Hello Tweets,

Yesterday(October 26th)we ventured over to the coast and birded our familiar route between the Brady Loop Rd. area to Tokeland. The weather remained great all day with hazy conditions being the only downfall,as far as viewing conditions. We began the day at Vance Creek Co. Park near Elma,where 4 Ruddy Ducks and a small gathering of 7 Ring-necked Ducks all swam in the "lake" along the southern edge of Wenzel Slough Rd. We then drove to Brady Loop Rd. and primarily birded along Foster Rd.,where we easily viewed a rather distant WHITE-TAILED KITE perched atop a large alder tree along the eastern edge of the road behind a residence. 2 Northern Harriers and 2 Am.Kestrels were also noted in this immediate vicinity,as was our only Western Meadowlark of the day.

We then drove to west and arrived next at the Hoquiam STP at 10:30am,where a fairly nice assortment of waterbirds dotted the main pond,as well as 45 Brown Pelicans(and 1 Heermann's Gull) lined all along the pier over the pond. Most notable species scoped from the main pond consisted of 4 EARED GREBES, 5 CANVASBACKS, 2 Buffleheads, 15 Hooded Mergansers and 12 Ruddy Ducks. We continued south from the Hoquiam STP along Airport Way,where we located a single female EURASIAN WIGEON amongst a gathering of 150+ Am.Wigeon,as they all foraged along the shoreline of the Chehalis River. A single BARN SWALLOW was observed flying around,as we continued towards the tow of Hoquiam(just south of the Hoquiam STP). This was our first Barn Sallow since mid September!

As we continued back towards the town of Hoquiam we located our second of two Western Scrub Jays in the town near the intersection of 5th Street and M Street. We continued our way to Bottle Beach,where we arrived there at 11:30am during the incoming high tide. Good numbers of shorebirds foraged the shoreline,as the tide slowly proceeded inward towards us. The greatest numbers of shorebirds went to Dunlin followed by smaller numbers of other shorebird species. The main shorebird highlights from this location included 28 Marbled Godwits,2 Black Turnstones and a large gathering of 137 Long-billed Dowitchers(observed in the canal behind Bottle Beach). Very large numbers of waterfowl gathered from both ends of the shoreline at Bottle Beach primarily consisting of Am.Wigeon and Northern Pintails.

After Bottle Beach we worked our way to Westport,where 3 GREAT EGRETS foraged at the mouth of the Elk River along S.R.105 at Bay City followed by a Merlin perched in a shot tree along the highway further west of Bay City. We arrived at the Westport Marina and immediately located the lingering BAR-TAILED GODWIT resting in he middle of a flock of 120+ Marbled Godwits,as viewed from the end of Float 21. The entire flock rested in a tight group along the rocky jetty neat the entrance into Grays Harbor from the marina. Good numbers of Western Grebes were noted in Grays Harbor itself,as viewed north of the marina complex followed by still lingering numbers of Brown Pelicans and Heermann's Gulls.

We then decided to walk the boardwalk at Float 20 on the other side of the marina,where a flock of "rockbirds" assembled along the rock shoreline just below a pier. We were able to locate 5 ROCK SANDPIPERS in and amongst the flock of 32 Surfbirds and 30 Black Turnstones The flock was very noisy at times,as the jumped around looking for food,but the Rock Sandpipers mainly rested most of the time.

We drove over to Westhaven State Park and observed the adult light-morph "HARLAN'S"RED-TAILED HAWK at near the same location we observed this bird on the 17th of October. This is the most unusual morphs in the spectrum of "Harlan's" Red-tailed Hawks. The bird perched from several locations including from low pine trees and telephone poles in a large open field before eventually flying off due to being mobbed by several Am.Crows. The bird was very striking and unique in it's plumage and we managed to get several photos of the bird for documentation purposes. Photos of this bird can be viewed at the following link: http://www.pbase.com/godwit/red-tailed_hawk_photos/

Our last stop of the day was made at Tokeland,where the large gathering of 800+ Marbled Godwits tightly lined the rock shoreline just south of the Tokeland Marina with 20 Long-billed Dowitchers. Nearby along the same shoreline,but separated from the Marbled Godwits were 17 Willets near the old coast guard station. We made a quick stop along 7th Avenue to view the tip of Graveyard Spit,where 8 lingering CASPIAN TERNS rested along he upper shoreline amongst a small gull flock.


Other notable species of interest observed during the day included the following:

Cackling Goose
130+ over Bottle Beach
100+ over S.R.105 at Bay City
100+ over Westport

Northern Harrier
1 birds near Vance Creek Co. Park
2 birds along Foster Rd.(Brady Loop Rd. complex)
1 bird at Bottle Beach
1 bird at Westport
1 bird at Tokeland

Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 bird along Ocosta Third Street(near Bottle Beach)

Peregrine Falcon
1 adult at Tokeland
1 bird at Westport
1 adult bird perched atop a large tower along S.R.105 at the Elk River bridge at Bay City

Virginia Rail
4 birds heard calling only along Ocosta Third Street

Black-bellied Plover
84 birds at Bottle Beach

Greater Yellowlegs
4 birds at Bottle Beach

Sanderling
120+ birds at Bottle Beach

Western Sandpiper
60+ bird at Bottle Beach

Least Sandpiper
145+ birds at Bottle Beach

Dunlin
1,750+ birds at Bottle Beach

Wilson's Snipe
1 birds at Bottle Beach
1 bird at Tokeland

Anna's Hummingbird
1 immature male near the Tokeland Marina

Hairy Woodpecker
1 bird along Ocosta Third Street

Western Scrub Jay
1 bird along Wenzel Slough Rd. near Vance Creek Co. Park
2 birds at Hoquiam

Lincoln's Sparrow
1 bird along Ocosta Third Street

Red Crossbill
15 birds at Westport



Good birding,

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