Hello Tweets,

Today we ventured over to Ocean Shores hoping to escape the heat from inland areas,which turned out very nice for us although birding conditions overall were quite slow. We checked a few of the main locations at Ocean Shores including the Ocean Shores Jetty,the outer beaches between Driftwood Drive and Marine View Drive and the Oyhut Wildlife Area. Despite not having a great variety of species given the time of the year we actually enjoyed the species we did see. Our main highlight of the day and most surprising for the time of year at the location was a single WESTERN KINGBIRD observed along Point Brown Ave. The bird was very cooperative and was noted on several occasions during the day beginning en route to the Ocean Shores Jetty upon our arrival to Ocean Shores. The bird was actively "flycatching" from several trees and bushes along a portion of Duck Lake between the address of 542 and 550 Point Brown Ave. and was readily visible from the main road. This was our 3rd personal record for Grays Harbor Co. and our personal first record for Ocean Shores,as well as being a very rare summer record for this county and for the outer coast! Perhaps the bird will oversummer or may just wander around and eventually make it back to regular areas,but whatever the case it was a truly unexpected sighting for us.

We have placed 7 photographs of the Western Kingbird onto our website for viewing,which can be accessed at the following link: http://www.pbase.com/godwit/recent_photos/


Away from the Western Kingbird,which actually began our day at Ocean Shores we enjoyed visits to the Ocean Shores Jetty and the Oyhut WA,especially considering this was one of our personal few trips made to this location in June. Our main stop began a the Ocean Shores Jetty with an extensive "seawatch" made from several portions of the jetty itself between midspan and the tip of the jetty between 10:30am-12:15pm. Weather conditions were nearly prime wit relatively calm seas and good backlighting with the most prevalent species being Common Murre,especially noted a the entrance to Grays Harbor. Most of the Common Murres were resting in large "rafts" just south of the jetty itself with other flocks noted flying to the north in group sizes of 30-50 birds with very small numbers of Rhinoceros Auklets mixed in. Only small numbers of Sooty Shearwaters were encountered during the entire seawatch unlike recent reports from nearby areas,so perhaps it was a bad day for them or they were further offshore. Of additional note one interesting Sooty Shearwater made a close flyby of the jetty that showed white wing "flashes" on the outer upperwings,as well as showed the characteristic pale wing lings when it turned from underneath,which was a very striking bird! Perhaps this feature occurs often,but was the personal first encounter of a Sooty Shearwater with wing flashes on the upperwings.Anyhow, the main highlight at this location was a good,but brief look at a single SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER that came in attracted to a large feeding flock of gulls and Common Murres approximately 40 yards south of the tip of the jetty. The bird was solid black with no hint of any pale wing linings on the underwing. The bird flew in from the south then quickly landed in amongst the flurry of feeding activity,ten was lost in the small waves. The size and structure comparison was also quite apparent between several nearby Sooty Shearwaters with a more daintier appearance and steeper forehead to name a few differences. A single TUFTED PUFFIN was also noted early during the seawatch,as it flew north past he tip of the jetty with a small flock of Common Murres. Other notable sightings from the Ocean Shores Jetty included the following:

4 Red-throated Loons
9 Pacific Loons
2 Common Loons
250+ Sooty Shearwaters(with most birds flew in and out from the mouth of Grays Harbor with smaller numbers noted further offshore)
54 Brown Pelicans
2 female HARLEQUIN DUCKS(noteworthy June record)
68 Heermann's Gulls(observed amongst good numbers of California and Glaucous-winged/Western Gulls)
4 Marbled Murrelets


After birding the Ocean Shores Jetty and offshore waters we checked the Oyhut WA(accessed behind the Ocean Shores STP)during incoming tide. Conditions were slowest here,but with a walk made north of the fluorescent navigation tower we encountered our first 2 adult WESTERN SANDPIPERS of the day. Other notable species from this location included the following:

3 Red-throated Loons
4 Common Loons
25 Brown Pelicans
2 female Northern Shovelers(with 5 young each noted as we looked inside to southwest pond of the Ocean Shores STP)
4 Greater Scaups
2 BLACK SCOTERS
28 Surf Scoters
2 Red-breasted Mergansers
1 adult Peregrine Falcon
42 Heermann's Gulls

Next, at 2pm we made a nice beach walk between the Driftwood Drive beach access and the Maine View Drive beach access with more large numbers of rafting Common Murres close to shore along with small numbers of various gulls. Our main highlights walking along this short route included 2 WHIMBREL and 6 WESTERN SANDPIPERS.

We spent the rest of the day in and around the eastern portion of Ocean Shores although conditions remained very slow. Good numbers of people gathered as usual at Damon Point and the eastern portion of the Oyhut WA. We also checked Bill's Spit,which hosted good numbers of gulls and up to 200 Caspian Terns that all gathered at the tip of the spit. A few additional sightings made at Ocean Shores included the following:

1 male Ring-necked Duck(Cabana Pond and quite notable during the summer for Ocean Shores)
1-2 Sharp-shinned Hawks
2 Anna's Hummingbirds(Bill's Spit area)
1 Olive-sided Flycatcher(Bill's Spit area)
1 Hutton's Vireo(Bill's Spit area)


Earlier in the day en route to Ocean Shores we made a short stop at the Hoquiam STP that yielded a very small collection of species including a pair of Gadwall with 2 young,as well as 6 Greater Scaup and a nearby nesting pair of Ospreys. Our day ended very warmly(temperature wise)along the outer "loop" of Brady Loop Rd.,where he following few species were noted:

3 Turkey Vultures
1 Am.Kestrel
1 Western Scrub Jay
2 Warbling Vireos
1 singing RED-EYED VIREO heard along the Chehalis River
1 Black-throated Gray Warbler


Other species of note encountered during the day noted to and from destinations included the following species:

2 Green Herons observed along Hwy.12 at Montesano

3 Turkey Vultures observed along Hwy.12 between Elma and Satsop with 1 Turkey Vulture noted along S.R.115 north of Ocean Shores

2 Western Scrub Jays along Hwy.12 at Satsop



Good birding,

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