Subject: [Tweeters] Hoquiam area sightings 12-31-05
Date: Dec 31 17:53:13 2005
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today we spent a half day scouting our area of the Grays Harbor CBC with just a few highlights to mention. Of most interest were a total of 36 RED PHALAROPES tallied at Bowerman Basin consisting of 18 birds at the Hoquiam STP and the 18 additional birds observed in flooded areas just north of the Bowerman Basin Airport. Due to a very high tide and recent heavy rainfall many areas remained flooded all day with remaining very high tides through next week. In additional we located 2 separate GLAUCOUS GULLS in the vicinity of Bowerman Basin,which were both 1st winter plumaged birds. The first bird was located at the Hoquiam STP and foraged loosely amongst a scattered gull flock on the main pond. This bird was quite dingy,but showed a distinctive well patterned mantle,as well as obvious bi-colored bill and large size. The 2nd Glaucous Gull was located near the end of our day observed from S.R.109,as we scoped into Grays Harbor. The bird was far cleaner than the 1st bird,but was also amongst a scattered gull flock that loafed on an island just west of Bowerman Basin. Other highlights within our route today included the following:

4 Red-throated Loons
72 Western Grebes
4 Canvasbacks
1 Ruddy Duck
3 Northern Harriers
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK(observed along Paulson Rd. just north of the Hoquiam STP)
1 Merlin
3 Peregrine Falcons
2 Spotted Sandpipers(Hoquiam River)
1 Least Sandpiper
75+ Dunlin
1 Long-billed Dowitcher(Bowerman Basin)
1 Wilson's Snipe
3 Western Scrub Jays(Hoquiam)
2 Orange-crowned Warblers
3 Lincoln's Sparrows



Good birding and Happy New Year,


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