Hello Tweets,

Today we birded several coastal areas during incoming tide between Bottle Beach and Tokeland with just a few highlights to mention. A single Ruffed Grouse made a quick dash across S.R.105 near the entrance to the Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen,which began our day en route to Bottle Beach. Before arriving at Bottle Beach we made a quick walk along the paved trail at the Johns River WRA that hosted a single Great Egret, a single Lesser Scaup,15 Greater White-fronted Geese,5 Greater Yellowlegs, and up to 7 Savannah Sparrows. At Bottle Beach we walked the upper beach east from the main entrance for approximately 2 miles with only a few shorebirds noted,as well as good numbers of waterfowl that lined the shoreline. The shorebirds that we did observed were mainly near the tip of Bottle Beach with just a few scattered shorebirds observed further east of the tip. Our most significant highlights at Bottle Beach included the following:

2 Eurasian Wigeon
7 Greater Scaup
2 Sharp-shinned Hawks
1 adult Peregrine Falcon
37 Black-bellied Plovers
12 Semipalamted Plovers
3 Greater Yellowlegs
65 Sanderlings
50 Western Sandpipers
310+ Least Sandpipers
20 Dunlin
1 Long-billed Dowitcher
8 Purple Finches

Next,as we crossed the Elk River bridge along S.R.105 at Bay City 4 Western Scrub Jays were noted flying north from Westport over North Bay,as evidence of active migration. Throughout the day we noted small groups of migrating Steller's Jays,but to no specific or significant notable counts. At Westport the juvenile Hudsonian Godwit was again present roosting amongst a group of 200+ Marbled Godwits from the end of Float 21 at the eastern portion of the marina. The bird remained resting nearly the entire time we observed it,but would occasionally pull it's head and bill out. It could create some difficulty to some birders to see the bird,especially if it was hidden/concealed behind a single or group of Marbled Godwits. On a side note we also observed a single Bar-tailed Godwit amongst a flock of 35 Long-billed Curlews and 15 Marbled Godwits near the marina.

We ended the day at Tokeland,where both Bar-tailed Godwits were present at theTokeland Marina,but observed separately. One of the Bar-tailed Godwits was observed amongst the main flock of approximately 850 Marbled Godwits,as it rested along the edge of the southern most wooden dock within the marina bordering the main road. The other Bar-tailed Godwit was observed also resting amongst a flock of 15 Willets,3 Whimbrel and a few Marbled Godwits,where they all rested along the wooden structure connected to the large white building immediately south of the marina. Other noted highlights encountered during the day included the following:

Red-necked Grebe
1 at the Westport Marina

Western Grebe
8 at Westport

Brown Pelican
110+ at Westport

Osprey
1 along S.R.105 resting on a dead snag at the base of Graveyard Spit immediately south of North Cove

Northern Harrier
1 at Westport

Red-tailed Hawk
1 adult dark-morph bird along S.R.105 at Grayland

Merlin
1 at Westport

Greater Yellowlegs
5 at the Johns River WRA
3 at Bottle Beach
1 at Tokeland

Willet
16 at the Tokeland Marina

Black Turnstone
5 at Westport

Wilson's Snipe
1 a the Johns River WRA

Caspian Tern
15 at Tokeland(Graveyard Spit)

Anna's Hummingbird
1 male amongst a mixed passerine flock at Tokeland

Pileated Woodpecker
1 at Tokeland

Western Scrub Jay
3 along Hwy.12 at Elma
4 along S.R.105 at Bay City
1 along S.R.105 at Grayland
4 at Tokeland



Good birding,

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