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Sunday, September 1, 2019
It's a new month and a new list. I started my September list off with American Crow, Steller's Jay, and Feral Pigeon before I even got dressed this morning. My first birding stop this morning was Marymoor Park. I added Canada Goose easily enough and drove to the viewing mound. I soon added House Finch, Lincoln's Sparrow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Common Yellowthroat, and this immature White-crowned Sparrow to my August list.
After that I drove along the community gardens, looking for the pheasant that hangs out there. I didn't find the pheasant, but I got Song Sparrow and Black-capped Chickadee for my list. Next I walked along the slough, but there wasn't much there. I did add Cooper's Hawk, an excellent species I don't get every month. Here are two shots of the juvenile Cooper's Hawk, across the slough.
A Belted Kingfisher flew down the slough, so that one went on to my list, too. As I drove out of the park, one of the juvenile Ospreys was at the nest, so that was one more. I drove to the Redmond Retention Ponds and got some ducks - Mallard, Green-winged Teal, and Northern Pintail. Here is a Northern Pintail.
There was one Greater Yellowlegs feeding in the shallows.
Here's one of the several Killdeer that were around the edges of the main pond.
I headed for home then, except I stopped off at Juanita Bay Park and walked up the fire station road. I saw a flock of Bushtits and heard a Northern Flicker calling. I got this picture of a Black-capped Chickadee.
I got another excellent bird then, Warbling Vireo, one I don't see often. Normally I have to use playback to get that one, but I spotted this one without it. There were some juvenile Common Yellowthroats flitting around. Here is a juvenile male Common Yellowthroat.
This is a juvenile female Common Yellowthroat, I think.
Finally, I spotted a bird high up in a tree, and I decided it was an Orange-crowned Warbler, another excellent bird. I didn't get a large number of birds today, but I got some excellent ones that I might not see again this month, especially since so many species will be migrating soon.
I started the month off with 24 species. 16 of those were repeaters.
Monday, September 2, 2019
I started my birding today where I left off yesterday, at the fire station road at Juanita Bay Park. I had forgotten yesterday to walk to the end of the road and play calls for Virginia Rail and Marsh Wren, where I got them last month. On the way, I saw a Downy Woodpecker, a couple of Dark-eyed Juncos, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch - all for my September list. A little farther along the road, where I had seen an Orange-crowned Warbler yesterday, I got Yellow Warbler today. That was an excellent September bird, since they are on their way south now. At the end of the road, I got a response from a Virginia Rail, but not from Marsh Wren. There was a Great Blue Heron there also, and on the way back to my car, I got Anna's Hummingbird. I sure do see a lot of birds along that short little road.
Next I went over to the main part of the park. Next to the parking lot, I managed to call in a Brown Creeper and then a couple of Golden-crowned Kinglets, both good ones for September. I walked out on the east boardwalk and heard a bird calling at one point. I thought I recognized the call, and I was right, it was a Pacific Slope Flycatcher. That is a bird I don't see very often, and I was pleased to be able to identify it by its call. They are heading south now on migration, so it was great to get it. Here are a couple of pictures of the Pacific-slope Flycatcher.
It was flitting around, and while trying to get pictures of it, I saw a Wilson's Warbler, another great species that is moving south now for the winter. At the end of the boardwalk, I got this picture of a female Mallard. I like the way the blue patch on the wing shows so well. Usually it is covered with other feathers.
I had that one yesterday, but today I added Wood Duck, Gadwall, Pied-billed Grebe, and American Coot to my September list. On the way back to the car, I saw a single Cedar Waxwing for my list, too.
That was it for my morning, and I went home for lunch. I don't usually go out again when I go home for lunch, but today I broke precedent and went over to the Snoqualmie Valley after lunch, mainly hoping for swallows, most of which have already left for the winter. I didn't see any swallows or any other birds of any interest while driving across the valley. At the house with feeders in Carnation, I picked up Eurasian Collared-Dove and AmericanGoldfinch for my September list. Here is an American Goldfinch.
There were Band-tailed Pigeons in the trees behind the house, and here are a couple of pictures of a couple of them.
I didn't need House Finch, but this male posed in an interesting pose, so I shot it.
I also took this picture of an American Crow in challenging light.
There was nothing else going on there, so I moved on up the road to the Stillwater Access to the Snoqualmie Valley Wildlife Area. I walked on the trail, and it was very quiet. Eventually I did see two or three Black-headed Grosbeaks, though, and that was good because they also have started to migrate south. Here are three pictures of a juvenile male Black-headed Grosbeak.
I played Swainson's Thrush calls, and attracted one. It was very skittish and I only got glimpses of it, so no pictures. That is still another species I wanted to get today because they have also started their migration south.
I drove up to Duvall and went up W. Snoqualmie River Rd NE. Right away I saw some Barn Swallows on a wire, and also a couple of European Starlings, so those two went on my September list. I also got Red-tailed Hawk for my list, and got these two interesting pictures of the Red-tailed Hawk.
I added American Robin and Turkey Vulture as I drove up the road. At the end of the road near the dairy, I added House Sparrow. There were a lot of Barn Swallows on wires there, too, so I took pictures of them.
I looked through the Barn Swallows and found one juvenile Violet-green Swallow, which is still another species that has mostly already left on migration already. Here is the juvenile Violet-green Swallow.
After that I hustled home because it was getting to be time for my drinkies. I got some excellent birds today - many of which will be leaving our area very soon. I have a list of species that will be leaving our area in September, and I'm concentrating on those at the beginning of the month. There are 27 species on that list of birds leaving this month, and I have 11 of those species already in two days.
I added 28 more species to my September list today, and now I have a total of 52 this month. Of those 28 species I got today, 20 of them were repeaters. Now I have 36 repeaters this month.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Today I had an appointment in Everett to get a new CPAP mask, and at the last minute, a lunch appointment in Everett developed as well. In between those two appointments, I went down to the Everett waterfront on Gardner Bay, near the public boat launch. I checked out the Osprey nest I have been watching there, and two of the three fledgling Ospreys were on the nest, so I guess the parents are still feeding them at the nest.
I only had 15 minutes there, but I added three gull species to my September list. Here is a California Gull.
Yellowish legs, red and black on the bill, and medium size - California Gull. The dark shading on the head indicates winter plumage.
Here is a Ring-billed Gull.
Fairly small size, yellow legs, yellow eye, and the black ring around its bill near the end - Ring-billed Gull. It also has some shading on its head for the winter.
Here is a Ring-billed Gull and a California Gull, showing the size comparison.
Both of those gulls have black wing tips, and this next picture is a Glaucous-winged Gull, which has pink legs and wing tips the same gray color as the wings. It is also larger than the other two.
I went to lunch, and after lunch I went back down to the boat launch area. All three of the juvenile Ospreys were in the nest at that point, and the one on the left was eating a fish.
I watched them for a while, hoping a parent would come back with another fish, but that didn't happen. I moved around to the North View parking area and scoped the bay. The tide was out quite a bit, but I couldn't find any shorebirds. Most of the shorebirds have already moved through here on their migration south, although a few are reportedly still coming through. I hope to get up to Skagit county this week, and maybe I can see some shorebirds up there.
While looking around the bay from the North View parking area, I spotted the rare (for this area) Great Egret that has been hanging around. I've only seen two reports recently, so I was very pleased to find it. It was very far away, but I took some very distant pictures, and this was the best one of the rare Great Egret.
Considering the distance, I'm pleased with that picture.
So, I had a rarity, and I decided to go over to the Everett Sewage Ponds to look for ducks. I soon added Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, and Lesser Scaup to my September list. There was a single Horned Grebe, too, so that one went on my list. All of those are common, and I'll see more of them this month, but then I spotted a male Redhead, and that one is not common at all. It was a great September bird, and a big surprise. No one else has reported it yet. In fact, there are no reports on eBird at all of Redhead in the first week of September in Snohomish county - ever. In other September weeks, they have been reported on only about 0.2% of all lists in the county for each week. The Redhead was very distant, and normally I wouldn't even attempt a picture, but since it was such a good bird, I took some pictures anyway, and here are the two best ones of the very distant male Redhead.
So, I had a rarity and a very uncommon bird today, along with some of the usual suspects. I added 10 more species to my September list, and now I have 62 species this month. 6 of those 10 species were repeaters, and now I have 42 repeaters this month. The Great Egret was new for Snohomish county this year, and now I have 132 species in Snohomish county in 2019.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Today I went up to Skagit county, which is about 50 miles north of home. My first stop was at Hayton Reserve, hoping to see some shorebirds. The tide was high, which is what I wanted, but there were very few birds, and only a handful of shorebirds. Another birder there pointed out a distant Black-bellied Plover to me, so that one went on my list, anyway. There was a Bald Eagle sitting on the nest tree, so that was another one for my list. On my way out, I looked up the freshwater slough and saw a distant Short-billed Dowitcher, and that was a good one to get.
I backtracked to Wylie Slough, and the tide was too high there still. There were some shorebirds roosting, though, and I added Long-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs.
The bird in the back with the slightly drooping long bill is a Long-billed Dowitcher. I already had Greater Yellowlegs, and there are a couple of those in that picture - the large birds with yellow legs. There is a Lesser Yellowlegs with its head tucked in, right in front of the Long-billed Dowitcher. Here is another view of those shorebirds, after they shifted around a bit.
Here is what I think was a Lesser Yellowlegs on its own.
One of the species I was hoping to see was Cinnamon Teal. The females are pretty nondescript, but I thought I saw one. Then she started preening, and I could see the light blue color on her wing, so I knew this was a female Cinnamon Teal.
I spotted a small hawk on the top of a distant snag, and I looked at it with my scope. I decided it was a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a great species to get, since I hadn't seen one since March. I was setting up to try an extremely distant picture of it when another birder I had been talking to earlier said he had a Wilson's Snipe, one I needed. I got this picture of the Wilson's Snipe.
By the time I was finished taking pictures of the snipe, the Sharp-shinned Hawk had flown off. I wanted pictures because the differences between Cooper's Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk are subtle. I had seen the head very well in my scope, though, and the forehead angled steeply into the bill, forming a little notch where the forehead met the bill. The head was rounded, too, not flat, like a Cooper's Hawk.
I couldn't find Black Phoebe, so I moved on. I added Red-winged Blackbird and Savannah Sparrow while driving to Valentine Road. I stopped at the house on the corner with feeders and eventually got the two species I needed there - Purple Finch and Mourning Dove. It took a while, though, and I took pictures while I waited, of course. Here is a Eurasian Collared-Dove preening in a tree.
Here is the Mourning Dove I eventually got.
Here are a couple of American Goldfinches with sunflower seeds.
Here is a female House Finch.
I used to have trouble distinguishing female House Finches from female Purple Finches, but I have learned to tell them apart. Here is a female Purple Finch, which is the one I needed today.
Female Purple Finches have markings on their faces, and the streaks on their breast are broader. This particular one has less obvious facial markings than most, but they are there.
I moved up Valentine Road to the house with the big suet feeder, hoping for a Hairy Woodpecker. The only woodpeckers I saw were Downy Woodpeckers, though. Here is a male Downy Woodpecker, shot through the wire fence and with one of the plastic flamingoes looking on.
I think that Red-breasted Nuthatches are quite photogenic, and here are two shots of one.
I like this picture I got of a Chestnut-backed Chickadee.
While I was there I saw some other birds, coming in to the birdbath, and one of them was an Orange-crowned Warbler, a new one for me for Skagit county since I started keeping county records in 2012.
I had brought my lunch from home, and I ate it as I drove to my next stop, which was the tidal oxbow lake at the end of Channel Drive, on the Swinomish Channel. The tide was much too high, though, and there weren't any shorebirds there. I did pick up Brewer's Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird on my way there, though, both for September.
I had time, so I decided to go up to the Samish Flats. I had three target species up there - American Kestrel, Common Raven, and Northern Harrier. On the way, there was a Red-tailed Hawk sitting on a sign next to me while I was waiting for a light to change, and I took this picture of it.
Red-tailed Hawks have a very wide variation of plumages, and this one was kind of unusual. It was showing me its red tail, though, to make the identification easy.
Up on the Samish Flats, I drove down dead-end Sullivan Road. I saw a couple of American Kestrels there, and that was an excellent one to get so early in the month. Last month I didn't get kestrel until I drove over the mountains on the last day of the month. Here is a female American Kestrel.
I continued to what birders call the West 90, and on the way I saw a Common Raven, and that was target number 2. One more to go. I drove to the edge of Samish Island, looking for harriers, but didn't see one there. I was leaving the area when I finally saw a Northern Harrier at the turn just north of what birders call the East 90. It was a brief look, but I saw the white rump patch clearly.
I drove through the town of Edison, looking for a Merlin, because I used to see one there. Not today, or any time recently, actually. I checked out Smith Road for shorebirds, but nothing there, either. I headed toward home and stopped once more at Wylie Slough to look for Black Phoebe or anything else. I didn't find anything else, but I did see a Black Phoebe, so that repeater went into my notebook.
It didn't seem like a very birdy day, but I did get most of what I was looking for, and the Sharp-shinned Hawk was an excellent bonus. I added 18 species to my September list, and now I have 80 species this month. Last year I finished September with 130 species, so that is my goal this year. Coincidentally, I had 80 species after September 4 last year, too, so I'm right on track.
I had 11 repeaters today, and now I have 53 repeaters, species I have recorded in each of the first 9 months of this year. With the Orange-crowned Warbler, my life list for Skagit county is now 160 species. Sharp-shinned Hawk was new for Skagit county this year, and with the Orange-crowned Warbler as well, I now have 136 species in Skagit county in 2019.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Yesterday a Solitary Sandpiper had been reported at the Redmond Retention Ponds, so I went over there this morning to look for it. I was pleased to find that it had stuck around, and it went on to my September list. Solitary Sandpiper is quite uncommon around here, and it's late in their migration season now, so I hadn't expected to find one this month. Here is the Solitary Sandpiper.
There was a single Greater Yellowlegs around, too - probably the same one that has been there for a week or more.
There were Killdeer around, as usual, and I got this picture of a Killdeer and the Solitary Sandpiper for a size comparison.
The Solitary Sandpiper is a little smaller than the Killdeer, and here is a picture showing how much larger Greater Yellowlegs is than Killdeer.
Finally, to complete the size comparison shots, here is a picture of the large Greater Yellowlegs and the small Solitary Sandpiper.
As I was leaving, I looked around one more time, and I spotted a Least Sandpiper, a species I still needed for September. Here are two pictures of that very small shorebird, with its yellowish legs.
After that I drove down to look for Purple Martins at the nest boxes in the northeast corner of Lake Sammamish. That's my reliable place to get Purple Martin, but it was too late in the season, I guess, because there weren't any around. I will have one more chance to get Purple Martin tomorrow, when I plan to go over to Whidbey Island with my brother. There are nest boxes at the west end of Crockett Lake, and maybe there will still be a few around there.
I drove into Marymoor Park and looked at the geese, hoping to find the Greater White-fronted Goose that has been seen there, but I didn't see it. I drove along the north edge of the community gardens in the hopes of seeing the pheasant that has been seen there, but I missed on that one, too. I parked and walked along the slough, watching for a Green Heron, but I struck out still again on that one. I did get lucky at the weir, though, and found a late Spotted Sandpiper that hadn't migrated yet. That was another one I thought I was going to probably miss this month, so I was happy to get it. Here is the little Spotted Sandpiper.
At one point on that walk along the slough, I was sitting on a bench in the shade and spotted a Yellow Warbler in a bush. I had seen that excellent species on Monday on the fire station road at Juanita Bay Park, but I got a picture today. I think this is a juvenile Yellow Warbler.
I didn't get anything else there, so I drove around to the rowing club access, on the west side of the slough. I looked for Green Heron there, but again didn't see one. I did get these two pictures of a male Wood Duck in eclipse plumage.
I had gotten Wood Duck at Juanita Bay Park this month, but I hadn't seen a Spotted Towhee yet, and I got one of those on the way back to the car. I also got a great, though brief, binocular look at a Black-throated Gray Warbler, an excellent September bird. They are on their way south for the winter, and soon they will all be gone from around here.
On my way home, I swung by Costco. In the summer, there are usually Brewer's Blackbirds hanging around the food court area, which opens to the outside. I needed Brewer's Blackbird for my Five Mile Radius list. I didn't see any on my first pass, but I went around again, and saw a female Brewer's Blackbird for my 5MR list
I went several places today, and I didn't get very many species for my lists, but some of them were quite good ones. I added 5 species to my September list and now I have 85. Spotted Towhee was a repeater, and now I have 54 repeaters this month so far. Brewer's Blackbird brings my 5MR list to 106 species - species found within 5 miles of home.
Tomorrow I plan to go over to Whidbey Island with my brother, who is in town, visiting from Los Angeles.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Today my brother, Rick, and I went over to Whidbey Island. We got there by the northern route, over the Deception Pass bridge, and our first stop was in Skagit county at Hayton Reserve. The tide was mostly out, and there were a lot of Western Sandpipers feeding in the mud. That was one of my target species of the day, so it went on my list.
Our next stop was Rosario Beach, just north of Whidbey Island. I was hoping for Black Oystercatcher there, but didn't find one. I did add Heermann's Gull, Common Murre, and Pelagic Cormorant there, anyway.
After that we crossed the bridge and stopped at Deception Pass State Park, again looking for Black Oystercatcher. Again, we missed that one and I didn’t get anything else I needed there. We moved on to the west coast of Whidbey Island, stopping at four different places. I saw Surf Scoters, a group of Harlequin Ducks, several Common Loons, a couple of Red-necked Grebes, a pair of Marbled Murrelets, a single male White-winged Scoter, a single Pigeon Guillemot, and some Double-crested Cormorants. Those were all ones I needed for September. It sounds like a lot of birds, but there weren't very many of any of them. Most of those species are winter species in that area, and they are just now coming back from migration. There will be a lot more of them in a few weeks.
We had lunch at one stop, and moved on to the Keystone ferry landing. I added Brant's Cormorant there. On Crockett Lake there were a dozen or so American White Pelicans, so that one went on my list. I hadn't gotten any pictures at all until then, because all the birds were far away, out on the water. At the east end of Crockett Lake, there was an Osprey sitting on a log eating a fish. Here is my first picture of the day, of the Osprey and its meal.
Our last stop was Deer Lagoon. We walked out on the trail and heard a California Quail call loudly several times, so that excellent one went on my list. I also saw some Yellow-rumped Warblers there, another good one for my list. That was a species I had wanted to get in August, but never found any. There were dozens of American White Pelicans at Deer Lagoon, and I got this picture of one group of them.
Here is a picture of the freshwater side of Deer Lagoon. The pelicans were in the middle of this picture.
Our day was just about over by then, and we drove to the ferry back to the mainland. I got this picture of some Surf Scoters and a gull, while were waiting for the ferry.
A Great Blue Heron was sitting near the ferry pilings, too.
On the ferry crossing to Mukilteo, I saw five Western Grebes, an excellent September bird.
There weren't really very many birds today, but there was a pretty good variety, despite the low numbers. It was my first day of September that I spent on saltwater, and I ended up getting 17 more species for September, to give me 102 species now. Things are really going to slow down now. I got 5 more repeaters today, too, and now I have 59 repeaters this month. Rick and I had an excellent day, with wonderful weather and great scenery.
Saturday, September 7, 2019
On Saturday I went up to the Edmonds area. At Deer Creek Park in Woodway I walked farther into the woods than I had ever gone before, and I was rewarded by seeing a Pacific Wren, an excellent one for my September list.
On the waterfront I didn't see much, but I did see at least two juvenile Rhinoceros Auklets, another excellent September bird. Those two species brought me to 104 species for September.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
I didn't do any birding on Sunday, mainly due to the weather. On Monday I went down to Juanita Bay Park and walked the fire station road, but I didn't get any birds and no pictures.
Today, Tuesday, I went over to West Seattle to the Charles Richey Sr. Viewpoint, looking for shorebirds. I thought I had four Sanderlings, which would have been outstanding, but when I looked at my pictures, I decided they were actually Western Sandpipers, one I needed for my 2019 King county list, but not for my September list. Here are two of the Western Sandpipers.
The one on the right is quite a bit larger than the other one, but I think they are both Western Sandpipers. Here is another shot of them.
Here is a picture of the smaller one, showing a lot of red on its back, which is one of the things that makes me think they were Western Sandpipers rather than Sanderlings.
There were three Harlequin Ducks along the shore. Here is one of them.
I already had that one this month, but Harlequin Duck is a good bird.
I found a group of "rockpipers", shorebirds that feed on rocky shores. Here is a Surfbird, an excellent one for my September list.
Here is another picture of the Surfbird.
There were 4 or 5 Black Turnstones, another one for my September list. Here are two pictures of Black Turnstones.
I finally spotted the rarity (for this area), a Ruddy Turnstone, another excellent September bird.
So, it was great to get all three rockpipers. Now I have 107 species in September. The Western Sandpipers were new for my 2019 King county list, and now I have 150 species in King county this year.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
It's getting very difficult to decide where to go birding these days. For one thing, I already have enough birds this month that it's hard to find ones to go look for. Many of the ones I don't have yet are species that you can't really go looking for specifically, but you just need to be out there anywhere, and you could come across them. For a second thing, there are 6 or 8 (or maybe more) species that will be fairly easy by the end of the month, but they are just now starting to come back from their summer migration.
Anyway,
today I went up to Edmonds. At the Edmonds Marsh, I wasn’t able to call up a
Marsh Wren with playback, but I got this picture of a Song Sparrow.
Here is the Song Sparrow singing away.
I tried at Marina Beach and then on Sunset Avenue. There are 5 or 6 saltwater species that will be returning soon, but I got none of them today. I did see some distant American Wigeons, one of those species that has just started to return. I needed that for September still.
I drove to Ocean Avenue, but the only thing there were three Horned Grebes, a species I already had this month. Here is a Horned Grebe that is still partially in breeding plumage.
Here are two Horned Grebes, and the one on the right and farther away has transitioned to winter plumage.
The time when birds are transitioning from one plumage to another is always interesting, and sometimes difficult. I thought these three birds were Red-necked Grebes at first, until I saw my pictures.
After that I went over to Yost Memorial Park. I tried for several species but all I got was one call that I'm going to say was a Pileated Woodpecker. I'm not 100% certain it wasn't a Northern Flicker, but I'm going to count it as a Pileated Woodpecker, which is one I needed for September. I heard a couple of calls here in our yard the other day, and they might also have been from a Pileated Woodpecker, but I decided not to count that one. Today it seemed right for Pileated Woodpecker.
I saw a Cooper's Hawk at Yost Memorial Park, and that was a first for Snohomish county for me this year. My only picture is too poor to show, mainly due the low light level in the woods.
My two September species (American Wigeon and Pileated Woodpecker) bring me to 109 species for September. The Cooper's Hawk brings me to 133 species in Snohomish county this year. I have now seen Cooper's Hawk in all three counties I'm keeping track of this year (King, Snohomish, and Skagit). In 2019, I have 150 species in King county, 133 species in Snohomish county, and 136 species in Skagit county. I have counted 97 species in each of the three counties this year.
Friday the 13th, September 2019
Today I had a last minute lunch appointment up in Everett, and I went by the Everett Sewage Ponds on the way. I couldn't find any of the ducks I still need this month - at least three species of duck should be back by the end of the month, but not yet.
I drove on to the east end of the access road and spotted a bird in a tree in the distance. It was too far away for identification with binoculars, but it looked interesting. I took a few pictures, although it seemed ridiculously far away for pictures, and then I got out my scope to look at it. Just as I got it in view, it flew off, before I could even focus on it. I watched it with binoculars, but it flew off to the east, eventually out of sight. Fortunately, my trusty camera got good enough pictures to make the identification. Here is a very distant picture of a Merlin, a great September bird.
I'm quite surprised how good that picture came out, considering the distance and lighting. It was only the second time this year I have seen a Merlin, and the other time was at a nest site I had been told about. It was not only my first Merlin in Snohomish county this year, it was the first Merlin I have ever recorded in Snohomish county. I remember seeing one in Everett last year, but I guess I didn't put it in my notebook or spreadsheet.
After lunch I headed home, but as I approached my offramp, I decided to go on up to Tokul Creek, between Fall City and Snoqualmie, in the foothills of the Cascades, to look for American Dipper. It was sprinkling lightly when I got there, but I got out and looked up and down the creek. I didn't see anything at first, either upriver or downriver, but then I spotted an American Dipper way up the creek, maybe 150 yards away. Here is a full frame view of Tokul Creek, looking upriver from the bridge, in unzoomed wide angle mode.
Here is a partially zoomed shot, again full frame.
Here is another full frame shot with even more zoom.
Here is a full frame shot at full zoom, with the American Dipper in the middle of the frame.
Here is a crop of that last picture, showing the American Dipper.
Mind you, I was hand-holding the camera, not using a tripod, which would have made the end result a lot sharper. I like my camera very much, and it is an indispensable tool for my birding.
After that I drove toward home, going across the Snoqualmie River Valley. I stopped at Tolt-MacDonald Park but didn't see anything. I stopped again briefly at the house in Carnation that has feeders. Here is a Mourning Dove that was feeding in the street there.
There were some Band-tailed Pigeons around, and here is one of them.
Likewise, there were Eurasian Collared-Doves there, and here is one on a power pole.
I didn't need any of those species, but pictures are always welcome. After I left there, I stopped at what I call my sparrow spot on NE 60th St, but it is still too early for the sparrows that return in the winter. Maybe in another week or two. There was nothing interesting at Chinook Bend pond or at Sikes Lake, but along NE 100th St, there is a pond that had some Wood Ducks on it. Just last week I showed a picture of a male Wood Duck in non-breeding plumage, but the two males today had almost completely molted into breeding plumage already. Many duck species form pair bonds in the fall, then stay together all winter and breed in the spring. Here is a female Wood Duck.
Here is a male Wood Duck in almost-complete breeding plumage.
Here is a pair of Wood Ducks that I assume will stick together all winter now.
On my way home from there, I stopped at the Redmond Retention Ponds, but I didn't find anything I needed. I did get some pictures of a couple of female Northern Shovelers, though.
I think it is interesting how they can stand tall or pull their necks in. Here is a male Mallard walking past one of the female Northern Shovelers. You can see how much biggger the Northern Shoveler bill is than the Mallard bill.
I kept walking closer to them, to encourage them to go in the water, and here is one of the female Northern Shovelers with her bill open and showing the colors of her wing patches.
This is what she looks like with her mouth closed.
So, I got two excellent birds today, Merlin and American Dipper. That gives me 111 species for September now. The dipper was a repeater, too, and now I have 60 repeaters, species I have seen in each month so far this year. The Merlin brings my lifetime total for Snohomish county to 174 species and my 2019 Snohomish county total to 134 species.
I'm mostly waiting at this point for about 8 or 10 species that have been gone all summer, but are due to return in the next couple of weeks. There are other species I could get, too, of course, and I'll be looking for them as well.
Monday, September 16, 2019
This morning I went down to Juanita Bay Park. I walked out onto the east boardwalk and played some bird calls. I was playing Hairy Woodpecker calls, and a couple of Downy Woodpeckers flew in. While I tried to get pictures of them, a Hairy Woodpecker showed up. That was a repeater. Here is the male Hairy Woodpecker.
It flew off, but one of the Downy Woodpeckers was still around, so I took these next two pictures of a male Downy Woodpecker. Downy Woodpeckers are a lot smaller than Hairy Woodpeckers, but the size is sometimes difficult to determine. The thing to look for is that the bill of Downy Woodpecker is smaller than that of Hairy Woodpecker, compared to the head size. Here is a male Downy Woodpecker, with his small bill.
Hairy Woodpecker was the only species I got today for my lists, but I took more pictures. Here are a couple of male Gadwalls.
Here's a picture of a Gadwall that I thought was a female, but now I think it might be a juvenile male, due to the black bill.
Here's a picture of a pair of Gadwalls, but I think the female (in the front) might be a juvenile also, due to the pattern of the feathers on the wing tips.
Here is a Pied-billed Grebe.
Here's another shot of the Pied-billed Grebe with its reflection.
There were a couple of American Wigeons feeding in the lily pads, too. That is one of the duck species that is just now starting to return from migration. I saw a couple of them up in Everett last week, but here is one at Juanita Bay Park today.
Next I went across the road to the fire station road, which is on the east side of the park. There were birds around, but I didn't get anything I needed. Here is a male Spotted Towhee.
There were 3 or 4 Northern Flickers around, and I got this picture of one of them on a power pole, kind of ruffled up.
I think it is interesting how the black dots on its breast are on almost transparent feathers.
That was all the time I had for birding today. Hairy Woodpecker brings my September list to 112 species and my repeater list this month to 61.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
It was supposed to rain all day today, but this morning they were saying there might be a break in late morning, so I went out. I drove by the sod farm in the Sammamish Valley, hoping to find the Snow Goose that has been reported there, but I didn't find it at either the north end or the south end of the sod farm. I saw a lot of Canada Geese at the south end, but no Snow Goose.
I went on to Marymoor Park, and the rain stopped soon after I got there. After driving through the park looking for a couple of species, I went to the community gardens. I drove along the north edge of the gardens, hoping to find the pheasant that has been hanging out there for weeks, although it hasn't been reported recently. Nothing there, but as I drove away, I looked back, and I saw it on the south side of the gardens. I went back, and it was very cooperative about pictures. Here is the wet male Ring-necked Pheasant, an excellent September bird, showing its many-colored feathers.
It walked over to a garden and pecked a bit at some dark green leafy plant.
Here is a closer shot showing its colors and different types of feathers.
There were some sparrows in the blackberry brambles along the border of the gardens and the dog park. Here are a couple of pictures of a Lincoln's Sparrow. I like the rain drops in the first one.
A Black-capped Chickadee was foraging on the ground in the garden.
I parked and walked along the slough in the off-leash dog park. There were several White-crowned Sparrows around. I didn't need that one, but I got a picture I like. It shows an adult White-crowned Sparrow (on the right) and a juvenile one (on the left). I think it is interesting to see how the colors on the head change with maturity.
At the weir, I saw a female Common Merganser, a repeater I was happy to get. Later I got a picture, a bit upstream.
At the third or fourth dog beach, I spotted a Green Heron across the slough. That was another excellent September bird, one I don't see all that often. Here are a couple of pictures of the Green Heron across the slough.
The Green Heron flew off, and I headed back toward my car. At the weir, I saw the Green Heron again, or maybe a different one.
A second Green Heron flew in, a somewhat darker one.
The lighter colored one chased the darker one around a while, but I wasn't able to get any pictures of that interaction. Here is the darker one when it came closer one time.
The darker one flew back across the slough, and I got this picture of it in its normal posture.
Green Herons have much longer necks than one would expect. Here the darker Green Heron stretched out its neck.
I'm always surprised how small Green Herons are. Here is the darker Green Heron and a female Wood Duck in the same picture. Wood Ducks are small ducks, quite a bit smaller than the more common Mallard.
The paler Green Heron flew off, but I kept watching the darker one as it made its way back across the slough toward me.
Here it is, back on my side of the slough.
OK, that's a lot of Green Heron pictures, but I like Green Herons and they aren't very common, so I went overboard on pictures today. The Green Heron finally left, but a Belted Kingfisher flew in just then, so I took its picture.
As I made my way back to my car, I saw a bird in a tree in the middle of the slough. It was a thrush, but I couldn't tell which species. Here are three distant pictures of the thrush.
It was either a Swainson's Thrush, a summer bird that is leaving here about now, or a Hermit Thrush, a winter bird that is just arriving here now. I already had Swainson's Thrush this month, but Hermit Thrush would be an excellent September bird. I went back and forth, but eventually I decided it was more likely an unneeded Swainson's Thrush. Maybe I'll find a Hermit Thrush somewhere later this month. There should be more of them around as the month goes on.
On the way to my car, I got this picture of a White-crowned Sparrow.
Normally I don't see Lincoln's Sparrows very often, but for the last week or two, they seem to be everywhere. Here is another Lincoln's Sparrow, showing its back colors.
That was it for Marymoor Park, but on the way home I stopped by the southern end of the sod farm in the Sammamish Valley. This time I saw the Snow Goose, so that one went on my September list.
I got 4 more species for September today, and now I have 116 species this month. Common Merganser was a repeater, and now I have 62 repeaters this month. The Snow Goose was new for King county this year, too, and now I have 151 species in King county this year.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
I set out today to get Black Oystercatcher, a tough repeater that I had missed earlier in the month. My best spot for them is Rosario Beach, at on the south side of Fidalgo Island, up in Skagit county. On the way there, based on the tides, I stopped at Hayton Reserve. I played Marsh Wren songs, and got a couple of them to respond. That was a repeater that is difficult to get in the fall, so I was happy to get it. The tide was in, and I looked around, but couldn't find anything in the main bay for my September list. While looking through a bunch of gulls, though, I spotted a California Gull, which was the first one I have ever seen in Skagit county.
On the west side of the dike, there was a single little shorebird, and I took this picture.
Based on its small size and its yellow legs, I think it was a Least Sandpiper, one I already had this month. Just across some water
there were some shorebirds on a log. I took a lot of pictures, and I agonized about what species they were. I thought at the time that three of them were Red Knots, perhaps juveniles, but later when I looked at my pictures, that just didn't fit. I suppose they were Least Sandpipers, but they don't really look right for that, either. Here are three pictures of what I'm calling unknown shorebirds.
Here is another shorebird that was on the same log.
I'm calling that one a Baird's Sandpiper, an excellent one for my September list. It is rounder than Baird's usually are, but the facial pattern, the bill, and the black legs all match Baird's Sandpiper. The colors of the feathers also are right for Baird's, especially the grayish ones on the back, which look like the back feathers of Baird's Sandpiper in the winter. This bird appears to be molting from summer plumage to winter plumage. Here is a shot of the Baird's Sandpiper and another shorebird that looked like the two shown above.
On my way out of Hayton Reserve, I saw this juvenile Cedar Waxwing, with its streaky breast and belly.
I also got my first Golden-crowned Sparrows of September, and here are two pictures of one of them.
There were some swallows flying overhead, and I looked at them in case a late-staying Tree Swallow was with them. They were all Barn Swallows, but there was at least one Vaux's Swift with them, too, and that was an excellent September bird, one that will be migrating very soon. It was the first time I have ever seen a Vaux's Swift in Skagit county.
I continued on my quest for Black Oystercatcher, but took a detour to look for geese and pipits. I didn't see anything I needed, but I took this picture of a Savannah Sparrow.
I went in to the town of Anacortes and picked up a tuna sandwich at Subway, then went on to Washington Park. Black Oystercatchers are seen there, and I decided to try that first, then go on to Rosario Beach if I didn't find any. There is a nice drive through the woods that goes along the shoreline, with views of the water from time to time, so I drove around that loop. At one stop I took these two pictures of Harlequin Ducks, in terrible light. Here is the female Harlequin Duck.
There is a male Harlequin Duck.
I stopped at a place where there is a bench, and I ate my lunch while watching for birds. First I looked around with my scope for oystercatchers or anything interesting out on the water. There were some Marbled Murrelets out there, and that was one I needed for Skagit county this year. Here is a picture of a couple of Marbled Murrelets, in winter plumage, that came in fairly close while I was eating my lunch.
Also while I was eating my lunch, a couple of Red-breasted Nuthatches visited me, but they flew off before I could get a picture. I did take this heavily back-lit picture of a Spotted Towhee that I think is interesting.
When I finished my lunch, I looked around one last time with my scope, and darned if I didn’t spot a couple of Black Oystercatchers across the bay. That was the repeater that was my main target for the day. They were way too far away for a decent picture, but I took some anyway, as record shots, and here is the best of those. Two very distant Black Oystercatchers.
So, with that one under my belt, I didn't need to go on to Rosario Beach. Instead I headed toward home, and went back across the Skagit Flats, looking for birds. At the house with feeders on Valentine Road and Dodge Valley Road, I took this picture of a Eurasian Collared-Dove.
I stopped at Hayton Reserve, and the tide was way out by then. There was very little around, but I got this picture of a female Hooded Merganser and a Greater Yellowlegs.
Here is another female Hooded Merganser that was nearby.
I stopped one more time, at Wylie Slough. I saw a pair of Purple Finches, which is always a good species to see. As I was leaving I saw a Western Wood-Pewee catching insects from a wire. That was an excellent September bird, since they are mostly gone already and soon will all be gone for the winter. It was also the first time I have ever recorded Western Wood-Pewee in Skagit county. Here are three pictures of the Western Wood-Pewee.
It turned out to be a very successful day of birding. I not only got my Black Oystercatcher, I got several other good birds. I added 6 species to my September list, and now I have 122 this month. Marsh Wren and Black Oystercatcher were repeaters, and now I have gotten 64 of the 67 repeaters I had at the end of July. The other three repeaters I need are California Scrub-Jay, Ring-necked Duck, and Bewick's Wren. I should be able to get all three of those, although it isn't a slam dunk.
I added 4 species to my 2019 Skagit county list, and now I have 140 species in Skagit county this year. Three of those were first time Skagit county birds for me, and I now have 163 species total in Skagit county since I started keeping county records in 2012.
It was satisfying to get Vaux's Swift and Western Wood-Pewee because both of those species have already mostly left for the winter, and I had pretty much given up on getting either of them this month.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Today I went across Puget Sound to Point No Point, at the north end of the Kitsap Peninsula. I caught the 9:35 ferry out of Edmonds, and a half hour later I was in Kingston, on the Kitsap Peninsula. As we pulled out of Edmonds, I got this picture of a male Surf Scoter, a species I already had this month.
At the Kingston ferry terminal, while coming in to the dock, I saw my first target species of the day, Bonaparte's Gull. Here are some Bonaparte's Gulls near the ferry.
I already had all three local cormorants this month, but here is a picture of some Double-crested Cormorants, posing for me, next to the ferry.
I picked up a sandwich at Subway, stopped briefly at Eglon Beach Park, and went on to Norwegian Point and Point No Point. There was very little out on the water. I read about all the birds that some people see in those places, but I usually see very little. I think it probably has to do with the tides, and I don't know how to time them. I didn't see any of the species I was looking for, and I moved west along the north edge of the peninsula. I stopped at the parking spot for the Foulweather Bluff Preserve Trail and walked into the woods a few yards. I played some songs of Bewick's Wren, because the habitat looked for it, and I was rewarded by one coming in to check me out. That was a repeater, one that I usually get easily (they live in our yard, for Pete's sake), but so far this month I hadn't seen one. There wasn't much light in the woods, but I got these two pictures in low light, which is why they are kind of soft. Bewick's Wren.
At the end of Twin Spits Road, I parked and went out on the beach. I didn't see anything I needed for September, but I did hear a Common Raven calling loudly, and I spotted it across the bay. That was the first time I have seen Common Raven in Kitsap county. Oh yes, the Bewick's Wren was a first for Kitsap county for me, too. There were five Red-necked Grebes out in the bay, and I got this distant picture of two of the Red-necked Grebes, which were still partially in their breeding plumage.
From there I drove to Driftwood Key and parked on the spit where I could see the bay to the north. There were some gulls roosting there, and I picked though them. I found a couple of the species I wanted, Mew Gull, which I needed for September. Here is a picture of a Mew Gull. It is the one in the back, somewhat smaller than the ones around it, and with yellow legs.
I didn't need it, but here is a picture of another yellow-legged gull species, Ring-billed Gull.
I looked out on the water with my scope, and I saw dozens of Red-necked Grebes and three Common Loons in breeding plumage still, but nothing I needed.
It was getting on for lunch time, and I wanted to go back to the Point No Point area, anyway, in the hopes that something might come in as the tide ran out more. When I had been there earlier, I had heard a jay call, and I had actually written California Scrub-Jay in my notebook, because I knew they lived in that area. As I drove back toward Point No Point, I heard another jay call, and I turned around. This time I saw a Steller's Jay flying around, and that made me question the jay call I had heard earlier. Was it actually a scrub-jay, or was it a Steller's Jay? I couldn't be sure because the calls are similar, and I'm not good with bird calls. I wanted to actually see a California Scrub-Jay, so I could be sure of it. I drove slowly through the neighborhood they live in, and I stopped and played their calls a few times. Eventually I spotted one, and then I got pictures. California Scrub-Jay was another repeater, and here is a picture.
It flew on from there, and a second one joined it. I followed them and got this picture of two California Scrub-Jays near the top of a tree.
After that I ate my lunch and walked to the actual point, past the lighthouse. When I got back to my car, I looked out over the water and I noticed some birds way out there. They were mostly gulls, but there were a couple of PARASITIC JAEGERS harassing them. Parasitic Jaegers chase gulls and try to get them to give up their catches, then the jaegers grab the food, sometimes in midair. That was a great year-bird for me. They are migrating through here right now, and are only around for a few weeks each year. It was one of the species I was hoping to see at Point No Point today.
I stopped one more time, looking for loons, but didn't find anything. I caught the 2:30 ferry and rode back to Edmonds. At Edmonds, I went up to Sunset Avenue, again looking for loons, or maybe an early returning Black Scoter, but I came up empty. Likewise at Ocean Avenue. I got one final picture at Ocean Avenue, this little Horned Grebe.
It was a pretty successful day. I got two repeaters and three of the species I was targeting, including a new species for 2019. I added five more species to my September total, and now I have 127 species this month. Last year I got 130 species in September, and I hadn't thought I could match that this year. Like the last couple of months, I surprised myself and now I have a good chance to beat last year (knock on wood, no jinx).
I also got two of the three remaining repeater species I could get this month, and now I have 66 repeaters - species I have seen in all 9 months of this year so far. The only one left to get is Ring-necked Duck. They have been gone for the summer, but they ought to be returning any time now, and once they get back, it should be a fairly easy one to get. I just have to watch the eBird reports to see where and when they show up.
I added two species to my Kitsap county life list, and now I have 71 species in Kitsap county. Parasitic Jaeger brings me to 290 species for the year so far.
Now I can concentrate on finding 4 more new species this month, so I can beat last year's September total. That sounds easier than it will probably be, but I'll give it a go.
Friday, September 20, 2019
I have a fairly short report today, with only two pictures. Last night I saw a report of 70 Ring-necked Ducks at the Everett Sewage Ponds, and that was the final repeater I needed this month. Ring-necked Ducks have been off at their breeding grounds (inland and north, up to Alaska and all across Canada), and they are just now starting to come back here. Some will be migrating through here, and some will winter here. The report also mentioned seeing two Eared Grebes, and I needed that one, too. Furthermore, recent reports had mentioned a Peregrine Falcon in the area, and that would be a great September bird for me. Three chances to add to my September total - a regular bonanza, at this point in the month.
When I got there, I drove past the parking place where I scope the main pond for ducks, to the trees that have had various raptors in them in the past. Just last Friday I had seen a Merlin, which is a small falcon, there, and today I saw a bird in the same tree that the Merlin had been in. It seemed larger than a Merlin, and it turned out to be a lovely Peregrine Falcon, which is a lot larger than a Merlin. It was a long distance away, but I took a number of pictures, and here are my best two efforts of the Peregrine Falcon.
That one was the toughest of my three target species for the day, and I backtracked to the parking area and got out my scope. I couldn't find any Ring-necked Ducks at first, but I did see an Eared Grebe, another excellent September bird. They are migrating through here now, and they are only seen in a few places, and not very often. I ended up seeing three of them there today. They look a lot like the more common Horned Grebe, but I'm satisfied that all three of these today were Eared Grebes.
Wow, I had two of my three targets, and I was convinced I could find Ring-necked Ducks somewhere before the end of the month. I continued to scan the pond, though, and way on the other side, so distant that I could barely make them out with my scope, I saw dozens of Ring-necked Ducks. Fortunately, that species is easy to identify, because I wouldn't have been able to identify some duck species at that distance. I had all three of my target species, which completely surprised me. I would have been perfectly happy with any one of them.
That puts me at 130 species for September. Last year I had 130 in September, so one more will allow me to beat last year's September total. On Monday morning this week, I had only 111 species in September, and I didn't think I had a chance to get to 130. I got 1 species on Monday, 4 on Tuesday, 6 on Wednesday, 5 on Thursday, and 3 more today. 19 species just this week, in five days. Amazing. Ring-necked Duck completes my repeaters for the month, too, and now I have all 67 repeater species that I had at the end of August. 7 of the 19 species I saw in that five days were repeaters, which is also amazing.
There are more species I could get, although most of them are tough. There are 2 or 3 that should be fairly easy, though, so I feel confident that I can exceed last year's September total by the end of the month (knock on wood). I have 10 days to do that.
Monday, September 23, 2019
I slept poorly on Friday night, and I didn't feel like going out birding on Saturday, so I stayed home and read and watched football and baseball on TV. It rained on Sunday, so I stayed home again, and read and watched football and baseball.
Today, Monday, there wasn't any football or baseball on TV, and it wasn't raining, so I went down to Juanita Bay Park and walked the fire station road. There was a fair amount of bird activity today, although most of it was robins. I did spot a Red-breasted Sapsucker, though, and that was an excellent September bird for me. Here is a picture of it peeking out from behind a snag at me.
Here is the only profile picture I could get.
It worked its way up the snag, mostly keeping its back to me.
Eventually it made its way to the top of the snag, and I got one last picture before it flew off.
There always seem to be Northern Flickers around on that road, and I got this picture today of a male Northern Flicker.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets have been absent around here since April, and they are just now starting to come back for the winter. I played their song and attracted a small group of little birds that had at least 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets in it, along with at least one Black-capped Chickadee and one Bewick's Wren. None of them would sit still for more than a second or two, but I finally got this one picture of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, lurking in the bushes.
Here is the back end of a Bewick's Wren.
Here is the head of that Bewick's Wren.
I had a lunch appointment up in Everett, so I drove on up the freeway. I had a little extra time, so I stopped at Forest Park in south Everett. I played the call of Fox Sparrow, but all I attracted was another Bewick's Wren.
It had started to rain, so I drove around the park until it was time to go to lunch.
I got 2 more species for my September list today, to bring me to 232 for the month. That beats last year's total of 230 for September. There isn't much left to get for September, but I'll keep trying for Fox Sparrow, since they are being reported in multiple places now. I could possibly get some winter saltwater species, too, although most of the ones I don't already have won't be here in numbers until October, or even November. I'll go looking, though, because that's what I do.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
There had been some showers overnight, but the rain was supposed to stop, so I went over to Marymoor Park. My main goal was Fox Sparrow, but there were some less likely birds I could get, too. On the way to Marymoor, the rain started again, but it looked brighter to the south, which is where I was going. When I got to Marymoor Park, the rain had almost completely stopped, and I drove around the big parking lot near the baseball fields on the east side of the park. The lot is grass with gravel aisles, and I have seen American Pipits and Western Meadowlarks there in the past.
I found more than a dozen Killdeer and some starlings, but nothing I needed. I drove around a second time, and that time I spotted four Western Meadowlarks, an excellent September bird that I hadn't really expected to get this month. They go somewhere else in the summer, and return to this area in the winter, but they are uncommon even then. I tried to get in position for pictures, but they flew off before I could get any.
I went on over to the model airplane field, hoping the meadowlarks had gone over there, but I didn't find them. Back at the big parking lot, I saw a couple of the Western Meadowlarks again. I rolled down the passenger window and tried for pictures. As I was doing that, I noticed another bird in front of the meadowlark I was trying to shoot. AMERICAN PIPIT, a year-bird! I switched my attention to the pipit, and got these next two pictures.
Having gotten a couple of promising pictures of the American Pipit, I turned my attention back to the meadowlarks. I followed them in my car, as they flew around a bit, and eventually got in position for some pictures. It was drizzling by then, as I took the pictures from my car. Here are pictures of Western Meadowlark.
That was great, but it was time to go looking for my primary target of the day, Fox Sparrow. For that, I would have to get out of the car and walk a bit, and the rain was increasing. I parked and waited a while, but it looked like the rain was going to continue, so I gave it up for today and headed toward home.
As I got near to home, the rain stopped and it was much brighter, so I went to my old standby birding site, the fire station road at Juanita Bay Park. I have seen Fox Sparrows there, so I played the song, but never saw one. I did see some little birds foraging high in the trees, and eventually I figured out that they were Yellow-rumped Warblers, not one I needed, but still a good one to see. I got one picture, looking up into the bright sky, but it came out pretty good after a lot of processing. Yellow-rumped Warbler.
While I was trying to get pictures of the Yellow-rumped Warblers, I saw a larger bird that was black and orange. I thought it might be a Varied Thrush, which I still need this month, but it turned out to be a very late Black-headed Grosbeak. I thought they had all gone south by now. Here is a heavily processed picture of the Black-headed Grosbeak, which I already had this month.
It flew across the road to another tree, and I got this distant picture of the Black-headed Grosbeak.
After that it started to rain again, so I gave it up and went home. I'll have to keep looking for a Fox Sparrow.
I got 2 more species today for September, and now I have 134 species for the month. American Pipit brings me to 291 species for 2019 now, and to 152 species for King county this year.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
On Wednesday, I went down to the fire station road at Juanita Bay Park, but all I got was this picture of a Golden-crowned Sparrow, a species I didn't need.
I didn't do any birding on Thursday or Friday, for various reasons, but today I went over to Marymoor Park. I had read that Cackling Geese had returned from their summer sojourn up north to Alaska, and I also knew that Fox Sparrows had also returned. I drove through the park, which was quite crowded, mainly with kid's soccer and adults playing cricket, as well as a ton of people at the off-leash dog park. There was a flock of geese, though, and most of them were Cackling Geese, a September species for me. Here are a couple of Cackling Geese.
There were also Canada Geese, their larger cousins. Here is a Canada Goose, a species I already had this month. Note that the neck is longer and the bill is larger in the Canada Goose, compared to the smaller Cackling Geese.
Here is a picture showing the size comparison. Most of the birds are Cackling Geese, but there are two much larger Canada Geese in the background.
Here is a picture of part of the flock of geese. Note that it is starting to look like fall around here.
There was a male Northern Flicker in the grass, too.
I saw some smaller birds fly up into a tree, and they turned out to be Savannah Sparrows, another one I already had this month. They will soon be leaving for the winter. Here are three Savannah Sparrow, blending in with the fall leaves.
Next I drove to the west parking lot for the dog park, and walked around looking for Fox Sparrows. I was playing their songs, and I got a response at one point, but I couldn't lure the bird out for a picture. I was going to count it anyway, but I kept on going, hoping to get a look at one, and maybe even a picture. Eventually I did see a Fox Sparrow, and I even got these next three pictures. It was my first Fox Sparrow of fall.
I Had the two species I was hoping for, but on the way home I went through the Evan's Creek Natural Area to the Redmond Retention Ponds. I was hoping that maybe there might be a Blue-winged Teal at the ponds. While driving through the Evan's Creek Natural Area I saw a couple of Wilson's Snipe, not one I needed, but always a good bird to find. Here is one of the Wilson's Snipe.
At the Redmond Retention Ponds, I didn't see any Blue-winged Teal, but there was a juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose on the main pond, an excellent September bird.
There were several species of ducks there, and I got some pictures, although I didn't need any of them for September. Here is a Northern Pintail (on the left) and a male Gadwall.
Here is a Northern Pintail and a female Northern Shoveler (on the right).
On the small pond, there were some Green-winged Teal. Here is a male Green-winged Teal that is just starting to get his breeding plumage colors on his head.
That was it for my birding today. I added 3 more species to my September list, and I have 137 species now. That beats last September handily, when I got 130. I got all 67 possible repeaters this month, and I have 291 species this year. At the end of September last year, I only had 62 repeaters, and I had 289 species for the year at that point.
This year I am keeping track of my numbers in three counties, and I now have 152 species in King county,134 species in Snohomish county, and 140 species in Skagit county in 2019. I've gotten 100 of those species in each of the three counties. This is probably the last report for this month, as I have yard stuff to take care of for the next three days.