Subject: [Tweeters] Grays Harbor Co today
Date: Nov 16 18:50:43 2014
From: Steve Giles - giles.steve at hotmail.com


Hello Tweeters,

This morning I joined several other birders at the Oyhut Game Range looking for the Mountain Plover- without success. There was a strong East wind which made scope viewing difficult for us humans but didn't inhibit the shorebirds feeding. I watched a Greater Yellowlegs struggle to swallow a small fish and frequently saw Dunlin pull 5-6" long worms out of the mud and then run to avoid having another bird steal their prey. So it appears the Mountain Plover has moved on.



I decided to check the jetty wondering if the continuing E wind would allow a jetty walk. It did. The tide was out and the boulders were dry so I made the scramble out to the end. Mid way out I was able to leisurely observe two flocks of "rock" shorebirds. I counted 31 Surfbirds, 15 Black Turnstones and 8 Rock Sandpipers. This is certainly my personal high count for Rock Sandpiper.



I checked Brady Loop Rd and Wencel Slough Rd for the Cattle Egret on the way back to Seattle but it too seems to have moved on.



Good birding,

Steve Giles

Seattle