Hello Tweets,

Today we enjoyed a nice day at Ocean Shores with great conditions and good numbers of shorebirds! We checked most of the main areas at Ocean Shores during incoming tide this afternoon including Damon Point,Bill's Spit and the outer beach areas between Driftwood Drive and Marine View Drive. We were fortunate to run into Stefan Schlick and Michael Fleming that joined us for the remainder of the afternoon at several locations,as we all enjoyed the spectacle of shorebird migration. The most noteworthy observation of the day was very large numbers of adult Western Sandpipers in various plumages with the greatest spectacle noted during our visit to Damon Point at 3:15pm. Large "waves" of birds were noted literally dropping down from sky,as well as from the direction of the outer beaches and beyond and at times were very restless and nervous. We noted 2 large separate flocks of Western Sandpipers at the Damon Point"pond",as they attempted to roost along the drier edges above the pond,but the birds never remained landed for more than a few seconds before returning to the air. We estimated 10-15,000+ birds noted at Damon Point during incoming tide with lesser numbers noted at other nearby areas. This was definitely our grandest shorebird spectacle of the day and strong evidence of shorebird migration! There were very small numbers of Least Sandpipers noted within the large groups of Western Sandpipers,but for the most part they kept to themselves in separate flocks.

Away from the large groups of Western Sandpipers we noted 15 species of shorebirds during the entire day including returning "rockbirds" at the Ocean Shores Jetty consisting of 3+ Surfbirds and 3 Black Turnstones. Our visit to the Oyhut Wildlife Area produced shorebird highlights including up to 5 Red-necked Phalaropes that were all noted together foraging in a flooded area of Salicornia with other shorebirds nearby. On our way home we made a stop along the Brady Loop Rd. complex after 6:30pm with a few additional species that were added to our day list. A list of other key highlights observed during the day included the following at selected locations:

Red-throated Loon
4 adults at the Damon Point"pond"

Sooty Shearwater
75+ off the Ocean Shores Jetty

Brown Pelican
25 off the Ocean Shores Jetty
3 off Damon Point

Northern Shoveler
1 pair with 7 young at the Ocean Shores STP
3 females at the Hoquiam STP

Gadwall
1 female at the Hoquiam STP

Am.Wigeon
1 at the Ocean Shores STP

Greater Scaup
1 male at the Ocean Shores STP
1 pair at the Hoquiam STP

Black Scoter
1 female at the Ocean Shores Jetty

Surf Scoter
9 off the Ocean Shores Jetty
35+ at the Oyhut Wildlife Area

Turkey Vulture
1 at the Oyhut WA
1 along Hwy.12 west of Montesano
3 along the Brady Loop Rd. complex

Osprey
2 at the Ocean Shores Golf Course
1 pair at a nestsite at the Hoquiam STP
1 adult at a nestsite along Hwy.12 at Montesano

Northern Harrier
1 at Damon Point
1 at the Oyhut WA

Am.Kestrel
3 along the Brady Loop Rd. complex

Black-bellied Plover
1 at Bill's Spit

Semipalmated Plover
7 at Damon Point
10 along the outer beaches north of Driftwood Drive

Greater Yellowlegs
1 at the Ocean Shores STP
2 at the Oyhut WA
5 at Damon Point
1 at Bill's Spit

Spotted Sandpiper
1 near the Hoquiam STP

Whimbrel
55(with 10 Marbled Godwits)at Bill's Spit
22(with 1 Marbled Godwit)along the outer beaches north of Driftwood Drive

Sanderling
1 along the outer beaches north of Driftwood Drive

Western Sandpiper
145+ at the Oyhut WA
15,000+ at Damon Point
200 at Bill's Spit
125+ along the outer beaches north of Driftwood Drive

Least Sandpiper
1 at the Ocean Shores STP
15+ at the Oyhut WA
30+ at Damon Point

Short-billed Dowitcher
1 along the outer beaches north of Driftwood Drive

Long-billed Dowitcher
44 at the Oyhut WA
62 at Bill's Spit

Heermann's Gull
42+ at the Ocean Shores Jetty
15 at the Oyhut WA
20 along the outer beaches north of Driftwood Drive

Western Scrub Jay
1 along the Brady Loop Rd. complex
2 along Hwy.12 near the Satsop River bridge



Mammal highlight of the day:

1 River Otter at the Oyhut WA



Good shorebirding,

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