Hello Tweets,

Yesterday(September 17th)we led a WOS(Washington Ornithological Society)field trip to the Bottle Beach-Tokeland area with a total of 6 participants and 97 species for the entire day. We encountered very cold,foggy conditions at the beginning of the day,which turned to warmer,sunny afternoon for a glorious fall afternoon. Overall it was a very nice birding day,despite rather slow birding but we did manage to locate a few highlights for the day! Nonetheless,all participants enjoyed the day and we also ran into many birders in the field on their field trips,etc.at a few selected locations between Bottle Beach and Tokeland.

Our day began in very dense fog at the Nisqually NWR,then continuing westward to the Hoquiam STP with the only check on the way made along Madrona Beach Rd. at Mud Bay in Thurston Co. After checking the Hoquiam STP for assorted waterfowl and other species we went straight to Bottle Beach for a check of any available shorebirds during incoming tide between 10:50am-11:45am. With very minimal shorebird diversity encountered here we moved onto the Westport Marina,where we carefully scoped the Marbled Godwit flock that rested along a portion of the rock jetty immediately north of the coast guard station at the east end of the marina and viewed from Float 21. We arrived when a smaller flock of bird was noted on a very small portion of rocky land just north of a dock,but then as water levels raised they all moved and joined the main flock of birds on the jetty. We eventually counted nearly 200 Marbled Godwits with he only different shorebird species amongst them including 2 Black Turnstones and 2 Long-billed Dowitchers. As we all continued waiting and hoping for more Marbled Godwits to join the flock and possibly the Hudsonian Godwit,etc. a single adult Black-legged Kittiwake allowed nice scoping views as it rested alone on a portion of the row of pilings protecting the marina,where it remained nearly our entire visit. This was a very nice bird spotted by Ann Marie Wood,which really excited her and other birders! Our other highlight and a surprise for us at this location was 2 immature Black-crowned Night Herons that flew in from the west portion of the marina,then allowed brief views before flying and tucking into a concealed area. This was our 2nd personal record for Grays Harbor Co.!

After scoping for some time at the Westport Marina we continued onto the Tokeland Marina,where the juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit was easily viewed amongst a flock of 300+ Marbled Godwits at it's favorite resting spot within the marina on an old wooden dock. The bird allowed great comparisons between the Marbled Godwits for all our participants,but unfortunately remained resting with it's bill tucked nearly the entire time. After spending some time watching the bird and other species from the Tokeland Marina we headed north and made a quick check of the large gull flocks along S.R.105 at North Cove before continuing onto Midway Beach Rd. We walked good amounts of open beach area,as well as the inner vegetation line at Midway Beach Rd.,but have been again unlucky in locating any Snowy Plovers,but located several small plover tracks within the inner beach that could be of these birds. Without seeing too many species at this location our main highlight consisted of a small flock of 5 Lapland Longspurs along with scattered groups of Am.Pipits all observed within the upper vegetation line. After birding Midway Beach Rd. a portion of our group made one final stop on our way home to look for shorebirds,passerines,etc. at Bottle Beach during outgoing tide wit very few species noted. A list of other highlights of the day noted at selected locations follows below:

Ruddy Duck
1(with 3 Ring-necked Ducks and 1 Greater Scaup)at he Hoquiam STP

Common Loon
6 off Bottle Beach
2 at the Westport Marina
3 at Tokeland

Horned Grebe
1 at the Hoquiam STP
3 off Bottle Beach

Western Grebe
1 at the Tokeland Marina

Turkey Vulture
5 flying north over S.R.105 at Tokeland

Osprey
1 at the Nisqually NWR

Northern Harrier
3+ birds at the Nisqually NWR
2 at Midway Beach Rd.

Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 at Westport
1 along S.R.105 at Grayland
1 at Tokeland

Cooper's Hawk
1 at Tokeland

Black-bellied Plover
240+ at Bottle Beach

Greater Yellowlegs
8 at Mud Bay,Thurston Co.

Willet
17 at the Tokeland Marina

Spotted Sandpiper
3 at Mud Bay,Thurston Co.

Whimbrel
7 at Tokeland
1 at Midway Beach Rd.

Black Turnstone
2 a the Westport Marina
2 at Tokeland

Long-billed Dowitcher
2 at Bottle Beach
2 at the Westport Marina

Red-necked Phalarope
1-2 birds at the Hoquiam STP

Bonaparte's Gull
85+ at Mud Bay,Thurston Co.

Western Scrub Jay
1 along Hwy.12 near Satsop

Am.Pipit
35+ at Midway Beach Rd.

Lincoln's Sparrow
10+ at the Nisqually NWR
2 at Bottle Beach



Good birding,

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