Hi Tweets

Several of us from Eastside Audubon made a trip yesterday down to Grays Harbor County. The day started out in Bellevue under broken skies and decent temperatures. This condition held all the way down to the coast. Our first stop was along the Brady Loop. At the flooded field on the western end of Brady Loop we had a flock of distant GREEN-WINGED TEAL, that quickly flushed (didn't see what put them up) and some dowitchers. A GREATER YELLOWLEGS called from the far side of the pond. Farther down the road we had some close LEAST SANDPIPERS and at least one SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER. A NORTHERN HARRIER flew over. SAVANNAH SPARROWs were flushing from the roadsides all along Brady Loop. A nice adult BALD EAGLE was in the top of a Cedar tree. At the eastern bend (the first one heading east) a flooded field had several SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERs (we got very nice scope looks at them) and LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERs. A gorgeous, full breeding plumage BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER was hanging out here as well.

On the wire overhead there were BARN, CLIFF, VIOLET-GREEN and TREE SWALLOWs. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW sang its song, but didn't come out to be seen. Near a turn by a barn we had MOURNING DOVE and EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE. The trees were loaded with YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERs, mostly Myrtles but a couple of Audubon's. A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was seen and heard by some of the group.

Back on the highway, a STELLER'S JAY flew over. Three long lines of geese flew northward, they seemed like they were probably Greater White-fronted, but we didn't get confirming views. We made a stop at the Hoquiam Ponds and saw GREATER and LESSER SCAUP, NORTHERN SHOVELER, GADWALL, BUFFLEHEAD, a couple of RING-NECKED DUCKs, a single COMMON GOLDENEYE, a single AMERICAN COOT, and a GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. A GREAT BLUE HERON flew overhead. The OSPREY NEST on Paulson Rd. was occupied for the year. A COMMON RAVEN flew over. We drove out to the entrance to Bowerman Basin and made a rest stop. In the grass on the edge of the bay were GREATER WHITE-FRONTED and CANADA GEESE. A couple of MALLARDs were there. A couple of obliging MARSH WRENs actually perched up in sight and sang for us.

Out at Ocean Shores we explored several of the beach accesses. There were thousands of shorebirds on the beach in groups and allowed us to approach fairly closely. Several hundred MARBLED GODWITS (scanned intensely but no others), hundreds of DUNLIN, WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERs, SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERs and a few BLACK-BELLIED. An occasional KILLDEER was seen. Down at the North Jetty we walked out to the surf line (low tide) and scanned the rocks. We got decent scope looks at several SURFBIRDs, a few BLACK TURNSTONEs and at least two ROCK SANDPIPERs (in nice looking breeding plumage). A RED-THROATED LOON flew by low over the water. Several BROWN PELICANs cruised by. Up on the jetty, looking at the channel, we saw PELAGIC CORMORANT. A bunch of WESTERN GULLs and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs were there

Around at Damon Point we saw a line of at least 20+ COMMON LOONs and one PACIFIC LOON. A single HORNED GREBE was seen. The swell and chop made sighting difficult, but we did pick out some SURF SCOTERs. We made a stop at the Interpretive Center for lunch and watched the feeders, picking up CHESTNUT-BACKED and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEEs, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, HOUSE SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs and a SONG SPARROW. A CASPIAN TERN flew overhead.

At Ocean City State Park we hit the jackpot. As we pulled up a Pacific Wren was singing. A WILSON'S WARBLER sang, out of sight, for a while. In a line of trees we then picked up YELLOW-RUMPED, WILSON'S, TOWNSEND'S, and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERs. A DOWNY WOODPECKER flew into a nearby tree. As we drove back in toward Hoquiam and Aberdeen a light mist began to fall, and this continued for the rest of the day (it was light enough that it didn't cause any birding problems).

Our next stop was at the John River Access. We had two breeding plumage and one non-breeding COMMON LOONs in the river. A small flock of DUNLIN wheeled into view and then disappeared. Across the parking lot a PURPLE FINCH sang, we saw a female, and finally a male. A HOUSE FINCH also sang.

We drove around to Westport and scanned the channel from the viewing platform picking up BRANDT'S and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, CALIFORNIA and RING-BILLED GULL and said hello to Bob Flores.

We then went back to Bottle Beach to get the high tide coming in. There were good numbers of birds present, and still a ways out. We worked them over picking up MARBLED GODWIT, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERs, WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERs, DUNLIN, and at least three RUDDY TURNSTONEs. A line of BRANT was just offshore. A single RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was way up the beach.

At various places during the day we also saw RED-TAILED HAWK, ROCK PIGEON, AMERICAN CROW, AMERICAN ROBIN, EUROPEAN STARLING, SPOTTED TOWHEE, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.

We saw 83 species for the day and had a great time with good people along.

Good Birding,

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