Hello Tweets,

Today we birded the general Ocean Shores area covering several locations,although birding conditions remained quite slow during the entire day. The weather was superb with light winds and warm temperatures. Our main highlights consisted of a Clark's Grebe at the entrance of the Ocean Shores Marina at North Bay and a single 1st winter plumaged Glaucous Gull observed foraging amongst a gull flock just off the Oyhut Wildlife Area(Grays Harbor channel). Our visit to Ocean Shores was included with great crowds of tourists,so a few areas hosted minimal bird activity. A list of other notable species encountered in the Ocean Shores area included the following:

Harlequin Duck
1 female off the Oyhut Wildlife Area

Black Scoter
17 at the Oyhut WA

Northern Harrier
2 at the Oyhut WA

Cooper's Hawk
1 along S.R.115 near Ocean City State Park

Peregrine Falcon
1 at the Oyhut WA

Ring-necked Pheasant
2 near Damon Point

Black-bellied Plover
1 near Bill's Spit

Black Turnstone
1 at the Oyhut WA

Least Sandpiper
125+ at the Oyhut WA

Dunlin
300+ near Bill's Spit
65 at the Oyhut WA(with 1 Sanderling)

Marbled Murrelet
22 off the Ocean Shores Jetty(a noteworthy count,with all birds noted in pairs flying out from the Grays Harbor channel)

Rufous Hummingbird
12 males noted all perched separately atop fairly short,stubby conifer trees along Marine View Drive,as well as south along Fairwood Drive

Violet-green Swallow
small numbers noted from several locations within the Ocean Shores area,primarily near residential areas

Tree Swallow
small scattered numbers observed from several locations

Northern Shrike
1 immature bird at the Oyhut WA(somewhat noteworthy date)

Yellow-rumped Warbler
fairly good numbers noted along and near Fairwood Drive,being all of the "Myrtle" subspecies

Purple Finch
2 near the Cabana"pond"


We also made a visit to the Hoquiam STP,where the only highlight observed was a single male Eurasian Wigeon observed along Airport Rd. east of the actual settling pond.


On our way home we made 2 stops beginning along the Brady Loop Rd. complex,where we shared the road with a bicycle race in progress. A mixed Canada/Cackling Goose flock yielded 2 Greater White-fronted Geese along Brady Loop Rd. just west of the intersection of Foster Rd. Within this same goose flock we encountered several "Dusky""Cackling Geese,of which all had red collared bands around their necks.Other species of note along this route included our only Turkey Vulture of the day along with 3 Northern Harriers and 4 Am.Kestrels.

Our final stop of the day was made at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland near Elma that hosted good numbers of Tree Swallows,as well as up to 3 calling Virginia Rails and up to 5 Wilson's Snipes. 3 Wood Ducks and 15 Ring-necked Ducks were among the waterfowl highlights noted in the main wetland area.



Good birding,

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