Hello Tweets,

Today we spent a few hours in the Ocean Shores area,where our main highlight was an adult HORNED PUFFIN off the Ocean Shores Jetty observed during a 2 hour jetty watch during outgoing tide. We only birded a few hours at Ocean Shores since our day was delayed by an accident along Hwy.8 just west of the Thurston-Grays Harbor Co. line involving a large tanker truck. This accident delayed traffic along Hwy.8 in both directions for over 3 hours between 7am-just after 10am,as fire crews contained the exploded tanker that burned fuel with heavy black smoke that billowed into the sky for miles. It was quite an incident,but we stayed through the duration of the clean-up until traffic was finally routed into the eastbound lanes of Hwy.8. Part of the fuel leaked into the nearby Mox Chehalis Creek so environmental crews were called in to help assess the environmental impact. We passed the accident scene,where the remains of the burning wreckage was visible in the center median,as well as burned areas on the south side of Hwy.8. We passed the accident scene on our way home at 4pm and crews were still cleaning areas at the scene! This accident was televised on evening KIRO-Channel 7 News and this was the only news station we saw on the scene.

Despite the accident delay and rain and wind at Ocean Shores we had a good day with decent sightings. At the Ocean Shores Jetty we arrived during a period when conditions weren't as severe so it was still possible to walk onto the jetty itself. Most of the activity was noted off the tip of the jetty,where large numbers of alcids and Sooty Shearwaters gathered in a limited area. Within the large masses of seabirds our first several BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES were located,as they foraged. The most abundant alcid species were Common Murres followed by Rhinoceros Auklets,where most birds seemed to fly in from the north and gathered to feed at fairly close range. The Horned Puffin was noted a small group of Common Murres,where it rode the heavy waves with ample views until it disappeared,as birds shifted around. The Horned Puffin was easily separated from the Common Murres by it's large orange and yellow bill followed by it's white face surrounded by black. The underparts appeared fairly clean white,as in several nearby Common Murres. Further into the "jetty watch" larger numbers of Sooty Shearwaters flew in from the north and assembled in large masses off the tip of the jetty,where a single PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER was picked out,as it flew along the outer edges of the groups of Sooty Shearwaters.

A list of other notable sightings made from the Ocean Shores Jetty included the following:

10 Red-throated Loons
65+ Pacific Loons
9,000+ Sooty Shearwaters
25 Surf Scoters
1 female BLACK SCOTER
3 Sanderlings
3 Heermann's Gull(our personal first of the season)
35 Black-legged Kittiwakes
8 Marbled Murrelets
3 Tufted Puffins


Nearby, a short visit to the Ocean Shores STP 2 Red-necked Phalaropes were noted,as well as a female BUFFLEHEAD and a female Northern Shoveler with 5 young. A pair of Gadwall and 4 Greater Scaup were also noted at this location. A windy walk behind the Ocean Shores STP at the Oyhut WRA produced a single WHIMBREL.

Lastly, we wanted to mentioned sightings we encountered from the Hoquiam STP. Here, the main pond was covered by various swallow species with just a few waterfowl species on the pond. The main waterfowl species of note included 4 Gadwall(including 1 female with 2 young), 18 Greater Scaup and 1 female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER.


Good birding,

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