Greetings All:
Today I went out to Grays Harbor County along with Carol Schulz. We ended up
with 23 species of shorebirds, a really excellent day. The weather was very
good until around 2:30 in the afternoon, when huge gusts and horizontal rain
began. The highlights of the day were at the first place we visited in Ocean
Shores, being the game range out from the sewage treatment plant. Once you
get past the tall radio tower behind the STP, continue on the beach out to
left until you enter the game range and get to the edge of the Salicornia.
In the vicinity of the first main canal was a flock of 8 Buff-breasted
Sandpipers, and 1 juvenile Reeve (female Ruff). Had excellent views of these
cooperative birds all together. Flying over were a couple Pacific
Golden-Plovers, and on the way in a pair of Lapland Longspurs foraged just
15 feet from me on the beach. It was pretty great.
Next it was Damon Point, where I walked out to the pond and viewed a nice
small flock of golden-plovers. Bill's Spit also produced both species of
golden-plover (one of each).

Friday, 10 August 2004 (7:30am-6:00pm):
Grays Harbor County - 102 species.

MUD BAY (7:35)
Hooded Merganser (4)
Greater Yellowlegs (2)
Band-tailed Pigeon (1)

HOQUIAM (8:40)
Western Scrub-Jay (1)

BOWERMAN BASIN (8:50-9:05)
Brown Pelican (2100+): 80+% young of the year, what a season!
Peregrine Falcon (1 juv)
Black Turnstone (1)

CYBER LAKE (9:20)
Green Heron (1 juv)
Evening Grosbeak (2)

OCEAN SHORES GAME RANGE (9:40am-12:30pm)
Red-breasted Merganser (1)
Common Merganser (10)
Ring-necked Pheasant (1)
Common Loon (10)
Northern Harrier (3)
Peregrine Falcon (1)-adult.
Pacific Golden-Plover (2)-flying over.
Greater Yellowlegs (2)
Lesser Yellowlegs (1)
Marbled Godwit (1)
Ruddy Turnstone (1)
Black Turnstone (1)
Western Sandpiper (6000): most wheeling overhead; close ones 80% juv.
Least Sandpiper (500)
Baird's Sandpiper (2)
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (8 juv)
RUFF (1): female, with Buff-breasted flock.
Long-billed Dowitcher (1)
Red-necked Phalarope (1)-flyover.
Horned Lark (1)
American Pipit (40)
Orange-crowned Warbler (2)
Yellow Warbler (4)
Lapland Longspur (6)
Western Meadowlark (1)
American Goldfinch (100)

OCEAN SHORES STP (12:30-12:45)
Spotted Sandpiper (1)
Least Sandpiper (25)
Pectoral Sandpiper (4 juv): one very bright, rufousy.

DAMON POINT (1:10-3:00)
Black-bellied Plover (2)
American Golden-Plover (4 juv)
Pacific Golden-Plover (10): 1 molting adult.
unknown golden-plover (2)
Marbled Godwit (2)
Baird's Sandpiper (1)
Western Sandpiper (100)
Horned Lark (4)

BILL'S SPIT (3:20-4:30)
American Wigeon (100)
Surf Scoter (400+)
White-winged Scoter (50)
Pied-billed Grebe (1)
Northern Harrier (1)
Black-bellied Plover (200+)
American Golden-Plover (1 juv)
Pacific Golden-Plover (1 juv)
Semipalmated Plover (75)
Western Sandpiper (100)
Least Sandpiper (100)
Dunlin (1-basic)
Golden-crowned Sparrow (1-HY)

HOQUIAM STP (5:30-5:50)
Merlin (1 juv/fem.)
Bonaparte's Gull (3 juv)
Mew Gull (12)
Tree Swallow (1)-late.
Yellow Warbler (5)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (3)
--
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington