I posted early yesterday from my phone about early
morning at the OShores Game Range. It came out as
gibberish as I read it and some others have told
me the same but yet others have said they could
read it. I would appreciate anyone who can read
it to let me know. I am trying to find out why...

SO...in case it was gibberish to all I will try to
encapsulate that and extend with the rest of
yesterday and then today (just got back from
Pelagic and a return to the Game Range), exhausted
but buoyed by super birds.

Friday: As posted I left Seattle at 0 dark
hundred to get to Game Range in Ocean Shores for
the high tide. I did get there at 6:30 and
instead of going to the left from Tonquin
entrance, I went to the right and slogged through
mud and muck and forded three inlets while trying
to scope birds especially hoping to find the Buff
Breasted Sandpiper. Beautiful morning and lots of
birds but no BBSP found by me. There were
hundreds/thousands of peeps - almost exclusively
Westerns. I saw no Least but am sure some were
there. Also no large waders of any kind - except
MANY (40+) Greater Yellowlegs - matched by at
least an equal number of lessers plus almost that
many Great Blue Herons. Hundreds of ducks
(mallards/green wing teal/shovelers and pintails)
and the only plovers were Killdeer. BUT going
through the muck as I came to the second inlet I
flushed an American Bittern (only one I have eve
seen at OShores) and then found a Sharp Tailed
Sandpiper juvie foraging in the mud next to the
deeper water. I spent two hours plus there and
was very disappointed not to get the Buff Breasted
but was fortunate to add a Baird's in the
grass/mud when I hiked around to the normally
visited beach side of the game range later.. Also
did not see any Stilt Sandpipers (stay tuned...)

After the game range I briefly visited the Pt.
Brown Jetty where I had two Surfbirds and a Black
Turnstone. Did not see any Rock Sandpipers.
There were hundreds of Sooty Shearwaters flying
north (compared the the thousands o millions that
were streaming by the last time I visited) and a
little north of the Jetty there were hundreds of
Common Murres mixed in with the Sooties. After
that visit I headed towards Westport area with a
first stop at Hoquiam STP where I found the
photogenic Avocet within 20 seconds posing in pond
immediately upon turning to the left from entrance
road. Found no other shorebirds in a quick
perusal. Lots of Caspian Terns (did not scour
them...and same can be said for the game range)
and many Pelicans in the water. Only did a quick
trip around and then headed to Bottle
Beach...where I arrived with no beach left and no
birds present but met some lovely folks from
Spokane and we shared stories and suggestions. I
then headed to Westport Area where I first went to
the Coast Guard Station and accompanied by a
wonderful young Guardsman I scoped the hundreds of
Godwits in the grass and on the rocks at the
Station. I estimated the number of godwits as
over 400. More flew in and out all the time and
also flew between the grass and the rocks below.
At least two birds appeared to by Bar Tailed -
light colored etc. One was seen flying between
the rocks and grass and clearly was smaller, gray
and had a dark tail. The other remained in the
grass buried in the flock and at least was grayer
and seemed smaller...BUT...just FYI on the way
back in from the pelagic trip today, we went by
the rocks (this time on the jetty side where there
were 100's of Godwits and as everyone got excited
seeing a gray bird, it flew revealing no black on
tail and being determined as a liht colored
Marbled Godwit. So beware...

From the station I went down to Tokeland hoping
to see large waders and especially Willets and if
really lucky the Hudsonian that had been
reported. No such luck as the tidw as very high
and the rocks/grass/island near the crabbing dock
was completely submerged. By now it was after 3:00
and I wanted to get back to Bottle Beach for the
incoming tide. I arrived at 3:45 (two plus hours
before high tide) and found a number of cars
parked in the parking area (a good sign as more
eyes are always a good thing). A group from Port
Angeles and a couple from Mercer Island were at
the shore when I hiked out and they had seen a
number of birds but not THE bird (HUGO). As the
tide came in, more birds arrived but we saw only a
single godwit, not a good sign, and lots of
dowitchers. About 15 minutes later, Kate from
Mercer Island spotted a small godwit ... and
indeed it was the HUDSONIAN GODWIT. Mostly kept
its bill down and covered but the supercilium was
and white before the eye down to the bill, plus
reddish cap and light color were quite
distinctive, larger than the dowitchers but
smaller than the Marbled Godwit and when it raised
and showed off its bill - no doubt. A State Bird
for me and a lifer for many there. It only
stayed a short while as the tide came in, it and
the other birds flew off. It was gone by 4:20 - a
full two hours ahead of high tide. We also had
numerous Black Bellied Plovers, Western
Sandpipers, some Whimbrels and many Caspian
Terns. HUGO made my day!!!

Then to Westport to get some rest before the
pelagic trip on Saturday... to be continued after
I get some sleep, but just to notify all ... The
Buff Breasted Sandpiper and 4 Stilt Sandpipers
were found late afternoon/early evening at the
OShores Game Range and a group from Oregon also
saw a Bairds...

--
Blair Bernson
Seattle