Hi Tweets

Yesterday I lead a field trip for Eastside Audubon to the Grays Harbor area. The started out early, clear and sunny. We made a quick stop in Lakewood to for a Tacoma person to join us and then continued out to the coast. Just before we got to the Chehalis River Valley we ran into a low marine layer of clouds (sometimes referred to as fog). This was thick enough that you could not tell, except for the road signs when you went through Elma and Monte Sano. The layer was even wet enough that our windshield wiper were needed for a stretch.

Because we wanted to get to Bottle Beach well before high tide we ran straight out there - with a quick stop in Olympia for coffee with a DARK-EYED JUNCO singing in a flowering tree in the parking lot, an outside of Aberdeen to drop one car and consolidate people. Because of all the changes at Bottle Beach we almost shot right past the new parking lot (the fog was still in, and visibilities were low). Sure is nice not to have to worry about whether you are off the road or not. The new boardwalk is nice and the planting should be good in the future when things grow up. A couple of CANADA GEESE dropped into the fields. On the walk out we saw SONG SPARROW, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (only visible briefly), a LINCOLN'S SPARROW popped up, FOX SPARROW our only one for the day and a SAVANNAH SPARROW. Both TREE and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs were perched in the distance in one of the bare trees, a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was also perched and an unidentified hummingbird zipped thru. An invisible PURPLE FINCH sang. At the end of the trail there is a new covered viewing structure - looks like the whole route is accessible to that point).

The tide was still far enough out that no birds were present, so we walked back out and across the highway to Ocosta Third St. The willows turned up another ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, this one giving us very nice looks and was a brightly colored bird. We had SONG SPARROWs on the top of high points and singing away. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs, both male and females were active in the marshlands. A MARSH WREN gave us peek-a-boo looks, and a BEWICK'S WREN sang from the willow thicket but stayed hidden. Several WILSON'S SNIPE flushed and quickly hid - probably 5. More VIOLET-GREEN and TREE SWALLOWs were overhead joined by BARN SWALLOWs. Visibility was gradually improving, and we could see a distant RED-TAILED HAWK although somewhat dimly thru the gloom. The road was had signs up at Atlantic Avenue because of water over the road, but we were able to walk thru with no trouble and scan the pond east of Ocosta Third. There were a pair of CINNAMON TEAL and GADWALL on the pond and a GREEN-WINGED TEAL flew away rapidly. Up the hill a bit a WINTER WREN sang for us. As we walked back out we got great looks at a perched SAVANNAH SPARROW, very bright with lots of yellow on the head.

Back on the beach, the tide was now coming in and shorebirds could be seen indistinctly thru the remaining fog. There were BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, DUNLIN, some peeps, BRANT, and DOWITCHERs with a bunch of distant gulls and a single CASPIAN TERN. We were going to have to wait for better visibility in order to be able to work thru the birds for good i.d. A flock of about 55 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE flew over, circled around and settled down out near the Brant. As the fog slooowly lifted all the birds lifted off and a BALD EAGLE flew over. Everyone settled down. With time (we spent over an hour and a half out on the beach) the fog thinned and the birds moved closer. We got good looks a the variability of plumages on the BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERs (about 150) with many in breeding plumage and many still just starting to change. Most of the DUNLIN were showing coloration on their upperparts and black bellies (there were around 1500-2000 present). The peeps were now shown to be WESTERN SANDPIPERs, scurrying around among the plovers and dunlin. About 5 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERs appeared in the leading edge of the shorebird flocks, running and stopping to probe for a second and off to another location.

As the light improved, and the sun broke thru, one largish plover looked different. With study it turned out to be an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER - it was nice to have the Black-bellieds nearby for comparison. A single GREATER YELLOWLEGS appeared out of nowhere. We scanned some of the perched gulls out on some large mudlumps, seeing WESTERN and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs. In with them was a single WHIMBREL. Scattered about in the flocks were small groups of LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERs with a few SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERs, probably 60+ Long-billed and 10-12 Short-billed. Far down the beach there were two or three RING-BILLED GULLs. Behind us a GRAY JAY came in and perched in on one of the trees behind us. When the fog lifted out on the bay we could see BUFFLEHEAD and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs and a COMMON LOON. As we walked out we saw many of the same birds as on the way in, plus a female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, a BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, and a BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE.

Now enjoying the sun, we went into Westport and immediately out to the wooden platform at the end of the marina. We settled down on the bench and had our lunch as we scanned the bay. We saw all three cormorants, DOUBLE-CRESTED, PELAGIC and BRANDT'S (many had breeding plumes and bright blue throats). SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERs were foraging, a RED-NECKED GREBE in near breeding plumage was offshore. Further out were RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs, and a bunch (maybe 50+) of RHINOCEROS AUKLETS. PIGEON GUILLEMOTS, probably 150 for the day, were scattered around. Lots of gulls, but mostly WESTERN and GLAUCOUS-WINGED. A couple of COMMON LOONS were present. A single BROWN PELICAN cruised by. As we looked, a small flock of shorebirds zoomed by and proceeded west around a couple of the groins sticking out into the channel. We regretted not seeing an instant sooner. What do you know, here comes a small flock back and settled down right near us. There were the expected 6 BLACK TURNSTONEs (typical black and white pattern seen from above in flight), but mixed in were 7 ROCK SANDPIPERs. We were able to study these birds from a distance of about 25 to 30 feet under great light with both birds mostly in breeding plumage and the Rock Sandpipers being quite colorful.

As we left the fog moved back in. We went south and took the turn into Midway Beach. The road is blocked and we thought we would at least go out and walk the beach. Unless you have high rubber boots that is not possible and the whole of the area behind the dune front is under water that extends high into the back dunes. We moved on down to North Cove where we saw a large group of gulls - consistent with the day they were almost all WESTERN and GLAUCOUS-WINGED, but there were a couple of RING-BILLEDs and a single MEW and CALIFORNIA GULLs. We had now moved out from under the fog (marine layer of clouds) and into the sun. There were some scoter-like birds offshore but right in the sun. We drove further down to a wide turnout and scanned the water in the nice warm sun. More SURF SCOTERs, RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs, a COMMON LOON, and three LONG-TAILED DUCKS (a male and two females). A flock, about another 55, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE came up the coast and in the middle and then moving to the front was a SNOW GOOSE.

We moved on to Tokeland and out to the marina at low tide. Seven WILLETs worked the mud over in the company of some SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERs. All of the MARBLED GODWITS were way out beyond the jetty foraging in the mud. We estimated, of those visible, that there were at least 200+ out there with unknown other not visible. SURF SCOTERs, RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs, HORNED GREBEs in breeding plumage, probable EARED GREBE in breeding plumage, and a couple of COMMON LOONs. About 15 GREATER SCAUP were a distance out. A nice breeding plumage HORNED GREBE was inside the marina giving great looks. The WILLETS had now been joined by 3 MARBLED GODWITs at a much closer distance inside the jetty. The usual assortment of gulls loafed on the float, but were joined by an all-white one sleeping. We cautiously approached more closely, the gull woke up and showed itself to be a first year GLAUCOUS GULL with nice bi-colored bill.

Out at Seventh Street in Tokeland, overlooking Graveyard Spit, we had most of the same shorebirds and gulls, about 8 more CASPIAN TERNs, and 2 LONG-BILLED CURLEWs. A few PINE SISKINs worked the trees over, a couple of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERs and a couple of ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERs. Two TURKEY VULTUREs were overhead.

We moved back north up past Westport and on to John's River. At the boat launch we had 6 or 8 AMERICAN WIGEON, two KILLDEER, 7 LEAST SANDPIPERs, a BELTED KINGFISHER, a PURPLE FINCH, two GREATER YELLOWLEGs (one with something wrong with one leg), a NORTHERN HARRIER, and a very distant BALD EAGLE. Out in the field was a herd of about 25 ELK including at least 5 young males.

We returned to the mall parking lot to drop one of our members off and do a preliminary toting up, when suddenly Sharon with the golden ears said she heard kip, kip, kip. A small flock of birds flew in and perched in one of the conifers at the edge of the parking lot. We quickly went into bird alert, followed the flock to another tree, then another. We finally got close enough to confirm at least 8 RED CROSSBILLS including 6 females and 2 probably males. Who says you can't find interesting birds at the mall!

The main group continued on to Brady Loop, seeing a pair of AMERICAN KESTRELS shortly after turning onto Brady Loop Rd. Further down in one of the remaining "ponds" there were a couple of GREEN-WINGED TEAL and a GREATER YELLOWLEGs. This repeated itself a way down the road (different birds as one car saw one group and another saw the second). Many flocks of SAVANNAH SPARROWs were along the edges of the road - probably close to 40 along the way. One freshly plowed field was filled with AMERICAN ROBINs. At one stop a single GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW perched on a fence wire. In one of the distant ponds we saw about 6 NORTHERN SHOVELERs. As we rounded a corner going thru some willows a DOWNY WOODPECKER was heard and seen and a RING-NECKED PHEASANT was heard. A pair of WOOD DUCKs flew out and away. Further around the loop the pair of OSPREY are back at the nest.

Elsewhere along the way we saw MALLARD, WESTERN GREBE, GREAT BLUE HERON, a flock of BONAPARTE'S GULLs, ROCK and BAND-TAILED PIGEONs, NORTHERN FLICKER, STELLER'S JAY, AMERICAN CROW, COMMON RAVEN, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, EUROPEAN STARLING, SPOTTED TOWHEE, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, HOUSE FINCH, and HOUSE SPARROW.

We stopped in Elma for a well-earned dinner.

A great day with mostly good weather, even with the fog the wind was not blowing. We wound up with 99 species for the day.

Good Birding,

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
mail to bell asoc at isomedia dot com