Hello Tweeters,
Yesterday I led a fieldtrip for the Tahoma Audubon combined with Black Hills
Audubon including Satsop,Brady Loop Road.Bottle Beach to Tokeland,The
weather was fantastic with Sunshine and no Wind.We meet in Olympia at 6.30
AM,but we know that the tide on the Ocean was not in our favor.We had 83
species for the day with 11 species of Shorebirds.The most of one species
where Least Sandpipers with 150 birds,second was Greater Yellowlegs with 25
birds ,and we had 23 Whimbrel flying in to the Tokeland Marina with 23
birds.Our Highlight of the day where a Western Kingbird on the wire at
Simmens Road? the other site of Brady Loop Road.We trying to turn around as
the Call came from Kristin Steward that the second car spotted this bird.All
of us had good looks of this bird.This was our last bird of the Day.Another
highlight where an Adult male Shipping Sparrow at Wenzel Slew Road close to
the nice Farm house is surrounded by fir trees,we also had there Yellow
rumpled Warblers.
Some other birds of notice in Satsop
High count on Band -tailed Pigeon 250 birds
lots of Savanna ,White -crowned and Golden -crowned Sparrows.Some of the
many Least Sanpipers
Brady-loop Road ,
The platform where the Osprey build a nest again,where one bird was sitting
on the nest.On Foster road we had one of the big group of Least Sandpipers
with one breeding plumage Dunlin,one of the houses had a Hummingbird
feeder,where we all saw one Rufous Hummingbird.
Next stop John River NWR.
Here we had all three species of Swallows.Tree Swallows,Violet -green
Swallows,Barn Swallows,Another big group of Least Sandpipers 80 birds with
one being a Western Sandpiper.Turkey Vulture,Red -tailed Hawk, Hooded and
Red -breasted Mergansers. Caspian Terns,Cackling Geese, 3 Common Loons in
breeding Plumage.Goldfinches,several Wilson Snipes, ,Ruby -crowned Kinglet,
Horned Larks,our only Gadwall Duck on this trip,DC Cormorants,Short-billet
Dowitchers 8)
Next stop Bottle Beach,
Hermit thrush.The tide was way out,so we decided to hit this place again in
late afternoon.One the way to Tokeland we saw one Western Scrub Jay.
Tokeland:We did not found the large group of Shorebirds as Whimbrel and
Marbled Godwits since the Tide was still way out we could see where the
Shorebirds where looking like an Island,from some of this birds I could made
out 2 Marblet Godwit's.looking at the map it looks as it could be Snag
Island.Birds in the Bay where Buffleheads 5,White winged Scoters, Greater
Scaups many, and more Common Loons. Western Grebes.Horned Grebes (in bright
breeding plumage)Black -bellied Plovers15,Brant Geese 300.Northern
Shoveler,.Long-billed Dowitcher 1,Here we saw the many Whimbrel flying in to
the Marina,coming from the island.We also went for the Northern Mockingbird
and this bird put up a great show for us.
Next stop is Acosta;
Here we had some great looks at the Rails.We had 2 Sora calling and 4
Virginia Rails, two we had good looks,there came so close to the street.Our
first Marsh Wren,2 Cinnamon Teals flying close by us,landing in the big
fields where there are probable is a pond,In the pond in the back we had a
Wood Duck and some Ring-necked Ducks.
Back to Bottle Beach,it was around 4.00PM
There was so many birders many all with big cameras,You could see the big
group of Shorebirds flying up some time and settling down again,it was a
real low tide so the water would not coming closer.It was nice seeing so
many familiar faces and it was nice to greeting them all.We decided that we
wanted going back to Brady Loop Road,as we encountered the last bird to see
was the WESTERN KINGBIRD.
It was a nice day of birding with good company to,