Unexpected Sighting

Damon Point is a neat spot as it
allows a perspective of both the
Pacific Ocean and North Bay

My schedule and the weather afforded me the opportunity to walk along nearly four miles of the Damon Point area of Ocean Shores, WA today. Damon Point was once an island that has since grown into a spit thanks to sand accretion (the opposite of erosion). It is one of the best places to view wildlife at Ocean Shores because it is relative isolated and no vehicles are allowed on the beach.  It was cool (low 60s) and windy, but this Important Bird Area didn’t disappoint. At any given time, I could see dozens (I counted 32 at one spot) of Brown Pelican, each with a posse of Heermann’s Gulls chasing behind in hopes of stealing a morsel of fish. Heermann’s Gulls alone are reason enough to come out. Breeding off the coast of Mexico, these birds visit this part of the northwest only after they have finished fledging young (or following a failed attempt), and generally for just a few weeks of the year.

If I were back home, I'd expect any flock of soaring
birds above to be in the vulture family. Here, however,
this flock is primarily comprised of Brown Pelicans

Three Glaucus-winged Gulls
decided to hang out while I rested

An unexpected, lone Black Brant Goose. This bird appears to
be an adult (no buffy wing tips, white sides and full collar)
that has already started to molt.

And then, while taking a brief rest on a piece of driftwood, I noticed some slight movement in the sand above me. I was shocked to turn around and see a Black Brant Goose! I’d never seen one in person and certainly didn’t expect them at this location in late July. The Brant is a small sea goose, surviving mostly on eelgrass found in estuaries and bays.  Unless something is really off, you won’t find these birds away from salt water. Breeding in the high arctic region of Canada, a subgroup of these geese travel to the north- and mid-Atlantic coast to winter, while another group travels along the pacific flyway to Baja, Mexico. Once considered distinct sub-species, the two groups do have unique color patterns - the eastern type demonstrating a light chest, while the western type sports a much darker chest and belly. I hopped on ebird to see how uncommon it was to see this species here at this time of year. Turns out, sightings aren't very frequent in the summer. There have been a few sightings of just a few birds in the June-July time range before, but only a handful. I felt even better about my identification after noticing a recent ebird submission from yesterday at a location just down the road, where two Brant Geese were reported. Perhaps this was one of the two? What a lucky day!