Hello Tweets, I'm back on the westside for the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival this weekend and today I spent most of the day scouting the north side of the harbor. Wind was a constant theme today, but it was partly sunny all day with no wet weather. I lost count on how many times I had to catch my scope as it tried to blow over in the wind. I started the day in the foothills between Elma and Satsop and then headed out to Hoquiam and finally Ocean Shores. I ended the day with 96 species. Here are the highlights:

Elma/Satsop foothills (accessed from Newman Creek Rd.)

My first bird of the day was an incredible BARRED OWL that flew out of nowhere along Newman Creek Road. I saw an owl pass me by on the road so I stopped quick and found it perched on a fencepost. The owl seemed tame and let me walk by it from a distance of about 20 feet. I had awesome looks and it never left its fencepost while I was observing it. It seemed to be looking down in the wet ditch where Pacific Tree Frogs were singing. The owl appeared to be small for a Barred so perhaps it was a juvenile or just not fluffed up like the one I saw near Spokane this past winter.

After that I drove up to the top of the A-2300 road, where I heard at least two SOOTY GROUSE booming away. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS and WINTER WRENS were very vocal in the morning as well in the hills. On the way back down on the A-2800 road, I heard one WILSON'S WARBLER singing. I tried to pish it in, but it was in some very thick brush and trees.

Moore Road (west of Elma)

Along Moore Road (once famous for a Ruff), I had several calling EVENING GROSBEAKS flying overhead. Also, here I found one single BAND-TAILED PIGEON sitting in a tree. The bugs must have been out here because I got three species of swallow along the road too.

Brady Loop Road (east side of loop)

In the morning, I found some shorebirds on the edge of one of the lingering puddles near the SE corner. Shorebirds seen included one GREATER YELLOWLEGS, one BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, ten WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and twenty LEAST SANDPIPERS.

In the evening on the same puddle at about 6pm, there were no shorebirds, but a contigent of gulls and terns had moved in. Several RING-BILLED GULLS and an amazing nine CASPIAN TERNS were taking shelter from the wind. I have never seen this many terns so far inland on the Brady Loop. Occassionally, I have heard one or two flying over the valley, but never nine sitting comfortably on the ground!

Hoquiam STP area

I checked the pond one the way out and on the way back with nothing unusual seen. There were several nice breeding plumaged BONAPARTE'S GULLS on the pond in the afternoon. My best birds of the day were in the willows at the corner of Airport Way and Paulson Road. My stop in the afternoon at 4:00pm had me working the willows in both directions from the corner. The willows were loaded with YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. Also, I found one breeding plumaged PALM WARBLER with a rusty cap, yellow throat, and yellow undertail coverts. It sang a few times letting me listen to its song for the first time. Just before that bird, I had a male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD fly into the willows as well. What a great place that I will be checking often!

Grays Harbor NWR

I walked out on the Sandpiper Trail and got to see a PEREGRINE FALCON make two stoops on the shorebirds present. Shorebirds here included BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and DUNLIN. Once the falcon came through, most of the birds left.

Bill's Spit (Ocean Shores)

I arrived here just after high tide (which was pretty low for a high) and found a flock of 100 BRANT in close to the beach. The assortment of shorebirds here was better with a large number of SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS present (close to 500), 20 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, lots of DUNLIN, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and about 30 MARBLED GODWITS.

Ocean Shores Marina

The marina reminded me of Tokeland today. There were at least 100 MARBLED GODWITS and a few DOWITCHERS on the rocks on the north side of the marina. They were low and out of the wind. Also, I spotted two WHIMBREL flying northward on the bayside of the marina.

Damon Point

Nope, I didn't walk the point, but I just scoped the old rock jetty from the road and found six BLACK TURNSTONES.

Ocean City State Park

I drove through here hoping to find crossbills, but didn't have any luck with them. I was rewarded with a small active flock of BUSHTITS and a single BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER.

That is about it for now. Tomorrow will be the south side of the harbor.

Good birding,

Tim O'Brien
Elma, WA (for a few days)
mailto: kertim7179 at yahoo dot com