Hello Tweets,

This afternoon with our main itinerary searching for dragonflies and due to the cloudy conditions we decided to check along the western portion of Brady Loop Rd. We were unable to relocate the Reeve in the partially flooded stubble field at the south end of Foster Rd.,but noticed a decrease in overall shorebird numbers during our visit. We carefully scoped the open fields and located up to 10 Black-bellied Plovers amongst a scattered flock of 58 Dunlin along with up to 9 Long-billed Dowitchers foraging along the muddy margins nearby. This observation doe not mean the Reeve has taken off and could be at another nearby location with more searching made.Good numbers of Green-winged Teals were also noted at this location with a return visit to this location at 4:30pm producing a large group of Canada/Cackling Geese including up to 2 "Aleutian" Cackling Geese. Our main highlight was a fairly brief,but good look at a Say's Phoebe observed at 4pm foraging along the fenceline with a flock of 9 Am.Robins along Brady Loop Rd.(immediately across the road from the private Willis Airfield)and just west of the public fishing access area. The bird immediately flew south with the Am.Robins,where it landed briefly in a stand of deciduous trees. It was an unexpected species to be encountered at this location,but one that we figured would eventually show up,especially during migration. It was a personal Grays Harbor Co. bird,which made the sighting that much more special!

Other species noted along the Brady Loop Rd. complex included the following:

1 Pied-billed Grebe
1 Wood Duck
3 Turkey Vultures
1 Osprey
3 Northern Harriers
4 Am.Kestrels
1 pair of Ring-necked Pheasants
32 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Barn Swallow
23 Steller's Jays(observed in a rather tight roaming flock at the public fishing access area)
1 Western Scrub Jay
1 Varied Thrush
2 Orange-crowned Warblers
45+ Yellow-rumped Warblers(including both subspecies)
4 Common Yellowthroats
3 Savannah Sparrows
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
1 Western Meadowlark

2 pairs of Wood Ducks were observed along Hwy.8(just east of Elma)in a flooded area north of the highway to and from Brady Loop Rd.


Prior to birding along Brady Loop Rd. we made a quick stop near the "old" Lacey Clear-cut in Thurston Co. at 2pm,where we detected our first singing Chipping Sparrow of the year that was observed with several Oregon Juncos and White-crowned Sparrows nearby. 3 Common Yellowthroats and 2 Orange-crowned Warblers were also observed from this location.

On our way home at 5:45pm a restless flock of shorebirds along Hwy.101 at Mud Bay concealed 20 Black-bellied Plovers,6 Greater Yellowlegs and 40 Dunlin that we tallied after safely pulling off onto the shoulder during incoming tide. A single Savannah Sparrows flushed up from a grassy area bordering the immediate shoreline,as well as a River Otter observed foraging in the water towards the Hwy.101 bridge.


Good birding,

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