Hello Tweets,

Today we enjoyed the day birding from the Grand Mound area in Lewis/Thurston Cos. to the Brady Loop Rd. area in eastern Grays Harbor Co. The weather conditions remained nice and calm throughout the day with very light winds in the Brady area. Our main highlight of the day was a TURKEY VULTURE observed at the Red-shouldered Hawk location along Independence Rd.,which soared overhead then drifted southwest into Lewis Co. This was our personal first Turkey Vulture of the year and one of very few for western WA this winter. We searched for the Red-shouldered Hawk between 12pm-2:30pm with NO luck,but we highly suspect the bird is still in the immediate area along Independence Rd.

Initially our day began in the Grand Mound area,where we checked the open fields along Wagner Rd. that yielded a flock of 14 Tundra Swans north of the end of the road and 1 adult Peregrine Falcon perched atop the "falcon snag" at the end of the road. Additionally, a single male Eurasian Wigeon and 2 Tree Swallows were also noted along Wagner Rd. A quick check at the end of nearby Goodrich Rd. produced good numbers of waterfowl in the remaining flooded area just beyond the Centralia Wastewater Treatment Plant facility. Noteworthy species from this location included a single male Canvasback,1 Greater Scaup,a single male Eurasian Wigeon and 2 adult Peregrine Falcons observed flying southeast towards Centralia. a flock of 12 Wood Ducks were also noted along Goodrich Rd.,as was the overwintering TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE at it's favorite juniper tree! On route to Independence Rd. 3 more Eurasian Wigeon for our day were noted along Prather Rd. just east of the Chehalis River.

After birding along Independence Rd. area we traveled west towards the Elma-Brady area,which yielded some nice afternoon sightings to end our day. We began along Wenzel Slough Rd.,where a single RED-THROATED LOON was well observed at close range in the far east pond along with a flock of 13 Greater Scaup. in the large nearby pond west of the restroom facilities and on the south side of Wenzel Slough Rd. were 2 Western Grebes.

Continuing westward we next birded the entire outer "loop" of the Brady Loop Rd. complex,as well as along Foster Rd. Most noteworthy sightings included a grazing Canada/Cackling Geese flock along the eastern side of the loop that hosted 80 "Dusky"Cackling Geese with only a few dominant race Cackling Geese,as well as mixed races of Canada Geese. Also along this route we located our first shorebird flocks in 2 separate locations that yielded 45 Black-bellied Plovers and 380+ Dunlin. 3 Long-billed Dowitchers were encountered in partially flooded stubble fields along the extreme western portion of Brady Loop Rd.

While working our way homeward we spotted an adult SNOW GOOSE in a large stubble field amongst a scattered Canada Goose flock along Hwy.12 at Satsop just east of Keys Rd. The Snow Goose was also visible from another much safer vantage point along Wenzel Slough Rd. just east of the main property of the Goeres Farm. Our last stop of the day was made at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland,where we encountered good numbers of evening foraging swallows over the main wetland area. We were able to separate the following species of swallows: 20 Tree Swallows,12 Violet-green Swallows and 5 BARN SWALLOWS.


Other notable species observed during the day included the following:

Eurasian Wigeon
1 along Wagner Rd.,Lewis Co.
1 along Goodrich Rd.,LE
3 along Prather Rd.,Thurston Co.
1 along Brady Loop Rd.,Grays Harbor Co.

8 Trumpeter Swans along the western portion of Wenzel Slough Rd.(south of Satsop)

1 Cooper's Hawk along Independence Rd.

Am.Kestrel
1 along Independence Rd.,Thurston Co.
1 along Brady Loop Rd.
1 along Hwy.12 at Brady
1 along the western portion of Wenzel Slough Rd.

Peregrine Falcon
2 adults along Goodrich Rd. near Grand Mound
1 immature bird along South Bank Rd. near Porter(Grays Harbor Co.)

Black-bellied Plover
48 along the Brady Loop RD. complex
30 along Hwy.12 east of Satsop(with 85+ Dunlin and 2 Long-billed Dowitchers)

4 Wilson's Snipes at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland near Elma

Mourning Dove
20 along Independence Rd.,TH

Hutton's Vireo
1 calling bird near Independence Rd.,TH

Yellow-rumped warbler
2 at the Schouweiler Rd. wetland near Elma

Lincoln's Sparrow
4 in weedy fields along Independence Rd.,TH



Good birding,

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