Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I spent Mother's Day birding from Ocean Shores to the Nisqually NWR with several additional locations visited during the day. Our main efforts were made at Ocean Shores specifically the Ocean Shores Jetty and at the base of Damon Point. Due to outgoing tide conditions shorebird numbers were very limited,but a few species were noted at the latter location. The weather remained fairly good throughout the entire day with just a few scattered rain showers at a few locations and steady winds. Shorebird highlights at Ocean Shores included up to 12 Red-necked Phalaropes observed during our early morning visit off the Ocean Shores Jetty followed by a single adult male Snowy Plover at the Oyhut Wildlife Area(feeding outside the posted Snowy Plover nesting area),and 2 Long-billed Curlews at the base of Damon Point. Our last shorebird highlight of the day was noted at the Nisqually NWR on our way home with a pair of Wilson's Phalaropes,which were observed by several birders during our afternoon visit along the McAllister Creek trail. Our day began with a fairly productive morning visit to the Ocean Shores Jetty between 9am-10:15am during outgoing tide with the main highlight being up to 2 Arctic Terns observed approximately 40 yards offshore with very good numbers of Common Terns noted nearby and 25+ Parasitic Jaegers noted. IN addition good numbers of Sooty Shearwaters were noted from this location with most birds being observed swirling around along the horizon,but a few birds were noted closer to shore. Large numbers of migrating Pacific Loons and Surf Scoters were also observed followed by lesser numbers of Red-throated Loons and White-winged Scoters.

Many areas during the day were quite slow,which made up for other areas that were much more productive and it does seem shorebird migration is decreasing,as far as individual numbers. We made a brief to the Hoquiam STP,as well as along the western portion of the Brady Loop Rd. complex. As mentioned our day ended at the Nisqually NWR between 3:30pm-4:30pm,where in addition to the pair of Wilson's Phalaropes we were able to locate up to 10 Am.Bitterns with most birds observed,as well as one bird observed in our spotting scope calling along the McAllister Creek trail. Up to 3 Virginia Rail were also observed along the McAllister Creek trail,which allowed good views for several observers along with a few additional birds heard only and 2 calling Sora. A entire list of highlights observed during our day include the following:

Red-throated Loon
85+ off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Pacific Loon
370+ off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Western Grebe
24 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Sooty Shearwater
400+ off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Am.Bittern
10 at the Nisqually NWR

Green-winged Teal
3 at the Nisqually NWR

Northern Pintail
1 pair along Brady Loop Rd.
1 pair at the Hoquiam STP

Blue-winged Teal
2 at the Nisqually NWR

Cinnamon Teal
1 at the Hoquiam STP
8 at the Nisqually NWR

Northern Shoveler
2 pair at the Ocean Shores STP
1 pair along Brady Loop Rd.

Am.Wigeon
4 along Brady Loop Rd.

Bufflehead
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Osprey
1 along Hwy.12 at Montesano
1 atop an active nestsite at the Hoquiam STP
1 atop an active nestsite along Schafer Boom Rd.(accessed off Brady Loop Rd.)
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Northern Harrier
1 along Brady Loop Rd.
2 at the Oyhut Wildlife Area(Ocean Shores)
1 at the Nisqually NWR

Cooper's Hawk
1 along Hwy.8 east of McCleary

Am.Kestrel
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Peregrine Falcon
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Ring-necked Pheasant
1 calling bird at the Ocean Shores Jetty
1 calling bird at the Nisqually NWR

Black-bellied Plover
1 at the base of Damon Point

Snowy Plover
1 adult male at the Oyhut Wildlife Area

Semipalmated Plover
4 at the base of Damon Point

Greater Yellowlegs
1 at the base of Damon Point
5 at the Nisqually NWR(including one bird with an injured foot/leg)

Wandering Tattler
4 at the Ocean Shores Jetty

Spotted Sandpiper
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Whimbrel
30 along Hwy.12 east of Satsop
28 at the base of Damon Point/Ocean Shores Marina

Long-billed Curlew
2 at the base of Damon Point

Marbled Godwit
33 at the base of Damon Point

Ruddy Turnstone
2 at the Ocean Shores Jetty

Western Sandpiper
74 at the base of Damon Point(with 58 Dunlin)
23 along Brady Loop Rd.

Least Sandpiper
1 at the Nisqually NWR

Short-billed Dowitcher
22 at the base of Damon Point

Long-billed Dowitcher
8 at the Ocean Shores STP
17 along Brady Loop Rd.
4 at the Nisqually NWR

Wilson's Phalarope
2(1 pair)at the Nisqually NWR

Red-necked Phalarope
12 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Parasitic Jaeger
25+ off the Ocean Shores Jetty(including 1 dark-morph adult bird)

Bonaparte's Gull
2 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Black-legged Kittiwake
72+ off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Common Tern
850+ off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Arctic Tern
2 off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Marbled Murrelet
12 off the Ocean Shores Jetty(along with small numbers of Common Murres and Rhinoceros Auklets with Pigeon Guillemots noted closer to shore and on the Ocean Shores Jetty)

Mourning Dove
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

Vaux's Swift
8 at Hoquiam

Western Scrub Jay
1 along I-5 at Olympia
1 along Hwy.12 at Satsop

Am.Pipit
3 at the base of Damon Point

Black-headed Grosbeak
2 along Brady Loop Rd.

Golden-crowned Sparrow
1 at Ocean Shores


Good birding,

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