Hello Tweets,

Yesterday(October 1st)we checked several areas within the Ocean Shores area,despite rather slow birding conditions. The weather remained nice all day with just a few scattered rain showers,but overall calm birding conditions. We also made a few stops away from Ocean Shores including visits along a portion of the Brady Loop Rd. complex,as well as a short visit to the Hoquiam STP on our way home. We arrived at Ocean Shores at 10am with our first stop made at Bill's Spit during incoming tide between 10:15am-12:30pm,where we were able to locate a single remaining juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit amongst a tight flock of approximately 75+ Marbled Godwits. As we arrived at Bill's Spit nearly the entire flock of large shorebirds foraged along the exposed mudflats immediately north of the actual Bill's Spit amongst a large gull flock,but as the shoreline decreased the birds became increasingly nervous and flighty until all the birds moved closer to us at Bill's Spit allowing good close views. We had initially observed the Bar-tailed Godwit at some distance soon after our arrival,as well as in flight revealing the whitish barred rump and overall brown plumage,but we obtained nice views of the bird when the bird flew in closer to us. The bird remained with the Marbled Godwit until we left at 12:30pm and viewed by 2 other birders,but was very active feeding and moving amongst the available mudflats,as well as observed preening and resting. The only other large shorebirds at Bill's Spit during our visit included a flock of 48 Long-billed Curlews,which are always nice to see at Ocean Shores.

After birding Bill's Spit thoroughly we worked our way to other locations at Ocean Shores,where we spent the day until 5:30pm. As mentioned birding conditions were especially slow,but a few highlights were encountered at a few of the locations we checked. In addition we also made an extensive walk of the entire perimeter and inland areas of Damon Point to Catala Spit,which yielded a large flock of 55 Lapland Longspurs near the actual tip of Catala Spit. The birds were only observed and heard in flight and remained roaming over the inland areas and eventually flew westwards towards the Damon Point"pond",but were never relocated. Other highlights noted during the day at Ocean Shores and other selected locations included the following:

Greater White-fronted Geese
1 bird foraging in a freshly plowed field along the eastern portion of the Brady Loop Rd. complex amongst a flock of Canada Geese(and 2 Canada Geese intergrades that appeared overall white but showed extensive white areas over the entire body with a lack of black primaries . The head and neck were a pale coloration of a normal Canada Goose with areas of the face indicating Greater White-fronted Goose).
100 birds observed in flight traveling south over Bill's Spit
1 bird at the Damon Point"pond"

Greater Scaup
8 birds at the base of Damon Point
15 birds at the Hoquiam STP

Surf Scoter(noteworthy numbers)
800+ birds(with 50+ White-winged Scoters)off Bill's Spit in North Bay.

Common Loon
15 birds off Bill's Spit
9 birds off Damon Point(Catala Spit)
6 birds at the Oyhut Wildlife Area

Horned Grebe
20 birds off Bills Spit
10 birds at Damon Point

Western Grebe
15 birds off Damon Point(Catala Spit)

Osprey
1 very cooperative and tame bird at the Oyhut Wildlife Area(Ocean Shores)

Northern Harrier
4 birds at the Oyhut WA
2 birds at Damon Point

Cooper's Hawk
1 bird over the Oyhut WA

Am.Kestrel
4 birds along the eastern portion of the Brady Loop Rd. complex

Merlin
1 bird at Damon Point

Peregrine Falcon
2 immature birds at the Oyhut WA
1 adult bird at Damon Point

Black-bellied Plover
28+ birds near Bill's Spit
3 birds at the Damon Point"pond"

Semipalmated Plover
1 bird at the base of Damon Point

Greater Yellowlegs
2 birds at the Damon Point"pond"

Whimbrel
1 bird at Catala Spit

Ruddy Turnstone
1 bird(with 4 Sanderlings)at the tip of Damon Point

Western Sandpiper
45+ birds at Bill's Spit
25 birds at the Oyhut WA
30 birds at Damon Point

Least Sandpiper
4 birds at he Ocean Shores STP
78+ birds at the Oyhut WA
15 birds at Damon Point

Pectoral Sandpiper
4 birds near Bill's Spit
5 birds at the Oyhut WA
7 birds at Damon Point

Long-billed Dowitcher
1 bird over the Oyhut W
1 bird at the Damon Point"pond"

Wilson's Snipe
3 birds at the Oyhut WA
1 bird over Catala Spit

Bonaparte's Gull
4 birds flying off Catala Spit

Herring Gull
2 birds(with lingering numbers of Heermann's and California Gulls)at Catala Spit

Black-legged Kittiwake
1 bird flying off the tip of Catala Spit

Red-breasted Sapsucker
1 bird flying along S.R.109 east of Ocean Shores

Violet-green Swallow
10+ birds(with 40+ Barn Swallows)along the eastern portion of Brady Loop Rd.

Western Scrub Jay
2 birds flying along S.R.8 at McCleary
2 birds along Hwy.12 at Elma
2 birds along Hwy.12 at Satsop
4 birds along the western portion of Brady Loop Rd.
2 birds at Hoquiam

"Streaked"Horned Lark
15 birds at Damon Point(Catala Spit)

Am.Pipit
5 birds at Catala Spit



Good birding,

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