Hello Tweets,

Today we birded the Ocean Shores area with calm conditions and a few highlights to mention,although shorebird numbers were quite low. During an extensive visit to Damon Point we located a group of golden plovers near the tip of Catala Spit at 1:15pm that contained 12 Pacific Golden Plovers(9 adults and 3 juveniles)and 1 juvenile American Golden Plover. The bird were all noted together in upper beach vegetation just northwest of the immediate tip of Catala Spit during high tide,but could move around the general area. IN addition near the end of our visit to Ocean Shores we made a return visit to the Ocean Shores STP at 3pm and observed an interesting gull bathing with a flock of Heermann's,Glaucous-winged/Western and California Gulls that showed good characteristics for a 1st or 2nd year Lesser Black-backed Gull,but our observation was very brief. The gull showed a strong checkered mantle pattern contrasting to extensive white areas on the head,neck and upper breast and the gull's overall size was comparative to that of several California Gulls. The bill was fairly refined in overall structure and was mostly dark with some lighter areas near the base. The bird eventually finished bathing and suddenly flew off to the south into Grays Harbor,where it was not relocated. We luckily obtained photographs of the bird,eventhough lighting conditions were quite poor. At this point we remain unsure of the gull's proper identity!

Our day began at 8am at Mud Bay along Madrona Beach Rd.(mouth of Perry Creek)in Thurston Co. during outgoing tide,where a nice assortment of shorebirds and gulls were encountered before continuing onto Ocean Shores. Continuing westward we made a brief stop at Vance Creek Co. Park near Elma,where a single female Surf Scoter was observed in the lake immediately west of the public restrooms,which was our personal 2nd record for this eastern Grays Harbor Co. location. This is the same location that hosted the Common Tern reported by Tim O'Brien on the 28th of August. The Surf Scoter kept in close association with a Hooded Merganser and could be attracted to the young fish within the lake. We arrived at Ocean Shores at 10am after making a short stop at the Hoquiam STP and spent most of the day checking the Oyhut Wildlife Area,Damon Point,Ocean Shores STP and the outer beaches between Butter Clam Street and Driftwood Drive. As mentioned previously shorebird numbers were quite low and limited to a few areas. A list of additional highlights noted during the day at selected locations includes the following:

Green Heron
1 at Vance Creek Co. Park

Cinnamon Teal
1 at the Oyhut Wildlife Area

Greater Scaup
4 at the Hoquiam STP

Common Goldeneye
1 at the Hoquiam STP

Hooded Merganser
3 at the Oyhut WA/Ocean Shores STP

Red-breasted Merganser
7 at Damon Point

Red-throated Loon
1(with a Common Loon)at Catala Spit(Damon Point)

Pacific Loon
1(with a Common Loon)at the Oyhut WA

Turkey Vulture
3 along S.R.109 at Gray Gables
3 along S.R.109 at Burrow's Road(MP 13)
1 along S.R.109 at MP 15(east of Ocean Shores)
2 at he Oyhut WA
9 forming a "kettle" at Damon Point before dispersing to the west over the Oyhut WA
8 along Hwy.12 at Montesano
4 along Hwy.12 at Brady
4 along Hwy.12 at Satsop

Osprey
1 at the Oyhut WA
1 atop a nestsite along Hwy.12 at Montesano

Northern Harrier
6 at the Oyhut WA
2 at Damon Point

Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 along S.R.109(east of Ocean Shores)

Cooper's Hawk
1 along hwy.12 west of Montesano
1 along S.R.8 west of McCleary

Peregrine Falcon
1 along the outer beaches at Butter Clam Street

Black-bellied Plover
2 at the Oyhut WA
2(with 7 Semipalmated Plovers)along the outer beaches south of Marine View Drive

Semipalmaated Plover
64 at the Oyhut WA
6 at Damon Point

Greater Yellowlegs
22 at Mud Bay,Thurston Co.
2(with a Short-billed Dowitcher)at the Oyhut WA
1 at Cyber Lake(accessed along S.R.115 just south of Ocean City S.P.)

Lesser Yellowlegs
1 at Mud Bay,TH
2 at the Ocean Shores STP

Spotted Sandpiper
3 at Mud Bay,TH

Whimbrel
4 at Damon Point

Marbled Godwit
2 along the outer beaches at Ocean Shores flying south towards Westport
7 a Bill's Spit(Ocean Shores)

Semipalmated Sandpiper
1 near Bill's Spit

Western Sandpiper(noteworthy numbers)
850+ at Catala Spit
4,500+ along the outer beaches at Butter Clam Street

Baird's Sandpiper
3 at Catala Spit(Damon Point)

Pectoral Sandpiper
5 at the Ocean Shores STP

Wilson's Snipe
1 at the Oyhut WA

Bonaparte's Gull
1 at the Hoquiam STP

Mew Gull
1 at the Ocean Shores STP

Mourning Dove
15 along S.R.8 at Mox Chehalis Rd. near McCleary

Vaux's Swift
10 over Vance Creek Co. Park
7 over the Hoquiam STP
5 near the Oyhut WA

Willow Flycatcher
1 along Brady Loop Rd.

"Streaked"Horned Lark
7 at Damon Point

Purple Martin
5 over the Hoquiam STP

Violet-green Swallow
150+ along S.R.8 at the Thurston/Grays Harbor Co. line

Northern Rough-winged Swallow
3 at the Ocean Shores STP

Western Scrub Jay
1 along I-5 at Tillicum,Pierce Co.
4 along I-5 at Olympia
5 along wy.12 at Elma
3 along Hwy.12 at Satsop
2 along Hwy.12 at Brady




Good birding,

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