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Tuesday, May 1, 2018

 

A new month begins, and with it, I start a May list.  Before I get into today's report, though, I want to show a picture from yesterday.  Yesterday I went out in the afternoon, to the Redmond Retention Ponds and Marymoor Park, briefly.  I saw a Spotted Sandpiper at the Redmond Retention Ponds, but I had already seen that one in California for April.  Along the historic brick road, I got this picture of a Canada Goose and three of its goslings.

 

There are pairs of Canada Geese all over the place, with their goslings.  They usually have at least 8 or 10 young ones.  Their survival rate must be terrible, or we would be overrun with Canada Geese.

 

Back to today, I started getting May birds right away in the yard.  Dark-eyed Junco was first, with Red-winged Blackbird next.  There haven't been very many birds coming to our feeder lately, but one species has been reliable, and today I added Pine Siskin right away.  I headed up to Edmonds, intending to try to get as many of the winter birds that will be leaving this month as possible.  It was only a couple of blocks out of my way, so I swung by the house in Lake Forest Park that has the Band-tailed Pigeons.  They didn't disappoint.

 

While driving I added American Crow and Feral Pigeon to my May list.  My first stop in Edmonds was the Edmonds Marsh.  I was hoping for shorebirds, but I didn't see any.  I added Tree Swallow, Song Sparrow, and Marsh Wren to my list there, and then moved on to the beach by the senior center.  There were Purple Martins on the nest boxes out in the bay, Glaucous-winged Gulls on the beach, and a number of Pigeon Guillemots near the ferry dock.  There was a single Pelagic Cormorant on one of the ferry pilings, and I was happy to get that one, as they have mostly left now.  There were also a couple of Harlequin Ducks near the ferry dock.  The usual Surf Scoters were around, and I was pleased to see 6 or 8 Western Grebes out on the water.

 

Next I drove up to Sunset Avenue and set up my scope.  I didn't need my scope to add Brant to my May list, though, because there were a couple of dozen of them on the beach right below me.  Here is a Brant.

 

There were a couple of Brandt's Cormorants on one of the ferry pilings, which I was glad to see.  They have mostly gone now, too.  There were still quite a few Red-necked Grebes around, in their breeding plumage.  In the winter they are just gray and white, but in the spring they get the red neck that gives them their name.  Here is a distant picture of a Red-necked Grebe.

 

Here is a picture of two Red-necked Grebes.

 

There were a couple of Mallards on the beach with the Brant, as well as a single Killdeer.  I was quite pleased to see at least 4 Pacific Loons today.  That's one I never got in April, despite visiting Edmonds several times looking for them.  Likewise Marbled Murrelet.  Today I saw a pair of them, after missing them in April.  A Double-crested Cormorant flew in, completing the three local cormorant species for me.  There were some Buffleheads around, too, and some Horned Grebes.  Here is a picture of a couple of Horned Grebes in their breeding plumage.  They also are just gray and white in the winter.

 

There was a pair of Rhinoceros Auklets in breeding plumage, and also a Common Loon in its striking breeding plumage.  Next I drove up to Ocean Avenue and found a single female Common Goldeneye, another species that is mostly gone now.

 

There were Brant along the beach there, too, and I got this picture of one of them in the water.

 

I noticed a ferry out on the water, in a place where there isn't a ferry route.  It was moving around, but not really going anywhere.  In this picture of the ferry Wenatchee, you can see that it is empty.

 

I wonder what they were doing out there today.

 

As I drove away from Ocean Avenue, I saw some European Starlings on a lawn.

 

After that I drove south to Richmond Beach, to Kayu Kayu Ac Park.  I was hoping to see Red-breasted Merganser and Barrow's Goldeneye there, because I had seen them both there all winter.  Both species are leaving now, but I saw them both today.  There was also a pair of Canada Geese in the park.   I saw a distant Great Blue Heron on the shore, too.

 

I had done fantastically well with the saltwater birds, and on my way home I stopped at Log Boom Park in Kenmore to try for ducks.  I added Gadwall and Ring-necked Duck, and then eventually saw several Greater Scaup and a single Lesser Scaup.  Here is a female Greater Scaup.

 

Here is a male Greater Scaup.

 

There were Barn Swallows swooping around over the lake, and then I hit the duck jackpot and got both Canvasback and Redhead.  I hadn't gotten either one of those in April, and I hadn't expected to get them this month.  Here is a female Canvasback.

 

Here is a male Canvasback stretching his wings.

 

Here is another picture of a male Canvasback.

 

Compare that picture with this next picture of a male Redhead.  The colors are the same, but the shapes of the heads and bodies are quite different.

 

There were some Western Grebes way out on the lake, and here is a distant picture of a couple of them.

 

As I was leaving, I noticed a Bald Eagle sitting on a log out in the water, too.  Back at home this afternoon, I got House Finch, House Sparrow, and Bewick's Wren at the feeder.  There were American Robins singing in various parts of the yard, too.

 

So, it was an outstanding day, based on all the species I saw that will be leaving soon on their annual migration.  I had a list of 44 species that will be leaving this month or are just passing through now, and I got 18 of those today.  I also got Canvasback and Redhead, and they weren't even on the list because I thought it was impossible that I would see them locally.  In April I saw 192 species, but today I saw four that I had missed in April.  I got 46 species for my May list today, to give me a good start on the month.

 

 

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

 

Today my plan was to go out to the Snoqualmie River Valley and get some ducks and other species that will be leaving soon for the summer.  My first stop was on NE 124th St in the Sammamish Valley, where there is a large temporary pond in a field, as a result of recent rains.  I pulled into the driveway and there was another birder already there.  It was one of the well known, expert birders of the area, and I asked him if there was anything interesting around.  He said yes, and he showed me an American Avocet, a pretty rare bird in King County.  That was an outstanding bird for my May list, one I hadn't expected to get locally.  There were also a couple of Northern Pintails there, another good one for my list because they have mostly left by now.  There were also some Long-billed Dowitchers, several Greater Yellowlegs, and a single Least Sandpiper.  Those species are just passing through on migration, so it was good to get them.  I also picked up Green-winged Teal there.

 

My next stop was at Cottage Lake in Woodinville.  Fishing season had started on Saturday, and the place was overrun with people fishing, so I soon moved on, after quickly checking the lake for Ruddy Ducks (there were none).  Next was West Snoqualmie River Rd in Duvall.  I saw a couple of Savannah Sparrows, but missed seeing any Western Meadowlarks, which I was hoping for.  I heard Common Yellowthroat and saw several Eurasian Collared-Doves for my list.  One of the reliable ponds was drying up fast, but I picked up Northern Shoveler there as well as this male Cinnamon Teal.

 

At the dairy at the end of the road I added Brown-headed Cowbird and Brewer's Blackbird.  There was a Cliff Swallow on a wire, so that one went on to my list, too.  At one point, there was a Bald Eagle sitting in a tree right by the road.  I didn't need it, but here is a picture.

 

There is a dead tree across the river that has four Great Blue Heron nests in it, and today I noticed that there seem to be chicks in the nests.  Here is the tree.

 

There was an adult bird at each nest.  Here is one of the nests.

 

Next I drove up Cherry Valley Road and looked out at some ponds to the north of there.  I was looking for Blue-winged Teal, but I didn’t see any.  I did see a pair of Wood Ducks, though, for my May list.  There was also another Cinnamon Teal there.

 

I stopped at the snipe spot on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail in Duvall, but the snipe seem to have moved on for the summer.  I had brought my lunch with me, and I went down to the Fay Road access to the Snoqualmie Valley Wildlife Area to eat it.  I got out my folding chair and sat I the sun and ate my lunch, while watching for birds.  I picked up Hooded Merganser there, for my May list.

 

After I ate I went down to the Stillwater Unit and walked on the trail.  There was an Osprey in a tree, another one for my May list.  While I watched, the Osprey flew up and then dove into the pond, coming up with a good sized fish.  It flew off with the fish, and a Bald Eagle showed up and started to chase the Osprey.  Obviously, the eagle wanted the fish.  The eagle chased the Osprey around for several minutes.  They stayed pretty much in front of me the whole time, and it was fun to watch.  I kept trying to get pictures, but my camera doesn't focus quickly enough for that kind of action.  Here is the only shot I got - not good, but it does show the relative size of the two birds.

 

Eventually the Osprey gave up and dropped the fish.  The eagle grabbed it right out of the air and went off with it.  The poor Osprey got robbed.

 

I added Northern Flicker, White-crowned Sparrow, and American Goldfinch along the trail.  There were also several Yellow-rumped warblers, so that one went on my list.  At the first bridge, I checked out the Hairy Woodpecker nest hole that I had seen a couple of weeks ago.  For quite a while, there was no sign of life around it, even though I played Hairy Woodpecker calls.  I had decided that the nest had been abandoned, and then the female Hairy Woodpecker flew in and went into the hole.  Here she is, peeking out, before flying off again.

 

A little after that, the male flew in, and I got this picture of the male Hairy Woodpecker at the nest hole.

 

There must be chicks in the nest, and the parents are bringing them food.  The chicks aren't big enough yet to look out of the nest hole, like they will later.

 

I walked a little farther down the trail, and saw a Brown Creeper for my May list.  Here are a couple of pictures of it.

 

 

The bird sure does blend into its surroundings.

 

On my way back to my car, I got this picture of a singing male Common Yellowthroat.

 

I also got a picture of a Great Blue Heron.

 

I heard a Sora calling, too, and that was a great one for my May list.  They are just passing through here, and I hadn't expected to get that one locally.  I added Spotted Towhee, and then I saw a single Golden-crowned Sparrow by the trail.  Here is that one.

 

 

That was a species I had especially wanted to see today, because most of them have already taken off for their breeding grounds, up in Canada and Alaska.  They are common around here in the winter, and you usually see them in small groups.  This one must have lagged behind, and it will have to travel on its own now, maybe.

 

Another species I was looking for today was American Wigeon, but I never saw any.  They might all be gone now.  While looking for them at a pond along the road on the west side of the valley, I saw a Pied-billed Grebe for my list.

 

My last stop was at the Redmond Retention Ponds.  I had seen a Spotted Sandpiper briefly the other day there, and today I found it again.  Here is my first Spotted Sandpiper for May.

 

There were some Buffleheads on the ponds, and I got this picture of a pair of them.

 

Of course, the male is the flashy one.

 

Back at home I added Steller's Jay here in our yard.  That made 29 species today, which brings me to 75 species for the month now.  The American Avocet increased my count for King county to 159 species.

 

 

Thursday, May 3, 2018

 

I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and then an early lunch appointment, so I didn't do any birding to speak of in the morning.  After lunch, my friend, Chris, and I went to Phantom Lake in Bellevue, as usual.  There were quite a few birds around, but the only one I saw for my list was Violet-green Swallow.

 

After dropping him off back at work, I checked the internet with my phone and found that a rare (for Western Washington) woodpecker that has been seen for the last couple of days at Magnuson Park was seen again this morning.  That did it.  I crossed the lake to Seattle and made my way to Magnuson Park, which is on Lake Washington, northeast of downtown Seattle.

 

I parked and walked around the ponds where the bird has been seen, but it wasn't in evidence.  It turned out that I had the wrong pond, and after walking all around the wrong pond, I saw the LEWIS'S WOODPECKER at the top of a leafless tree in the distance.  It stayed there, and I got a lot closer and took some pictures.  Here is the rare (in this area) Lewis's Woodpecker.

 

Here's a shot showing its back.

 

It was first found on Monday this week, and it has stuck around until now.  Lots of birders have been to see it.

 

On my way back to my car I took this picture of a female Northern Flicker at what looks like a nest hole.

 

I had two birds for May, but I decided to stop at Wallace Swamp Creek Park in Kenmore on the way home.  As I left the parking lot, I ran into Linda, the park birding maven.  I asked her what was around, and she gave me some tips.  The first tip was for a Red-breasted Sapsucker nest.  She said if the bird wasn't at the nest, then it might be in the nearby tree where it had sap wells.  I found it at the sap wells.  Here is the Red-breasted Sapsucker.

 

The bird digs those holes in the tree with its bill, and over a day or so, the holes fill with sap.  The sapsucker then comes back and sucks up the sap.  I think that the same well will produce sap over and over if the bird keeps making it deeper.

 

There were a couple of Anna's Hummingbirds in the area, so that one went on my May list, too.  I also saw my first Black-capped Chickadees of the month near there.

 

Linda had told me that she had heard a Golden-crowned Kinglet in that same area today, so I played the song.  Golden-crowned Kinglet had become sort of my nemesis bird, and I never did find one in April.  Today I spotted one that came in when I played its song, and I got some pictures that I like.  Here's the Golden-crowned Kinglet, showing its crown color because I had played its song.

 

It hung around and posed for me.

 

When viewed from the back, the golden crown had a streak of red-orange in it.

 

Finally, it posed, giving me a side view.

 

It was satisfying to finally get Golden-crowned Kinglet again, after trying for it many times in April unsuccessfully.

 

I ended up adding 5 species to my May list, to bring it to 80.  The Lewis's Woodpecker brought my year list to 243 species.  It also brought my King county list to 160 species.  Tomorrow I don't have any commitments until mid-afternoon, after an early lab appointment for a blood draw, so I hope to go look for a couple more of the winter species that are leaving now.  Any time I get out there I have a chance of seeing returning migrants and other birds I need for May.

 

[5/30/18 - Correction - I overlooked Golden-crowned Kinglet and it never got into my spreadsheet or my totals for the month.  I'm adjusting for it on May 30.]

 

Friday, May 4, 2018

 

My plan this morning was to go over to the Montlake Fill, near the University of Washington, to look for American Wigeon and American Coot.  Both of those species are common around here in the winter, but now they are mostly gone.  There was always the possibility of seeing other things, too, of course.  I still need lots of easy birds for May.

 

My plans had to change, though, when I found that the whole parking area for the Fill was being taken up by preparations for the annual plant sale.  I could have parked on the street and walked quite a bit farther, but I gave it up.  I moved on to my second destination, which was the area to the south of the university along the ship canal, where a family of California Scrub-Jays lives.  I found a place to park, in a loading zone, and I walked a little, looking for the jays.  I didn't find any, but I kept walking around.  Eventually, I was ready to give it up, and I headed back to my car.  I was almost back to my car when a jay went flying across the road, and another one followed right behind it.  I managed to get a couple of pictures of the California Scrub-Jays.

 

 

It was good to get that one for May because there aren't many California Scrub-Jays around this area, and now I won't have to go back over there to find one.

 

It was still early, but not early enough to go anywhere very far, so I headed toward home and detoured slightly to Juanita Beach Park.  I walked out onto the dock, and I soon found one of my target species, American Coot.

 

In the winter, there are hundreds of coots there, and also many other places, but recently they have disappeared.  I don't known where they go, exactly, but there are very few reports this month for them in Western Washington.  I was pleased to find one this morning, and then a little later I saw that there was actually a pair of them.  Here are a couple more pictures of American Coot.

 

 

A little brown bird showed up while I was out on the dock, and I figured out it was a female Brown-headed Cowbird.

 

That was it for today.  I added 2 more species to my May list, to bring it to 82 species.

 

 

Saturday, May 5, 2018

 

Today I drove up to Skagit county, which is about an hour north of here.  After a stop at Subway to get a sandwich, my first birding stop was at Eide Road, just west of the town of Stanwood.  Black-necked Stilt had been reported there over the last few days, but I couldn't find any today.  I was also looking for a couple of ducks.  On my way into the area, on one of the two ponds, there were a couple pairs of Cinnamon Teal, which is a good bird, but not one I needed.  There were also some dowitchers feeding, but they were too far away for me to tell which dowitcher species they were.  I went on in to the main parking lot, but I didn't see anything interesting.  On my way back out, some more ducks had flown into the second pond, and I got out my scope to check them out.  I was glad to find a couple of pairs of American Wigeons, which was one of the duck species I needed that I was hoping for.  Most of the wigeons have already left the area for their breeding grounds.  I also saw a small shorebird this time, but I decided it was a Least Sandpiper, which I already had this month.

 

Before I left, some more ducks flew in, though, so I scanned again.  This time I found a male Blue-winged Teal, which was the other duck species I was hoping for there.  I got back in my car and moved on to the first pond, and more birds had flown in there, too.  It was only maybe ten or fifteen minutes later, but there were a lot more birds there.  I picked out two Dunlin, a shorebird I was very pleased to get.  It was interesting that on my way in I found nothing I needed, but ten or fifteen minutes later, on my way out, I added three species to my May list.  Timing can be important.  All the birds were too far away for pictures, unfortunately.

 

Next I headed farther north and stopped at Wylie Slough.  The tide was too high for shorebirds, though, and I didn't see anything else of interest in a short visit.  At Hayton Preserve I got out and walked a little.  I met a woman who asked me about a bird she had seen, and she showed it to me.  It turned out to be a Killdeer sitting on a nest out in the open, about five feet from the path.  Here is the Killdeer on its "nest", which is just a little scrape in the ground.

 

I saw a Red-tailed Hawk and a Northern Harrier while I was there, too - two for my May list.

 

As I was leaving Hayton Preserve, I took this picture of a Balld Eagle sitting on a nest.

 

Next I stopped briefly at the house on Valentine Road that has a lot of feeders, but there weren't any birds around.  It must be the time of year - we have very few birds coming to our feeder these days, too.  I suppose there is plenty of natural food at this time for the birds.

 

I moved on to March Point, which is just east of Anacortes.  There are some American White Pelicans that have spent the summer there for the last year or two, and they have been seen again this year.  I got out my scope, but it was windy (which shakes the scope) and there was lots of heat shimmer because I was looking over a lot of sand that had been exposed by the low tide.  The pelicans weren't on the sand islands where they usually loaf, so they must have been out feeding.  I found about 5 or 6 of them way out on the bay.  I had to look for a long time to confirm them, but I decided they were American White Pelicans, an excellent one for my May list.

 

I drove slowly out to March Point, watching the shoreline for my next target species.  They are reported there regularly, but I have only seen them there once or twice in many visits.  Today I got lucky and saw three Black Oystercatchers, a really excellent bird for my May list.  Two of them flew away, but one stayed and I took pictures.

 

I was able to park my car and eat my lunch while I watched the bird from the car.  Another one flew in after a while, and here is a picture of two Black Oystercatchers.

 

Before I left, I got one more picture that I like.

 

I decided to go up to the Samish Flats and Samish Island, to see what else I could find.  On the way I added Common Raven to my May list.  I also stopped in the tiny town of Bay View and saw the American White Pelicans from the east side of the bay.  They were still a long distance away, but closer than from the west side.  At that stop I also saw my first Mourning Dove of May, and I got this picture.

 

I was looking for a kestrel along my route all day today, but never saw one.  I stopped briefly at the West Ninety, but saw nothing there either.  I went on to the overlook park on Samish Island and got out my scope.  There were some birds out on the water, but I never saw any of the three species I was looking for.  There were several rafts of cormorants, mostly Pelagic Cormorants, I think.  Here is one of the rafts of cormorants.

 

There were some Red-breasted Mergansers, a lot of Surf Scoters, and 3 or 4 Common Loons, but nothing I needed.  While I was looking out over the water, I heard a bird singing behind me, and looking at it, I thought it could be a male Purple Finch.  I took some pictures and decided it was actually only a male House Finch.  Here's one of the pictures.

 

I looked around and spotted a hummingbird near the top of a leafless tree.  It turned out to be a Rufous Hummingbird, which I needed for May.  Here is that little cutie.

 

That was it for the day for me.  I drove through the little town of Edison looking for the Merlin that was there in the winter, but I don't think it sticks around all year.  I continued to look for a kestrel, but I never found one.  All in all it was a successful day of birding, since I added 10 species to my May list, to bring it to 92 species.  I drove 180 miles and it was a beautiful, sunny, spring day.  What a life!

 

 

Sunday, May 6, 2018

 

Today I planned to go out to the Snoqualmie River Valley to see what I could find.  On my way out there, I stopped at the flooded field on NE 124th St to look for shorebirds.  The rare (for this area) American Avocet was still there, and there was a birder there looking at it.  There were also a number of other shorebirds, as I had hoped.  I didn't need the half dozen Greater Yellowlegs or the couple of dozen Least Sandpipers, but I very much needed the Western Sandpipers and the single Black-bellied Plover.  There were also 4 or 5 American Pipits by the water's edge, and that was another great one for my May list.  Finally, the other birder pointed out the hawk flying overhead, and we both agreed it was a Cooper's Hawk, another nice one to get.  It was a very productive stop, yielding four species for my May list, two of which I'm not likely to see again this month (the plover and the pipits).  I may well not see Western Sandpiper again, either, come to think of it.

 

All of that action was too distant for pictures, unfortunately.  I moved on from there to the Snoqualmie River Valley, north of Carnation.  As I drove across the valley, I got this picture of a Red-tailed Hawk.

 

I didn't need that one, but I did need the Northern Rough-winged Swallows that were sitting on a wire.  Here is one of the swallows, front and back.

 

 

I drove on across the valley, and on the other side I saw some geese in a field.  I needed Cackling Goose for my May list, but they have all left for their breeding grounds, up in Alaska.  Or maybe not quite all of them.  I looked over the little group of geese, and I noticed one that I ended up deciding was a Cackling Goose.  There may or may not have been more Cackling Geese in the group, but I'm pretty sure of this one.  Here is a picture of two geese - the Cackler is on the left and a Canada Goose on the right.

 

Note the shorter neck and the shorter, stubby bill of the one on the left, compared to the other one.  Here is a picture of that bird in the midst of some larger geese.

 

The one in the middle of the picture is clearly much smaller than the others.  I think it was a Cackling Goose, so I put that one on my May list.

 

I parked at the Stillwater Unit and walked south on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.  Here is a picture of a female Hooded Merganser, which I didn't need for May.

 

I heard American Bitterns twice, so that one went onto my list for May.  That was my primary target for Stillwater today.  I didn't see much else for a while, but near the second bridge, I played the song of a migrant that is just now returning, and a male Black-headed Grosbeak came in to check me out.

 

Here is another angle on him.

 

That was the first Black-headed Grosbeak I have seen locally this year, but I saw one in San Diego in early April.  They winter in southern Mexico and Central America, and they make it back up to San Diego by late March, but they don't make it this far until early May.  Many species fly straight through on their migration, but I guess that Black-headed Grosbeaks just mosey along.

 

It had been getting kind of dark and threatening and it started to sprinkle on me as I made my way back to my car.  I stopped at the first bridge, where the Hairy Woodpecker nest hole is - the one I was shown a couple of weeks ago and have visited a couple of times.  Both parents were bringing food to the nest.  Here is the male Hairy Woodpecker with something in his bill that must be food of some kind.

 

He poked his head into the hole and a chick was there to get whatever it was.  I missed getting a picture of the chick's bill, but here is dad, feeding the young one.

 

Here he is after transferring the food to the chick.

 

The rain stopped for a time, and I went north to West Snoqualmie River Road NE next.  I didn't see much, but I was interested to see that all the Golden-crowned Sparrows hadn't left yet.  Three of them were feeding by the road, resplendent in their breeding plumage, which consists of solid black stripes on both sides of a bright golden crown.

 

 

All winter their black stripes are kind of gray and the yellow is confined to a pale hint at the front of their heads.

 

I stopped at the nest tree with the four Great Blue Heron nests.

 

I think there were chicks in each nest, and I got pictures of two of the nests, with chicks.

 

The chick is a tiny imitation of the adult.

 

I think that second nest had three chicks in it - two for sure.

 

There was one more bird I was hoping to see along that road.  There has been a Western Kingbird there for the last 2 or 3 years, at one particular spot, near the Halal slaughterhouse.  I had read that it was back again this year, so I parked my car and watched, while the rain picked up again.  In a few minutes, the kingbird flew in, and I pulled up and took some pictures through the rain.  Here is a wet Western Kingbird.

 

 

 

After that, I headed for home and my lunch.  I added 9 more species to my May list today, to bring it to 101 species.  For those who like to keep score (you know who you are), my totals after the first six days of each month this year are as follows:

 

Jan 6   90 species

Feb 6   85

Mar 6   97

Apr 6   119  (California)

May 6  101

 

So, I'm still running ahead of the pace, except for April.  I was birding more on my trip, and I hit some especially good birding places in those first days in California, which is why that total is so high.

 

 

Monday, May 7, 2018

 

I went over to Marymoor Park this morning.  My first stop was at the feeders by the office, but there weren't any birds coming in, so I moved on.  I cruised the model airplane field, listening and watching for Western Meadowlarks, but I didn't see or hear any.  It is probably too late for that species here in Western Washington now.  In two weeks I'm planning to leave on a trip to central Oregon, and I expect to get Western Meadowlark on that trip, anyway.

 

After that I parked in the west dog park parking lot and walked along the Sammamish Slough.  There were swallows overhead, and I was able to soon pick out one or two Vaux's Swifts for my May list.  I never used to get Vaux's Swifts at all, but now I know what to look for, and I can pick them out fairly easily if they are there.  Black Swifts will be returning soon, and they aren't as common as the Vaux's Swifts.

 

I spotted an immature Bald Eagle in the slough and got this picture.

 

It was difficult shooting through the intervening vegetation, and unfortunately, a piece of a plant obscures part of the bird's bill.  It was a quite light-colored immature eagle.

 

I walked some more, but I didn’t see anything else of interest until I was leaving, when I saw a male Common Merganser fly upstream.  I only had a fleeting look, but it was a good one for my May list.  After that I tried the rowing club road, but found nothing there except a singing male Black-headed Grosbeak, a species I had just counted yesterday for May.

 

I had a lunch appointment, and after lunch, Chris and I went over to Phantom Lake as usual.  Interestingly, a pair of Common Mergansers flew in and landed on the lake - the same species I had added this morning when a male flew up the slough.  There were some other birds around, and Chris spotted a yellow bird that turned out to be my first WESTERN TANAGER of the year.  It was a beautiful male, but it flew before I could get a picture, and I couldn't lure it back with its song.  Western Tanagers are just stating to arrive back here after their winter down south.

 

After I dropped Chris back at work, I went back to Marymoor and parked by the office feeders.  This time it was more active, and I soon added Red-breasted Nuthatch to my May list and got this picture.

 

A Black-capped Chickadee kept coming in for a seed, and eventually I got the species I wanted for my May list, Chestnut-backed Chickadee.  One came in 3 or 4 times, but I never could get a picture.

 

There is a hummingbird feeder there, too, and it was more active than I have seen before.  My pictures are lousy because of the distance, but I'll show them anyway, to show the different birds that were coming in.  Here is a male Anna's Hummingbird.

 

Here is a female Anna's Hummingbird, probably an older bird because she has some red on her throat.

 

Here is a female Rufous Hummingbird.  Note the red-brown side of her breast and head, as opposed to the Anna's greenish side.

 

Rufous Hummingbirds are also smaller than Anna's.

 

So, I ended up getting 5 more species today for my May list, to bring it to 106.  The Western Tanager brings my year total to 244 species.

 

 

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

 

Yost Park in Edmonds was my first destination today.  I walked through the park and played various bird songs on my phone.  I saw very little, and for a long time, I saw nothing for my lists.  One of the species that was easy in the winter but now seems to have disappeared is Pacific Wren.  The local ones mostly go up into the mountains to breed, I understand, and they are just about gone now.  A few stay over the summer, though, and I had seen a couple of recent reports for Pacific Wren at Yost Park, so I was playing the song in likely looking habitats.  Eventually I had a response and got a good look at a cute little Pacific Wren.  It wouldn't sit still for a picture, and it was too dark in the forest anyway, but I added it to my May list.

 

Soon after that I heard what I thought was a Pileated Woodpecker call.  I wasn't completely sure it wasn't a flicker, so I played a couple of Pileated Woodpecker calls on my phone, just to check.  Yep, it was a Pileated Woodpecker all right, and then I saw one fly in to check me out, presumably as a result of my playing the call.  Here is a female Pileated Woodpecker posing for me.  There wasn't much light, so the picture isn't sharp, but it shows the bird nicely.

 

I continued to walk and play bird calls, and I spotted a Hutton's Vireo that responded.  It wasn't a long look, but I was sure that's what it was.

 

After an hour or more of walking in the park, I gave it up and headed to my next stop, which was Richmond Beach Saltwater Park.  My main target there was California Quail, but there was also the possibility of getting Sanderling (a shorebird) on the beach.  I didn't see any Sanderlings, but on my way back across the bridge over the railroad tracks, a pair of California Quail ventured out of the bushes and onto the tracks.  Here is a distant picture of the male California Quail, an excellent May bird to get locally.  California Quail are only found in a very few places in King county.

 

Here is the female as she crossed one of the tracks.

 

They both crossed three sets of tracks and were standing on the last rail, when a long coal train came chugging up the track.  I watched to see what they would do, and they chose to fly away, up the hillside, as the train got close.  I was lucky to be there just as they came out of the bushes.  They were only visible for 3 or 4 minutes, I'd say, and I watched them the whole time.

 

It was getting on for lunch time by then, so I headed for home.  After lunch I had an errand to run, though, and on my way home I stopped at Juanita Bay Park, just to see if I could find something.  I still need a number of fairly easy species, and the best way to find them is to just spend a lot of time in the field looking.  I was especially hoping to see or hear Belted Kingfisher or Virginia Rail.  I didn't get either one of those on the east boardwalk, though.  I did see one male Wood Duck, and I took some pictures.  The light was wrong, but they came out pretty good, considering.  I couldn't decide which of these next two pictures of the male Wood Duck I liked best, so here are both of them.

 

 

I didn't need that one for my list, nor did I need the Steller's Jays that I saw as I got near the parking lot.  I sat at a table and took pictures of the jays, though, and again I couldn’t decide which picture I liked best, so here are my two best shots of Steller's Jay.

 

 

While I was sitting there taking pictures of the two jays, I noticed some little birds in a nearby tree, and I was able to add Bushtit to my May list.  Bushtits are fairly common, but it's one of those species that you can't really go looking for - you just have to get lucky.  The more time you spend in the field, the more likely you are to see them.

 

I ended up adding 5 more species to my May list today, to bring me to 111 species for May.  I've done pretty well with the winter species that are leaving now, and I've gotten some of the summer visitors, but more are arriving every day.

 

 

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

 

Today I drove up to Tulalip Bay, which is about 40 minutes north of here.  I had two main targets.  I found the first target sitting on the sand bar in the bay - a group of Caspian Terns.  I drove along the west side of the bay, looking for my second target species, which I had seen there 2 or 3 times before.  I didn't see anything the first time by, but on my way back I spotted a male Belted Kingfisher, the species I was looking for.  Here are three pictures of that guy.

 

 

 

I drove around to the east side of the bay, to look at gulls.  I needed 3 or 4 gull species, and most of them have left for the summer now.  There was a Pigeon Guillemot in the harbor, a species I didn't need, but it was so close I took pictures.

 

I didn't see any interesting gulls around the harbor or breakwater, but then I looked at the Caspian Terns that I had seen from the other side.  There were some smaller birds in with them, and they turned out to be Bonaparte's Gulls, a great May bird that I hadn't expected to get.

 

I headed for home, and I stopped at the Everett waterfront, but I didn't see anything else there.  I stopped again at Canyon Park Wetlands in north Bothell.  I was hoping for Green Heron, although I didn't think it was likely.  I thought I might get some pictures, though.  Here is a picture of a female Mallard and her ducklings.

 

Here is a closer shot of some of the ducklings.

 

Some of those ducklings look to me like hybrids.  Mallards hybridize readily with other species and some of the ducklings have dark heads.  There are some male hybrid Mallards in that pond, and I suspect that one of them was the parent of at least some of the ducklings.

 

There was a Spotted Sandpiper there, too.  I sat on a bench to steady myself and took these next two pictures of the Spotted Sandpiper, which I didn't actually need for May.

 

 

There was a pair of Gadwalls there.  They are quite common, but they were in good light and pretty close, so I took their pictures.  Here is the male Gadwall, with his subtle patterns.

 

Here is the female Gadwall.

 

There was also a pair of Canada Geese with some young.  Here are the two Canada Geese and their young goslings.

 

Mallards, like most ducks, leave the raising of the young to the female, but Canada Geese pairs seem to share the responsibility of protecting the young ones.  In both cases, the young ones have to find their own food, right from the start.  Here is a closer shot of one of the parent Canada Geese and the goslings.

 

 

Those young ones have a lot of growing to do before they are able to fly and be on their own.

 

I was heading back to the car when a Green Heron flew by, and I got a good look at it with my binoculars.  So, I had pictures and an excellent species for my May list as well.  Success!

 

My 4 species today for May brought my May list to 115 species.  It's getting harder and harder to find new ones for the list, and it is only the 9th of the month.

 

 

Friday, May 11, 2018

 

I went out birding for a long time today (about 7 hours), and I got lots of pictures, but I only got one species for my May list.

 

I started the day at Marymoor Park, where a group of birders yesterday had seen (or heard) a dozen or so species that I need for May still.  The migrants are finally starting to come back.  I drove along the side of the community garden (referred to as the pea patch), but I didn't see anything.  As I drove away from there, I saw a birding couple that I have birded with several times, Hank and Karen, and I joined them.  We walked through the pea patch to see what we could find.  There was a male finch there, and at the time we all thought it was a Purple Finch, which is a species I need for May.  This afternoon Hank texted me, though, and suggested it was actually a House Finch.  I looked at my pictures, and I could see evidence both ways, but I'm going to call it a House Finch, I guess.  Here are a couple of pictures.

 

 

I'm still not 100% sure which species it was, and therefore I'm not putting it on my May list.  There are two things that are keeping me from calling it a Purple Finch.  It didn't seem to have a reddish wash over its back and wings, and it had streaks under the tail.  Purple Finch should have a reddish wash on the wings, and it should be plain white under the rear end, without the streaks that this bird has.  Other than those two things, everything else about it says Purple Finch to me - forked tail, no brown on the head behind and under the eye (like a male House Finch), and indistinct streaks on the flanks, rather than distinct streaks like a House Finch.

 

There was a male American Goldfinch, and I got this picture.

 

I got my only May bird of the day there.  I had two fleeting views of my first BULLOCK'S ORIOLE of the year, a female.

 

After the pea patch, we went over to the viewing mound at the north end of the East Meadow.  We didn't see anything interesting there, so we walked along the path to the lake, between the East Meadow and the off-leash dog park.  A Savannah Sparrow posed for us along there.

 

We saw several singing Black-headed Grosbeaks, and here is a picture of one of them, singing.

 

Later in the day I saw my first female Black-headed Grosbeak of the year, and I'll show the picture now, for comparison to the male.

 

We didn't see much else on that walk, although we met a birding couple who said that five minutes before we got there, there had been a whole flock of Yellow Warblers, which was one of the species I was especially looking for today.  It's a cliché among birders that you always seem to miss the good birds by the proverbial five minutes.

 

It was lunch time by then.  Hank had a dentist appointment in the afternoon, and I headed up to Tokul Creek to look for American Dipper.  I stopped at Subway on the way and ate my sandwich while driving up there.  I was afraid the water level would be too high because it has been warm and the snow has been melting, but the water level was actually just fine.  No dippers, though.  There was a pair of Common Mergansers, though, and I took pictures from the bridge, giving a different perspective than you usually get with ducks.  Here is my favorite picture of the pair of Common Mergansers.  The male is the one with the black and white on him, and the dark green head..

 

I gave up on the dippers eventually and my next stop was at the house with feeders in Carnation.  There were at least a couple of dozen Band-tailed Pigeons around.  Here is a picture of one of them.

 

Here is a picture of a couple of them.  The one on the left was cooing and was all puffed up, presumably trying to impress the other one, which was presumably a female.  Band-tailed Pigeons courting.

 

Here is a picture of some Band-tailed Pigeons on a fence, where the house owner puts birdseed.

 

Several hummingbirds were coming to a feeder.  I was a little too far away for good pictures, but here is what I got.  This first one is a male Anna's Hummingbird.

 

Here is a hummingbird that I later figured out was a juvenile female Rufous Hummingbird.

 

Here is a juvenile male Rufous Hummingbird.

 

He has more rufous color on him than the female does, but not as much as an adult Rufous Hummingbird.

 

European Starlings kept coming to a suet feeder, and I took these pictures.

 

 

When I got tired of sitting in my car taking pictures, I drove on up to the Stillwater Unit and walked down the trail.  There were other birders at the first bridge, and as I approached they beckoned to me to hurry.  I did, and they pointed out an American Bittern sitting out in the open, in the long grass.

 

There is a Hairy Woodpecker nest hole at that bridge, and the parents were bringing in food for the youngsters.  Here is a picture of the female Hairy Woodpecker at the nest hole.  If you look closely, you can see one of the chicks in the hole.

 

On a later trip to the nest hole, the female went into the nest and she came out with a fecal sac.

 

Young birds usually defecate in little sacs, and the parents then remove them from the nest.  That keeps the nest from becoming a big mess.  This woodpecker it carrying a fecal sac out of the nest.

 

That same dead snag had a Hairy Woodpecker nest last year, a little higher up.  Woodpeckers make a new nest hole each year, rather than reuse old holes.  Other species then use the old holes.  Last year's Hairy Woodpecker nest hole is being used by a pair of European Starlings this year.  Here is a European Starling with a juicy grub or worm for its chicks.

 

A Northern Rough-winged Swallow flew in and perched briefly, and I got this picture.

 

On my way back to my car, I got this picture of a female Brown-headed Cowbird.

 

So, as I said at the start, it was a long day, with lots of pictures, but I only got one new species for May.  That brings me to 116 species for May.  The female Bullock's Oriole was a year-bird, and that gives me 245 species for the year to date.

 

 

Sunday, May 13, 2018

 

No birding for me on Saturday; instead, I stayed home and mowed just about all of our lawn, which is about a four hour job.  I also dug some weeds and rested a few times.

 

Today, Sunday, I went out birding.  I drove out to the Snoqualmie River Valley, going by Skies Lake and Chinook Bend on the way.  I kept my eye on the sky, hoping for Turkey Vulture, but the only large bird I saw overhead was a circling Red-tailed Hawk.  At the Stillwater Unit, I walked down the trail to the first bridge, to check out the Hairy Woodpecker nest that I've been watching.  On the way I saw four juvenile Pied-billed Grebes, with their striped heads.

 

Here is a little closer crop.

 

At the bridge, the woodpeckers were actively bringing food to the young ones in the nest hole.  Here is the female Hairy Woodpecker at the nest hole.

 

You can see one of the chicks in the nest hole.  Here is a male chick looking out of the hole.

 

Here is one of the chicks, just after getting some food from dad.

 

The European Starlings that are using last year's Hairy Woodpecker nest hole were also bringing food to their chicks.  Here is one of the starlings coming out of that hole with a fecal sac.

 

I walked farther down the trail, to the second bridge, and I heard a bird call that was familiar.  It was the "weep" call of a Swainson's Thrush, which I had heard back in late April at Marymoor.  I played some Swainson's Thrush calls and the song, and the bird played hide and seek with me for a while.  I kept getting peek-a-boo views, but finally it perched on a branch for a picture.  The light was poor, but here is a picture of a Swainson's Thrush, an excellent one for my May list.

 

It continued to flirt with me, and I got one more picture worth showing.

 

I headed back toward my car and got this picture of a Brown Creeper, one I didn't need for May.

 

I didn't need Tree Swallow either, but this one was sitting in the sun, so I took its picture.

 

I can't resist blue-colored birds.

 

Back at the woodpecker tree, I took more pictures.  Here is the male Hairy Woodpecker near the nest hole.

 

Here's a picture of one of the chicks begging for more food from dad.

 

I continued up the trail to the car, and on the way I got this picture of a Great Blue Heron standing in an unusual pose.

 

The only thing I can figure is that it is catching some rays - i.e., sunning itself.  I've only seen that behavior once before.

 

Here is a picture of the rear end of a male Bullock's Oriole, just before it flew off, not to be seen again.  I had gotten my first Bullock's Oriole the other day at Marymoor, but this was the first male one of the year for me.

 

Red-winged Blackbirds were everywhere, sounding off all the time.  One was sitting out in the sun calling repeatedly, so I took these next two pictures of him.

 

 

That was it for the Stillwater Unit, but I felt like going on.  I picked up a ham and cheese sandwich at the Carnation Market and went up to Tokul Creek, to look for American Dipper.  When I first got there, I didn't see any dippers, and I was about to give up when I spotted a bird way upstream.  It turned out to be my first American Dipper of May.  Here is a very distant picture of it.

 

I figure the bird was about 150 yards away.  I couldn't even see it with the naked eye.  Here is a picture of Tokul Creek, looking upstream from the bridge.  The rock the dipper was on is the big one in the middle of the creek, right in the middle of the picture - way upstream.

 

I continue to be amazed with what my little point and shoot camera can do.  The dipper picture is nothing great, but the fact that the bird is even identifiable at that distance is amazing to me.

 

I found a nice place to park in the shade and ate my humble lunch.  After that I drove up to the Duvall area and drove up W. Snoqualmie River Road NE.  I didn't get any more May birds, but I got some pictures.  Here is the Western Kingbird that hangs around the Halal Slaughterhouse.  It was just taking off from its perch on the wire.

 

Here it is a little later, just sitting there posing for me.

 

Western Kingbirds are quite uncommon around here, but this one has been in this same spot for at least three years now.  I already had counted it for May, last week.

 

I checked out the Great Blue Heron nests that I've been watching.  In three of the four nests, the nestlings are now large enough for the parents to leave them on their own.  I guess they are now too big for an eagle to carry them off, or maybe they are big enough to defend themselves.  Two of the nests have three young ones in them, and I'm not sure about the other two nests.  Only one of the nests had an adult standing in it.  Here's a picture of one of the nests, with three rapidly-growing Great Blue Heron nestlings.

 

Here are two of them standing up.

 

That was it for today.  It was a beautiful sunny day, topping out in the low 80's.  Spring is definitely here.  I added two more species to my May list, to bring it to 118 species.  It's getting harder all the time to add new species to May, but I still have several species I should be able to see, with some luck, so I'll keep going out there.  I plan to leave for Malheur, in Central Oregon, a week from tomorrow, the 21st.  It's planned to be a seven day trip.  I expect to add about 40 species to my May list on that trip, but I'll have seven days locally before I leave, and then four more when I get back, to also add to May.

 

 

Monday, May 14, 2018

 

Today I started at Marymoor Park.  I parked in the east dog park parking lot and walked up on the viewing mound.  I was looking for Lazuli Bunting, which had been reported there yesterday.  A male has hung around that area for the last couple of years in the late spring and early summer, so I was hopeful.  No luck today, though.  It's probably just a little early still, eventhough one was seen there yesterday.

 

Next I walked down the path between the East Meadow and the dog park, and then went into the south end of the dog park.  It was pretty warm, and I tried to stay out of the sun as much as I could.  I didn't see anything of interest.

 

I worked my way back out of the dog park and walked farther down the path to the lake.  There were male Black-headed Grosbeaks singing all over the place, and I got this picture of one of them.

 

I didn't need that one, though, nor anything else I saw for a while.  On my way back to the car I did get a brief view of a Downy Woodpecker, though, and that was one I still needed for May.  It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day this morning, but the birds took the day off, as far as I could see.

 

I tried for Lazuli Bunting again at the viewing mound, but again missed it.  I moved on to the Old Red Brick Road, east of Marymoor.  I played Virginia Rail calls at the appropriate places, but got no responses.  I stopped at the Redmond Retention Ponds, just to see what might be three, although there was little I needed that was likely there.  I didn't need Spotted Sandpiper, but I got this picture of one on a post.

 

While I was moving in to get that picture, I saw another small shorebird fly by.  It turned out to be another Spotted Sandpiper, and I got this picture of the second one.

 

As I was leaving, a White-crowned Sparrow flew in and sang to me.

 

That was it for today.  I walked a lot at Marymoor, which was good for me, no doubt, but it wasn't productive in terms of birds.  The Downy Woodpecker brings me to 119 species for May.  I'm still at 245 species for the year.

 

 

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

 

Today I stayed close to home.  I went down to Juanita Bay Park, which is only about 7 minutes away.  I was hoping to find some warblers or other spring migrants.

 

I walked out onto the causeway, playing Virginia Rail calls in several spots.  No responses.  I'm used to easily getting vocal responses from Virginia Rail there, but for the last month or so, I have gotten nothing.  I think it must be a seasonal thing.  I suspect the birds keep silent during breeding season, in an attempt to protect the young ones.

 

There was very little along the causeway.  I saw a couple of Song Sparrows, a chickadee or two, a Red-breasted Sapsucker, and one Common Yellowthroat.  I didn't need any of those, though.  The good news was that I got a good, although brief, look at a male Purple Finch, which was one I needed and was very glad to get.

 

After that I walked over to the west boardwalk and again tried Virginia Rail.  Again, no responses.  There wasn't much there, either, although I did see a sole male Blue-winged Teal in the inner bay.  Blue-winged Teal is uncommon around here, but I had seen it already this month.  Here is a picture of that guy.

 

On my way back to my car, I sat for a while at a table, and I saw a little yellow bird that was probably something I needed, but I couldn't get a good enough look at it to identify it.  It was probably a Wilson's Warbler or a Yellow Warbler, and I need both of them.  Too bad it didn't stick around a little longer.

 

Next I went over to the Fire Station Road, on the east side of the park.  Again, there was very little around.  Also again, I saw a little yellow bird, and again I couldn't get a good enough look at it to identify it.  There were a couple of Cedar Waxwings, though, and that was one I needed for May.  I got this distant picture in poor light of a Cedar Waxwing.

 

I was disappointed with the number of birds I was seeing, but I went on over to the NE 108th St access to the park, on the far east side.  I walked in the woods, but again there wasn't much around.  I did see a couple of California Quail, which was interesting because I had never seen California Quail at Juanita Bay Park before, despite going there many times over the last 20 years.  I got some pictures that are kind of distant, but they are quail, which are cool, and I don't see them often, so here are some pictures of the pair of California Quail.

 

 

They were foraging around on the trail and on both sides, and I kept creeping up on them, taking pictures as I got closer.

 

Unfortunately, a young woman with a dog came along and chased them off the trail before I could get any closer.

 

I had a couple of species for my May list, but I had also missed many species that others have reported recently.  I stopped one more time at Juanita Beach Park, on the north side of the bay, hoping to find a roosting gull that I needed.  No luck.  No gulls at all, and the lake level was so high that there wasn’t much beach for them at the mouth of Juanita Creek, anyway.  I did see an Osprey flying around.  Here is a picture of the Osprey perched in a tree.

 

The Osprey flew out over the lake and I got a picture of it in the air.

 

So, when it was all over, I had added 2 more species to my May list, but it felt like I had missed so much more, based on what others have seen recently.  That puts me at 121 species for May now.

 

 

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

 

I started my birding day today at Wallace Swamp Creek Park in Kenmore.  I was looking for warblers, mainly, and I didn't find any.  It was very quiet, and I soon left there and made my way to Marymoor Park.  My main target there was Lazuli Bunting, near the viewing mound.  I couldn't call one up.  I did get this picture of a male Common Yellowthroat, though.

 

Too bad the eye is blocked.  I walked around a little, and got this picture of a Golden-crowned Sparrow.

 

From the viewing mound, I took these next two pictures of a Violet-green Swallow that perched for me.

 

 

I had nothing for my lists, so I headed over to the Factoria area to pick up my friend, Chris, for our lunch appointment.  After lunch we went to Phantom Lake, as usual.  He immediately could hear a Purple Finch calling repeatedly, but there was so much bird sound that I wasn't sure if I was hearing it or not.  We did spot a finch at the top of a tall tree, in terrible light, but I can't tell the difference between the song of a House Finch and the song of a Purple Finch.  Chris seems to be able to, though.  Anyway, I took a very distant picture of the bird, in the terrible back-light, and this is what I got.

 

Of course, it is a terrible picture, but it does show the markings of a female Purple Finch.  The head markings would be different for House Finch.  I had counted Purple Finch yesterday, although I wasn't 100% sure of my identification, but I took this picture mainly as a test of my camera and a demonstration of its usefulness in identifying birds.  Seeing a Purple Finch today also serves as an "insurance" bird, in case I was wrong yesterday.  When I'm not 100% certain of an identification, but I count it anyway, I always look to see an insurance birds later in that month, if possible.

 

We went on down to the lake and I tried playing Virginia Rail calls, but never got a response.  It was fairly birdy, though, and we were kept busy observing birds.  A flycatcher showed up, and although I wasn't able to get any pictures, and flycatchers are notoriously difficult to identify, I got a good long look at it from the back once, and I'm calling it my first WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE of the year.  We saw little yellow birds a few times, too.  One of them was a male Common Yellowthroat, and the others went unidentified.  Just as we were leaving another little yellow bird showed up, though, and I was able to see that this one was a male YELLOW WARBLER, my first of the year.  I also got this picture of a male Black-headed Grosbeak.

 

With the Western Wood-Pewee and the Yellow Warbler, I'm now at 123 species for May.  Those two new year-species brings me to 247 species for 2018 to date.  I don't know what to go looking for tomorrow; there are fewer and fewer birds to look for as I add to my totals.   I don't expect to add very many more, if any, before I leave for central Oregon on Monday morning.

 

 

Thursday, May 17, 2018

 

Today I went back up to Yost Park in Edmonds, despite the fact I had gotten nothing there the other day.  I was hoping for warblers, and there were four warbler species I needed that had been reported there recently, as well as Warbling Vireo.  My Achilles tendon has had a bit of a relapse, and I wore my carbon fiber brace today.  It worked well, and I was even able to drive with it by loosening the straps.  Walking at the park hurt my back a little, but my heel felt good.  Actually, walking doesn't hurt my back, but standing does, and much of birding involves standing.

 

I walked up and down the main path, choosing not to venture down onto the trails into the canyon.  I played various bird calls, but had no responses.  I was on my way back to my car when I approached the tree where I had seen a Black-throated Gray Warbler three weeks ago.  I looked up at the tree and was just thinking that this was right where I had seen that bird, when I noticed a little bird in the leaves.  It turned out to be a female Black-throated Gray Warbler, which I needed for May, in exactly the same place I had seen a male three weeks ago!  I only got one picture, and it is lousy, but here it is.  The male has a black throat, but the female doesn't.

 

Seeing that one gave me new energy, and I stuck around a little longer.  I was rewarded with good views of an Orange-crowned Warbler, another one I needed for May.  That was excellent, getting two species for my May list like that.  I really hadn't expected to get anything today.

 

I had some time, so I went down to the waterfront.  First I stopped at Edmonds Marsh, but there weren't any shorebirds at all there.  Marsh Wrens were singing constantly, but I couldn’t get one to perch up for me for a picture.  There were also a couple of Song Sparrows around, begging to have their pictures taken, so here is a Song Sparrow singing.

 

A bird flew in and landed on a post, and it was a bit of a mystery.  Here it is.

 

I decided it was a female Brown-headed Cowbird.  The little peak at the back of its head was due to the wind.  The head was very light colored, but I think that it was a cowbird.

 

I heard a Common Yellowthroat singing, and I played its song.  That got it going, and it never quit singing for the next fifteen or twenty minutes that I was there.  Here is the male Common Yellowthroat.

 

Here he is again, singing away.

 

I gave up trying to get a picture of a Marsh Wren, and went over to Sunset Avenue, overlooking the ferry terminal.  The tide was very low today, and it was odd to see the ferry lower than the dock.

 

Normally cars go up a ramp onto the ferry, but today they were going down the ramp to the ferry.  There were dozens of school children out there on the beach, enjoying a field trip, no doubt, to look for tidal creatures.

 

There were a couple of Caspian Terns on the beach, but I had gotten that species last week up at Tulalip Bay and Everett.

 

I was checking out the gulls, since my main reason for going there was the hope of seeing one of the gulls I needed for May.  By golly, one of them was different, and I ended up deciding it was a third year California Gull, after consulting my field guide.  California Gulls take four years to reach full maturity, and each year until then they have a different plumage.  The main tipoff for me was the size.  It was clearly smaller than the many Glaucous-winged Gulls on the beach.  I hadn't expected to see that one for May, but now I have it.

 

So, when all was said and done, I had added 3 more species to my May list, which really surprised me.  I now have 126 species for May.  Maybe I can add one or two more before I head off to Oregon on Monday.

 

 

Friday, May 18, 2018

 

Today I only had a short time for birding, and I went down to Juanita Bay Park and walked around for about an hour and a half, looking mainly for Virginia Rail, Wilson's Warbler, and Warbling Vireo.  I never saw or heard any of them, or anything else I needed.  I got a few pictures, though.

 

Here is a female Wood Duck.

 

Here is the more colorful male Wood Duck.

 

I was at the end of the east boardwalk, and they swam by, giving me a somewhat different perspective on them, looking down.  Here is the pair of Wood Ducks.

 

Here is a female Red-winged Blackbird.

 

To finish off the pictures for today, here is a male Red-winged Blackbird calling.

 

That's it for today.  No new species today, so I'm still at 126 species for May and 247 for the year.

 

 

Saturday, May 19, 2018

 

This morning I went down to Juanita Bay Park again.  I was looking for the same birds as yesterday.  Today I started with the west boardwalk, where I hadn't gone yesterday.  I played Virginia Rail calls a few times, but got no responses.  I played them some more, though, after a few minutes, and eventually I got a response!  Virginia Rail!  I knew they were there, but they just haven't been responding this month.  In this case, the bird responded a number of times, but it was in a very dense thicket, and I never could get a glimpse of it.  Nonetheless, it went onto my list as a "heard only" bird.

 

I walked around some more, including going out on the east boardwalk.  I was looking for a couple of warblers or a Warbling Vireo.  I didn't get a sniff of anything, though, and I didn't get any bird pictures.  I did see a wedding party that was obviously in the park for photos, and I got these two pictures of them.

 

 

That was it for today.  One more species for May, to bring me to 127 species.  On Monday I plan to head toward central Oregon, with a stop in central Washington on the way.  It’s unlikely I'll get anything else tomorrow, but on Monday I should add some birds to my May list.

 

 

Sunday, May 20, 2018

 

Today I went over to Marymoor Park to look for Lazuli Bunting, Willow Flycatcher, or a couple of other species.  I didn't find any of them, but I got some pictures to share.

 

Here are a couple of Tree Swallows sitting on a nest box post.

 

Over at the slough, there was a female Common Merganser with 16 chicks.

 

Sixteen seemed like a whole lot to me.  Here is a close-up of some of the cute little chicks.

 

I walked downriver and listened and looked for Willow Flycatcher, but didn't see or hear any.  I walked back upriver and saw the Merganser family again.  This time there was second female merganser hanging around, and whenever she would move toward the chicks, the first one would chase her off.  Here they both are, with the first one keeping guard on the chicks as they fed.

 

From time to time the first one would make a run at the second one and chase her off.

 

They moved across the slough, with the one female keeping a close guard on the chicks and not letting the second one get close to them.  I noticed that they were moving downstream toward a Great Blue Heron, and I wondered if the heron would like a cute little chick for a snack.  Evidently the mom had the same idea, and she confronted the heron with an aggressive attack. 

 

Here is a picture taken just after the mom lunged at the heron.

 

After that, she gathered the chicks and moved away from the Great Blue Heron.

 

That is the second female merganser on the right, still hanging around.  The mom merganser had total control over the chicks, and they stayed very close to her as they swam away from the heron.

 

There were a couple of other female Common Mergansers hanging around, too, and a male.  Here is the male Common Merganser.

 

I wonder what the story was with the two females.  Sixteen chicks seems like a very high number, and I wonder if two broods were joined together, and the second female was actually the mom of some of them.  All sixteen chicks certainly seemed to consider the first female to be their mother, whatever was going on.  Between defending the chicks from the second female and the Great Blue Heron, the mom merganser didn't have any time to feed - she was on defense all the time.  I wonder how many of the chicks will survive to adulthood.

 

I needed to get going, so I don't know how it all played out.  There was a Spotted Sandpiper on the edge of the slough as I walked back toward my car.

 

 

There was also a Killdeer nearby.

 

That was it for me today.  No birds for my lists.  I have 127 species for May and 247 species for the year now.  Tomorrow I plan to head over the mountains, on my way to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Central Oregon, to meet my friend, Fred, and his Golden Retriever, Tugboat, for four full days of birding around Malheur.  I plan to take two days to get there, stopping in Pasco tomorrow night.  Tomorrow I hope to add another 8 or 10 species to my May list in Eastern Washington - species that don’t come over here to the west side of the Cascades, or are less common here.

 

 

Monday, May 21, 2018

 

Last night I wrote that I hoped to add 8 or 10 species to my May list today, but after reviewing my possibilities in my mind, I raised that goal to 15 species today for May.  There are a lot of species on the east side of the mountains that don’t generally come over to the west side.  Not all of them are back from their winter migration yet, but most of them are.

 

I had to skip some of the good birding sites because I had miles to make today, and my first stop was at the Railroad Ponds in Cle Elum.  My main target there was Pygmy Nuthatch, and I had seen a nest hole in April.  Today the nest hole had no activity, so I figured the young ones must have already fledged.  While I was watching it, though, I saw a pair of Western Bluebirds that seemed to have a nest in a neighboring tree.  That was my first May species of the day.

 

I played the song of House Wren, because I had seen them there before, and I needed it for May.  A House Wren responded by singing back to me, and I eventually tracked it down for this picture.

 

Another bird happened by, too, and I realized it was my first CASSIN’S FINCH of the year.  It sang back to me, but I couldn’t lure it down for a picture.  I had the idea of playing Pygmy Nuthatch calls, and a couple of birds flew in to the nest tree.  I think they were recent fledglings, and they recognized the call and were looking for food.  Here are a couple of pictures of Pygmy Nuthatches (a May bird), and I think they are fledglings, meaning they had recently left the nest.

 

 

After that I moved on.  At Ballard Hill Road, I saw my first of several Black-billed Magpies along the road, an expected May species.  I had my first Western Kingbirds of the day there, too, but I didn’t need that one for May.  They are uncommon on the west side of the Cascades, but I had seen one out near Duvall this month.

 

There were Western Meadowlarks singing all over the place, so that one went on my May list.  Later I saw them in several places, and here are a couple of pictures of a Western Meadowlark.

 

 

Here is a male Western Bluebird.

 

I saw a small hawk circling up in the sky, and I decided it was a Sharp-shinned Hawk, an outstanding May bird.  The size and the lack of white feathers on the flanks is what made me call it a Sharp-shinned Hawk, rather than a Cooper’s Hawk.  I stopped at Swauk Cemetery and drove down Swauk Prairie Road, but didn’t add anything new there.  I stopped at my Mountain Chickadee spot on the way back to the highway, and was able to call in a cute little Mountain Chickadee for my May list, but I couldn’t get a picture.

 

Next I drove down Bettas Road.  I was hoping for Chipping Sparrow, but I didn’t find that one.  I did get a Say’s Phoebe and an American Kestrel for my May list, though.  I stopped at my Vesper Sparrow spot on Hayward Road, and I played its song.  I didn’t get any response, and I was ready to give up and was actually back in the car when I saw a sparrow-like bird fly in.  It turned out to be my Vesper Sparrow for May.  Here are a couple of pictures.

 

 

That was a great one to get.  I don’t see them very often.

 

There is a bluebird nest box across the road from that spot, and when I was there in April, there were a couple of Mountain Bluebirds around.  I didn’t see any sign of them today, until I was again in the car, ready to leave.  Then a female Mountain Bluebird flew in and hung around the nest box for pictures.  Here is a side view of my first May Mountain Bluebird, a female.

 

Here is a front view of her.

 

A little later I got this picture of a male Mountain Bluebird, not her mate.

 

I’m partial to blue colored birds, and the color of a male Mountain Bluebird seems just about perfect to me.

 

I drove on down Hayward Road to Highway 10 because I have seen another species along that stretch in the past.  In the same place I have seen them before, there were at least two Horned Larks, another excellent May bird.  Here is a Horned Lark.

 

That was species number 13 for May today, and it wasn’t even lunch time yet.  Well, maybe it was lunch time technically, but I hadn’t had my lunch yet, although it was about 1:00 by then.

 

I drove on in to Ellensburg, stopping at the site I had read about for BANK SWALLOWS, and I added that species to my year list.  I gassed up my car and got a Subway sandwich and went on.   I headed East as I ate my sandwich, and got off the freeway at Kittitas and drove along Parke Creek Road.  I was looking for Yellow-headed Blackbird, and I got it at the usual pond.

 

I’ll see lots of those this week in Oregon, but now it is on my May list.  There was also a male Cinnamon Teal on that little pond, one I didn’t need for May, but a species that always deserves a picture.

 

I drove out the Old Vantage Highway and stopped at the Wild Horse Wind Farm, at my trusted spot for sage species.  I discovered this spot last year or the year before, and it has always come through for me.  It took a while today, but eventually I got all three sage species, with pictures.  All were good May birds.  Here is a Sage Thrasher.

 

Here is a picture of a Sagebrush Sparrow (formerly called Sage Sparrow).

 

Those two species are pretty easy.  They both fly in and perch up for pictures, while singing back to me.  The third species is more of a skulker.  It approaches slowly, and only really shows itself after a while.  Here are a couple of pictures of a Brewer’s Sparrow, after it finally decided to show itself.

 

 

I drove on down to the Columbia River, watching for Loggerhead Shrike or Chukar, but didn’t see either of those two excellent species.

 

As I neared the river, I turned down Recreation Road.  I pulled over at the first canyon because I had read about a species that someone had seen there on Saturday that I needed for May.  By golly, there it was, too, at the top of a tree, just posing for a picture.  Here is a Lark Sparrow, which is a pretty uncommon bird for this area.

 

It wasn’t even on my list, but there it was, right out in the open.  I didn’t even have to get out of the car.

 

I went on down the road to the end, and I saw a bird on a piece of machinery at one point.  I didn’t know what it was, but I shot a quick picture, and it turned out to be a Rock Wren, a species I was planning to look for there because I needed it for May.

 

As I watched, another bird flew in and displaced the Rock Wren.  It was a Say’s Phoebe, which I had counted earlier in the day.

 

I moved on down the road and played Rock Wren songs, in an attempt to lure one in for a better picture, but I never saw another one after that first one.  As I drove out of there, I spotted a pair of California Quail, which I didn’t need, but I always like to get pictures of quail.  I chased them up the road in my car, but I couldn’t manage to get a picture.  Finally I got this one, which isn’t great, but it does show the pair of California Quail.

 

That was it for me today.  I hit the road and made it to Pasco, WA, where I’m spending the night, by about 5:15.  I would have been here 10 minutes earlier, but I hit rush hour in Richland.  Who knew that Richland, WA, had a rush hour?

 

The day was very successful in terms of birds.  I exceeded my revised target of 15 species for my May list, and I got 20 species today, to bring me to 147 species for May.  Two of those were new for the year, and that gives me 249 species this year.

 

Tomorrow I have another five hours to drive to get to Burns, Oregon, where I plan to meet my old friend, Fred, and his Golden Retriever, Tugboat.  We plan to do four days of birding around Burns, which includes the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.  I should have time to do a little birding tomorrow, but not much.  I’m on the road again.

 

 

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

 

Today was mostly a travel day, but I had a little extra time.  I stopped to eat my Subway sandwich at a rest area in Oregon, and while I was eating, a couple of CHIPPING SPARROWS dropped by.  Here is a picture of my first Chipping Sparrow of the year.

 

I went back to my lunch and a little later I heard a bird calling, and while looking for it I saw another bird.  It turned out to be a CASSIN’S VIREO, a great bird for my year list.  I verified the identification by playing its song.  It sang back, but I couldn’t get it to come down for a picture.

 

I got back on the road again, and after a while I saw my first Turkey Vulture of May.  I was surprised that I hadn’t seen one yesterday.

 

As I got close to my destination, Burns, OR, I had some extra time, so I stopped at a couple of campgrounds just north of Burns.  At Joaquin Miller campground, I played some bird calls, but didn’t attract the ones I was looking for.  I saw a male Mountain Bluebird, though, and while approaching it for a picture, I saw a small bird.  It turned out to be a Red-breasted Nuthatch, which I didn’t need, but then I noticed another small bird, and this one was a White-breasted Nuthatch, an excellent May bird.  Here are a couple of pictures of the White-breasted Nuthatch.

 

 

While I was chasing the nuthatch around, I managed one picture of the male Mountain Bluebird.

 

There was also a Steller’s Jay in the area, and I got this picture.

 

I moved on to Idlewild Campground.  It was really quiet there.  I saw one Chipping Sparrow and nothing else until I was ready to leave.  As I went around one last time, I spotted a flycatcher next to the road.  I was able to get one picture.

 

I decided it was a GRAY FLYCATCHER, my first of the year.  I’m not totally sure of the ID, but I’m calling it Gray Flycatcher, mainly on the strength of the whitish borders to the outer tail feathers, as well as the bill color and the wings.

 

I pulled into the motel where Fred and I plan to stay for the next five nights at about 4:45.  As I got out of the car, though, I spotted a hawk on a pole.  I jumped back in the car and went back and checked it out.  Here are a couple of pictures of my first SWAINSON’S HAWK of the year.

 

 

So, even though it was a travel day and I drove for over five hours, I managed to add 6 more species to my May list, to bring it to153 species now.  Four of those were new for the year, too, to give me 253 for the year.

 

Tomorrow the real birding starts, as Fred and I (and Tugboat) try to get as many species as we can in four days.

 

 

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

 

My birding list started today before we even left for our day of birding.  I picked up FRANKLIN’S GULL for my year list and Long-billed Curlew for my May list while waiting for Fred to get ready to leave.  We set out just before 9, and our first real stop was the Burns Sewage Treatment Ponds.  This year the mosquitoes weren’t as bad as last year, and we picked up a lot of ducks and other water birds from the fairgrounds vantage point.  For me, I added Ruddy Duck, Eared Grebe, and Ring-billed Gull to my May list and WILSON’S PHALAROPE to my year list (which means to my May list as well, since if I hadn’t seen one yet this year, I obviously hadn’t seen one in May).  Here is a pair of Wilson’s Phalaropes – the female is the colorful one in this species.

 

Phalaropes are shorebirds, although you almost always see them swimming, not on the shore.

 

We moved on to Hotchkiss Lane and I added Wilson’s Snipe and to my May list.  Here is a picture of a Wilson’s Snipe.

 

We also saw our first of many White-faced Ibis of the day there, and that was another May bird for me.

 

I’m not even bothering to list all the birds we saw today, because there were so many.  It was very birdy at times.

 

Next we headed on down the highway to Malheur – about 30 miles.  There were a lot of birds on the way, though.  Here is a Long-billed Curlew in the grass – a bird I had counted for my May list this morning at the motel, flying around over the neighboring field.

 

There were BLACK TERNS at the pond by the power substation, an excellent year bird.  We knew of a nest in a tree near the road, and we stopped and got pictures of the FERRUGINOUS HAWK nest.  I think there might have been five small white downy chicks in the nest.  Here is a picture of three of them.

 

You can just sort of see a fourth one on the right, behind some branches.  Then a fourth one on the left popped up.

 

Then another bird moved, and I thought it was an adult.  I took pictures, and now I think it was a much older nestling, with feathers on its wings already.  Here is a picture of that one.

 

I don’t think that one is an adult.  For one thing, an adult’s bill is black.  The head still looks rather downy, too.  I don’t understand it, but it would appear that there is at least one chick that is weeks older than the 4 or 5 little ones.  Maybe only one chick survived from the first brood, and the adults tried again, getting 4 or 5 more the second time.  I don’t know, but it was interesting.

 

We went on to the headquarters at Malheur, adding birds to our day’s list as we went.  At the headquarters area, we saw a recently fledged Great Horned Owl, an excellent May bird for me.  Here is that fuzzy little guy.  It could fly, but only clumsily.

 

 

I understand there were three fledglings, and they are all hanging around the headquarters area now, being fed by the adults.  Here is one of the adult Great Horned Owls.

 

There were some Pine Siskins at a feeder, not a bird I needed, but I got some pictures.

 

Here is a close-up of a Pine Siskin showing its wings.

 

Here is a BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD, a good year-bird for me.

 

We saw Western Tanagers and Bullock’s Orioles, not ones I needed, but good birds to see.  I also got my first WARBLING VIREO of the year there.  There were a couple of Cedar Waxwings in a tree, another one I didn’t need, but I managed to get a picture I like of that striking species.

 

The usual Yellow-headed Blackbirds were monopolizing the seed feeders and the ground under them.  Here is a picture of two male Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

 

Here’s a picture that shows the white wing patches on a male Yellow-headed Blackbird.

 

We must have seen well over 100 male Yellow-headed Blackbirds today, but I don’t think I ever saw a female.  They migrate, and maybe the females just aren’t here yet.  In many species, the males migrate ahead of the females.  According to eBird, the males have been here for a couple of months now, though, so maybe the females are all tending to their nests, out of sight.

 

By that time it was about 1:00, and we had 60 species on our list for the day.  We had all the easy ones, though, and it remained to be seen how many more we could see.  We have done this same trip four times before, and our lowest total the first day was 57 and the highest was 75.  We had four hours to try to add to today’s total, although we also had a lot of driving to do, to get back to Burns.

 

We drove down to Buena Vista Ponds, where we had hopes for several species.  Dark clouds had been gathering, though, and the rain started just as we got to where we wanted to look for birds.  The rain interfered with our plans, but we drove on through it, not getting any new birds.  We headed out toward the tiny hamlet of Diamond (population 5 their sign says, but there are farms in the area, too).  The rain stopped and we found a pond with both American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts.  I needed the stilt for May, and both species added to our day total.

 

There were Barn Swallows at every culvert, and I got this picture of one.

 

We got a Great Egret in a field, and that one went onto my May list as well as our day list.  Later there were three of them there, when we came back that way.  Here is one of the Great Egrets.

 

We saw some Willets flying over a field, and that was another May bird for me, as well as one for our day list.  Along that stretch we saw what was the bird of the day for me, a male BOBOLINK sitting on a post right next to the road.  It even stuck around for pictures.

 

 

Bobolinks are quite uncommon in the west – they are a Midwest bird, I think, and they migrate to and from Brazil and Argentina each year.  The males just arrived back here in the last week.  I have never seen a female Bobolink, but they look completely different.  The camera always overexposes the yellow on the back of the male Bobolink’s head.  In reality, it is a golden yellow color.

 

We headed back toward Burns at that point, by a kind of circuitous route.  We stopped at the Round Barn, a historic old barn we always visit.  As in past years, there was a Common Raven nest in the barn.  Here is a Common Raven calling as Fred was in the barn.

 

A little later I got this picture of one of the several Swainson’s Hawks we saw today.

 

Earlier in the day, Fred had seen a Sage Thrasher, but I hadn’t seen it.  We both have to see (or hear) a bird to count it, so I wanted to see a Sage Thrasher so we could add it to our list.  In a good sage habitat, Fred saw a bird flying, so we stopped and I played the Sage Thrasher song.  A bird popped up and went onto our list.  I also got a picture of that Sage Thrasher, a bird I had seen on Monday for my May list.

 

Our route back to Burns was along a highway that birders call “raptor alley” because of all the raptors along there.  It was actually kind of slow today – we never did see either Golden Eagle or Prairie Falcon, birds we saw multiples of last year there.  We did add American Kestrel and Bald Eagle to our day list, at least.  There were Red-tailed Hawks, Swainson’s Hawks, and Northern Harriers, too.  There had been black clouds and rain all around us all afternoon, and it finally caught up with us on that stretch of highway.  Our last interesting bird came when the rain was just bucketing down.  We turned around and went back for it, and I took some pictures out of the window in the driving rain.

 

 

 

After looking at these pictures and my field guide, I think it was a Ferruginous Hawk, a bird I haven’t seen very many times.  That’s the species that had the nest we were looking at in the morning, with the fuzzy white chicks in it.  My only problem with calling it a Ferruginous Hawk is that it is supposed to have feathers on its legs, and this bird doesn’t.  Everything else looks good for Ferruginous Hawk, though.  I wish it hadn’t been raining; we would have stuck around and gotten pictures of it from the front.

 

As we got back to Burns, the rain stopped and it was a nice evening, actually.  Fred was able to grill our dinner on his small patio – sausages, asparagus, and potatoes on the grill, with broccoli cooked in the microwave for me.

 

It was a big day of birding for us.  We were out there about 8 hours, although that included a stop at Safeway when we got back to town.  We ended up with 72 species for Day 1 of our trip.  That is the second highest of our totals for Day 1, second only to the 75 we got in 2015.  This was the first time we have had rain in the daytime here, and that hurt us today, for sure.

 

As for me, I added 17 species to my May list, to bring it to 170 species.  Seven of those were new for 2018 for me, and now I have 260 species for the year.

 

Tomorrow the numbers will be a lot lower, because now we have gotten the easiest ones, but we’ll see what we can find.

 

 

Thursday, May 24, 2018

 

While we were getting ready to leave this morning, I spotted a Black-crowned Night-Heron across the road from our motel.  I set up the scope on it, but it flew before Fred could see it, so we couldn’t count it for our Malheur trip list.  I did get it for my May list, though.

 

Today we went up into the mountains north of Burns.  Usually we save that until later in our trip, but the weather forecast doesn’t look good for tomorrow or Saturday morning, so we did it today.  First we went to Joaquin Miller campground.  It was very quiet, and all we got was Steller’s Jay for our trip list.  I had nothing for my May list.

 

Next we backtracked to Idlewild campground.  It was very quiet there, too, and it took a long time to get a trip bird.  Finally we saw a couple of House Finches, of all things.  Then, as we made out way back to the car, we saw three birds all at once.  Two of them were on the ground, and they turned out to be a Dark-eyed Junco and a Chipping Sparrow.  I didn’t need either one of them, but they both were welcome additions to our Malheur trip list.  The third bird was a flycatcher.  We had a couple of glimpses of it, but it was one of a family of flycatchers that are very similar.  I was actually able to get a couple of pictures of it, even though it was deep in a bush.

 

 

We decided it was a HAMMOND’S FLYCATCHER, based on several things.  The most important thing was that the lower mandible of the bill was completely dark.  Hammond’s Flycatcher is the only member of the family that meets that criterion.  The other things were consistent with Hammond’s, too.  I had seen another member of the same family there on Monday, but that bird had an orange lower bill, and I had decided that one was a Gray Flycatcher.

 

We drove up on the hill within the campground and stopped to see if we could call in a bird or two.  We had no luck with playback, but we heard a repetitive “pick” call.  We tracked it down to a woodpecker that was at a hole, only about 4 or 5 feet off the ground.  It turned out to an almost-lifer for me, a female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER.  I think I have only seen that species once or twice before.  It is a pretty rare bird.  Here are a couple of pictures of the female Black-backed Woodpecker at what I presume was a nest hole.

 

 

She kept sticking her head into the hole, and from time to time would enter the hole and then back out again.  Here she is going into or out of the hole.

 

We watched her for 10 or 15 minutes, and she was still at the hole, making her “pick” calls and sticking her head into the hole, when we left.

 

After that we had to move on.  We didn’t get many species in the mountains, but the quality was excellent.  We missed White-headed Woodpecker, which we usually have seen there.  That’s an excellent species, but nothing like as rare as Black-backed Woodpecker.  We missed 3 or 4 other species we usually see there, too.

 

Because of the weather forecast and the rain we had yesterday, we went south via “raptor alley” today, retracing our tracks from yesterday afternoon.  The weather was great today, but the birds were not.  All we had were about 8 or 10 Red-tailed Hawks until we were almost at the end of “raptor alley”.  Just as we were about to turn off to Malheur, there was a nice sized bird on one of the poles, and we got one of our target birds, PRAIRIE FALCON.  We turned around and went back for a look at it.  It flew and we were able to get excellent looks at it in the air, and then it landed again.  We got a little closer, and I got this picture of today’s Prairie Falcon.

 

We drove on through the Lava Beds area to Diamond Road, and then over to Highway 205.  We went south to the road to Krumbo Reservoir and drove out there.  As usual, we saw very little there, maybe adding one or two birds to our Malheur trip list.

 

We backtracked to the Center Patrol Road and went down to Benson Pond.  We had our first Yellow Warblers of the trip along that stretch.  I had seen that one at home last week, though, so it didn’t add to my May list.  At Benson Pond we got a couple more for our trip list, and a couple of women pointed out a flycatcher to us, asking for identification help.  Well, it was a strange one, if you ask me.  Here are three pictures of it.

 

 

 

The head shape was strange, and it was very greenish-yellowish.  The lower mandible of the bill was all bright orange, though, and based on that and other things, we decided eventually to call it a WILLOW FLYCATCHER, a bird I see at home, but this was my first of the year.

 

[5/25/18 – Correction – I decided it was actually a very light-colored female Western Tanager, not a flycatcher at all.  I saw one today, and it wasn’t quite as light-colored, so I looked it up.  If I had ever seen the bill from the side, rather than only from underneath, I might have recognized it.  Anyway, I took Willow Flycatcher off my May and year lists, and we removed it from our Malheur trip list.]

 

While I was shooting pictures of the flycatcher, I got this picture of a Song Sparrow, a bird we needed for our trip list.

 

We drove a little farther south along the gravel Center Patrol Road (also called Central Patrol Road in some publications.  I use the two names interchangeably, because I don’t know which is actually correct).  We usually see a particular flycatcher along that stretch, and today was no exception.  Here is my first EASTERN KINGBIRD of the year.

 

Here is another picture that shows the white tip of its tail.

 

Most of the swans that winter there have left for the far north, but there were 2 or 3 Trumpeter Swans around still, and that was an excellent one for my May list, as they had all left Skagit county before May started this year.  Here is one of the Trumpeter Swans from today.

 

I spotted a male Ruddy Duck displaying, and I got a distant picture of him because he was so colorful, with his blue bill.

 

It was getting late by then, and we were far from home, so we turned back north and boogied.  We did stop at the overlook of the Buena Vista Ponds, mainly to try for Rock Wren for our trip list.  I played the song, and a Rock Wren popped up and sang back to us for quite a while.  Here is a distant picture of the Rock Wren singing to us.

 

Here is a picture of the Buena Vista Ponds from the overlook, which is up on a cliff high above the level of the ponds.

 

After that we headed up Highway 205 back to Burns and didn’t see anything else.  I added 7 species to my May list, to bring it to 177 now.  Five of those were new for the year, so now I have 265 species for the year.

 

We added 17 more species to our Malheur trip list today, to give us 89 species after two days.  That is second only to the 92 species we had in the first two days in 2015, our best year so far.  89 in two days is good, especially considering yesterday’s rain.  The forecast for tomorrow is not good, so it is going to be very tough to get a good overall total this year, but we’ll see what we can do.

 

 

Friday, May 25, 2018

 

First a correction - I decided that the bird I called a Willow Flycatcher yesterday was actually a very light-colored female Western Tanager, not a flycatcher at all.  I saw one today, and it wasn’t quite as light-colored, so I looked it up.  If I had ever seen the bill from the side, rather than only from underneath, I might have recognized it.  Anyway, I took Willow Flycatcher off my May and year lists, and we removed it from our Malheur trip list.

 

There were conflicting weather forecasts this morning, but it ended up being much nicer than what I had expected last night.  Before we even left the motel I got this picture of a hawk that seemed to be drying its wings.  We had had a lot of rain overnight.

 

I guess it is the neighborhood Swainson’s Hawk that hangs around here, but I can’t see enough of it to rule out Red-tailed Hawk for sure.  It was interesting to see it sunning itself, anyway.

 

We started off by heading south to the Malheur Headquarters, but we stopped at the pond by the power substation on Highway 205.  There was a single Snow Goose snoozing on the bank, and that was an excellent one for my May list.  The vast majority of Snow Geese are in the far north now, for the summer months.

 

Next we detoured at Ruh-Red Road and drove for a few miles along the unpaved road, mostly looking for Burrowing Owls.  We didn’t find any Burrowing Owls, but we did see 3 Horned Larks for our Malheur trip list.  As I was taking a picture of one of the Horned Larks, it took off, and I got this interesting picture of a Horned Lark flying right at me.

 

After the Ruh-Red Road detour, we drove around the little trailer park at the junction of the road to the Headquarters, and as we drove off, we saw a COMMON NIGHTHAWK sitting on a wire, just sleeping away the day.  The bird was right out in the open, waiting for nightfall, so it could hunt for bugs again.  Here is the Common Nighthawk, an excellent year-bird for me.

 

We finally got to HQ about 11:00.  We walked around and got a few more birds for our Malheur trip list, and I took some pictures.  Here is a female Yellow Warbler calling.

 

There was a pair of California Quail that was competing with the cowbirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds for seeds under one set of feeders, and I got this picture of the pair of California Quail.

 

Both of us were able to get onto a male Wilson’s Warbler, and that was a good one for my May list and our Malheur list.  We sat at a table and I ate my Subway sandwich while Fred had some cherries and a soft drink.  When we had gotten there, people told us about a rare migrant that had been seen, and we watched for it.  First I saw it, when Fred happened to be off at the rest room, but then when he got back we both got a quick look at the rare (for here) GRAY CATBIRD.  It was rare enough that it wasn’t even on the list of Harney county birds we use.  This was the first report of one this year.  Last year they were only seen a couple of times.

 

At about the same time, a thrush appeared.  I thought it was a Hermit Thrush, which would have been a year-bird for me.  Later I got some pictures, though, and it turned out to be a Swainson’s Thrush, not one I needed for May, but a great one for our Malheur list.  Here are a couple of pictures of the Swainson’s Thrush.

 

 

At one point we saw a bird that looked very familiar.  This was the female Western Tanager that made me realize I had been wrong about the Willow Flycatcher yesterday.  Here are two pictures of today’s female Western Tanager.

 

 

That view is very similar to the view I had of the bird yesterday that I mistakenly thought was a Willow Flycatcher.

 

We saw some flycatchers today, but they are difficult to identify.  Here is one that I think was a Western Wood-Pewee.

 

Here is a distant picture of a flycatcher that I suspect was an Olive-sided Flycatcher, although the pattern on the breast isn’t exactly right.  I’m calling it an unknown flycatcher.

 

Eventually we left the headquarters area and drove along Harney Road, which is a dirt road opposite the road to the HQ.  We found our main target species there, a lovely Loggerhead Shrike, which I needed for May.  It even posed for a picture.

 

Farther down the road, Fred noticed a falcon flying, and we stopped to take a look.  It turned out to be a pair of Prairie Falcons, and they seemed to have a nest in a crack in the sheer cliff next to the road.  Here is one of the Prairie Falcons at the nest.

 

Here is one of the Prairie Falcons perched on a post at the top of the cliff.

 

On the way back to the highway, we stopped at one point because we saw something, and I played the song of Brewer’s Sparrow.  I had seen one on my way here earlier in the week, but we needed it for our Malheur list.  A couple of them immediately flew in and cavorted around in the bushes and on a fence wire.  Here is a Brewer’s Sparrow very close.

 

It was still fairly early, but the rain clouds were approaching from the south.  We decided to go back north, through Burns, where we are staying, and go up into the mountains to try for birds we had missed a couple of days ago. 

 

On the way we had to go past the Ferruginous Hawk nest that I showed pictures of the other day, and we stopped for more pictures.  This time an adult Ferruginous Hawk was on the nest, and all you could see of the chicks was a blur of white downy feathers.

 

Here is a closer view.

 

The adult flew off and landed on a nearby pole, and I got a front view picture of the Ferruginous Hawk.

 

After that we went on up to the mountain campgrounds.  We managed to hear a TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE at Joaquin Miller campground, but that was all we got.  I wish we could have seen it, but we both agreed that we heard it singing back to us, multiple times.

 

We didn’t get anything at Idlewild campground, and it was getting really dark from the thunderclouds that were moving in.  We stopped by the nest hole of the Black-backed Woodpecker that we had seen the other day, and today I got a picture of the male Black-backed Woodpecker sticking his head out of the nest hole.

 

By then the rain was close, so we hopped in the car and drove on down to town.  The rain started, the wind blew hard, and the thunder rolled.  It had held off until about 4:30, so we got in our birding today without a problem from the weather.

 

I only added 6 more species to my May list today, and after subtracting one for taking Willow Flycatcher off the May list, I’m now at 182 species for May.  I added 3 to my year list, but again after subtracting one for yesterday’s Willow Flycatcher, I’m now at 267 species for the year.

 

We added 16 more species to our Malheur trip list today, and after subtracting the Willow flycatcher from that list, it is now at 104 species.  That is actually our highest total for our first three days of the trip, but in 2015 we had an outstanding fourth day, and I don’t know if we can match that this year.  We will see.  If the weather cooperates tomorrow, we will visit some places we haven’t been yet this year, so maybe we will get lucky.  Our 2015 total was 118 species, so we will need 14 additional species tomorrow to match that.  That’s unlikely to happen, but we will give it a shot.

 

 

Saturday, May 26, 2018

 

Today was the last day of our trip, and we hadn’t been down to the south end of Malheur NWR yet.  We headed that way (60 miles south), but on the way we drove down Potter Swamp Road, which we hadn’t ever done before.  It turned out to be an excellent habitat and we saw some good birds.  Of course, since it was our fourth day and we already had 104 species, it was difficult to find anything new.  We had three target species that had been seen there in the last couple of days – Green-winged Teal, Sandhill Crane, and Burrowing Owl.  We found one of them, Sandhill Crane, which I also needed for May.  We had a good view of them in the distance, but when we drove closer, they had disappeared.  It was great to finally see that species, though, because it is one of the iconic species of Malheur in the spring, and we were feeling bad that we hadn’t seen any yet.  I got this picture of a Willet on a post along that road.

 

After that we drove pretty much straight to the tiny community of Frenchglen, which is at the southern end of Malheur.  We walked around there a little, and we saw a couple of flycatchers.  One was a very dark Western Pewee, and the other was a Gray Flycatcher, one I had seen on Tuesday on my way here, but a great one for our trip list.  Here is a picture of the Gray Flycatcher.

 

It is a member of the empid family of flycatchers, which are notoriously difficult to identify, but this bird repeatedly pumped its tail up and down, which is a key characteristic of Gray Flycatcher.

 

Next we drove over to Page Springs campground.  On the way there was a Wilson’s Snipe on a sign post.

 

At the south end of Malheur one of the commonly seen birds is Yellow Warbler.  Here is one.

 

We stopped on the entrance road to Page Springs campground and played the song of a bird we had seen there before.  It took a while, but eventually we heard a response from a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, a species I had especially wanted to see on this trip.  We eventually saw one, but I never got a picture.

 

We went into the campground and parked near the entrance, where we had seen a couple of rail species in the past.  As we got out of the car, we saw a Sora walk across the road.  We had counted it earlier when we heard one, but now we saw one, too.  On the other side of the road, we managed a couple of quick looks at a Virginia Rail, a species we needed for our list.

 

We didn’t find any birds for our list in the campground, and I ate the first half of my lunch there.  We moved on, and as we left the campground and crossed the river, we spotted a Common Merganser in the river, an unexpected species that we needed for our list.  At P Ranch we parked and walked a little along the river trail.  We picked up WILLOW FLYCATCHER there, my first one of the year.  It was distant, and it is one of that empid family that is so difficult to identify, but it has a characteristic call, and we heard it call several times.  On that same walk there was a little group of Cedar Waxwings, and I got this picture of one.

 

After our walk, we drove up the Center Patrol Road.  We added Savannah Sparrow to our trip list about then.  Then there was a male Bobolink on a fence post, right next to the road.  We didn’t need it, but Bobolink is a great bird, and I got a picture of it.

 

Farther up the road there were three Bullock’s Orioles, two males and a female.  Here is one of the males.

 

I also got a good picture of a Western Wood-Pewee.

 

Here is a male Cinnamon Teal in the afternoon sun.

 

We had been looking for pheasants for the entire trip, and finally today we saw three male RING-NECKED PHEASANTS, my first of the year.

 

Back on the main road, we headed for Headquarters to see if we could find anything else.  On the way, there were two Sandhill Cranes fairly close to the road, and I got some pictures of them.

 

 

I don’t know if they had a family or not.  The grass was too deep to see any chicks, if there were any.

 

By the time we got to Headquarters, it was after 4:00, but we walked around a little.  Here is a male Bullock’s Oriole in the sun.

 

Here is a female Black-chinned Hummingbird.

 

We saw another of the empid flycatchers – the ones so difficult to identify.  Here are three pictures of it.

 

 

 

Based mostly on the color of the lower mandible of the bill, I’m calling it a Dusky Flycatcher, our fourth empid flycatcher of the trip.  It was an excellent one for my May list, too.

 

We headed for home then, only stopping once, at the Ferruginous Hawk nest to check it out.  One of the adults was on the nest, and you could see a couple of the white, downy chicks.

 

Here is a picture of the tree itself.  It stands in the middle of an empty landscape, all by itself.  It isn’t a very big tree for such a big nest.

 

So, that was it for our Malheur trip this year.  In four days of birding, we saw (or heard) 114 species.  That is second only to 2015, when we got 118.  In 2013 we only got 100, in 2014 we got 104, and in 2017 we got only 100 again.  This year we had the worst weather we have ever had – our first rain and a lot of wind on a couple of days.  The wind here was really fierce last night.  There was lots of damage all around town, with trees down and buildings and signs damaged.  Some parts of town lost power, and some places didn’t have internet access this morning.

 

I added 5 more species today, to bring me to 187 species for the month of May.  Three of those were year-birds for me, to bring me to 270 species for the year.

 

Tomorrow I have an 8-plus hour drive home, and I’m hoping the holiday traffic won’t add too much to that.

 

 

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

 

On Sunday I drove home from Burns, Oregon, in 8 hours and 2 minutes.  No birding.

 

Yesterday, Monday, I went out birding in the morning for a while.  I went up to the Duvall area, hoping to find a Lazuli Bunting, but I didn't see anything interesting or get any pictures.

 

This morning I went up to the Three Forks Natural Area, near the town of Snoqualmie.  I parked at the Mount Si Golf Club and walked on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, next to the Three Forks Off-Leash Dog Park.  It was pretty quiet at first, but then I heard a Swainson's Thrush doing its "weep" call.  I played its song and it flew in and sang back to me.  It flitted back and forth across the trail, peeking out at me from the bushes.  Here are a couple of pictures of the Swainson's Thrush, which I didn't need for May.

 

 

I continued down the trail, playing the song of my target species.  Eventually I heard a response, and it sounded to me like my bird.  I was pretty sure it was my target species, and eventually it showed itself and removed all doubt.  Here are three pictures of a RED-EYED VIREO.

 

 

 

That was a great one to get.  It was not only my first Red-eyed Vireo of 2018, it was the first one I had seen since 2014.

 

While I was taking pictures of the very active Red-eyed Vireo, a Cedar Waxwing showed up briefly, and I got one quick picture.

 

The vireo kept on singing.  Once most vireos start singing, they have a tendency to keep it up for a long time.  Another bird was singing, too, and I got this picture of a male Black-headed Grosbeak.

 

I walked back to my car and saw a male Rufous Hummingbird on the way.  Here is the male Rufous Hummingbird.

 

I decided to take the long way home so I could stop at Tokul Creek to see if I could get a picture of American Dipper.  I already had that one this month, but pictures of dippers are always welcome.  I found one right away today.  It was pretty active, flying around and feeding.  Here is an odd picture of an American Dipper, looking down on it from the bridge.

 

Here's a more conventional picture.

 

Here it is with its head underwater, looking for food.

 

I stopped once more on the way home, at the house in Carnation with the feeders.  There were almost no birds around, but I did get this picture of a Eurasian Collared-Dove.

 

Adding Red-eyed Vireo to my May list brought it to 188 species.  It was also a year-bird, and now I have 270 species for the year.  I had reported 270 species for the year on Saturday night, but I discovered later that I had already seen Prairie Falcon in January, up in Skagit county, so it was actually only 269 species on Saturday night.  Now it is 270.

 

I probably won't get any more species this month, but there are one or two I can look for, so you never know.

 

 

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

 

Against all odds, I actually have a report to make today.  Before I get into that, though, I need to make a correction.  Back on May 3, I saw a Golden-crowned Kinglet at Wallace Swamp Creek Park, and I even had pictures in my report that day.  Somehow I overlooked putting it in my little notebook, though, and therefore it didn't get into my spreadsheet or my report totals for the month.  I noticed it last night, so I'm adding one more species to my May total as a result.  Going into today, I had 189 species for May.

 

Today I went over to Marymoor Park, mainly to look for Lazuli Bunting.  They are uncommon in this area, but they have been seen at Marymoor for the last couple of years, including this year, near the viewing mound, which is north of the East Meadow.  I had hoped to see the species at Malheur, but we missed it this year.

 

I went to the viewing mound and played the song, but got no response.  I kept trying, and in between playing the Lazuli Bunting songs, I looked around.  There were swallows overhead, and then I noticed that some of them were swifts.  There are two swift species here, and I had one of them already this month (Vaux's Swift) and I didn't have the other one (Black Swift).  They look pretty much the same overhead, although Black Swift is much larger than Vaux's Swift.  I thought at least one of them looked like a Black Swift, but eventually I decided that I just couldn't be sure enough to count it, so I didn't.

 

At one point I saw a small bird sitting on a stalk of grass, and I thought it looked like a female LAZULI BUNTING.  Eventually I decided it was indeed a female Lazuli Bunting but I had to come home and look at some pictures on Google Images before I was willing to count it.  I can't think of anything else it could have been, so I'm counting it.  The only issue with it was that the belly area was very light-colored.  Most of the female Lazuli Bunting pictures I found show a uniform color underneath, but some of them show the pattern I saw.  It took off before I could get a picture, unfortunately, and I couldn’t attract it back.

 

I had lunch with my friend, Chris, and afterwards we went to Phantom Lake, as usual.  Chris spotted a flycatcher at the top of a dead snag, and my first impression was Western Wood-Pewee, which I didn't need for May.  It was a very dark one, though, and I managed to get a couple of pictures.  Here is the best one.

 

After consulting my field guide and the picture, I decided it was actually an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, an excellent month and year-bird.  The overall shape and the light color of the belly were the deciding factors.  It was also perched at the top of the tree, which is characteristic of Olive-sided Flycatcher.  In addition to that, there are a couple of reports on eBird of that species in just that location, this month.

 

So, I managed to add two more species to my May total, to make it 191 species now.  They were both new for the year, too, to make it 272 species for the year.  I probably won't even go out birding tomorrow, since I can't think of anything new to look for.  June starts on Friday, and then the species count starts all over again.

 

 

Thursday, May 31, 2018

 

And now for something completely different.

 

I didn't go out birding today, mainly because there just wasn't anything to look for that I needed for May.  Instead of a normal report of today's birding, since there wasn't any, I'm going to offer up a Blast From The Past.

 

Cuckoos and cowbirds have one thing in common.  They both lay their eggs in the nests of other species.  The "host" species sits on the cuckoo or cowbird egg, along with their own eggs, and they don't seem to notice any difference, even though the eggs usually look completely different.  When the eggs hatch, the cowbird or cuckoo chick pushes the other chicks out of the nest.  That leaves the cowbird or cuckoo, and the parents don’t seem to notice.  They go ahead and feed the young cowbird or cuckoo until it fledges.  Once it fledges, they continue to feed it until it is old enough to fend for itself.

 

On my 2013 trip to Australia I saw a fledgling Pallid Cuckoo being fed by a Singing Honeyeater.  (This is where the Blast From The Past comes in.)  I was struck by how much larger the cuckoo was than the honeyeater.  I got some pictures, and here are a couple of them.  In this first one, the poor little Singing Honeyeater (on the left) seems afraid of the larger Pallid Cuckoo, but it was feeding it.

 

Here they are again, with the honeyeater keeping its distance.

 

The young cuckoo was squawking to be fed, and the honeyeater was foraging around finding food for it.

 

That's it.  I just wanted to share those pictures and that information about cuckoos and cowbirds.

 

Tomorrow June starts, and I plan to go out and start a June list, God Willing And The Creeks Don't Rise.