Hello Tweets,

Today we birded at Ocean Shores by covering just a few of the main locations including Damon Point,the Ocean Shores STP and the Oyhut Wildlife Area. Birding conditions were very slow throughout our visit between 11am-3pm,but we did encounter just a few highlights. The weather remained nice and warm,except when isolated fog rolled in off the ocean after 2pm. We enjoyed a nice hike to Catala Spit at Damon Point, as the draining of oil inside the S.S.Catala was still undergoing by ecology and other workers. Our main highlight of the day was a flyover PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER heard several times,as it flew west from the tip of Catala Spit towards unknown locations giving it's distinctive "chu-weee" call. We scoured the majority of Damon Point,as well as to Catala Spit but never relocated the Pacific Golden Plover. Good numbers of gulls,Common Murres, and Brown Pelicans were feeding offshore from Catala Spit in North Bay,as well as nearby the channel of Grays Harbor between Catala Spit and Westport.

Shorebird numbers here at Damon Point and elsewhere at Ocean Shores were very low,as the weather remains good and dry. Our only other highlights noted at Damon Point included the following species: 2 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS and 6 "Streaked"Horned Larks.

We visited the Ocean Shores STP before and after the high tide with no major change in activity away from 2 Red-necked Phalaropes, 12 Least Sandpipers,12 Northern Shovelers. We also hiked behind the Ocean Shores STP and north of the fluorescent navigation tower at 2pm,where we encountered a single BANK SWALLOW just as we parked our vehicle. The bird was foraging loosely with 3 Barn Swallows,as it passed us and continued west into hazy fog. This was a totally unexpected sighting for this coastal location and one of very few records for Ocean Shores itself. This was no doubt a migrant,so perhaps other birders will be reporting them and unusual locations. This represented our 3rd personal record of Bank Swallow for Grays Harbor Co. On our return walk from the Oyhut WA 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows were flying around the immediate areas where we parked associating with several Barn Swallows.


A few other specialties encountered at Ocean Shores included the following:

5 Red-throated Loons at the Oyhut WA

1 lingering male Ring-necked Duck at the Cabana Pond

2 Red-breasted Mergansers at the Oyhut WA

1 Turkey Vulture at Damon Point and along S.R.115 over Cyber Lake(north of Ocean Shores)

2 Ospreys calling loudly over Damon Point

3 Northern Harriers at the Oyhut WA

1 Semipalmated Plover at Damon Point

4 Marbled Godwits and 1 Whimbrel at the base of Damon Point

1 Ruddy Turnstone observed calling over Catala Spit

1 Red-necked Phalarope off Catala Spit at North Bay

2 Bonaparte's Gulls at Damon Point


Earlier in the day we made short stop at the Hoquiam STP,where we encountered a flock of 17 PURPLE MARTINS resting and calling from telephone wires immediately across the road from the main sewage pond and west of Paulson Rd. We observed a mixed flock of both male and female birds and a few of the birds appeared to be younger birds by their "ratty" plumage. This is was our largest concentration of Purple Martins at a given location in Grays Harbor Co. and perhaps a record high count for the county! The bird undoubtedly appeared to be migrants and are most likely flocking up before they continue onward. We have encountered Purple Martins at this location in past years,but only as single birds and it is possible they could have nested nearby such as along the Hoquiam or Chehalis Rivers with plenty of standing logs for possible nestsites. Other sightings from the Hoquiam STP included the following: 7 Greater Scaup and 4 Red-necked Phalaropes.


A few other highlights noted to and from Ocean Shores included the following:

15 Turkey Vultures along Hwy.12 between Montesano to Satsop

Western Scrub Jay
1 along Hwy.12 at Elma
2 along Hwy.12 at Satsop
5 birds along Hwy.12 at Brady
1 bird along Sumner Ave at Aberdeen
1 bird along Emerson Ave. at Hoquiam



Good birding,

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