Hello all,
It was another good day to spend on the coast. Carol Schulz and I (and many
other people) birded various areas which have been very productive in the
last couple of weeks. At Tokeland, we eventually got very close, though
mostly obscurred, looks at the HUDSONIAN GODWIT which we only saw at an
extreme distance on Thursday. I counted far more godwits on the dock than I
have ever seen here before; my personal tally came out to an amazing 1044
Marbled Godwits. On our way out we stopped by the Tropical Kingbird spot at
3rd & Emerson, and it was again quite accomodating. At the main viewing
area for Graveyard Spit, I studied four RED KNOTS in a flock of Dunlin and
Western Sandpipers. Then we moved north and checked for longspurs at
several beach accesses in the Grayland area, which I couldn't find. A SNOW
BUNTING was heard over Midway Beach, and the Sullivans alerted us to a PALM
WARBLER found earlier by either Marcus Roeing or Brian Bell and others. I
saw the bird actually foraging on the ground under our parked car briefly.
There were very large numbers of Herring Gulls loafing on the outer beach.

Sunday, 8 November 2003 (8:00am to 5:00pm).
Pacific & Grays Harbor Counties - 106 species.
Mostly cloudy; gentle NW breeze; 45-54 F.

Brady Loop Road (8:00-8:45):
Trumpeter Swan (2ad., 1juv.)
Bald Eagle (1ad.)
Northern Harrier (2)
American Kestrel (2m.)
Merlin (1)
Peregrine Falcon (1 juv anatum)
Black-bellied Plover (2)
Western Scrub-Jay (1)
Varied Thrush (1)
Fox Sparrow (10)
Lincoln's Sparrow (2)
White-crowned Sparrow (1)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (8)
Dark-eyed Junco (12)
Western Meadowlark (1)
Brewer's Blackbird (320)
Evening Grosbeak (6)

Elk River Bridge, Westport (9:45-1:00am):
Lesser Scaup (2)
Common Loon (4)
Great Egret (4)
Pied-billed Grebe (1)
Black-bellied Plover (40)
Dunlin (100)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (5)

Tokeland Marina (10:30am-12:00pm):
Greater Scaup (15)
Surf Scoter (20)
Common Goldeneye (16)
Hooded Merganser (1)
Red-breasted Merganser (125)
Common Loon (130)
Horned Grebe (5)
Red-necked Grebe (3)
Western Grebe (20)
Willet (14)
Whimbrel (2)
HUDSONIAN GODWIT (1-1W)
Marbled Godwit (1044)
Least Sandpiper (3)
Dunlin (10)
Long-billed Dowitcher (12)
Bonaparte's Gull (75)
Mew Gull (80)
Herring Gull (1)
TROPICAL KINGBIRD (1)-3rd & Emerson.

Graveyard Spit/Fisher Avenue (12:15-12:35):
White-winged Scoter (5)
Red-breasted Merganser (20)
Northern Harrier (1)
Black-bellied Plover (5)
RED KNOT (4)
Sanderling (20)
Western Sandpiper (12)
Dunlin (50)
Long-billed Dowitcher (1)
Hutton's Vireo (1)

Grayland Beach Road access (1:00-1:25):
Ring-necked Pheasant (1)
Red-throated Loon (100)-most on water, some flying both directions.
Pacific Loon (150)-as with Red-throated.
Common Loon (10)
Western Grebe (200+)-all appeared to be swimming south.
Brown Pelican (7)
Northern Harrier (1)
Peregrine Falcon (1ad.)
Sanderling (200)
Dunlin (1000)
Heermann's Gull (25)
Herring Gull (37)
Thayer's Gull (3)
Western Scrub-Jay (1)

Midway Beach Road, Grayland (1:40-3:40):
Greater Scaup (35)
Surf Scoter (100)
Red-throated Loon (250)-S.
Pacific Loon (300)-both directions.
Northern Fulmar (28)
Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater (2)
Brown Pelican (5)
Bonaparte's Gull (100)
Heermann's Gull (30)
Mew Gull (150)
Herring Gull (160)
Thayer's Gull (8)
Black-legged Kittiwake (25+)
Common Murre (12)
Rhinoceros Auklet (5)
Horned Lark (10)
Hermit Thrush (2)
Orange-crowned Warbler (1)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (23)
PALM WARBLER (1)-at parking area.
Fox Sparrow (12)
SNOW BUNTING (1)
Western Meadowlark (1)

Westport Coast Guard Station (4:00-4:40):
Harlequin Duck (1 subad. male)
Surf Scoter (13)
Common Loon (6)
Horned Grebe (5)
Red-necked Grebe (2)
Brown Pelican (10)
Brandt's Cormorant (2)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (1)
Peregrine Falcon (1 juv. pealei)
Spotted Sandpiper (1)
Wilson's Snipe (1)-flushed from Scotch Broom.
Herring Gull (1)

Cheers and good birding,
--
Charlie Wright
Sumner, WA
charlie at birdwright.com