Hello Tweeters,
This is the fourth day I birdied on the Ocean.Only coming home to fill the
feeders for the birds.I birdied Friday ,Saturday coming home on Sunday.
The high tide was late today 2.59 PM AT A 8.O feet.I came early at 12.10 PM
.There was so few birds in sight,but by the time I
looked to the scope there was still further out.The birds I spotted in my
Scope where a lot of Black-bellied Plovers both Dowitchers 1 Ruddy
Turnstone ,Western & Least Sandpipers and closer there where quite few
Semipalmated Plovers on the higher beaches.This is much less I had the other
days(what I will mention later.)
The birds coming closer now and there was a smaller Plover who start running
away from the other birds all alone where he went for the pilings ,this was
the Pacific Plover.I start taken Photos,since the bird was all alone I had
great looks from all direction. I was the only birder there and had the
beach to myself,to Keith Brady and his friend came,so there also saw this
plover.In the end he was flying over our head ,getting great looks in
flight.

Friday birdied Bottle Beach .enter the beach ,I never saw all the many
Shorebirds all the way to the right,as far you can see,way past the
pilings.there where few thousands birds ,mostly all Marbled Godwit Whimbrel
.high count on Black-bellied Plovers close to 800,lots of Dowitchers heard
only Short billed tu-tu-tu,but there could be also Long-billed.I was
concentrating looking for the Bar-tailed Godwit in outgoing breeding
plumage.I spotted the bird looking to the scope,but start walking closer to
get photos.I never mad it there all lifted at once,some flew straight out
thurs Ocean Shores probable Bills Spit,the other big group flew to Westport
where I went later,but I did not found the Bar-tailed Godwit.There also
where quite few peeps in Bottle Beach
I had not enough time to look them all over.
Midway beach on the pond There I had also a highlight ( had to look this
Gull up in my " Gulls of North AMERICA ,Europe and ASIA when I came home,it
was a first year Herring Gull,with an all black bill and so light in
plumage that this bird looked Rare ,as I Figure I never saw this bird in
such light color.This bird was all alone in the right pond swimming away.I
did not bring my camera ore scope.I went back the next day trying and look
for a picture but he was not to be found. According to Terence
Wahl & Dennis Paulson book "A guide to Bird Finding in Washington,this
species would not appear to end of September,so this was a great bird to see
so early,lot's of California Gulls in so many different plumage's ,There was
on Midway beach big groups of Western & Least Sandpipers constantly flying
around and 7 Red-necked Phalaropes with 2 Greater Yellowlegs.
Tokeland there was only 1 Marbled Godwit with 7 Willet's in the grass.
I worked out to the beach on Midway Beach,lot's of Brown Pelican with lots
of Gulls in hundreds .I also had 1 Turkey Vulture sitting on one if the sign
on the beach,when I looked up getting my camera out this bird was going..I
had so much Equipment to Cary walking that soft Sand Scope Binocular and my
Camera.
I always feeling good to bird in Grays Harbor for Shorebirds and
Gulls!!!!!!
I am going to put my photos on tomorrow

Cheers Ruth Sullivan
Tacoma