New birds: Red Knot

Red Knot, probably our last addition to the GABRAT list

Today was our last full day of birding in America. We spent it around Grays Harbour looking for shorebirds, visiting Bottle Beach and the National Wildlife Refuge in the morning and, perhaps fittingly, the poo ponds (Hoquiam water treatment plant) in the afternoon. Given that it is now mid-June, it’s not surprising that the vast majority of shorebirds have long-since departed this area for their breeding grounds further north in Canada, Alaska and beyond. However, there was one last species we hoped to see before drawing our GABRAT list to a close. Some excellent detective work by Jane discovered a sighting of our quarry, just a week ago, at a nearby location and we set-off in pursuit. What a difference a day makes up here in respect of the weather. Yesterday it never stopped raining, today, wall to wall sunshine – perfect for birding. We arrived at Bottle Beach and started searching for waders on the incoming tide. Grays Harbour is gigantic and the few remaining shorebirds could be anywhere. As luck (skill?) would have it we quickly located a small group of roosting Grey (Black-bellied) Plover with a few Short-billed Dowitcher amongst them. Further down the beach a party of Greater Yellowlegs and a few gulls. On our way back to the car I decided to give the waders one last look. In amongst them was one bird with a brick-red breast and grey scalloped back – Red Knot, probably the last one on the entire estuary! After that the pressure was off and we could enjoy seeing what was around. At the poo ponds in the afternoon I added a few State ticks, including several duck species, out of the nine present. Finally I spent a happy hour trying to make sense of the numerous gulls dotted along the shore. With the various ages, established hybrids, etc. I’m not sure I made much progress, but it was fun anyway! Not a bad way to end the day and draw to a close this remarkable journey.

Greater Yellowlegs, in summer plumage – one of a handful of waders remaining in Grays Harbour