Subject: [Tweeters] ELWAS trip to Grays Harbor Co. (Acorn Woodpecker)
Date: May 16 08:19:14 2007
From: B & P Bell - bellasoc at isomedia.com


Hi Tweets

I led a trip for East Lake Audubon yesterday to Grays Harbor Co. We started off under gloriously bright, sunny weather. The day got warmer, although out at Westport the wind had picked up to the point it was rolling a tennis ball down the beach at Bottle Beach.

We started out near Oakville looking for the ACORN WOODPECKER that has been hanging out there (near intersection of Elma Gate E and Blockhouse Rd). Nice morning and were greeted by CALIFORNIA QUAIL, with WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, lots of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, AMERICAN ROBIN, AMERICAN CROW, EUROPEAN STARLING, NORTHERN FLICKER, BALD EAGLE, TURKEY VULTURE, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW and SPOTTED TOWHEE. We covered the area for about 40 minutes but never saw the woodpecker. As we were preparing to leave we had two WESTERN SCRUB-JAYs come in.

Along Wenzel Slough Rd we saw NORTHERN HARRIER, AMERICAN KESTREL, RED-TAILED HAWK, a couple more TURKEY VULTURES, BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS, and as we rounded the turn before Keys Rd we had an absolutely spectacular male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD.

We then moved on to Brady Loop Rd. and had the OSPREY on the nest and TURKEY VULTURE and RED-TAILED HAWK overhead. Most of the area has dried up and been plowed and disced. Looking over some of the wetlands from Monte Brady Rd we saw GREATER YELLOWLEGS, MALLARD, CINNAMON TEAL, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, and had female WESTERN TANAGER, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, SONG SPARROW, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, and CEDAR WAXWING.

We moved on to Blue Slough Rd, off of SR107 south of Monte Sano, and had a SWAINSON'S THRUSH whitting in the underbrush - unfortunately it never came out.

At a brief stop at the Johns River we saw SPOTTED SANDPIPER, KILLDEER, WARBLING VIREO, CASSIN'S VIREO, and more starlings.

We arrived at Bottle Beach before the high tide, but the number of shorebirds was low. Joe Buchanan said he had been there for about an hour-and-a-half and had only seen about 200 birds. In spite of that we got nice looks at WESTERN SANDPIPERS, DUNLIN, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WHIMBREL, and a single RED KNOT. A bit later four SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS came scurrying down the beach. At this point the wind had picked up greatly, and was rolling the tennis ball down the beach and the sand was being blown up to six inches above the surface. A WILSON'S WARBLER was singing back in the screening vegetation behind the beach.

Things were similarly quiet at Westport with a single COMMON LOON in the harbor and no rocky shorebirds around. The jetty near the Coast Guard Station had between 85 and 90 BROWN PELICANS roosting and sleeping. WESTERN and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS were there. A few PIGEON GUILLEMOTS were in the channel, one of the channel markers had many DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS on it another had two PELAGIC CORMORANTS and a single BRANDT'S CORMORANT came flying in. Scoping out over the channel there was a single RHINOCEROS AUKLET occasionally bobbing in sight above the chop - by now the wind had really picked up. A couple of SURF SCOTERS were still around and a nice breeding plumage COMMON LOON. A couple of CASPIAN TERNS were out over the channel as well as about 4 COMMON TERNS.

We stopped by Ocosta Third Street to check out the marsh and had BARN SWALLOWS, one CLIFF SWALLOW, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, MARSH WREN, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD and a calling VIRGINIA RAIL. In a bush where the road starts uphill we had RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD and PURPLE FINCH.

We returned to the Oakville area just before 4 pm. About three minutes after we got out of the cars and started scanning the woods we picked up the ACORN WOODPECKER. It was perched about 50 feet back on a small tree. It flew a bit further back to another tree, perched for a few seconds and flew to the south to another clump. Most of the group was able to get decent views. It then flew to a larger tree, completely out in the open and stayed for about three or four minutes. We were able to set a scope up, and all parties had wonderful looks at this attractive bird. It is a female with white on the forehead, black on the crown and a red patch on the rear of the crown. The white and yellow patches on the face and throat are stunning as is all the plumage. When it flies the white wing patches really stand out. A great way to finish up the day.

At various spots during the day we also saw CANADA GOOSE, WOOD DUCK, GREAT BLUE HERON, ROCK PIGEON, STELLER'S JAY, COMMON RAVEN, TREE SWALLOW, SAVANNAH SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and HOUSE SPARROW.

Good Birding,

Brian H. Bell
Birding & Natural History Guide
Woodinville WA
bellasoc at isomedia dot com