Greetings,
I'm back in town, and today Ryan Shaw and I did a WOS trip to a few places
in Grays Harbor and Pacific County. No rarities, but a pretty huge diversity
of species and nice weather. Had good luck with some migrant passerines at
places like Brady Loop Rd and along the road to Tokeland in the woods. Tides
were not in our favor for the morning (very low at Willapa), but there were
some birds at Graveyard Spit, and others viewed from the marina area. The
jetty at Westport was a little slow, at least without walking out onto the
jetty itself (where the shorebirds were). Bottle Beach was great at incoming
tide in the afternoon.

Saturday, 24 April 2004 (6:45am-6:20pm).
Grays Harbor & Pacific County - 111 species.
Mostly clear; calm in morning, on beach N 10-15; temp 45-65 F.

KEYS/WENZEL SLOUGH ROAD (8:00-8:55)
American Bittern (1): flyover at Wenzel Slough.
Turkey Vulture (3)
Cooper's Hawk (1ad.)
Whimbrel (12)-flyover.
Least Sandpiper (15)
Wilson's Snipe (6): winnowing, sitting on posts.
Band-tailed Pigeon (80)
Mourning Dove (1)-flyover.
American Pipit (6)
Orange-crowned Warbler (20)

SHOEWEILER ROAD WETLAND (9:00-9:30)
Cinnamon Teal (1m.)
Turkey Vulture (1)
Osprey (2)-on nest.
Winter Wren (1)
Orange-crowned Warbler (2)
Evening Grosbeak (1)-flyover.

BRADY LOOP ROAD (9:35-10:20)
Canada Goose (75 Cackling)
Ring-necked Pheasant (1)-sans the tail.
Northern Harrier (3): 1 male giving intense display flight.
Sora (1)-calling, distant.
Band-tailed Pigeon (12)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (1)
Orange-crowned Warbler (12)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (10: 5-Audubon's; 5-Myrtle)
Black-throated Grey Warbler (2)
Lincoln's Sparrow (2)

TOKELAND AREA (11:45am-12:30pm)
Brant (15)
Greater Scaup (2)
Red-breasted Merganser (3): Graveyard Spit.
Common Loon (25)
Horned Grebe (4)
Western Grebe (15)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (1)
Whimbrel (12)
Long-billed Curlew (3): Graveyard Spit.
Marbled Godwit (300): foraging out on Willapa Bay.
Short-billed Dowitcher (30)
Bonaparte's Gull (6)
Mew Gull (10)
Caspian Tern (20)
Anna's Hummingbird (1f.)
Orange-crowned Warbler (15)
Black-throated Grey Warbler (10): good looks, after hearing many.
Wilson's Warbler (3)-first of season.

MIDWAY BEACH ROAD (12:50-1:10)
road is washed out, didn't try walking too far.

WESTPORT JETTY (1:40-2:45)
Brant (40)
Harlequin Duck (1m.)
Surf Scoter (12)
Red-throated Loon (10)
Pacific Loon (30)
Red-necked Grebe (1)
Brandt's Cormorant (2)
Rufous Hummingbird (1)

BOTTLE BEACH (3:20-4:30)
Merlin (1 columbarius-type)
Black-bellied Plover (70)
Semipalmated Plover (20)
Red Knot (25)
Western Sandpiper (####)
Dunlin (####)
Short-billed Dowitcher (####)

OCOSTA THIRD STREET (4:30-4:45)
Green-winged Teal (6)
Virginia Rail (1)-heard.
Semipalmated Plover (1)
Greater Yellowlegs (10)
Long-billed Dowitcher (6)

Of note to some, a small butterfly along Tokeland Road was a Western Pine
Elfin, a really neat find on the westside.

Once arriving back, I noted my first (Washington) pair of Vaux's Swifts of
the year over my house.

That's all for now
cheers and good birding,
--
Charlie Wright
Sumner Washington
charlie at birdwright.com