Subject: [Tweeters] Semipalmated Sandpiper at Ocean Shores
Date: Aug 3 20:02:22 2006
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com


Hello Tweets,

Today we birded from Bottle Beach to Ocean Shores with rather slow birding conditions. Our main highlight of the day was a single juvenile SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER at the Ocean Shores STP. This bird was observed alone with 2 Western Sandpipers and 2 juvenile Spotted Sandpipers nearby. Our other highlight of the day was a huge concentration of Hermann's Gulls that covered the Ocean Shores Jetty for a short distance west of the Ocean Shores STP. We conservatively estimated approximately 10,000 birds that included 95% adult birds with the remainder of the amount being younger birds. This was our highest concentration of Heermann's Gulls that we have personally encountered in coastal Washington and most birds were observed just loafing on the jetty itself,but also going to the southwest pond of the Ocean Shores STP to bathe,etc. There were also small numbers of Heermann's Gulls from the same amount that flew over into the saltwater of Grays Harbor to bathe with other gulls and numerous Brown Pelicans. It was an exciting sight!

As mentioned our day was fairly slow birding wise with no major movements of shorebirds noted. Our best diversity of shorebirds was encountered at Bottle Beach,where we scoped the mudflats during the morning incoming tide. Upon arriving at 8am to Bottle Beach we immediately tallied 117 Marbled Godwits that flew in from the direction of Westport to land on the muddy shoreline,which was our main highlight from this location. After birding Bottle Beach we traveled straight to the Hoquiam STP,where our only RED-NECKED PHALAROPE of the day was encountered. We arrived at Ocean Shores under cloudy skies after 10am and for the remainder of the day until 2:30pm we checked most of the key locations included the Ocean Shores Jetty,Bill's Spit and Damon Point. A list of our main highlights of the day included the following:

Red-throated Loon
3 birds at the Oyhut Wildlife Area

Gadwall
1 female at the Hoquiam STP

Ring-necked Duck
1 oversummering male at the Cabana Pond(Ocean Shores)

Greater Scaup
7 birds at the Hoquiam STP

BLACK SCOTER
1 female(with 55 Surf Scoters and 10 White-winged Scoters)at the Oyhut WA

Red-breasted Merganser
2 birds at the Oyhut WA

Turkey Vulture
2 flying over Bottle Beach
1 flying over North Bay at Damon Point
1 bird along Hwy.12 at Aberdeen
2 birds over Hwy.12 at Montesano

Osprey
1 along S.R.105 at the Johns River WRA
2 birds at the Hoquiam STP

Cooper's Hawk
1 bird flying over Pt.Brown Ave. at Ocean Shores

Peregrine Falcon
1 bird flying over the Hoquiam STP

Black-bellied Plover
84 birds at Bottle Beach
1 bird at Bill's Spit

Semipalmated Plover
85 birds at Bottle Beach

Greater Yellowlegs
1 bird at Bottle Beach
1 bird at the Oyhut WA
1 bird at the Damon Point"pond"

Wandering Tattler
2 birds at the Ocean Shores Jetty

Whimbrel
6 birds at Bottle Beach
2 birds at Bill's Spit

Spotted Sandpiper
2 birds at the Ocean Shores STP
1 bird at Lake Minard(Ocean Shores)

Ruddy Turnstone
1 bird at Bottle Beach
1 bird at the Ocean Shores Jetty

Black Turnstone
9 birds at the Ocean Shores Jetty

Western Sandpiper
200+ birds at Bottle Beach
2 birds at the Ocean Shores STP

Least Sandpiper
20 birds at the Oyhut WA

Short-billed Dowitcher
85 birds at Bottle Beach

Wilson's Snipe
1 bird at the Ocean Shores STP

Northern Rough-winged Swallow
1 bird at Bottle Beach
2 birds at the Oyhut WA

Wilson's Warbler
2 birds at Bottle Beach

Red Crossbill
5 birds at Bottle Beach



Good birding,

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