Subject: [Tweeters] Ocean Shores birding 2-25-06
Date: Feb 25 23:29:57 2006
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com


Hello Tweets,

Today we enjoyed a nice day birding in the Ocean Shores region,where we located many of the specialty species other observers have noted recently. Of most interest was the immature GYRFALCON that we observed on 2 occasions during the afternoon at the Oyhut Wildlife Area. This in presumably the same individual bird than we originally located at this location on the 7th of November,2005 and noticed that the bird today appeared far plainer and darker than our previous sighting. In flight the bird always appeared stocky and powerful with rather slow wingbeats. The bird is still very massive and bulky,which can be seen well in a distance,which was the case during both of today's sightings. Our first sighting today was at 12:15pm from along a raised bluff area along Marine View Drive directly across the road from the large cement water tank that overlooks the Oyhut WA. The bird was viewed at some distance to the far west,as viewed in our Leica Spotting scope as it rested atop a short piece of driftwood. We watched the bird from this vantage point for 10 minutes before deciding to drive over to the Tonquin Ave access of the Oyhut WA. Within 10 minutes we were able to easily relocate the Gyrfalcon from Tonquin Ave. access. The bird rested atop the same short piece of driftwood just west of the trailhead that leads out into the vast Salicornia area,before taking flight and pursuing a lone Dunlin. The Gyrfalcon flew westward,as it continued on the Dunlin as it tried hard to keep up with it by towering upward with strong wingbeats then making several swoops on the shorebird for about 5 minutes before disappearing over the line of trees that surrounds the Oyhut WA.

Later in the afternoon after birding Damon Point the Gyrfalcon was again noted from the raised vantage point across from the water tank along Marine View Drive at 3:45pm. The bird this time was perched on a different piece of driftwood that our previous sighting,then soon made a short flight to another much larger obstruction of a dead tree that laid isolated on the open sand closer towards the distant tall fluorescent orange navigation tower. We made a short 10 minutes drive over to the Ocean Shores STP and made the walk behind the treatment plant facility then north of the navigation tower. We were joined by Gary Wiles at 4pm and at this time were unable to relocate the Gyrfalcon. We soon went our separate ways upon doing some short searching for the bird,then upon arriving home learned that Gary located the bird at 5pm from the vantage point across the water tank along Marine View Drive. Gary and his wife observed perched atop a driftwood log from this location,as well as nearby Tonquin Ave. onto a different perch. They watched the bird until it took flight,where it continued northeastward towards the Silver King Motel and kept going to points beyond,but it made for a nice sighting for them to end the day we presume! The bird apparently covers some ground and may search widely for food and we noticed today and in previous observation of the bird that if good numbers of other raptors were in the vicinity the bird would not stay and move to another suitable area away from the Oyhut WA.


Our day began at the Hoquiam STP,where we easily located the lingering immature GLAUCOUS GULL that has remained for many observers to see through the winter. The bird was amongst a small flock of "Olympic" Gulls(Glaucous-winged/Western Gull intergrade),where it kept somewhat to itself loafing near the middle of the main pond. Away from the Glaucous Gull few other birds were noted at the Hoquiam STP with extremely few waterfowl with just a handful of scaup and Common Goldeneyes. 2 Western Meadowlarks were the only other notable sighting,which were observed in the grassy area at the far eastern end of the Bowerman Basin Airport.

We arrived at Ocean Shores at 11:30am,where our first stop was made at the Ocean Shores Jetty. Conditions remained quite windy at this location and throughout the day at Ocean Shores,but we managed to locate a few good birds. We carefully scoped the north side of the main jetty,where an active "rockbird" group yielded up to 8 ROCK SANDPIPERS,25 Surfbirds and 8 Black Turnstones. Offshore waters at the Ocean Shores Jetty produced 38 Black Scoters(amongst a tight,smaller group of Surf Scoters), 2 Common Murres,2 Marbled Murrelets and a single Rhinoceros Auklet.

After the Ocean Shores Jetty much of our efforts were made at Damon Point,where we slowly walked towards the Catala Spit and endured much of the recent storm evidence,especially near the base of Damon Point. As soon as we passed the east end of the Damon Point"pond" and walked a short distance south via a small trail leading to the beach we located our first Snowy Owls of the day. With more thorough scans of the dunes and beach debris we were able to tally 9 SNOWY OWLS with little effort,as they all seemed to favor resting in amongst the densest driftwood areas. We remained watching the Snowy Owls in the wind with several other beachcombers on their own agendas,but we kept our distance to the birds to keep them from flushing . Our lengthy stay also produced 6 SNOW BUNTINGS that were only observed in flight,as they circled around overhead of us several times before continuing southward towards Westport. 12 "Streaked"Horned Larks and 1 LAPLAND LONGSPUR rounded out our specialty list from this location with both later species being observed south and east of the Damon Point"pond" in short vegetation areas.

Other noteworthy species observed at Ocean Shores and vicinity included the following:

5 Red-throated Loons and 30 Western Grebes at Damon Point

45+ "Black"Brant off Damon Point(in North Bay)

1 adult Cooper's Hawk at Hoquiam

1 Merlin at Damon Point

2 Peregrine Falcons at Damon Point

1 Ring-necked Pheasant at Damon Point

7 Black-bellied Plovers at Damon Point(with 8 additional birds at the Oyhut WA)

25 Leas Sandpipers at the Oyhut WA(with 15 additional birds at Damon Point)



***Mammal highlight of the day***: 1 Coyote along Fairwood Drive(at Ocean Shores)




Good birding,

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