Hello Tweets,

Yesterday(May 9th)we decided to conduct our 2007 Grays Harbor Co. Big Day. This was our very first time doing a Big Day in Grays Harbor Co. so we felt we did good in all aspects on this fast-pace birding day with a total of 162 species within 16 hours and over 300 miles of driving. The weather remained good all day with calm conditions until around 12pm when the winds began to blow swiftly during our hike at Damon Point at Ocean Shores. From this point the day went slow with a tough time finding new species at most areas. Our main route for the day consisted of beginning the day owling in a portion of the Capitol Forest just north of the town of Porter that produced 4 species of owl and our only Varied Thrush of the day. The remainder of the morning was spent from the Satsop-Brady area west to Ocean Shores. During the afternoon winds blew the hardest especially at Westport and Bottle Beach,but we managed to get all our target species for the day,but also had several misses! In the end we felt rewarded although exhausted,but very pleased at the day's outcome and look forward to doing this event next year too.

Our main highlights of the day include the following:

1 DUSKY FLYCATCHER observed in a very small stand of cottonwood-type trees near the tip of Damon Point. This bird was essentially very jumpy,but allowed good views of all the main field marks separating it from other Empidonax species. The bird was first detected flying from a tall,dense clump of Scot's Broom until it ten flew into the very small stand of deciduous trees giving it's "whit" call almost constantly during the almost 4 minute observation. The bird also pumped it's tail several times while perched,but never came into full view for very long. The length of the primaries on the wings seemed obviously short making the tail look notably long and the fairly long,straight bicolored bill was also very evident. The bird finally flew off into more dense stands of Scot's Broom,but it could still be heard calling just a few times as the area was checked for more passerines. This appears to be the very 1st record of Dusky Flycatcher for Grays Harbor Co. and definitely a species we would have not expected at this coastal location.

1 BLACK-NECKED STILT

This bird was our last species of the day and noted in a large private wetland area along Wenzel Slough Rd. south of the Newman Creek bridge. The bird was very easy to see from the road from the location where a Loggerhead Shrike was present several years ago. We essentially scoped the bird from a small open in the fenceline near the Satsop River where new tree with plastic protectors have been planted. The bird was roosting with a flock of 25 Long-billed Dowitchers and a few Least Sandpipers in a open area of the wetland,although no visible shoreline was present as the birds all rested on the edge of the water. This bird represented our 2nd personal record of Black-necked Stilt for Grays Harbor Co. and definitely a great bird to end the day with in western Washington! 2 Am.Bitterns were also noted flying low over the wetland,as well as a few winnowing Wilson's Snipes.

1 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE located in a portion of the dune area with scattered bushes and trees at the Oyhut Wildlife Area(accessed behind the Ocean Shores STP). This bird was a nice addition to our growing Grays Harbor Co. year list and a nice species for this county as well.

1 SANDHILL CRANE observed flying north high overhead along Point Brown Ave.(south of the Ocean Shores Golf Course)at Ocean Shores. Another good species for Grays Harbor Co.!



Other key highlights of the day included the following at selected locations:

FR A2300 above Newman Creek Rd. near Satsop

4 "drumming" Sooty Grouse(with one bird seen briefly displaying atop a stump before flying off down the hill)
1 Ruffed Grouse
1 pair of Mountain Quail along the uphill ascent of FR A2302
2 Mourning Doves
1 Red-breasted Sapsucker
1 Pileated Woodpecker
1 Cassin's Vireo
3 Swainson's Thrushes
4 MacGillivray's Warblers
1 Chipping Sparrow
3+ singing Black-headed Grosbeaks
1 Evening Grosbeak


Chehalis Wildlife Area(accessed from the south end of Schouweiler Rd. near Satsop)

1 calling Am.Bittern
1 lingering Trumpeter Swan
20 Whimbrel(observed flying low overhead)
1 Pacific-slope"Western"Flycatcher
1 Bullock's Oriole


Brady Loop Rd.(2 visits)

5 Greater White-fronted Geese
1 Long-billed Curlew(observed on our return visit in plowed fields along the eastern portion of Brady Loop Rd.) A very nice species for eastern Grays Harbor Co.!
1 Barn Owl(observed with permission in a large,old barn)
3 Eurasian Collared Doves located in several yards along the northeast corner of Brady Loop Rd.
1 Western Wood Pewee
5 Western Scrub Jays
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
1 Golden-crowned Sparrow


Hoquiam STP

1 pair of Blue-winged Teal
1 male Ruddy Duck
3 Cedar Waxwings


Bill's Spit(Ocean Shores)

30 "Black"Brant"
1 Long-billed Curlew along with the usual shorebird species
12 Bonaparte's Gulls
1 Anna's Hummingbird
2 Olive-sided Flycatchers


Ocean Shores Jetty

30+ Sooty Shearwaters
200+ Western Grebes
8 Wandering Tattlers
4 Ruddy Turnstones
2 ROCK SANDPIPERS
12 Bonaparte's Gulls
1 adult Herring Gull
45+ Common Terns
2 Marbled Murrelets


Oyhut Wildlife Area(accessed behind the Ocean Shores STP)

40 Greater White-fronted Geese
1 female "Taiga" Merlin
1 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE
1 Am.Pipit


Damon Point and Catala Spit

1 SNOW GOOSE(observed flying north over North Bay amongst a large flock of Canada Geese)
1 Horned Grebe(observed in North Bay)
3 Turkey Vultures(observed flying low over dune areas north of the Damon Point"pond",then landing on driftwood to roost)
1 Wandering Tattler
10 "Streaked"Horned Larks
1 DUSKY FLYCATCHER
3 Orange-crowned Warblers
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
12 Golden-crowned Sparrows


Ocean City State Park

2 Olive-sided Flycatchers
1 Hermit Thrush


Johns River WRA

30 Greater White-fronted Geese
14 Cackling Geese
1 male Eurasian Wigeon
1 Lesser Yellowlegs
5 Whimbrel


Grayland

The continuing Northern Mockingbird noted in the neighborhood south of the Beachcomber Market and Deli. The bird remained quiet and was only seen briefly possibly do to the fairly high winds along the south side of Jado Place before flying off into thick cover. A flock of 40 Greater White-fronted Geese was also noted at this location.


Bottle Beach

10 Red Knots amongst the usual shorebird species including 40+ Ruddy Turnstones


Wenzel Slough Rd.

1 BLACK-NECKED STILT
a small nesting colony of Northern Rough-winged Swallows along exposed banks above the Satsop River
22 Whimbrel


Our biggest misses of the day included the following:

Green Heron
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Spotted Sandpiper
Black Turnstone
Surfbird
Red-necked Phalarope
Belted Kingfisher
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet


All in all a nice day in Grays Harbor Co.!


Good birding,

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