Hello Tweets,

Yesterday(August 10th)we birded the general Ocean Shores area with very slow birding conditions,as well as low movements of shorebirds. We visited the Ocean Shores STP,the Ocean Shores Jetty,Bill's Spit and Damon Point. Our day began at the Ocean Shores Jetty,where probably our most productive time was spent with relatively calm conditions. Very large numbers of Common Murres covered the water from the entrance of Grays Harbor northward with smaller number of Rhinoceros Auklets. A list of the most notable species for this location follows below:

1 Pacific Loon
2 Western Grebes
75+ Sooty Shearwaters
5 Surf Scoters
8 White-winged Scoters
6 Wandering Tattlers
6 Black Turnstones
2 Surfbirds
1 Sanderling
5 Red-necked Phalaropes
2 Marbled Murrelets


After birding the Ocean Shores Jetty we traveled over to Bill's Spit during the incoming tide,then hiked to the tip of Damon Point as the construction of the S.S. Catala was undergoing by workers. Our final stop of the day was made with a recheck of the Ocean Shores STP during high tide that produced nothing new. Very large numbers of Heermann's Gulls gathered with other gulls along the jetty behind the Ocean Shores STP,as well as congregating at the southwest pond inside the sewage treatment complex. Brown Pelicans were also in good numbers all along Gras Harbor extending eastward to Goose Island in North Bay. A list of additional highlights noted during the day at Ocean Shores included the following:

1 Red-throated Loon at the Oyhut Wildlife Area

6 Greater Scaup at the Hoquiam STP

1 Northern Harrier at Damon Point and at the Oyhut WA

1 Cooper's Hawk at the Oyhut WA

1 Peregrine Falcon over Damon Point with an additional bird flying along Hwy.12 at Aberdeen

14 Black-bellied Plovers at Bill's Spit with a flock of 25 birds flying over Damon Point heading south towards Bottle Beach

1 Semipalmated Plover flying over Damon Point

1 juvenile Spotted Sandpiper at the Ocean Shores STP

1 Marbled Godwit(with 20 Whimbrel)at Bill's Spit

1 RED KNOT observed flying over Damon Point(with a flock of 25 Black-bellied Plovers and 80 Short-billed Dowitchers)

2 "Streaked"Horned Larks at Damon Point


Other noteworthy sightings during the day to and from Ocean Shores included the following

5 Turkey Vultures flying along Hwy.12 at Brady
25+ Bonaparte's Gulls at Mud Bay,Thurston Co.


In addition to this small report we wish to mention we have placed several new photos onto our website taken in the past 2 days. These photos include a Short-billed Dowitcher at the Nisqually NWR and 1 of 2 Western Sandpipers at Damon Point. These photos can be viewed at the following link: http://www.pbase.com/godwit/recent_shorebirds/



Good birding,

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