Tweets, Saturday starting around noon I birded Ocean Shores for 5+ hours and
made it to Tokeland at dusk: Point Brown Jetty, Oyhut Game Range both from
STP and Tonquin St, marina, Bill's Spit, Hoquiam STP, Midway Beach, Tokeland
spit & marina. Highlights:
- 18-20 LAPLAND LONGSPURs in one flock near pond behind STP
- 6 PECTORAL SANDPIPERs at the pond (with one remarkably bright juvenile
Least), and probably several additional individuals at Tonquin access
- 1 GOLDEN PLOVER at Tonquin access with wingtips long enough, evident even
from a distance, to get us (Doug Watkins et al from Bainbridge Island)
thinking AMERICAN
- 1 official "mystery bird," either a very lesser LESSER YELLOWLEGS
(foraging and flying right next to Greater for comparison) or a juvenile
STILT SNDPR (that's how I'm leaning), observed at a distance by 4 birders
and apparently present all day with various shorebirds and ducks at Tonquin
access [Doug, please email me]
- 1 PEREGRINE FALCON, Tonquin
- 1 BUFF-BREASTED SNDPR, Midway Beach pond (as reported Friday by Gregg
Thompson)
- 1 RED-N PHALAROPE (ditto)
I spent most of my time at Oyhut seeking target birds (the whole area was
surprisingly wet, especially the Tonquin side) while skipping or lightly
covering other spots. Three "rockpiper" species were on the jetty, and off
the jetty were plenty of shearwaters in fairly close, a few PACIFIC LOONs,
and more pelicans and cormorants hanging around than I ever remember. Lots
of duck flocks were passing southward all day. I didn't come up with any
Palm Warblers around the marina, and Bill's Spit had only more gulls (oh,
and one BRANT) just after high tide--same story at Graveyard Spit in
Tokeland. I didn't come up any curlews, just scads of MARBLED GODWITs and a
few WILLETs settling down for the night on the south side of town. Weather
and wind conditions were pleasant at every coastal site, though lighting was
particularly hazy at times--made the boats and shearwaters both eerily
appear they were floating on nothing.
Inland around Tenino passerine/migrant numbers have definitely dropped off.
Or perhaps it was the dreary weather that made them disappear. Two
WHITE-TAILED KITES were again observed at Gibson Rd x 173rd, 2.5 miles E of
I-5 Grandmound exit 88, maybe a mile north of the speedway. Roger Orness
recently found up to four individuals in the vicinity and suspects this is a
family group from a nearby nest site. Good birding!
--Paul Hicks, Tenino, s. Thurston Co / phicks AT accessgrace.org