Hi Tweeters,



I arrived at the game range area off of Tonquin Ave. at Ocean Shores a little after 9:30 this morning.? There was a very stiff breeze coming in and rain that varied from steady sprinkle to pretty heavy.? When I arrived at the pond area (via the radar station), there were no shorebirds in sight.? After a few minutes, I walked to the right as far as the small stream and waited there for several minutes.? Just as I was going into self-pity mode, a Killdeer came into view from behind a vegetation-covered rise perhaps 50' away.? It was followed by a Pectoral Sandpiper.? Soon, there were 2 Killdeers and 4 Pectoral Sandpipers.? Finally, the RUFF also came running out from the same area and into view.? This was a lifer and something of a nemesis bird for me as I always seem to?try for this species a day after it leaves.? I watched it for perhaps 10 minutes as it raced back and forth looking for food.? When I left a little before 10:00, as the rain came down harder, it was still in view.



Very quick stops at a few other spots before heading home produced nothing that hasn't been posted lately.? The female King Eider was still near?the base of Damen Point, very close to shore.? Sooty Shearwater could be seen off of the Brown Point Jetty, although not in the large numbers that others had previously mentioned.



It feels like Fall.? Good birding,



Lonnie Somer

wheelermombi at comcast.net

Olympia, WA