Hi Tweets



Eastside Audubon took a trip today to the Grays Harbor area. After an early
(5 AM) start (with a few AMERICAN CROWs on the way down, with misty drizzle
part of the way, we made our first stop at Ocean City State Park. We heard
or saw GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, SONG SPARROW, MARSH WREN, COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT, AMERICAN CROW, RED CROSSBILL, AMERICAN ROBIN and BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEE. We started in Ocean Shores because high tide was near 1 PM and we
wanted to hit the Point Brow jetty early. Along the road out to the jetty we
saw EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE, AMERICAN ROBIN, EUROPEAN STARLING. At the jetty
there was a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, a lot of DUNLIN, with a RUDDY TURNSTONE
mixed in. A nice group of SANDERLINGs, many in breeding plumage were also
present. At the end of the jetty were DOUBLE-CRESTED and PELAGIC CORMORANTs.
SURF SCOTER, RHINOCEROS AUKLET, PACIFIC LOON flew by. GLAUCOUS-WINGED and
WESTERN GULLs were on the beach and a single BONAPARTE'S GULL. Up on the
jetty we saw WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, BLACK TURNSTONE, a single BRANDT'S
CORMORANT and some RED-NECKED PHALOROPEs. A few COMMON TERN flew by and
later a couple of CASPIAN TERNs. At a distance out there were SOOTY
SHEARWATERs and a single MANX SHEARWATER and a couple of MARBLED MURRELETs.
A COMMON LOON flew overhead. We stopped and cruised the breach closer to
"downtown" Ocean Shores and added RING-BILLED GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL to go
with the many WESTERN GULLs and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs and hybrids.



We decided to move around to the other side of Grays Harbor, and along the
way took a brief detour to see the OSPREY on the nest on Paulson Rd in
Hoquiam. The treatment ponds had CANADA GOOSE and NORTHERN SHOVELER,
VIOLET-GREEN and BARN SWALLOWs were there and a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW
perched in the chain link fence.



We arrived at Bottle Beach about 10:15 with the tide still way out. Walking
in a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT gave us nice looks, a NORTHERN HARRIER was in the
distance, and an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD was perched. A SONG SPARROW flew into a
bush and a SPOTTED TOWHEE sat at the top of another shrub and sang
continuously and a BALD EAGLE was in one of the Douglas Firs. A few DUNLIN
were present and a couple of GREATER YELLOWLEGs. We went into Westport and
saw PACIFIC LOON, and a ton of BROWN PELICANs. After a note from one of the
birders at Bottle Beach we hurried back there to find the tide in, but lots
of shorebirds. We saw DUNLIN, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, a few WESTERN
SANDPIPERS, a single PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER (right shape, small bill, proper
length wings and good color). At least 4 RED KNOTs were mixed in with a
large group of SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERs and a single LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER.



We stopped at Twin Harbors State Park for lunch and were serenaded by a
WILSON'S WARBLER, saw a SONG SPARROW and AMERICAN ROBIN and heard (and then
saw) a STELLER'S JAY.



At the Midway Beach turnoff (the beach is closed for Snowy Plover nesting)
we had a BAND-TAILED PIGEON fly over. Down at North Cove (which has almost
completely eroded away) we had 5 WHIMBREL.



The view of Graveyard Spit in Tokeland yielded lots of GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs
and hybrids, many CASPIAN TERNs, a single female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER.



The marina at Tokeland was occupied almost exclusively by gulls with the
exception of a single RED-THROATED LOON up on the beach and a PIGEON
GUILLEMOT.



At various spots during the day we also picked up MALLARD, GREAT BLUE HERON,
many TURKEY VULTUREs, RED-TAILED HAWK, KILLDEER, RUFOUS HJUMMNGBIRD, BELTED
KINGFISHER, NORTHERN FLICKER, COMMON RAVEN, TREE SWALLOW, BEWICK'S WREN,
SAVANNAH SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, PURPLE FINCH, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and HOUSE
SPARROW.



In spite of the on-and-off misty drizzle for much of the day, it was an
excellent time with lots of great views. We wound up with 81 species for the
day.



Good Birding!



Brian H. Bell

Woodinville WA

Mail to bell asoc a t iso media dot com