Every year large percentages of the west coast Western Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowichers, Dunlin, Red Knots, and other species stop over at Gray’s Harbor, and especially in Bowerman Basin, to rest and feed to fatten up for their next leg of the migratory journey.
Their next stop in many cases is the Copper River Delta, and then on to the arctic. On the east coast the analogous areas are the Delaware Bay and Bay of Fundy. Today did not disappoint as we saw 15 species of shorebirds and thousands of individuals. There were about 34 birders loaded onto a school bus to get around, and we made 5 stops.
This year the high tide was about 3 PM, so we headed straight for Tokeland to look for birds there at low tide, hoping to catch the spectacle of Bottle Beach on an incoming tide in the early afternoon. At Tokeland, besides Nelson Crab House, where at least one birder had a crab cocktail before 9 AM, we saw 3 common species, Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher and Dunlin, and saw our only Whimbrel of the trip.
In addition we saw and heard Purple Martins, and saw Common Loons in both basic and alternate (breeding) plumage. One breeding plumage Red-necked Grebe, Caspian Tern, a single distant Eurasian Wigeon, and a Peregrine Falcon on a channel marker were highlights. We totaled 31 species at this stop. `Here is the eBird link. https://ebird.org/pnw/view/checklist/S55869326
A stop at Graveyard Spit added our first Red Knots and Ruddy Turnstones of the day, as well as a Greater Yellowlegs. The tide was quite low, and birds there were distant. Bruce and I tried to assure birders that we would have much closer looks at these birds at Bottle Beach, and we kept moving. Ebird list for this stop: https://ebird.org/pnw/view/checklist/S55869336
From here we headed for Grayland Beach. Bruce had noted that the 2-day prior trip to the same areas had seen Snowy Plover at Grayland Beach, so we were hopeful to do likewise. This is at the very northern edge of its range, and Snowy Plovers struggle because they like to breed in the same areas people like to play with their dogs, their SUVs and hence breeding can be problematic for a species that builds a nest in the dry sand up on the beach. Still, we managed to see 3 Snowy Plover, along with spring Baird’s Sandpiper and a Red-necked Phalarope, both unexpected bonus birds for the trip. eBird list: https://ebird.org/pnw/view/checklist/S55869367
The primary reason this feastival works is because of the topography of Gray’s Harbor. It is a vast mudflat at low tide, that at high tide has very limited places for shorebirds to feed, congregating the birds into predictable areas for viewing. The best place used to be near the airport in Hoquiam, but as the sands have shifted, now Bottle Beach, across the harbor near Westport is much better.
Yesterday I saw an estimated 6-7000 shorebirds there, and today there were less birds, but still a good show. We estimated over 1500 shorebirds, with close looks at all species seen as the tide pushed the birds in close to us for viewing. We estimated 80 Black-bellied Plover, 20 Semi-palmated Plover, 1 Marbled Godwit, 8 Ruddy Turnstone, 20 Red Knot (I had over 175 yesterday at the same location), 40 Sanderling, 250 Dunlin, 800 Western Sandpiper, 250 Shirt-billed Dowitcher, 25 Greater Yellowlegs, and 31 total species. eBird list: https://ebird.org/pnw/view/checklist/S55869287
We had time after Bottle Beach to retrace our track to the Westport Marina area where a Wandering Tattler was almost immediately found by Bruce on the rocks beside the viewing platform, another Red-necked Phalarope was seen by a couple birders, all 3 species of cormorant, Common Loons, and a very close and cooperative breeding plumage Rhinoceros Aucklet were the stars.
We got back to the Hoquiam Middle School by 4 PM with a trip list of 69 species. Everyone seemed to have a good time, Bruce shared some local history on the bus rides between stops, and I managed to stay awake all the way home. (jet lag still is kicking my butt)
Overall a great day. Good birding. Good day!