Tweeters,
Had a good day in Grays Harbor County and at the Shorebird Festival yesterday (4/26). Birded from Elma, passing through Wenzel Slough and Brady Loop Roads early; then Phil Kelly and I led a Shorebird Festival Field Trip to Ocean Shores. I recorded 104 species including birds en-route to the outer coast. Best birds included a SOLITARY SANDPIPER in the pond along Highway 8, just east of Elma (0630); large numbers of Red-necked Phalerope on the outer coast,many in stunning alternate plumage; and 2 alternate plumage ROCK SANDPIPERS at the Point Brown Jetty. The jetty area was amazing and I'm sure we missed plenty there as the numbers of birds moving through was spectacular. There was a major movement of Cackling Geese and Pacific Loons pushing north, and large flocks of Boneparte's Gulls in teh channel between the jetties. We bumped into Jim Danzenbaker, who had been scanning from the jetty long before we got there; he noted 3 Black Oystercatcher (that flew south across the channel before we arrived), Marbled Murrelets, and several other species that we did not encounter. He also alerted us to the face that the Rock Sandpipers were around. Also there are large numbers of Red-necked Phalarope along the coast now, most in very fine plumage. A complete species list and numbers have been entered into ebird. It is a good time to be on the outer coast right now.

Good luck and good birding.
Bill Shelmerdine, Olympia
georn1 at hotmail.com