Subject: Golden Eagle at Brady Loop Rd.
Date: Feb 8 19:09:52 2004
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded a coastal route from the Elma area to Ocean Shores in Grays Harbor Co. Birding conditions remained quite slow during the entire day,but we encountered our best species of the day on our way home,which was a subadult Golden Eagle observed flying along the western portion of Brady Loop Rd. at 3pm. The bird soared alone on uplifted wings(dihedral)in comparison to a Turkey Vulture,but showing obvious broader wings, bulkier structure and noticeable small head observed in spotting scope views and showing. We had exceptional lighting conditions that revealed the noticeably paler brown head contrasting to the dark brown body followed by a banded tail,as observed from below. The back pattern as observed in flight was a fairly clean brown with no indication of any white in the feathers.The outer underwings showed a slight paleness contrasting to darker brown inner underwings,which were also observed as the bird soared for approximately 3 minutes before lifting upwards into the clouds and drifting northward over Hwy.12. This is our first observation of Golden Eagle in eastern Grays Harbor Co. and a noteworthy sighting for anywhere in western WA,especially in the winter. Our only Bald Eagles observed in the general Elma-Brady area were 1 pair of adults sitting together in a large Black Cottonwood tree at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland.

We began the day at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland(Chehalis Wildlife Area)west of Elma at 8am,before continuing on toward the Hoquiam STP at Bowerman Basin,then traveling to Ocean Shores until 2pm. At Ocean Shores notable highlights included the following:

13 Greater White-fronted Geese at the Ocean Shores Golf Course,with 1 additional bird at the Ocean Shores STP
1 male Eurasian Wigeon at the Oyhut Wildlife Area
2 Ruddy Ducks at Lake Minard
2 Rough-legged Hawks(including 1 bird at the Oyhut Wildlife Area and 1 bird at Damon Point)
2 Peregrine Falcons(1 adult male and 1 immature female at the Oyhut Wildlife Area)
5 Black-bellied Plovers at the Oyhut Wildlife Area
43 Least Sandpipers at the Oyhut Wildlife Area
17 Rock Sandpipers at the Ocean Shores Jetty
85+ Black-legged Kittiwakes off the Ocean Shores Jetty
65+ Yellow-rumped Warblers(observed at various locations,primarily near the Oyhut Wildlife Area)
15 Western Meadowlarks at the Oyhut Wildlife Area with 1 additional bird near the Ocean Shores Marina


After birding Ocean Shores we drove to Brady Loop Rd. and birded the remainder of the afternoon in the Elma area,which included visits along Wenzel Slough Rd. and a return visit to the Schouweiler Rd. wetland near Elma. Additional highlights noted during the day included the following:

Tundra Swan
34 along Brady Loop Rd.

Trumpeter Swan
88 along Brady Loop Rd.

"Dusky"Canada Goose
37 along Brady Loop Rd.

Canvasback
55 along S.R.109 at Bowerman Basin

Black Scoter
1 pair at the Oyhut Wildlife Area

Rough-legged Hawk
2 at Ocean Shores
2 at Bowerman Basin
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Am.Kestrel
1 along Hwy.12 at Elma
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Merlin
1 observed along the outer beaches(accessed from Driftwood Drive north of the Ocean Shores Jetty)

Ring-necked Pheasant
1 at the Oyhut Wildlife Area(Ocean Shores)

Black-bellied Plover
5 at the Oyhut Wildlife Area
2 along Brady Loop Rd.(Foster Rd.)

Spotted Sandpiper
1 along Hwy.12 at Aberdeen

Black Turnstone
27 at the Ocean Shores Jetty
8 at the Ocean Shores Marina

Surfbird
38 at the Ocean Shores Jetty

Sanderling
1 at the Ocean Shores Jetty
24(with 18 Dunlin)observed from the Driftwood Drive beach access(Ocean Shores)

Dunlin
40 at Damon Point(Ocean Shores)
25 along Brady Loop Rd.(Foster Rd.)

Red-breasted Sapsucker
1(with 1 Downy Woodpecker)at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland

Hairy Woodpecker
1 along Brady Loop Rd.
1 along Wenzel Slough Rd. near Vance Creek Co.Park

Barn Swallow
1 at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland

Western Scrub Jay
1 along Hwy.12 at Brady
1 along Hwy.12 at Elma

Hutton's Vireo
1 along S.R.109 east of Grass Creek Loop Rd.



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Tacoma,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net