Hi Tweeters,

Dave Hayden and I spent much of the day at the Ocean Shores Game Range, with a brief break for lunch and a stop at the Point Brown jetty. We arrived at the Game Range a little after 9:00, when the tide was low. We approached from the beach side, and saw a few shorebirds by the water, including 2 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, a few LEAST SANDPIPERS, and a WHIMBREL. The Game Range itself was pretty quiet, with mostly WESTERN SANDPIPERS and several PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, including a few small flocks of the latter, 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS, and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS. The very dark MERLIN that had been reported a day or so ago was still there as were 2 very hungry PEREGRINE FALCONS. The 3 of these nudniks managed to scare off almost all of the shorebirds as we squelched around the ponds. At the far western end, we separated for a while. Dave managed to spot a SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER while I watched a family of 3 River Otters play in one of the channels. One actually came within a few feet of me and sniffed me before I shooed it away. We had done a nearly complete circuit of the ponds before turning back and retracing our steps. We did not see any of the less common species of shorebirds that had been reported there lately.

After lunch, we stopped at the Point Brown jetty, which was still socked in with fog (unlike the Game Range). We were still able to see at least a dozen SURFBIRDS and 1 BLACK TURNSTONE. Then we went back to the Game Range for more mud-walking. It was extremely quiet there. The Merlin was gone but the Peregrines relentlessly harassed the few shorebirds that were there. Eventually, we were able to find 1 skulking BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER.

We stopped at the Hoquiam STP on the way back. We arrived around 3:30 or so. The A. AVOCET was feeding in the water adjacent to the left side of the right berm, as one faces the ponds with Paulson Rd. to your back. Dave located the RUFF trying to pass itself off as a duck, just on the edge of the right side of the left berm.

Good birding,

Lonnie Somer
Olympia
wheelermombi at comcast.net