Hello Tweets,

This afternoon my mother and I traveled up to the Kah-Tai Lagoon Nature Park in Port Townsend,Jefferson Co.,where we immediately located the previously reported juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper at 2pm foraging along the south shoreline along the large main pond(immediately north of the smaller pond that is now confined to mainly drying mudflats). The bird was actively foraging with two groups of shorebirds at various times including up to 5 Killdeer, in which the bird remained the most agitated and alert and a small group of 5 Least Sandpipers,in which the bird somewhat settled down,but was never completely tame although we were able to obtain good photographs at fairly close range during our visit until 4pm. The bird was also observed flying to and from shorelines on both sides of the wooden foot bridge bordering the large main pond and was briefly heard calling and made a brief visit to the small pond before returning to the main pond. Overall the bird was very alert and active and the bird remained until left the location at 4pm and at times remained with the other shorebirds loosely,as well as foraged slightly alone. We actually encountered several other highlights during our visit to this location and ample shoreline is apparent around the entire perimeter of the main pond,which should continue to be good for shorebirds. A short list of additional highlights noted at this location included the following:

1 Pied-billed Grebe
3 Northern Pintail
3 Northern Shovelers
6 Am.Wigeon
1 Bufflehead
2 Hooded Mergansers
1 Virginia Rail
4 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Semipalmated Sandpiper(observed foraging with 7 Least Sandpipers along the eastern edge of the main pond)
57 Western Sandpipers
16 Least Sandpipers
1 Short-billed Dowitcher
1 Bonaparte's Gull
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Western Scrub Jay(heard calling twice,but never seen along the western edge bordering the main pond)
17 Bushtits
2 Orange-crowned Warblers
3 Yellow Warblers
2 Common Yellowthroats
2 Lincoln's Sparrows
32 White-crowned Sparrows


On our way home we checked the Oak Bay Recreation Area near Hadlock during incoming tide,which is accessed from two locations including from Oak Bay Rd. and S.R.116. This location was quite slow overall compared to our last visit on the 31st,but a few species were noteworthy including the following:

3 Horned Grebes
4 Red-necked Grebes
4 Green-winged Teal
14 Northern Pintail
6 Am.Wigeon
1 Greater Scaup
2 Harlequin Ducks
18 Surf Scoters
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
3 Western Sandpipers
2 Least Sandpipers
33 Black Turnstones
5 Bonaparte's Gulls
14 Mew Gulls
2 Red Crossbills

A single Osprey was observed flying along Hwy.16 at Gig Harbor just before we arrived home.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net