Hello Tweets,

Today we birded the general Ocean Shores area along with a few minor stops made to and from destinations such as the Mud Bay area of Thurston Co. and the Hoquiam STP. It was again a nice day birding with no rain and calm conditions. Our main highlight was a cooperative Northern Pygmy Owl observed and photographed along S.R.109 east of Ocean Shores(just east of the north end of Burrows Rd. at MP 12.2)at 4pm. The bird was initially observed as we were driving east along S.R.109,as it perched atop a short conifer tree along the highway. We quickly slowed down and turned around and the bird continued perched atop the tree allowing close approach,as we parked along the shoulder safely in a small pulloff. We continued watching the bird until it dropped down,as we soon relocated the bird perched atop another conifer tree amidst denser stands of conifer trees. We obtained photographs of the bird,as it perched eye level atop the conifer tree at fairly close range and made for a nice end to our birding day from the Ocean Shores area. We continued watching the bird until it finally decided to drop down into thick ground cover presumably for prey and at times the bird was very agitated by nearby Song and Fox Sparrows as we stood calmly watching the bird.This is our second personal record for Northern Pygmy Owl along S.R.109(between Ocean Shores and Hoquiam)and is a species that probably occurs more widely in this vicinity,especially during the fall and winter months.

Earlier in the day we enjoyed a nice assortment of species at Ocean Shores with short visits made at Damon Point,the Ocean Shores Marina and vicinity,the Ocean Shores Golf Course,and the Ocean Shores STP. In addition after leaving Ocean Shores we made a short stop along the fairly busy road to the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino(accessed off of S.R.115 just north of Ocean Shores),where we encountered a male Barrow's Goldeneye in the vast wetland area just east of the actual resort complex. It was a nice species to see especially for Grays Harbor Co.,which we also obtained many photographs of for our records and only our fourth personal record for that county. Our main highlights from the Ocean Shores region included the following:

Eared Grebe
1 observed from the Ocean Shores Marina in North Bay(with a single Red-throated Loon)

Snow Goose
1 adult with 15 Greater White-fronted Geese at the Ocean Shores Golf Course

Long-tailed Duck
1 lingering pair observed from Damon Point in North Bay

Black Scoter
5 observed from the Ocean Shores Marina at North Bay
3 at the Oyhut Wildlife Area

Palm Warbler
2 lingering birds(with a Ruby-crowned Kinglet)observed in a Scot's Broom thicket(just east of the Ocean Shores Interpretive Center and north of the Ocean Shores Marina),but highly elusive,shy,and "skulky" during our visit.


Other notable species encountered at Ocean Shores included the following:

Western Grebe
37 at North Bay

"Cackling"Canada Goose
25 at the Ocean Shores Golf Course

"Dusky"Canada Goose
17 at the Ocean Shores Golf Course

Common Goldeneye
1 male at North Bay

Ruddy Duck
9 at Lake Minard(observed along Tonquin Ave.)

Northern Harrier
4 at the Oyhut WA
2 at Damon Point

Sharp-shinned Hawk
3 observed from various Ocean Shores locations

Peregrine Falcon
1 along Pt.Brown Ave.

Black-bellied Plover
34 at Damon Point

Dunlin
very large numbers observed mostly in flight at several locations between the Ocean Shores Marina to the Oyhut WA

Long-billed Dowitcher
1 flying over the Ocean Shores Marina

Varied Thrush
2 near the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino

Savannah Sparrow
1 at Damon Point

Red Crossbill
75+ at the Ocean Shores Interpretive Center


A short visit made at the Hoquiam STP en route to Ocean Shores included the following species of note:

1 Eared Grebe
1 immature Greater White-fronted Goose(with Canada Geese foraging along the edges bordering the Hoquiam STP)
25 Canvasbacks
3 Surf Scoters
18 Ruddy Ducks
1 Rough-legged Hawk
1 Am.Kestrel
1 Peregrine Falcon


Earlier we began the day at Mud Bay in Thurston Co.,including a check made along Madrona Beach Rd. that yielded the following species:

87 Buffleheads(notable count for the location)
13 Hooded Mergansers
34 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Dunlin

Other species of note during the day at other locations include the following:

Sharp-shinned Hawk
1(with a Cooper's Hawk)along S.R.109 north of Gray Gables

Am.Kestrel
1 along Hwy.12 at Keys Rd.

Merlin
1 along I-5 at Olympia

Red-breasted Sapsucker
1 along Hwy.8 west of Mud Bay
1 along Hwy.12 west of Montesano

Western Scrub Jay
2 along Hwy.12 at Elma



Good birding,

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