Hello Tweets,

Yesterday(April 9th)we spent a few hours in the Brady-Elma area of eastern Grays Harbor Co. with rather slow birding conditions and off and on rain showers every 10 minutes or so. We began along Dunlap Rd.(accessed off of Hwy.12 southeast of Elma) followed by a visit along the eastern portion of Wenzel Slough Rd. then continuing over to the Brady Loop Rd. complex. We located a nice gathering of gulls attracted to a fertilizer sprayer on the Goere's Farm property,but gull numbers were far lower than in past weeks. The main majority of the gulls were Ring-billed Gulls(including a few "rosy" individuals)followed by smaller numbers of Mew and Glaucous-winged Gulls and a few California Gulls followed by a single adult Western Gull.

Other notable species along this route included our first Common Yellowthroat of the season with 2 singing males near the Chehalis River. Nearby, 5 Band-tailed Pigeons were resting atop large Black Cottonwoods along Keys Rd.,where numbers should increase in upcoming weeks at this traditional location.

Our visit to Brady Loop Rd. was quite wet,but a few highlights included 5 "Dusky"Canada Geese,2 Turkey Vultures,1 adult Merlin,5 Am.Kestrels,1 Greater Yellowlegs,2 Rufous Hummingbirds, 350+ Am.Pipits(observed in 2 separate flocks in stubble fields)1 Lincoln's Sparrow,and 7 Savannah Sparrows. We took a few photos of one of the Savannah Sparrows and have posted them on our website,which can be accessed a the following link: http://www.pbase.com/godwit/recent_photos/


Other highlights of our short day included 3 Ospreys along Wenzel Slough Rd,3 Greater Yellowlegs and 2 Wilson's Snipes along Dunlap Rd. and or last good bird being an adult SNOW GOOSE amongst a small flock of Canada Geese in a partially hidden field along the north side of wy.12 west of Satsop. The Snow Goose is most likely the same individual bird that has been observed by us and other observers over past weeks at or near this same location.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at msn.com