Subject: Pink-footed Geese and beyond
Date: Nov 6 19:49:53 2003
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I spent the rewarding day in the Bowerman Basin/Ocean Shores area of Grays Harbor Co.,where we arrived at Bowerman Basin at 10am in search of the 2 Pink-footed Geese along with other birders present during our brief morning visit. We checked the large,grassy area immediately west of the Hoquiam STP(at the eastern portion of the Bowerman Basin/Hoquiam Airport),where the largest concentrations of Canada Geese were present that also contained the lingering 3 Snow Geese. We scanned through the flocks of Canada Geese,but were unable to locate the Pink-footed Geese,then we scoped the nearby Hoquiam STP that produced several notable species for our day list,then we headed over to Ocean Shores for some additional birding and making a return visit to Bowerman Basin on our way home at 2pm. Upon our return visit to Bowerman Basin at 2pm we noted similar numbers of Canada Geese foraging on the large,grassy area at the eastern portion of the Bowerman Basin/Hoquiam Airport,then we made a walk along the entire Sandpiper Trail that hosted additional numbers of Canada Geese along with the 3 Snow Geese. We continued searching the general area after returning from our hike along the Sandpiper Trail,including checking along the Grays Harbor side of the airport bordering the Hoquiam STP that allowed better looks at the Canada Geese flock,then as we were almost ready to leave we noted a small flock of Canada Geese flying from an unknown location from Hoquiam heading in the direction of Bowerman Basin. The flock contained 2 smaller geese,but in bad lighting no details were observed until the entire flock of geese landed amongst the remaining Canada Geese flock at the eastern portion of the Bowerman Basin/Hoquiam Airport at 3:30pm,where the 2 Pink-footed Geese were immediately located. Both birds began actively foraging,where they were also viewed from the main road to Lana's Cafe(Airport Way)until we left the location at 4:45pm,as lighting conditions began to decrease. We watched the 2 Pink-footed Geese along with 6 other birders,as the remained grazing on the grass at a safe distance from the main road. Other notable species during both visits to Bowerman Basin/and or the Hoquiam STP included the following:

1 Eared Grebe
7 "Dusky"Canada Geese
5 "Cackling"Canada Geese
36 Canvasbacks
1 male Redhead(amongst large numbers of both scaups,Ring-necked Ducks,Buffleheads,and Ruddy Ducks at the Hoquiam STP)
12 Surf Scoters
3 Common Goldeneyes
5 Hooded Mergansers
2 Northern Harriers
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Merlin
1 adult Peregrine Falcon
62+ Black-bellied Plovers
8 Sanderlings
2 Least Sanpipers
10,000+Dunlin(observed with very small numbers of Western Sandpipers along the Sandpiper Trail at 2:30pm)
1 Wilson's Snipe
2 Red-necked Phalarope(observed at the Hoquiam STP)
1 Northern Flicker intergrade(Yellow-shafted/Red-shafted Flicker intergrade)
5 Savannah Sparrows

Our visit to Ocean Shores was quite productive(specifically at the Ocean Shores Jetty),but conditions were far more windy compared to Bowerman Basin. Our main highlight encountered were up to 12 Rock Sandpipers(dominant race)observed at the Ocean Shores Jetty amongst 23 Black Turnstones and 42 Surfbirds. We checked a few additional locations at Ocean Shores including the Ocean Shores Golf Course,Damon Point, Cyber Lake and the Ocean Shores STP that all had additional species to offer including the following highlights:

Red-throated Loon
1 at the Ocean Shores Marina
1 at the Damon Point"pond"

Red-necked Grebe
1 at the Ocean Shores Marina

Eared Grebe
2 at Lake Minard(accessed from Marine View Drive at Ocean Shores)

Western Grebe
5 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Northern Fulmar
7 dark-morph birds off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Fork-tailed Storm Petrel
1 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Greater White-fronted Goose
12 at the Ocean Shores Golf Course

Snow Goose
1 adult at the Ocean Shores Golf Course

Hooded Merganser
14 at Lake Minard(Ocean Shores)

Northern Harrier
1 along S.R.115 at Cyber Lake(north of Ocean Shores)

Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 at Bill's Spit/Ocean Shores Marina
1 along S.R.109 near Copalis Crossing

Cooper's Hawk
1 along Ocean Shores Blvd.(north of the Ocean Shores STP)

Black-bellied Plover
14 at the Oyhut Wildlife Area(accessed along Marine View Drive at Ocean Shores)
7 at Damon Point

Semipalmated Plover
6 at Damon Point

Greater Yellowlegs
6 at Cyber Lake(accessed along S.R.115 south of Ocean City State Park)

Sanderling
8 at Damon Point

Least Sandpiper
3 at Damon Point

Dunlin
120+ at the Oyhut Wildlife Area
65+ at Damon Point

Long-billed Dowitcher
1 at the Oyhut Wildlife Area

Red Phalarope
1 at the Ocean Shores STP
9 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Heermann's Gull
62+ off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Herring Gull
14 at the Ocean Shores Marina

"Streaked"Horned Lark
1 at Damon Point

Am.Pipit
15 at Damon Point

Savannah Sparrow
5 at Damon Point


On route to Bowerman Basin we observed a single Western Scrub Jay along Hwy.12 at Elma and 5 Western Meadowlarks further west along Hwy.12 at Satsop.



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net