Greetings All,

Yesterday wife Katie and I birded Grays Harbor. The itinerary included Devonshire Road, Hoquium STP, Point Brown Jetty, Damon Point (including a walk to the tip), and a drive through Brady Loop Road on the return. Birding continues to be excellent along the outer coast; weather was outstanding, calm with little if any wind and temps to around 60 degrees.



The Point Brown Jetty had lots of birds though we did not spend as much time there as I would have liked. On the water were huge rafts of Pacific Loons, I estimated 2000 to 3000 though that probably is an under estimate given the near constant passing of loons heading south in the distance. I also encountered a Murre that looked like a transitional plumage Thick-billed (there were numerous Common Murres around, all in or close to basic plumage). It was not far south off the jetty and beyond the shoreline but inside the tip. I have circulated some notes and a description for comment so I will leave it at that for now.



A walk to the tip of Damon Point was productive and most enjoyable. At the base of the point in the Silver King (?) RV park/ campground we found 1 Palm Warbler that was later chased by a Juv. Northern Shrike. About 1/3 of a mile out on the point, there were two first of season Snow Buntings. They were in flight and headed toward the outer point. On the outer end of the point, we located a bright juv. Pacific Golden Plover.





On the return to Olympia we drove through Brady Loop and Wenzel Slough Roads. Birding was pretty quite; raptors and waterfowl have not really made an appearance yet. The best bird we found was a tan morph White-throated Sparrow hanging out with a couple of Golden-crowns along Brady Loop Road in the hedgerow just east of Foster Road.

Cheers and good birding,

Bill Shelmerdine

Georn1 at hotmail.com