Hello Tweets,

Today Jim Pruske and my mother and I birded from the Hoquiam STP to Tokeland in search of shorebirds and anything else that may be around. We encountered great conditions all day with some coastal northerly winds at times,but overall the day was pleasant and warm! We ran into many birders throughout the day at several locations,especially during our visit to Bottle Beach. We didn't find anything super rare and just enjoyed a nice variety of species! Our main route consisted of beginning our day at the Hoquiam STP,then making a quick stop at the Johns River WRA then birding Bottle Beach during the incoming tide,where we spent 3.5 hours. Our visit to Bottle Beach was quite productive for shorebirds and viewing was great with decent views of most of the shorebirds during the incoming tide. An hour after our arrival an adult Peregrine Falcon shot through the area overhead and flushed up all the shorebirds. We watched as the shorebirds all flew northward and occasionally circling,but then eventually dropping and landing on an offshore island in North Bay,as viewed north of Bottle Beach. The Peregrine Falcon was only a hindrance,as it only made a pass through the area before continuing eastwards towards a patch of evergreen trees. After birding Bottle Beach we traveled over to Westport with a quick stop made at the Westport Marina before continuing south to Tokeland. Before arriving to Tokeland we made a short stop along S.R.105 near MP 20.6 at North Cove,where huge numbers of gulls bathed at the mouth of a freshwater creek,as well as even higher numbers lining the beach shoreline to the north. Much of these gulls were California Gulls with lesser numbers of Heermann's Gulls and due to the lighting viewing was somewhat difficult at times. After Tokeland we enjoyed a nice visit to Midway Beach Rd.,then ending the day along the entire outer loop of Brady Loop Rd.

Our main highlights of the day consisted of the following species:


8 Great Egrets roosting in a saltmarsh with Great Blue Herons along Montesano Ave. at Westport

6 juvenile Snowy Plovers at Midway Beach Rd.(including one banded individual)

14 Willets and 400+ Marbled Godwits at the Tokeland Marina with 42 Marbled Godwits at Bottle Beach

40 Long-billed Curlews observed north of Bottle Beach(in flight only)

7 RED KNOTS at Bottle Beach(including 1 adult in alternate plumage and 6 juvenile birds)

7 Red-necked Phalaropes at the Hoquiam STP

1 COMMON NIGHTHAWK observed flying along S.R.105 west of Markham,Grays Harbor Co.(somewhat noteworthy for the location)

1 female Purple Martin over the Hoquiam River at Hoquiam,as well as an additional female continuing at a nestsite at the Tokeland Marina

1 Western Scrub Jay along Emerson Ave. at Hoquiam with an additional bird noted in Aberdeen en route to Bottle Beach.




An basic itinerary of our day follows below with a list of notable species observed at selected locations and times:


Hoquiam STP,Grays Harbor Co. 10:05am-10:35am

25 Northern Shovelers
6 Greater Scaup
7 Red-necked Phalaropes
1 Willow Flycatcher
2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows
1 Yellow Warbler
1 Black-throated Gray Warbler
3 Wilson's Warblers


Johns River WRA ,GH 11:15am-11:25am

1 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Spotted Sandpiper
1 Long-billed Dowitcher


Bottle Beach,GH 11:30am-3pm

30 Green-winged Teal
175+ Northern Pintail
4 Northern Shovelers
1 Turkey Vulture
1 Northern Harrier
1 adult Peregrine Falcon
493 Black-bellied Plovers
82 Semipalmated Plovers
2 Greater Yellowlegs
6 Whimbrel
40 Long-billed Curlews
42 Marbled Godwits
7 Red Knots
650+ Western Sandpipers
1 Baird's Sandpiper
32 Short-billed Dowitchers
5 Long-billed Dowitchers
1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow


Westport,GH 3:20pm

8 Great Egrets


Tokeland Marina,Pacific Co. 4:10pm-4:45pm

7 Turkey Vultures
14 Willets
5 Whimbrel
400+ Marbled Godwits
1 Purple Martin
2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows


Midway Beach Rd.,PA 5pm-5:45pm

1 Northern Harrier
6 Snowy Plovers
27 Sanderlings
4 "Streaked"Horned Larks


Brady Loop Rd.,GH 6:30pm-6:50pm

1 Turkey Vulture
1 Cooper's Hawk



Additional sightings of the day included a single Am.Kestrel along Hwy.12 east of Montesano and 8 Turkey Vultures along Hwy.12 between Montesano and Satsop. A drive along backroads east of S.R.105 near North Cove yielded a single Greater Yellowlegs and 2 Spotted Sandpipers in settling ponds near cranberry bogs.



Good birding,

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