Hello Tweets,

Today we ventured out to the Ocean Shores area beginning with a short visit made at the Nisqually NWR. The weather at Ocean Shores was very windy and as a result birding was quite difficult and limited. We began our morning at the Nisqually NWR at 9am,where a short walk was made out onto the McAllister Creek trail via the main parking lot. The flooded areas on both sides of the trail hosted a good assortment and diversity of waterfowl including 14 SNOW GEESE and a single male Eurasian Wigeon. Further scanning over the flooded area yielded 3 TREE SWALLOWS and a single VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW,of which both species were actively hunting north of the trail. Other species of note at the Nisqually NWR included a male Am.Kestrel and a calling Pileated Woodpecker.

While driving through the town of Hoquiam along Sumner Ave. we located 5 Cedar Waxwings in a large berry-covered tree,then after crossing the Hoquiam River we observed 2 Western Scrub Jays along Emerson Ave. near the same location that we located 3 birds during the Grays Harbor CBC.

Continuing onward we drove straight to Ocean Shores and made our first stop there at the Ocean Shores Jetty. We scanned the offshore waters with limited viewing,as well as the jetty with just a few highlights of note. Our most noteworthy sighting from this location was a single Common Murre that was observed,as we scoped the mouth of Grays Harbor. Other notable species encountered from this location included the following:

43 Western Grebes
4 Black Turnstones
8 Surfbirds
10 Rock Sandpipers
15 Red Phalaropes
13+ Black-legged Kittiwakes

A single unexpected Brown-headed Cowbird was observed near the Ocean Shores STP,as were several Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Next,we braved the stiff winds by walking at Damon Point to Catala Spit,which yielded much driftwood and washed our areas due to erosion,etc. from recent storms. We were able to walk to Catala Spit from the upper beach south of the Damon Point"pond",although as tide conditions changed the walk was slightly tougher on the return walk. We were able to locate 7 SNOWY OWLS in the beach dune areas near Catala Spit with an additional distant bird observed perched atop a driftwood snag on Catala Spit. All of the 8 Snowy Owls appeared to be immature birds and since conditions were very windy most of the birds just remained perched low in the dunes and driftwood areas. While watching the closest Snowy Owls we were able to locate 3 pellets with all of them in fairly fresh condition.

Away from the Snowy Owls conditions were very slow and quite and most likely due to the heavy winds. A few of the flooded areas en route to Catala Spit produced up to 10 Red Phalaropes. On our return walk we were treated to large numbers of shorebirds at the Damon Point"pond",as well as other shorebirds flying overhead towards the Oyhut Wildlife Area. Searching through the flocks of shorebirds yielded the following species:

20 Sanderlings
125+ Western Sandpipers
80 Least Sandpipers
6,500+ Dunlin

Other species of note at Damon Point included 1 adult Peregrine Falcon,10 Herring Gulls, and 1 Thayer's Gull.


3-4 Anna's Hummingbirds were observed near Bill's Spit(Ocean Shores).


Our last stop of the day was made with a quick stop made at the Hoquiam STP,where the lingering immature GLAUCOUS GULL was again observed,where it rested amongst a small flock of other gulls near the wooden pier over the main pond. Our last species of the day were 12 Trumpeter Swans observed in a partially flooded stubble field along Hwy.12 just east of Satsop.



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net