Subject: [Tweeters] Brady Loop and Ocean Shores today (Grays Harbor Co.)
Date: Apr 26 19:28:55 2005
From: Tim O'Brien - kertim7179 at yahoo.com


Today, I spent the morning birding around the Brady Loop area. Shorebird numbers are still strong with sightings of both Dowitchers, Dunlin, Western Sandpiper, both Yellowlegs, a few Semi-palmated Plovers, and 6 Black-bellied Plovers. I found the most Black-bellieds in a freshly plowed field on the eastern side of the loop. I scoped them long and hard, but couldn't make any out to be a golden. I didn't find any Whimbrel today.

I walked along the trees on the southwest portion of the loop and found some interesting birds. I heard a Pacific-slope Flycatcher and my first Hammond's Flycatcher high in the trees. Also, I finally found my first of the year Black-throated Gray Warbler here. Two Wilson's Warblers also responded to my pishing here.

Later in the day, the family and I headed out to Ocean Shores to play on the beach. We stopped at Grays Harbor NWR on the way out and the way back to scope for the American Avocet. I searched the eastern end of the basin both times with no luck (a note on the refuge kiosk says it was seen yesterday). On Highway 109, between Grass Creek and Gray Grables, I noticed a very white goose in a flock of Canadas on the east side of the highway. I got a chance to haul out the scope on the way back home and determined that it was a Snow Goose. Being that the lone Snow Goose is gone from the Hoquiam STP pond now, I'm wondering if this one may be the same one. Although the Snow Goose today did not appear to be injured.

Much of my time at Ocean Shores was spent doing family stuff. I did get on the jetty and managed to find one lonely Black Turnstone. There were lots of Surf Scoters in the water on the channel side of the jetty. One beautiful Common Loon was on the beach side of the jetty. I did get to see a nice size group of Marbled Godwits and Dowitchers fly around and land on the golf course. And that was about it!

Good birding,

Tim O'Brien
Elma, WA
mailto: kertim7179 at yahoo.com


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