Hello Tweets,

Today we enjoyed a nice early fall day birding at Ocean Shores,where we encountered several highlights. We had a great day and the weather was exceptional too! We began our day along Brady Loop Rd.,where we encountered 2 WHITE-TAILED KITES perched separately at first,then observed flying together along Foster Rd. It was a good sighting and our personal first sighting of multiple birds from this location! From Brady Loop Rd. we drove west and made a few stops before arriving at Ocean Shores during the early afternoon,as well as during incoming tide. We birded most of the familiar sites at Ocean Shores except do any major walking at Damon Point due to time. Our main highlights from Ocean Shores included 8 PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVERS along the outer beaches just north of Driftwood Street beach access,which actually ended our day at 4:45pm. The Pacific Golden Plovers were all noted(amongst a small flock of 6 Black-belied Plovers,a single Semipalmated Plover and 2 Western Sandpipers)in various plumages including 6 juvenile birds and 2 alternate plumaged adult birds.

Additionally,we located 40+ LAPLAND LONGSPURS as we walked portions of the Oyhut Wildlife Area in beach vegetation and vast Salicornia fields. The birds were all observed amongst larger flocks of Am.Pipits and a single "Arctic"Horned Lark. We also located a flock of 5 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and 3 Greater Yellowlegs along a canal at the northern end of the Oyhut WA(accessed from Tonquin Ave.). Earlier in the day we had a nice visit to Bill's Spit,where a gathering of 42 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS and 26 Marbled Godwits assembled amongst a flock of various gull species including up to 25 Herring Gulls. A single Great Egret was also noted,which was our personal first for this location.

Throughout our visit to Ocean Shores shorebird numbers continued to be very low,as far as what we encountered and it might appear that much of the migration is over. Our only "peeps of the day included 75 Western Sandpipers at the Oyhut WA(and 2 additional birds along the outer beaches)and 39 Least Sandpipers at the Oyhut WA(including 5 birds at the Ocean Shores STP). A nice gathering of 50 Greater Yellowlegs and 6 Long-billed Dowitchers treated us at Cyber Lake,where we have encountered both these species in good numbers in recent years. Cyber Lake is accessed along S.R.115 behind the North Beach Middle and Senior High School just north of Ocean Shores. An additional 2 Long-billed Dowitchers and our only Short-billed Dowitcher of the day were noted at the Ocean Shores STP.


A list of additional highlights encountered during the day at selected locations include the following:

EARED GREBE
1 at the Cabana Pond at Ocean Shores(with a male Ring-necked Duck)

Ruddy Duck
2 birds(with a Greater Scaup)at the Hoquiam STP

Northern Harrier
2 birds at the Oyhut WA
1 bird along Hwy.12 at Montesano

Cooper's Hawk
1 bird along I-5 a Nisqually in Thurston Co.

Am.Kestrel
1 bird along Hwy.12 at Elma
3 birds along the Brady Loop Rd. complex
1 bird along Hwy.12 at Montesano

Merlin
1 bird at Damon Point

Black-bellied Plover
2 birds at the Oyhut WA
6 birds along the outer beaches north of Driftwood Street beach access(Ocean Shores)

Sanderling
1 bird at the Oyhut WA

Mourning Dove
1 bird at the Oyhut WA(noteworthy for this coastal location)

Red-breasted Sapsucker
1 bird along Hwy.8 east of Summit Lake in Thurston Co.

Violet-green Swallow
125+ birds along Foster Rd.(Brady Loop Rd. complex)

Western Scrub Jay
1 bird along Hwy.12 at Satsop
3 birds along Brady Loop Rd.
1 bird along Hwy.12 at Montesano

Am.Pipit
225+ birds at the Oyhut WA

Black-throated Gray Warbler
1 bird with 1 Orange-crowned Warbler,4 Yellow Warblers, and good numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers at the Hoquiam STP

Lincoln's Sparrow
3 birds(with 3 "Sooty"Fox Sparrows and 4 Golden-crowned Sparrows)along Foster Rd.
2 birds at the Hoquiam STP
1 bird at the Oyhut WA

Red Crossbill
18 birds(with an Evening Grosbeak)at Cyber Lake



Good birding,

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