Today, I went for a Big Day in Grays Harbor county. If only the weather near the coast would have been clear and warm! Drizzle and poor visibility at Westport hampered my efforts there, but all in all it was a good day. I ended with 118 species for the day. Here's the highlights:

Satsop foothills: 2 Mountain Quail (Weyerhaeuser A2302 road), Sooty Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Northern-pygmy Owl

Chehalis Wildlife Area (Schouweiler Rd. wetland): A lone Trumpeter Swan - probably the same one that stuck around all year last year.

Union Rd. bridge (south of Highway 8): 2 Spotted Sandpipers

North Blockhouse Road (off of Hwy 12): Cinnamon Teal

Fitzgerald Road (south of Oakville): Chipping Sparrow and this darn little goldfinch that had me thinking Lesser, but know I'm not so sure...

Vance Creek county park: Common Loon - on private pond just east of airport

Ahh, Whimbrel were everywhere: One on Dunlap Road, several on the west end of Wenzel Slough Road, and probably close to 75 on east Brady Loop.

Brady Loop: Eurasian Collared Dove (found one), Solitary Sandpiper (viewed from Monte-Brady Road)

Grayland: Northern Mockingbird (heard - couldn't see it behind the houses)

Brady's Oysters: 20 Ruddy Turnstones! I have never seen so many in one place!

Bottle Beach: 2 Red Knots, Brant (lots of these), and the usuals

Last bird of the day: Red-breasted Sapsucker on Newman Creek Rd. at about 7:30pm.

Good night!

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


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