit to the Ocean Shores Jetty included the following:

2 Red-throated Loons
8 Western Grebes
100+ dark shearwater species(observed along the horizon,being presumably Sooty Shearwaters)
8 Brown Pelicans
4 Greater Scaups
4 Semipalmated Plovers(including one bird observed on the rocks near the tip of the jetty)
1 adult female Snowy Plover(observed just north of the jetty along the drier portion above the high tide line in beach debris and vegetation)
6 Wandering Tattlers
1 Whimbrel
18 Sanderlings
8 Western Sandpipers
12 Dunlin
68+ Red-necked Phalaropes
8 Parasitic Jaegers
75+ Black-legged Kittiwakes
35+ Bonaparte's Gulls
37 Common Terns
1 Marbled Murrelet
4 Ancient Murrelets
2 Tufted Puffins

We briefly checked the Ocean Shores Game Range(accessed from behind the Ocean Shores STP)and located a few additional species numbers including the following:

2 Brown Pelicans
3 Northern Pintail
42 Northern Shovelers
82 Greater Scaup
22 Lesser Scaup
1 Ring-necked Pheasant(heard only)
8 Black-bellied Plovers
6 Semipalmated Plovers
1 Killdeer family with 4 young
4 Dunlin
78 Bonaparte's Gulls
3 Am.Pipits

A few other species noted before we departed Ocean Shores included the following:

Ring-necked Pheasant
1 near Damon Point(heard only)

Whimbrel
2 at the base of Damon Point

Long-billed Curlew
55+ at Bill's Spit

Olive-sided Flycatcher
1 at the Ocean Shores Interpretive Center near the Ocean Shores Marina
2 along Wakina Loop Ave. near Bill's Spit(photographed)

On our way home we stopped along Foster Rd. near Brady Loop Rd.,where 6 Lesser Yellowlegs were observed in the wet,grassy field at the north end of the road along with 2 Greater Yellowlegs and 4 Black-bellied Plovers were noted in the large corn stubble field at the south end of the road. 12 Turkey Vultures were also present along Foster Rd.

Continuing east a flock of 50+ Whimbrel were noted along the south side of Hwy.12 foraging in a freshly plowed field immediately west of the Satsop River bridge.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net