Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded several locations in Jefferson Co. primarily from Oak Bay County Park to Mystery Bay State Park,then traveling to the Kah-Tai Lagoon at Port Townsend. In addition we began the day checking the Port Gamble area in Kitsap Co. Our main highlight was the winter-plumaged Clark's Grebe observed at the western portion of Oak Bay County Park(accessed from Oak Bay Rd. south of Port Hadlock),which we observed fairly well approximately 75 yards offshore with up to 6 Western Grebes for very good comparisons,as well as in flight. We initially located the Clark's Grebe after thoroughly scoping the fairly rough waters from Oak Bay CP at 12:30pm,then when lighting condition improved the bird was observed better,where the obvious orange-yellow bill,pale gray sides and flanks,eye amongst the white face below the dark gray cap, and the overall paler plumage noted compared with the nearby Western Grebes. The Clark's Grebe was observed until we left the location at 1pm,where it was noted further offshore with all observations coming from the restroom area. This is most likely the same individual Clark's Grebe previously reported by Diane Mulholland on the 16th of October and observed by several other birders thereafter and a recent past record of Clark's Grebe also comes from this location on the 15th of October 2001 also found by Diane Mulholland. In general in is a good location for grebes and other waterbirds with today;s visit producing fairly good numbers of Horned and Red-necked Grebes and Surf and White-winged Scoters.

Other species noted from Oak Bay C.P(including a walk made on the sandy spit accessed from the eastern portion of the park)include the following species:

182 Greater White-fronted Geese(observed flying over heading south)
45 Northern Pintail
15 Am.Wigeon
7 Harlequin Ducks
1 Hooded Merganser
2 Common Mergansers
17 Red-breasted Mergansers
3 Red-throated Loons
8 Western Grebes
1 Red-tailed Hawk
35 Black Turnstones
1 Least Sandpiper
9 Dunlin
5 Heermann's Gulls
1 Western Meadowlark
10 Savannah Sparrows

After birding Oak Bay C.P. we traveled slightly north along S.R.116 to Mystery Bay S.P. that produced 2 Eared Grebes,then up to 3 Greater Yellowlegs in partially flooded areas along S.R.116 between Indian and Marrowstone Islands. A quick scoping check made at East Beach produced 18 Pacific Loons and 2 Harlequin Ducks,although conditions remained quite windy and rough. Our final stop of the day proved productive at the Kah-Tai Lagoon at Port Townsend between 3pm-3:35pm,which remained windy but a few noteworthy species were encountered. The most significant highlight was a Common Yellowthroat observed in very thick vegetation along the edges of the smaller lagoon near the restroom area followed by a pure male Eurasian Wigeon and a male Eurasian/American Wigeon hybrid observed at separate locations on the large freshwater lake amongst fairly large numbers of Am.Wigeons. Other highlights noted from the location included the following:

2 Pied-billed Grebes
12 Northern Shovelers
28 Gadwall
4 Greater Scaup
2 Lesser Scaup
4 Buffleheads
1 Hooded Merganser
1 Ruddy Duck
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Merlin
7 Am.Coots
2 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Bonaparte's Gull
1 Downy Woodpecker
38 Bushtits
10 Yellow-rumped Warblers
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
13 Golden-crowned Sparrows


Earlier in the day we began in Kitsap Co. first with a thorough check of the waters off the Salsbury Point County Park(just north of the Hood Canal Bridge),where our main highlight was great,close views of an adult light-morph Parasitic Jaeger briefly harassing and pursuing a Bonaparte's Gull. The Parasitic Jaeger was able to retrieve food that the Bonaparte's Gull dropped,then flying off to an unknown location. Other highlights from this location included the following:

5 Sanderlings
55 Bonaparte's Gulls
20 Marbled Murrelets
1 Mourning Dove(foraging along the immediate shoreline east of the park with 5 Killdeer)

A check made from the small park above the large log yard at Port Gamble produced an adult Northern Shrike briefly perched atop a Big Leaf Maple tree before continuing on to an unknown location. An adult male Anna's Hummingbird was also observed near the location along a thickly vegetated hillside along with a single Hutton's Vireo with both species brought in by the imitation of a Northern Saw-whet Owl. Other species noted from Port Gamble included the following:

1 Red-throated Loon
1 Merlin
2 Sharp-shinned Hawks(observed together just west of Port Gamble along S.R.104)



Other highlights noted to and from destinations during the day included the following:

1 immature Snow Goose observed swimming midspan along the north side of the Hood Canal Bridge en route to Oak Bay C.P.(very unusual location)

1 Merlin at the intersection of S.R 3 and Hwy.104 just east of the Hood Canal Bridge



Good birding,

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