Today, Jeff Jendro, Lonnie Somer, and I birded Grays Harbor county mainly focusing on Ocean Shores, Hoquiam, and the Elma area. The most common bird seen today had to be Greater White-fronted Geese. There were literally thousands of them either in the fields we drove by or overhead. We even saw 4 in the grassy field at Vance Creek County Park in Elma.

Weather was harsh at times with strong winds in Ocean Shores and driving rain. The jetty area had blowing sand that made things interesting.

Here's the highlights:

Tundra Swan - lone adult in Hoquiam east of the sewage treatment pond (it flew east down the Chehalis River with two Canada Geese)

Snow Goose - 3 adults in a huge flock of Greater White-fronted Geese behind the Ocean Shores STP on the game range

Great Egret - 2 on the Ocean Shores game range

Sandhill Crane - 5 flying over Foster Rd. (Brady Loop area)

Common Yellowthroat - 1 heard then seen along the Monte-Elma Rd. just east of Satsop

Northern-pygmy Owl - 1 heard on the A2300 logging road (north of Satsop/Elma)

Green Heron - 1 at the Ocean Shores marina

We ended the day with around 80 species. It was fun being back in familiar territory!

Tim O'Brien
Cheney, WA
mailto: kertim7179 at yahoo dot com