I took a drive around the Brady Loop area this afternoon. There was lots of bird activity and I picked up a few good birds. The presence of lots of shorebirds had me dreaming of spring migration! Greater Yellowlegs were most abundant on Schafer Boom Rd. and Foster Rd.. I counted a total of 20 of them between the two locations. 10 Long-billed Dowitchers were working the edge of a drying pond of water on the western portion of Brady Loop Rd.. Also, there were two separate groups of Black-bellied Plovers with one of about 10 birds on Foster Rd. and a larger group with hundreds of Dunlin along the eastern side of Brady Loop Rd..

Also, on the eastern side of Brady Loop Rd.. just south of Willis where the big flock of Dunlin was, there was a group of gulls that included 3 immature Glaucous Gulls. The Sullivans reported them not too long ago. In the water here were 3 Ruddy Ducks as well.

3 Eurasian Wigeon were found with 2 along Schafer Boom Rd. and one in a huge concentration of American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Mallard, and Green-winged Teal along Foster Rd.. The light was just right when I was scoping through this big group of ducks which made all their beautiful colors stand out.

Raptors seen include Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, and Merlin. I couldn't find the Rough-legged.

Good birding,

Tim O'Brien
Elma, WA
mailto: kertim7179 at yahoo.com



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