Hi Tweets

A group of WOS members took a trip to Grays Harbor today. The day started out clear, but we ran into fog about Cleary. That cleared up and the rest of the day was glorious, clear and sunny with light breezes.

On the way out to the coast a WESTERN SCRUB-JAY flew over the road. Near the Ocean Spray facility we had 6 RED CROSSBILLS fly over and then perch briefly in a small tree. Out on the water were a bunch of GREAT BLUE HERONs.

We worked all of our stops around the tides today. We made an early stop at Westport at the marina (on the way out a STELLER'S JAY flew over the road. Just as we started to go down into the marina we saw 30 or 40 MARBLED GODWITs working the mud over with a couple of BLACK TURNSTONEs. On the other side of the walkway we saw a dark bird sitting on the water. Close inspection showed it was a tubenose and turned out to be a SOOTY SHEARWATER, not where you might expect to see it. The jetty was absolutely packed with HEERMANN'S GULLs - likely 2-300. Interspersed were a couple of WESTERN, CALIFORNIA, RING-BILLED and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs. A couple of CASPIAN TERNs were there.

Back at the observation platform overlooking the harbor entrance there were all three cormorants (DOUBLE-CRESTED, PELAGIC and BRANDT'S). BROWN PELICANs were there in good numbers, being harrassed by HEERMANN'S. A few PIGEON GUILLEMOTs were on the water and a couple of small rafts of RHINOCEROS AUKLETs.

It was then time to make the drive back to Bottle Beach. We arrived with the tide still well out and lots of shorebirds. Over the next hour we got to study a couple of hundred BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERs in a variety of plumages, perhaps 200 MARBLED GODWITs (no Bar-tailed), both LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERs, lots and lots of WESTERN SANDPIPERs and a few LEAST SANDPIPERs. A single juvenile SANDERLING scurried around among the peeps. In among the dowitchers and godwits was a single RED KNOT. A couple of SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERs roamed around. Meanwhile hundreds of NORTHERN PINTAILs flew by overhead. CALIFORNIA GULLs loafed offshore.

On the walk in we heard WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, MARSH WREN, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, and some CANADA GEESE flew by. A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT chipped from invisibility. Across the road several RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs were present. A single BREWER'S BLACKBIRD was there. Several BARN SWALLOWs were working the area and a single VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW. A couple of CEDAR WAXWINGs flew by, and a SONG SPARROW dived into the brush.

We walked out to Midway Beach and south quite a ways. A single GREATER YELLOWLEGS was in the pond and a couple of AMERICAN CROWs. Earlier we had seen a COMMON RAVEN. While we were examining some Paddletail Darners in Dennis Paulson's hands two AMERICAN BITTERNs flew over. A single HORNED LARK flew from the grass and did a disappearing act. Out on the beach there were hundreds of CALIFORNIA GULLs.

On to Tokeland. Lots of HEERMANN'S GULLs on the old pilings, a few PURPLE MARTINs, still more Heermann's on the jetty. The jetty also had a nice assortment of MARBLED GODWITs, WHIMBRELs, and at least six WILLETs. We stopped by the overlook of Graveyard Spit, with still more gulls, and off in the distance 4 LONG-BILLED CURLEWs.

Elsewhere along the way we had MALLARD, NORTHERN SHOVELER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, TURKEY VULTURE, OSPREY, RED-TAILED HAWK, ROCK and BAND-TAILED PIGEONs, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, AMERICAN ROBIN, EUROPEAN STARLING, SAVANNAH SPARROW, HOUSE FINCH and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.

All in all a great day with 61 species observed.

Good Birding,

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