Hello Tweets,

On Sunday, nine birders joined co-leaders Suzy Hunter and Andy McCormick
for a full-day Seattle Audubon field trip to Ocean Shores and the Grays
Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. Although the trip was planned as an
opportunity to see some early migrating shorebirds, low tide in the
middle of the day threw a wrench into that plan. However we were
rewarded at the very end of the day as the tide was coming in at the end
of the Sandpiper Trail at the Grays Harbor NWR with a single
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. We fantasized that this intrepid bird was making
the northward migration on its own and nicknamed it the "Solitary
Plover."

Other highlights included Yellow-rumped Warblers, two
of which were of the Myrtle type. We saw 16 species of duck including
TWO EURASIAN WIGEONS, CANVASBACK, both GREATER and LESSER SCAUP,
wonderful close views of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS numbering over 70, a large
number of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, and over 100 NORTHERN SHOVELERS. It
seemed that many species are staging for their migration north. We had
superior views of RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS, seeing four in all, and many
birds were singing during the sunny day. We saw six TURKEY VULTURES,
four in one kettle over Aberdeen. Several participants saw life birds and
all reported they enjoyed the day. A total of 60 species were seen.

Andy McCormick
Bellevue, WA