Subject: [Tweeters] Brady-Elma area sightings 4-07-07
Date: Apr 7 19:33:30 2007
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com
Hello Tweets,
Today after reading Tim O'Brien's Tweeters posting and learning that he had refound the Barnacle Geese we ventured over to the Elma-Brady area. The weather remained very unstable due to off and on rain showers during our entire visit to these areas,but overall birding was quite good with good activity at most locations. We began along the western portion of Wenzel Slough Rd. at 10am,where we easily located the 2 BARNACLE GEESE at the same location that Tim mentioned in his posting,where the associated amongst a large gathering of Canada and Cackling Geese. This location is just east of the Goere's Farm property and north of the Newman Creek bridge along Wenzel Slough Rd. Soon after watching the 2 Barnacle Geese without even getting out of our vehicle a passing adult Bald Eagle flew overhead and flushed the entire geese flock. The geese flock lifted and flew north into more open grassy fields half way between Wenzel Slough Rd. and Hwy.12. The 2 Barnacle Geese were again located after they landed with the other geese along with 7 Greater White-fronted Geese and a lingering Trumpeter Swan. 2 male Eurasian Wigeon were also noted at this location amongst a flock of 75+ Am.Wigeon and good numbers of Greater Yellowlegs foraged in more flooded area.
After watching the Barnacle Geese we ventured over to the Brady Loop Rd. complex,where we spent a good deal of time birding the entire loop(including Schafer Boom Rd.). It was along this route we had our heaviest rain of the day,but birding remained good. Our main highlight in this immediate area were 6 WHIMBREL beginning with a lone bird observed and heard calling along the western portion of Brady Loop Rd. The additional 5 birds were all observed together in a flock along the eastern portion of Brady Loop Rd. north of Willis Street. Here, this flock stayed tightly together,as they flew in calling from the west before landing in a corn stubble field. The birds foraged for a while longer before lifting again and flying east towards the Wenzel Slough Rd. area at 1:30pm. We never relocated the birds,but they are probably still around and numbers should increase through upcoming weeks,especially as farmers begin to plow their fields. It was nice to see Tim O'Brien also saw one Whimbrel,as this was our first of the season for Grays Harbor Co.
Other notable sighting for the general Brady Loop Rd. complex included the following species:
250+ Cackling/Canada Geese
1 pair of Cinnamon Teal
1 pair of Eurasian Wigeon
1 Turkey Vulture
1 Northern Harrier
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 female "Taiga" Merlin
15 Black-bellied Plovers
33 Greater Yellowlegs
200+ Dunlin
50+ Wilson's Snipe(observed from flooded areas along Foster Rd.)
7 Rufous Hummingbirds
5 Northern Rough-winged Swallows
4 Cliff Swallows
7+ Barn Swallows
2 Western Scrub Jays
5 Orange-crowned Warblers
7+ Common Yellowthroats
10 Savannah Sparrows
4 Lincoln's Sparrows
30 Purple Finches
After birding the Brady Loop Rd. area we checked again for the Barnacle Geese along the eastern portion of Wenzel Slough Rd. at 2pm. We again easily located the 2 birds amongst a flock of 200+ Canada/Cackling Geese at the same location where we first located earlier in the day. It was at this time we obtained photos of the 2 Barnacle Geese,where we were soon joined by Rod Gilbert,who enjoyed these 2 beautiful geese too. We have placed 7 photos of the Barnacle Geese onto our website,which can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.pbase.com/godwit/barnacle_goose_photos/
Other notable species from this location that we didn't see earlier in the day included the following species:
1 Turkey Vulture
1 adult Peregrine Falcon
4 Long-billed Dowitchers
On our way home we drove the remainder of Wenzel Slough Rd.,where 2 additional Northern Rough-winged Swallows were noted near the Satsop River followed by a pair of Ospreys atop a tall snag immediately south of Vance Creek Co. Park. Additionally, we noted our first gathering flocks of Band-tailed Pigeons along Keys Rd. near Satsop with 25 birds.
Good birding,
Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at msn.com