[Tweeters] Grays Harbor and Pacific County trip report

[Andy McCormick via Tweeters]

Hello Tweets,

Jeremy Lucas and I had a wonderful day of birding in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties making nine stops in the area. We were on a Big Day to support the Eastside Audubon Birdathon. In addition to a nice list of birds we experienced several special - to us at least - birding events with spring migration in full swing and many birds singing and showing breeding plumage.

At Bottle Beach we found seven species of shorebirds including Red Knot, Black-bellied Plover, and Dunlin in breeding plumage. At the Twin Harbors State Park, we were pleased to find singing Yellow-rumped, Wilson's, Black-throated Gray, and Orange-crowned Warblers, and an active Olive-sided Flycatcher.

On the beach at Grayland Beach State Park, we unfortunately did not locate any Snowy Plovers, but opposite trails 4 and 5 a large flock of Semipalmated Plovers foraged along the beach, and we were especially pleased to see Sanderlings in their red breeding plumage. A small group of shorebirds puzzled us for a few minutes until we realized they were Red-necked Phalaropes. It was almost shocking to see them alternately sitting on the sand and flying low along the beach. They must have been tired from their migration flight.

At the Westhaven State Park overlooking the jetty we had good looks at Rhinoceros Auklet and Pacific Loon in breeding plumage, Bonaparte's Gulls, a large flock of Pelagic Cormorant and a few Brandt's Cormorants, and Common Murre just beyond the breakers.

Most surprisingly, we saw flying Fork-tailed Storm Petrels from the observation platform at the Westport Marina. Neither of us had ever seen them from shore before. They topped off a special day of birding.

Andy McCormick


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