Hello Tweets,

Today we spent a rather wet and blustery day birding in Grays Harbor Co. covering areas from the Elma-Brady area to Westport. Our main emphasis was looking for returning northbound shorebirds,as well as other migrants too. We encountered a variety of weather,but mostly on the wet side with some dry areas too and very windy and drizzly conditions at Westport. The wind at Westport was very severe at times,but we managed to locate a nice flock of 20 Rock Sandpipers amongst other shorebirds resting in the wind on a pier accessed along Float 20 at the Westport Marina. The other shorebirds in this same flock consisted of 15 Black Turnstones, 1 Surfbird and 3 Dunlin. Most of the Rock Sandpipers were in near or in breeding plumage with a few birds in drabber,darker non breeding plumage. It was a real treat to see the breeding plumaged birds since we normally don't in Washington. Our other highlight during our visit to the Westport Marina was a single BROWN PELICAN flying east fairly close to shore in Grays Harbor. We have placed 10 photos of the Rock Sandpipers onto our website,which cane be accessed at the following link: http://www.pbase.com/godwit/rock_sandpiper_photos/

Our day began during incoming tide at Bottle Beach at 11am,where our timing for shorebirds was near perfect with a nice showing of shorebirds along the shoreline. Here, we located a large,but active and noisy flock of 3000+ Dunlin with 60 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and 170 Black-bellied Plovers. Most of the shorebirds vacated Bottle Beach within 15 minutes of viewing them,where they headed off over South Bay in a northerly direction. A short venture along the brushy area immediately south of the shoreline at Bottle Beach produced a single Hermit Thrush and 2 Orange-crowned Warblers. After "shorebirding" at Bottle Beach we made a quick check along Ocosta Third Street,where a single male REDHEAD was noted in the wetland area just south of Atlantic Avenue. The bird was quite active feeding on the floating vegetation with a few Wood Ducks and is possible the same Redhead we noted at this location on the 31st of March. We arrived at Westport during the height of a windy period,as gale force winds blew and blew and we tried our hardest to stand upright. The strongest winds eventually decreased,but conditions still remained windy and wet. Our main efforts were made at the Westport Marina,as we also noted the construction of new condominiums being built nearby. After spending a nice time photographing the Rock Sandpipers along Float 20 we headed east to check more inland areas and to hope the wind would be much less,as we birded our way home.

Our first stop was made at Friend's Landing along the Chehalis River south of Montesano,where conditions were quite wet,but we encountered no wind. We walked the paved trail within the dense riparian habitat,where our main highlights included a brief visual on a RUFFED GROUSE, 1 Hermit Thrush, and 3 Varied Thrushes. On route back to Hwy.12 from Friend's Landing we located a single male WESTERN BLUEBIRD briefly noted along telephone wires at the north end of Katon Rd.,which flew off in a easterly direction. Next, our visit to the Brady Loop Rd. complex remained wet with just a few species to note including 6 WHIMBREL observed in a large field amongst a gull flock along the eastern portion of Brady Loop Rd. The gull flock contained primarily Ring-billed Gulls with a few California and Glaucous-winged Gulls mixed in along with at least one adult Western Gull. Additionally, 2 separate flocks of Am.Pipits were located along Brady Loop Rd. in recently plowed areas that consisted of 200 birds. Our last stop of the day was made along Wenzel Slough Rd.,where we located the 2 lingering BARNACLE GEESE in a shore,grassy area amongst a large flock of Cackling/Canada Geese. The exact location is described as east of the Goere's Farm property along the western portion of Wenzel Slough Rd.,which is the main location where the 2 Barnacle Geese have persisted away from Brady Loop Rd. The lone adult Trumpeter Swan was also viewed at a distance from this location in a large,open field as we looked north towards Hwy.12 along with a single Male Eurasian Wigeon amongst a flock of approximately 125+ Am.Wigeon. The Trumpeter Swan may be injured somehow,as it continues from the same location since no other swans persist in the Elma-Brady area.

Other notable sightings during our day of birding include the following:

Red-necked Grebe
1 bird in breeding plumage at the Westport Marina

"Black"Brant
50+ birds off Bottle Beach in South Bay

Wood Duck
5 near Hwy. 8(east of Elma)
5 along Ocosta Third Street

Turkey Vulture
4 birds perched in deciduous trees along Wenzel Slough Rd.
1 bird over Bottle Beach
1 bird over Westport
1 bird along Brady Loop Rd.

Osprey
1 pair atop a nestsite along Wenzel Slough Rd.(south of Vance Creek Co. Park)

Merlin
1 bird at Westport

Peregrine Falcon(last bird of the day)
1 adult bird flying along Lakewood Drive(in Pierce Co.)

Black-bellied Plover
170 bird at Bottle Beach
20 birds along Wenzel Slough Rd.

Greater Yellowlegs
2 birds at Bottle Beach
12 birds along Brady Loop Rd.
8 birds along Wenzel Slough Rd.

Long-billed Dowitcher
5 birds along Brady Loop Rd.

Wilson's Snipe
10+ birds along Foster Rd.(Brady Loop Rd. complex)

Band-tailed Pigeon
50 birds along Hwy.8 east of Elma
40 birds along Keys Rd. near Satsop

Northern Rough-winged Swallow
2 birds at the Westport Marina
1 bird along Wenzel Slough Rd.

Purple Finch
15 birds along Brady Loop Rd.



Good birding,

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