Twitch for the Washington Lesser Sand Plover

I went down to Ocean Shores, WA on Wednesday for the Lesser Sand Plover and went for the first time to Ocean Shores. I really loved it down there it was really peaceful! I saw tons of beautiful birds and did end up getting the main target the Lesser Sand Plover!

The drive was 4.5 hours and very little traffic which was nice. My friends told me that Elegant Terns were seen in Ocean Shores when I was there so I went out and got them too and I found some juveniles! They look very cute with their balding crested looking heads. They are much smaller (and elegant) looking than the Caspian Terns. They are a rare bird for Ocean Shores I asked them to fly up North hopefully they heed my request.

Unfortunately they were very far away and the photo is a very poor record shot 

Elegant Terns with Caspians Terns at Ocean Shores, WA - Photo: Melissa Hafting
I found 6 Red-throated loons and one in breeding plumage close to shore at the Ohyut Game range. They had moulted their flight feathers hence why they were so close into shore so I lay down on the beach and let the male swim up to me unnoticed. It was my best shot ever of this species and I plan to frame this one.
I think I may have enjoyed seeing this loon more than the Mongolian Plover if I am allowed to say that. Sometimes you go down searching for something and end up finding something even better!

Red-throated Loon in breeding plumage at Ohyut Game Range at Ocean Shores, WA - Photo: Melissa Hafting
At the beach there were tons (hundreds) of Sooty Shearwaters flying right at the beach  (these are birds we need to go on pelagic trip for here!) and at the Jetty there were over 50,000 Sooty Shearwaters flying over my head the sky was black with them and I saw a few pacific white-sided dolphins.

My friend Mike Ashbee who went down there earlier in the week got a video of the Sooty Shearwater stream and I asked his permission if I could post it here. You have to SEE this to believe this!! Click on the below image to play the video HERE

There were many many Brown Pelicans and tons of Common Murres. Sadly, most of the Common Murres I saw were dead on the beach. Most of these birds are dead due to a bad El Nino year and they just starved to death most are adult males and chicks.

Brown Pelicans at Ocean Shores, WA - Photo: Melissa Hafting
I also saw 15 Pacific Golden-Plovers, many American Pipits, Semipalmated Plovers who the Lesser Sand Plover hung out with, some Black Turnstones and Black-bellied Plovers. There were huge flocks of Sanderlings and Westerns as well. I also saw at least 1000 Adult Heermann's Gulls! They are one of my favourite gulls with their red bills!

It took me about 3 hours to find the Mongolian Plover and I walked miles of beach many people were driving the beach but I wanted to fully experience it. While I was walking and searching for the Plover, I came across this little Juvenile Western Sandpiper who was fighting against the wind to stay upright.

Western Sandpiper at Ocean Shores, WA - Photo: Melissa Hafting
After a very long walk up and down the beach I was very happy to find this little guy almost in the spot where I started to look for him! He flew in with a flock of Semipalmated Plovers and was a lifer for me! I was struck by his delicate beauty. The light wasn't great (way too bright) and there was a fierce wind (and I was without a tripod) but this is probably the best shot out of the hundreds I took of this little bird. I got to watch him for 30 mins, he was so tame. Then I bought some fish and chips at the Casino and ate it beside a brown pelican. I never saw the Rare Lesser Sand Plover again that day.

Lesser Sand Plover at Ocean Shores, WA  - Photo: Melissa Hafting
After I left I heard that a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Snowy Plover were seen at the Game Range. I sure would have liked to see that Snowy Plover but there is always next time! Plus they are very easily seen on Midway Beach which is nearby but I was just too tired to make that trip.

Overall the trip was a success and one that I will definitely repeat again.  I met some really great birders down there as well. All in all a great trip to a beautiful spot in Washington!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Dowitcher Identification

Image
Birders notoriously find it difficult to tell Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers apart. I have got a request to do an identification explanation on them so here goes, I hope it will be helpful. Short-billed Dowitchers and Long-billed look so similar. Using their habitat is helpful but not diagnostic. Short-billed Dowitchers tend to prefer Salt water and brackish water and Long-billed Dowitchers tend to prefer fresh water. However, I have OFTEN seen Short-billeds in freshwater and Long-billeds in brackish and salt water. Therefore, DO NOT rely on habitat. Another feature many people will tell you to rely on is spotting on the side of the flanks of Short-billeds and barring on the side of Long-billeds. Usually this is a mark that you can use but it is not always as distinct as you like. I have seen Short-billeds with a barred appearance to the flanks. It is only at the side of the breast where you have to look for this diagnostic feature for the spots on a Short-billed and t
Read more

Hawk Identification Tips from every angle (Sharpie vs Cooper and Red-tailed Subspecies)

Image
I get several questions about the difference between accipiters. The most common ones are between Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks and between Cooper's Hawks vs Northern Goshawks (to a lesser degree). Next, I get many questions dealing with a certain race of buteos the Western Red-tailed Hawk and Harlan's. So I thought I would do a post on these to help answer those questions. I will deal with Cooper's and Sharpies and not Goshawks because they are much more common here and look much more alike. My friend John Reynolds inspired me to write this up. COOPER'S AND SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS EYE COLOUR - YELLOW OR ORANGE? RED? Normally a juvenile Cooper's hawk has a bright yellow eye and a Juvie Sharpie has a orange eye but some cooper's can have a dull yellow eye that looks a bit orangish. Cooper's Hawks usually only transition to the orange eye colour when they are sub adults, so in good light, it's a very very reliable feature. However you
Read more

STINT IDENTIFICATION

Image
As per request, here are some tips that I hope will be helpful in identifying and differentiating Red-necked Stint from Little Stint. I will also do a brief intro on Long-toed and Temminck's Stint... if you build it they will come right?😉 Red-necked and Little Stints look very much alike in worn breeding plumage. The amount of Red on the face, throat and breast in Red-necked Stint is vary variable). They look even more alike in non-breeding plumage, that is why it is essential to learn structural differences to separate the two. They are similar to Semipalmated Sandpipers as well as Sanderlings. Both species are often confused for Red-necked Stints. Little Stints rarely get confused with Sanderling because they have a hind toe which helps differentiate it from this species. Sanderlings in breeding or worn breeding are usually confused with Red-necked Stints but they are much larger than Red-necked Stints. Let's first start with Bills in this complicated ID proces
Read more

*Updated - The most famous Red-tailed Hawk is eating fish on the ground just like a Bald Eagle!

Image
Update - There are plans in the works to make a documentary film on this young Red-tailed Hawk who thinks he's an Eagle. You can read the latest news about that on CBC HERE . Watch this incredible footage of the little Red-tailed Hawk who grew up in a family of three Eaglets and 2 Bald Eagle Parents. He is imprinted now on Bald Eagles. He looks and acts just like one, as you can see here in the video below. He is standing over a large salmon carcass, just like a Bald Eagle would and he's eating the decaying flesh. Red-tailed Hawks like to eat voles and rabbits etc. not fish! Imprinting is usually irreversible according to raptor expert David Bird. However, I hope it's reversible so that he doesn't attempt to mate with a Bald Eagle, as the Eagle would kill him because it would view him as a Hawk. Eagle expert David Hancock said that the bird will likely starve and get killed by an eagle. He said this possibly can be prevented if someone grabs it and takes it to O
Read more

My First Mother's Day Without My Mother

Image
This is my first Mother’s Day without my mom. I am still deeply affected and afflicted with emotional pain. I took the day off from the RBA to just remember her and honour her. My dad, sister and I visited her grave with a bouquet of flowers. I cried a lot but it gives me a bit of comfort that she now has a head stone that I can touch. I didn't want to leave. I can’t believe it’s been just over 4 months since I lost her. To my Mom: Mom you were so great. You were so loved. I miss you so much today. I wish every day that you were here with Meghan, Dad and I.  I will never be truly happy again until I see you once more. Thank you for being such a wonderful mother. I will never ever forget you. I cannot wait to see you again in Heaven. Since you died in my arms, this is one of the hardest days I have been through without you. Normally I would be taking you out for brunch today, hugging you and telling you how much I loved you. Mom, you watched me take my first breath and I unfortunate
Read more