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Wednesday, January 1, 2020
I hope you all have a prosperous and happy year in 2020. A new year starts for my birding, and today I started my January list. In our yard this morning, I had DARK-EYED JUNCO, HOUSE FINCH, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, and AMERICAN CROW. I decided to go up to the park in Snohomish county where I saw the rare (for this area) Townsend's Solitaire last week. I was hoping it was still sticking around, although there hadn't been any reports of it for the last two days. I didn't see it either. I guess it moved on. It had been hanging around a little tree that was loaded with berries, eating them. Today all I saw in the little tree were a couple of SPOTTED TOWHEES. Here is a Spotted Towhee, which was eating some of the few remaining berries.
Since I was already 20 minutes north of home, and the rain was holding off, I headed up to Tulalip Bay to look for the rare (for this area) shorebird that has been there for weeks. The tide was very high, and the turnstones were roosting on a log where I have seen them before at high tide. Here are some roosting BLACK TURNSTONES.
It took me a few minutes, but eventually I spotted the rare RUDDY TURNSTONE that I was looking for. It is the bird on the left.
There were some BARROW'S GOLDENEYES in the little harbor, and here is a picture of a male.
Here is another picture of the Ruddy Turnstone.
Here's a shot that shows the log with the turnstones roosting on it.
The Ruddy Turnstone is at the far left of the picture, the last bird. Here is one final picture of the Ruddy Turnstone and one of the roosting Black Turnstones.
I also picked up DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, HORNED GREBE, FERAL PIGEON, and MEW GULL there. There were also at least a hundred DUNLIN on one of the logs that forms the edge of the little harbor. As I drove off, I saw a NORTHERN FLICKER near the top of a tree, and there were some EUROPEAN STARLINGS along the road as I left, too.
I had plenty of time, and the rain was still holding off, so I stopped at the Everett Sewage Treatment Ponds to pick up ducks. There were hundreds of ducks there, and I added MALLARD, CANADA GOOSE, NORTHERN SHOVELER, RUDDY DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, GREATER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCK, and AMERICAN COOT pretty easily. It took some careful scanning of the ducks on the distant north side of the pond to add CANVASBACK to my list as well. There were some GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS around, too. I saw a couple of BALD EAGLES there as well.
As I drove back to the freeway, there was a RED-TAILED HAWK in a tree right by the road, so I took this picture before it flew off.
That was it for my actual birding today, but there were a lot of birds around our yard, and I added more to my list at home. Here is a BEWICK'S WREN. I took the picture through the window, and I was zoomed in too much, but here it is.
A couple of STELLER'S JAYS were around the seed feeder, and I got pictures of their technique for getting seeds. The seed feeder has a perch that tips down when too much weight is put on it, mainly as a protection against squirrels, and the jays weigh enough to trigger it. They have developed an interesting technique to get seeds and peanuts, though. Here is a Steller's Jay checking out what is on offer at the seed feeder, and planning its attack.
Once it figures out what to go for, it dives down, grabs a seed before the mechanism can close the door to the seeds, and then flies off. Here is the Steller's Jay in the midst of its seed grab. Sorry for the blurriness; there wasn't much light out there.
The jay has grabbed his seed and the mechanism has closed down the entrance, and now the jay is about to fly off with its treasure. They usually seem to try for peanuts, but this time it appears to have gotten a couple of little seeds.
There was a DOWNY WOODPECKER in the birch trees, and then I saw a HAIRY WOODPECKER, too. The Hairy Woodpecker went to the suet feeder, and I got pictures of him there. Here is a male Hairy Woodpecker, a good species to get so early in the month.
Here is a close-up of the Hairy Woodpecker's head.
Three or four AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES foraged in the birch trees for a few minutes, and a male HOUSE SPARROW came to the seed feeder. My final bird of the day was this female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD that came to the seed feeder.
I got 38 species for my January list today. Most of them were common ones, but the Ruddy Turnstone, Canvasback, and Hairy Woodpecker were good ones. The weather looks pretty iffy for the next several days, but maybe I can get out there in between the storms.
Thursday, January 2, 2020
We're in the midst of a number of rainy days, but this morning there was supposed to be a break for a few hours, so I went up to the Edmonds waterfront. As it turned out, it was sprinkling the whole time, but not enough to stop me. From Sunset Avenue, I picked up Pelagic Cormorant and Brandt's Cormorant on the ferry dock pilings. There were about a half dozen Brant way out there. Closer in were Red-necked Grebes, Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes, Red-breasted Mergansers, and Surf Scoters. I saw a couple of Pigeon Guillemots and then a single Pacific Loon. Moving on to Ocean Avenue, I saw a Common Loon and a distant pair of Black Scoters. By that time, the rain was heavier, and I called it a day.
After lunch, I saw an American Robin and an Anna's Hummingbird in our yard. That brought me to 14 species for the day, and now I Have 52 species this month. Because of the rain and the type of birding I was doing, I don't have any pictures today, sorry.
The storms are supposed to keep coming in for the next week, but I'll try to find time to get out between waves of rain.
Saturday, January 4, 2019
Yesterday morning was actually dry, in between storms, but it was windy and I stayed home, partly to rest my bad left knee. It rained overnight, but it was dry again this morning, and I ventured down to Juanita Bay Park, which is only 2 or 3 miles from home. There were American Robins around, as usual, but when I looked closer at one of them, it turned out to be a MOURNING DOVE, not a bad one for my year list. In fact, it was the first time I have ever seen a Mourning Dove at Juanita Bay Park, and I have been going there regularly for over 20 years. Here is a picture of the Mourning Dove.
I walked out onto the east boardwalk and played some bird calls. I got a response from a VIRGINIA RAIL, so that one went on my year list. At the end of the boardwalk I could see eight TRUMPETER SWANS. Here are some of them, standing in shallow water.
There were a lot of GREEN-WINGED TEAL around, and these two PIED-BILLED GREBES.
A female GADWALL flew in, and I saw a GREAT BLUE HERON in the distance. I first heard, then saw a BELTED KINGFISHER for another 2020 bird. That's all I got at the park, and I felt like I had exercised my knee enough, so I went home. There were birds in our yard, but I didn't add anything to my list. Here is a male House Finch, high up in our birch trees, though.
I didn't do much birding today, and the only interesting thing I saw was my first Mourning Dove at Juanita Bay Park. That raises my JBP list to 103 species now, since I started going there back in 1998. I added 8 species to my January and 2020 lists, and now I have 60 species this year. The rains are supposed to come back, all week long, but maybe there will be some breaks and I can get out there again.
Monday, January 6, 2019
Our wet and windy weather continued today. I had a lunch appointment up in Everett today, and there was a break in the series of storms, so I went up early and went to my new site in Marysville for California Scrub-Jay. I have been going into Seattle, to a spot near the University of Washington for that species, since it is uncommon around here, but last month I read about a site in Marysville where there is a family of them. By the time I got there today, it was raining pretty good, though, so I didn't get out of the car. I drove around a little and after 10 or 15 minutes I spotted a CALIFORNIA SCRUB-JAY for my January and year lists. Here is a terrible picture, taken from my car, through the rain, of a California Scrub-Jay.
I hate driving into Seattle, so this is a much better spot for me to look for that species, as long as I can find it there. I had plenty of time, so I next drove to the large parking area for the public boat ramp on Gardner Bay, on the Everett waterfront. Gulls roost there, and I pulled up and looked through the gulls from the car. I had to have the window open, of course, and rain came in, but I stuck with it. The first gull I got that I needed was a HERRING GULL, an uncommon species around here. Here's a picture that shows the diagnostic yellow eye and pink legs of Herring Gull.
Here is a close up shot of the yellow eye and the bill shape and markings of Herring Gull.
Next I added RING-BILLED GULL to my year and month lists. Here is a Ring-billed Gull.
Note the yellow legs and the black ring around the bill, near the tip. I already had Mew Gull this month, but there were lots of Mew Gulls there, and here is a picture of one.
Mew Gulls are smaller than Herring Gulls or Ring-billed Gulls, and they have a small yellow, chisel-like bill and yellow legs.
I had to look for a while, but I finally picked out a CALIFORNIA GULL in the crowd.
California Gulls have red and yellow spots on their bills, and they have greenish-yellow legs in the winter. All of these gull species have that dark smudginess on their heads in the winter. California Gulls are a bit larger than either Ring-billed Gulls or Mew Gulls, and here is a picture of that California Gull with some smaller Mew Gulls.
That was it for the morning, but after lunch I stopped at Mukilteo to try for Marbled Murrelet or other sea birds I might need. I didn't get anything I needed, but I got this distant picture of a Red-necked Grebe in the stormy seas.
So, despite the wet and windy weather, I added 4 species to my year and January lists, and now I have 64 species this year.
The wet weather is supposed to continue for another week, at least, but maybe there will be some short breaks when I go out looking for birds.
Tuesday, January 7, 2019
Our stormy weather continues, but there was a break in the rain this morning, so I went over to Marymoor Park. I drove through the park and added CACKLING GOOSE to my year and January lists. No sign of any meadowlarks or the Northern Shrike. The parking lot near the East Meadow was closed today for maintenance, so that limited me. I drove through the community garden, but all I saw at first were Dark-eyed Juncos and a lot of crows. Then I spotted the male RING-NECKED PHEASANT that has been hanging out around there for months. Here are some pictures of the male Ring-necked Pheasant.
An American Crow posed for me, and I took pictures. I couldn't decide which of these next two pictures I liked better, so here are two shots of an American Crow.
After that I parked and walked along the slough. The water was very high and I didn't see anything except one SONG SPARROW that flew across the path in front of me. I walked around and played various bird calls on my phone, but nothing responded today. I think the birds were hunkering down out of the wind.
So, in a couple of hours of low key birding, I added just 4 species to my year and January lists. I have 68 species so far this year. There is rain forecasted overnight tonight, but I might get a little window in the weather to go out again tomorrow morning. We will see. I'm off to a slow start this year, mainly due to the weather. I'd like to go up to Skagit county or over to Whidbey Island, but it has been too rainy. Another place I would like to go is the Snoqualmie River Valley, but all this rain has the rivers flooding, and I don't know if the roads are all open out there.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Again it rained overnight and there was only supposed to be a low percentage chance of showers today. I decided to go up to Skagit county. It started to rain when I approached Everett, about 15 minutes north of home, but the rain stopped just as I got off the freeway at the Stanwood exit, about 40 minutes north of home. I picked up a sandwich at Subway and my first birding stop was a place that birders call the Big Ditch. While approaching the Big Ditch, I saw a Northern Harrier for my lists, the first of several I saw today. I didn't see anything at the Big Ditch itself, but on the way back to the highway, I saw a large hawk in a field. It took off before I could get a picture, but I could see that it was a dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. I followed it with my camera and got this very distant picture of it as it landed.
Next I drove to Wylie Slough, and I saw a COOPER'S HAWK flying, so that one went on my lists. At Wylie Slough, I added EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW. Some geese flew overhead and I added SNOW GOOSE to my lists. I looked for Black Phoebe, Marsh Wren, and other species, but it was really dead there today. I moved on to Hayton Reserve, but as I drove back to the highway from Wylie Slough, I checked out the starlings and blackbirds near the dairy. I managed to identify a BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, which was a good species for January. Most of them migrate south in the winter.
At Hayton Reserve, I saw a lot of American Wigeons on the freshwater slough along the entrance road, and I sorted through them with binoculars and found one EURASIAN WIGEON for my lists. I moved on to Maupin Road and saw some swans near the road. I already had gotten Trumpeter Swan this month, but a couple of the swans at the rear of the group looked smaller than the others. Here is a picture, and the swan I was interested in was the one in the back.
My pictures, when blown up, confirmed that it was a TUNDRA SWAN, the species I needed. Here is a closer crop, showing the yellow dash on the bill, just in front of the eye. That identifies it as a Tundra Swan.
I stopped at the North Fork Access at the end of Rawlins Road, but all I saw there was a single COMMON RAVEN for my lists. Driving back to the highway on Rawlins Road, I saw a male AMERICAN KESTREL, but it flew off before I could get a picture.
At a small pond along Dodge Valley Rd, I saw a male and two female HOODED MERGANSERS, another one I needed. I spent a lot of time at the house with feeders at the corner of Dodge Valley Rd and Valentine Rd, hoping to see a Purple Finch. I saw lots of House Finches, but no Purple Finches. I did pick up WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW there, but that was all. While I was there, it rained and hailed, and it was a problem to watch the feeders without too much rain coming into my car. I ate my sandwich and the storm cell passed. I moved up the road to the house called Rancho Valentine, and at the large suet feeder, I picked up RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH there, but nothing else. There just weren't many birds anywhere I went today.
It was windy and nasty out, and I didn't feel like making the trek up to the Samish Flats, so I turned back toward home. I got nothing at either Hayton Reserve or Wylie Slough, but as I pulled out of Hayton Reserve, I saw a Cooper's Hawk flying, maybe the same one I had seen earlier. This time I saw where it landed in a tree, and I got into an awkward position with my car, halfway off the road, to get a couple of pictures of the Cooper's Hawk.
That was it for my birding today. I saw a lot fewer birds than I usually do up there, but I did manage to add 14 species to my year and month lists. Now I have 82 species so far this year. The lousy weather is supposed to continue, and we might even have some snow next week. I shouldn't complain - we are way behind the normal amount of rain for the season, and the snowpack is much lower than average, so rain and snow are good things. They just don't help me with my birding goals.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
It was raining this morning, but the forecast for the afternoon looked good. I packed up some lunch and headed up toward Edmonds at about 11:00 to look for birds. I stopped at the house in Lake Forest Park where I see Band-tailed Pigeons, but none were around today. My next stop was the place in Woodway where I have seen California Quail, but I struck out on that one, too. Next I went to Deer Creek Park in Woodway. I walked in the woods and played some bird songs. I got nothing for a long time, but then within 15 seconds I attracted both a PACIFIC WREN and a BROWN CREEPER. I got one quick picture of the creeper, but I couldn't get a picture of the wren in the low light. Here is the Brown Creeper.
I was happy to get those two for my lists, and I moved on to the Edmonds waterfront. I saw nothing at Marina Beach, but I parked and walked out onto the Edmonds fishing pier. I got this picture of a Horned Grebe, a bird I already had this month.
I already had Pelagic Cormorant, too, but this one was iridescent in the sun, and I couldn't resist taking a picture.
In most light, they just look black. This one was diving, and it came up with something, which it proceeded to eat. Here is the Pelagic Cormorant with its catch.
I saw my first RHINOCEROS AUKLET of the year, but it dove before I could get a picture. A little later it showed up very close, and I got one quick picture of the Rhinoceros Auklet, in winter plumage.
Later in the year, that protuberance at the base of its bill will grow larger, giving the species its name. It will also get white plumes on its face and change color somewhat.
There were several Red-necked Grebes around, and I took pictures. Here is a pair of Red-necked Grebes in the sunshine.
There were hundreds of Dunlin roosting on the breakwater.
Here are a couple more pictures of Red-necked Grebes in the nice winter sunlight.
As I walked back to my car, I got this picture of a Red-breasted Merganser in the sun.
She flapped her wings at one point, showing the white patches on her wings and the white underside color.
Next I moved on up to Sunset Avenue. There wasn’t much out there, but I eventually spotted a Pacific Loon, which is a good bird, but I had seen one earlier this week at Edmonds. Then I saw a distant RED-THROATED LOON, and that was the one I needed.
Moving on to Ocean Avenue, I didn't get anything I needed, but I got a couple of pictures. Here is a picture of a Brant, which is a small goose.
Here is a male Common Goldeneye.
That was it for my birding today. When I got home I brought in the trash wheelie bins, and saw some BUSHTITS at our suet feeder. I have been hoping that Bushtits would come to the suet, and today they did. I grabbed my camera and got this picture taken through the dirty window in the garage.
I moved outside so I could take pictures directly, without the window in the way. A couple of Black-capped Chickadees were competing with the smaller Bushtits for the suet. Here is one of the chickadees.
Some of the Bushtits were foraging in the birch tree, and I got pictures.
Just look at those cute little feet.
When the chickadees gave them a chance, the Bushtits continued to go the suet.
So, I added 5 more species to my 2020 and January lists today, giving me 87 species so far this year.
Considering how rainy it has been, I have been able to get out birding quite a bit this month. The storms are supposed to keep coming in for the next few days and next week it's supposed to get very cold, with the possibility of snow in the lowlands.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
It rained for several days, and I didn't go out birding at all until Sunday. On Sunday I drove over to Marymoor when the rain let up here at home, but it was raining over there still, as it turned out. I drove through the park a couple of times looking for Western Meadowlark or Northern Shrike, but didn't see anything interesting. As I was leaving, the rain let up, and I went back and walked a little along the slough. I didn't get anything I needed, but I did get a couple of pictures of a male Common Goldeneye.
That was on Sunday. It snowed on Monday and then today it was below freezing all day long, so the snow stuck around. The birds were very actively using our feeder, though, probably due to the snow, and I spotted a PINE SISKIN this morning for my year list. In the afternoon, I saw another one, and I went out in the sub-freezing weather and took pictures of the birds coming to the feeder. Here is a Pine Siskin.
Here's a female Red-winged Blackbird.
There were snow showers, off and on, all day, but here is a picture of our back yard between snow showers.
There were two or three Spotted Towhees around, and here is one of them at the feeder.
I was pleased to see another new bird for my lists, FOX SPARROW.
There were a couple of Song Sparrows around, too, and here is a picture of a Song Sparrow, which looks superficially like a Fox Sparrow.
Here is another Fox Sparrow picture.
Here is a Pine Siskin at the feeder.
And, here is another Song Sparrow picture.
For comparison, here is one more Fox Sparrow shot.
Here are a couple of pictures of female House Finches
Chestnut-backed Chickadees flew and grabbed a seed from time to time, and here is one of them.
The most numerous species was Dark-eyed Junco, as usual. Here is a male Dark-eyed Junco at the feeder.
Finally, here is a picture of a European Starling that found the feeder and hogged it for a few minutes.
So, I never went out today, other than just outside our back door, but I added Pine Siskin and Fox Sparrow to my year and January lists today. Now I have 89 species so far this year. Tomorrow it is supposed to finally warm up to temperatures above freezing, so maybe I'll go looking for birds tomorrow. I didn't want to be out there walking on the ice today with my bum knee.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
This morning the temperature finally clawed its way back above freezing, but just barely. The roads were clear, though, and I headed out to look for birds, after bundling up with layers, including two pairs of pants. My first stop was the house in Lake Forest Park that I go to for BAND-TAILED PIGEON, and they were there today. They were up in a tree, but before I could get a decent shot of them, they flew down to the feeder area. I moved down the street a little and was able to get a couple of pictures of Band-tailed Pigeons sitting on the roof of the fancy feeder.
With one new 2020 bird under my belt, I drove up to the town of Woodway and checked out my site for California Quail. There were lots of other birds, but no quail today. I moved on down to the Edmonds waterfront. I started to walk out on the fishing pier, but the wind was blowing hard, it was about 33 degrees, and it was icy underfoot, so I bailed out.
I drove up to Sunset Avenue and got my scope out. I saw a flotilla of about a dozen Pacific Loons, which is a nice species, but I didn't need it. I also saw three Red-throated Loons, another good species, but I didn't need that one either. There were the usual Surf Scoters, Black Scoters, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Red-breasted Mergansers, Pigeon Guillemots, Common Goldeneyes, gulls, and cormorants, but I didn't need any of those, either. I started to drive away, but as I slowly went up the street, I noticed a couple of HARLEQUIN DUCKS just offshore. I needed that one. Here is a distant picture of a male Harlequin Duck.
Here's a distant female Harlequin Duck.
I went up to Ocean Avenue, but the only thing I saw there that I hadn't already seen was a very distant group of Brant, another one I already had this month.
Back at home, I kept an eye on our feeders, and when it started to snow this afternoon, the birds kind of went into a bit of a feeding frenzy. Here is a male Downy Woodpecker at the suet feeder, as it was snowing.
The wind was blowing the snow around too much, so I went into the garage and I got this picture of a female Downy Woodpecker, taken through the dirty garage window.
A little later the male was back at the suet feeder, and I got this picture from the back porch, since it was snowing less by then.
Most of the birds were the same species I showed yesterday from around our yard, but a Bewick's Wren showed up today, too, and I got a couple of pictures of it through the back porch window.
I added two more species to my 2020 and January lists today, and now I have 91 species this year.
Friday, January 17, 2020
Our winter weather continues, but at least it wasn't raining today. I didn't want to venture too far from home with the roads still icy and snow still on the ground, so I went down to Juanita Beach Park this morning. I added WOOD DUCK to my year list, but I couldn't find a Wilson's Snipe. I drove over to the fire station road at Juanita Bay Park, and I managed to call up a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, but I couldn't get a picture. Later I saw a second one at the end of the road, and I just missed a picture of that one.
I had been hearing a bird call, but I didn't recognize it, and then I spotted a PILEATED WOODPECKER in some small trees. Then I realized what the call was. Here is a peek-a-boo picture of a Pileated Woodpecker in the bushes.
Right after I got that picture, the bird flew off, and I never was able to get another picture, although I saw it flying once or twice. That was an excellent one for my lists.
I saw another woodpecker on a tall snag, but it was against a bright cloudy background and was pretty far away. I thought it might be a Red-breasted Sapsucker, based on the size and shape, so I took some pictures to help me with the identification. It turned out to be a male Hairy Woodpecker, a good species, but one I already had this month. Here is a distant picture of the male Hairy Woodpecker, against a bright cloudy sky.
After that, I went across the road and played Golden-crowned Kinglet songs around the parking lot of Juanita Bay Park, but I couldn't attract one today.
Meanwhile, I got a text message and set up a lunch appointment up in Everett. After lunch I went to the Edmonds waterfront to see if I could get more species for today. I stopped by my California Quail spot in Woodway, but struck out there. In Edmonds, I walked out onto the fishing pier, but I didn't see anything I needed, and I didn't even get any pictures. I tried Sunset Avenue, but I had no luck there, either.
I headed toward home, but I stopped at a little park in Kenmore called Squires Landing Park because I had read of a species seen there that I needed. It is tiny park with only 3 parking spots, on the Sammamish Slough. When I got there, I saw a male COMMON MERGANSER right off the bat, and that was the species I was looking for there. Before I could get a picture, the bird dove, and then I heard a Pileated Woodpecker calling and I got distracted. I saw the woodpecker flying, and I ended up getting this very distant picture of my second Pileated Woodpecker of the day.
When I turned back to get a picture of the male Common Merganser I had seen, it was gone. I guess it flew off. I hung around, and heard a Belted Kingfisher make its rattle call. A couple of minutes later, I heard it again, and I saw it fly across the slough. Here is a very distant picture of a Belted Kingfisher, a species I already had this month.
As you can see, my pictures today are pretty poor, but that's how it goes sometimes. As I was getting ready to leave, a couple of male Common Mergansers showed up, but they flew off when I moved to get pictures. They came back in a short while, and I got a couple of pictures of one of the male Common Mergansers.
That's a very tough bird to photograph because of the bright white and the dark head. It was late in the afternoon by then, too, and the sun sets early here in the winter, so there was very little light.
That was it for my birding today. I added 4 more species to my year and January lists, and now I have 95 species this month. Tomorrow the forecast is for a lot more rain, but maybe after that I can get out in between the showers and get some more birds. The ten day forecast shows showers every single day, so it's going to be difficult.
Saturday, January 18, 2020
It was raining when I got up this morning, but the forecast indicated that it was likely to stop soon, so I headed over to Marymoor Park. I stopped first at the rowing club pond, in search of Green Heron, but I didn’t find one. Over in the main part of the park, the place was packed. In addition to the usual Saturday sports enthusiasts (soccer mainly, I think), there was something called the Rain Run going on. The parking lot where I wanted to look for meadowlarks was mostly filled with cars, but I drove in anyway and looked around. I didn't find any meadowlarks, but I saw a lot of Killdeer, slightly displaced from their usual haunts by all the parked cars. Here are a couple of pictures of a Killdeer, since I have so few pictures today.
I drove on to the model airplane field and I spotted what looked like a bird, way down at the south end of the East Meadow. I got out my scope, although it was sprinkling at the time, and it turned out to be the juvenile NORTHERN SHRIKE that has been hanging out there this winter. That was nice, but then it got even better. I saw what looked like a bird across the model airplane landing field, and I again got out my scope in the sprinkling rain and I saw two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. That was a great start to my birding day.
Unfortunately, that was all I got today. The rain stopped again, and I went up on the viewing mound and tried to call up a Lincoln's Sparrow, but the only response I got was from a Song Sparrow. I went over to the west parking lot for the dog park and walked along the slough. The slough was much too high for the Wilson's Snipe I hoped to find, and the sparrows I found were not ones I needed. Here are some pictures of a couple of Golden-crowned Sparrows.
There were 2 or 3 White-crowned Sparrows mixed in with the Golden-crowned Sparrows, and here are pictures of two of them.
I walked out to where I could see the places that Green Herons like to sit, and I didn't see any. I did see a Belted Kingfisher, though, and it flew in and landed above me in a tree, quite close. Here is the male Belted Kingfisher.
After that I stopped over by the office area, and I walked around a bit, playing the call of Golden-crowned Kinglet, but I never could attract one. That was it for my birding today. I added 2 more species to my year and January lists, and now I have 97 species so far this year. It appears that there might be breaks in the weather for the next two days, and maybe I can get out there again.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
The weather forecast today looked pretty good for a trip up north, so I headed that way. I picked up a sandwich at Subway (ham and cheese for a change, rather than my usual tuna), and I headed for Wylie Slough. I stopped at my regular "outdoor bathroom" spot, and when I finished my business, I noticed a sparrow. It turned out to be a LINCOLN'S SPARROW, one I was very pleased to get. Here is the unexpected Lincoln's Sparrow.
I drove on into the Wylie Slough site and couldn't find a Black Phoebe, one of my main targets for the day. At the end of the road, near the boat launch, I got out and tried for the rare Northern Waterthrush that people keep reporting there. I think I might have heard it's little "chink" call, but I never saw anything, and I couldn't count it from what I heard, not being familiar with the species, which is way out of territory here. While I was trying for the waterthrush, though, I saw a cute little GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, my first of the year. It never stayed still at all, but I got one picture of it.
After that I drove around some more, mainly looking for a Black Phoebe, but I didn't find anything I needed. The tide was extremely high, which ruled out the two shorebird species I was hoping I might see. On my way back to the main road, I saw a male BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, another one I needed. There was also a Bald Eagle in a tree, so I took its picture.
Bald Eagles take four years to get their adult plumage (white head and tail), and this bird seems to still have some dark feathers in with the white ones on its head. I assume that means it is a four year old bird, just getting its adult plumage this year. Here is a closer shot of its head.
Next I drove on up to south Bellingham, the Fairhaven District, my site for a crow that only lives in two or three Washington counties. It rained hard as I approached Bellingham, but that was the last real rain I saw today. It had cleared by the time I got to Fairhaven, and I soon saw a lot of NORTHWESTERN CROWS. I couldn't find the other good species I saw there last time, Black Oystercatcher. There were some ducks on the water next to the Coast Guard Station, and I took these next two pictures of Barrow's Goldeneyes. This first one is a female Barrow's Goldeneye.
Here is another goldeneye, and I'm not sure what its gender is.
I think it is probably a first winter male Barrow's Goldeneye. Females almost always have an orange bill, like the first picture.
I drove down scenic Chuckanut Drive to the north part of Skagit county. I drove through the little town of Edison and then along Bayview-Edison Road. At the East 90, I stopped and ate half my sandwich, while looking for Short-eared Owls. I saw Northern Harriers and Rough-legged Hawks, but no owls. I found nothing at the West 90 either, but on the road to Samish Island, I got these two pictures of a Rough-legged Hawk, an excellent species, but one I already had this month.
At the Samish Island lookout, which offers a view out over Samish Bay, I found two women with scopes who had just gotten there. They were looking for the same species I was looking for, and we all scanned the bay. I was the first one to find a pair of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, which was one of my target species, and they were glad to see them, too. Then I spotted our main target species, LONG-TAILED DUCK. There was a group of 8 or 9 of them, and we all had good scope views of them. There were some loons, some Brant, and some other species, too, but I had the two species I needed, so I moved on.
I looked for Short-eared Owls again as I drove back to Farm-to-Market Road, but found nothing new. I boogied south to the Skagit Flats, and stopped at the two houses with feeders on Valentine Road. I didn't get anything I needed there, and there was little food for birds, so not many were around. On Fir Island, I stopped at Hayton Reserve. It was quite windy, and the temperature was about 45, so I didn’t stick around long there. The Bald Eagles seemed to have settled into the nest there, and I got this picture of two of them in the nest.
That nest has been there for years, and they keep using it. I made one more stop, at Wylie Slough, to again look for the Black Phoebe and the Northern Waterthrush. No waterthrush, but I did see the BLACK PHOEBE, I'm glad to say. Here is a distant picture, in lousy light, of a Black Phoebe, a flycatcher that is way outside of its normal range.
After that I headed for home, but on the way back to the main road, I saw a male Ring-necked Pheasant. It is almost certainly a captive-bred bird that was released for hunters, and so far he has eluded the hunters.
I had gotten 7 species for my year and January lists, and I was quite pleased with that, so I drove on home. As it turned out, though, my birding for the day wasn't over yet. I was in the house, and as I went past the back door, going toward my basement office, I saw a tan morph WHITE-THROATED SPARROW just outside the back door on the ground. I got one quick picture, taken through the dirty window, and it is totally lousy, but here is my first White-throated Sparrow of the year.
It flew off to the area under the suet feeder, and I went outside to try to get a better picture. I lost it then, but other birds were around, and they got my attention. There were a number of robins around, as there often are, but some of them were eating berried off the holly bushes. I haven't seen them do that before, so I took pictures. Here is an American Robin eating a holly berry, which it swallowed whole.
A Black-capped Chickadee went to the suet feeder, which was almost empty, and I got this picture of that little cutie.
Then, to really top things off, I thought I saw another species I needed, but I wasn't sure. I waited a couple of minutes and backed off from the suet feeder, and a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER came to the suet feeder and posed for me.
I had thought I was through birding for the day, and then two more year-birds showed up in our yard, when I wasn't even looking for birds. On top of all that, a Bewick's Wren flew in near the seed feeder. I love wrens, so I watched it. It was the smallest of several species that were using the seed feeder, so it had to wait its turn. Here is the Bewick's Wren waiting for a spot at the seed feeder.
Those House Finches on the feeder were chased away by a larger Spotted Towhee, and the Bewick's Wren continued to wait around.
Juncos and House Finches returned to the feeder, and still the little wren waited to fly in and grab a seed.
Finally the wren was rewarded for its patience and it darted in and grabbed a seed.
So, with the addition of White-throated Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler, I got 9 species today. I have 106 species so far this year. The weather forecast continues to show rain and showers for the next ten days, but I'll continue to try to get out there in between the showers.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Today the weather forecast called for a 10 or 15 percent chance of showers, and I headed out to look for birds. Despite the forecast, it started to rain as I drove to my first stop, which was Juanita Bay Park. It was sprinkling when I got there, and I walked out onto the east boardwalk, but I took along my umbrella. That turned out to be a good decision because I ended up using it. I couldn't call up a Marsh Wren, and I couldn't find a Wilson's Snipe from the end of the boardwalk, so I walked back to my car through the rain.
Next I drove to Houghton Beach Park. It was only sprinkling lightly there, and I got out my scope and soon found a lot of WESTERN GREBES out on the lake, spread out widely, but not close to shore. Still, I had a year bird, and I moved on.
My next stop was the Evans Creek Natural Area in Redmond, along the Old Brick Road. I was looking for snipe there, where I have seen them in the past. Not today, though. I did see a rather distant Pileated Woodpecker, but it was outlined against a bright cloudy sky. Here is the best picture I could get of the Pileated Woodpecker from the first place I saw it.
I drove on down the road a bit, and it moved around to the other side of the snag. I got a better picture then, and I could see it was a female Pileated Woodpecker.
Of course, I didn't need it - it was the third Pileated Woodpecker I have seen in the last two or three days, but it is a good bird, and I'm always glad to see one. I moved on to the Snoqualmie River Valley, after a brief stop at the Redmond Retention Ponds. While driving across the valley, I got this picture of a male American Kestrel on a wire.
Again, the bright sky in the background was a problem, and I had to process the picture heavily to get a presentable image. At least it shows the pretty colors of a male American Kestrel.
A little farther down the road I pulled over to let a delivery truck go by me, and before I started up again, I noticed a female American Kestrel on a post close by. It had some kind of prey, which looked like a mouse or a vole. It stayed there, looking at me, as I took these next three pictures. Female American Kestrel with prey and a bloody bill.
You can just make out her furry prey at her feet.
I guess she didn't want to eat in front of me, and she took off, carrying her prey in her talons.
I drove on across the valley, looking for Varied Thrush. I stopped at the house in Carnation with feeders, but there were few birds around. Sometimes that means a hawk has been through, and I looked around for one, but didn't find one. I picked up a sandwich at the Carnation Market and drove through Tolt-MacDonald Park hoping to see a Varied Thrush, but I didn't. I stopped at the Tolt River bridge to look for American Dipper, but had no luck at that, either. I drove on up to Tokul Creek, but I couldn't find a dipper there, either. I've seen American Dipper for 24 months in a row, and I would hate to break that streak this month. I've only ever seen dippers at those two locations near home, and today was my first trip out there this month, due to the weather. I'll have to get out there once or twice more this month, in between the showers.
After I ate my sandwich, I moved on up to the town of Duvall and walked out onto the Snoqualmie Valley trail. I was looking for snipe in a spot where I have seen them in the winter before. At first I didn't see any, and the water was higher than ideal, but then I spotted one WILSON'S SNIPE snoozing at the edge of the reeds. It had its bill tucked under a wing, but its eye was open. Here's a picture.
I tried moving up and down the trail, to get a better angle and see more of the bird, but this next shot was the best I could do.
I hung around for ten or fifteen minutes, hoping it would move, but even when I played snipe calls, it just sat there and ignored me. After that I headed for home.
So, I got 2 more species for my 2020 and January lists today. Now I have 108 species. There aren't many left for me to go for, and the weather forecast still calls for showers as far out as they can see. I'd like to have a rain-free day to go over to the Kitsap Peninsula and beyond, but it doesn't look promising.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Before I get into today's exciting adventures, I wanted to show a couple of pictures from yesterday. I didn't find anything new yesterday, but the White-throated Sparrow that I showed a blurry picture of on Sunday hung around our yard for a couple of days, and I got a couple of slightly better pictures yesterday afternoon. Here is a White-throated Sparrow in our yard.
Those aren't great, by any means, but they show the bird, at least. I think that White-throated Sparrow is the most attractive sparrow we see on the West Coast, and they are uncommon around here.
Today it rained all day long, but I decided to brave the elements and go looking for American Dipper in the rain. I figured that a bird that lives in the water wouldn't be afraid of a little rain, and neither was I. I drove across the Snoqualmie Valley in the rain, but I didn't find anything I needed. There were no birds at all at the house in Carnation with feeders. I stopped at the Tolt River bridge in Carnation, but I didn't see a dipper there. I drove down the west side of the Snoqualmie River, hoping to maybe see a Greater White-fronted Goose, but all I saw were Canada Geese and Trumpeter Swans.
My last chance for a dipper was the Tokul Creek bridge, between Fall City and Snoqualmie Falls. I'd say that I find a dipper there more than half the time, and I had missed it on Monday. The rain had lessened when I got to the bridge over Tokul Creek, so I got out without even using an umbrella. I looked downstream and didn't see anything. I looked upstream and still didn't see anything. I was feeling discouraged, but I looked downstream once more, and there it was - a lovely little AMERICAN DIPPER, foraging for food in the rushing creek. With the rain and heavy overcast, there wasn't much light, and my pictures are crap, but I love dippers, so here are my best efforts anyway, American Dipper in the rain, looking for food under the water.
Sometimes it would just stick its head in the water, and sometimes it would dive in and disappear underwater for several seconds. It worked its way up the stream, getting closer to me, but it never stopped moving, and in the low light, I couldn't get good pictures.
I would have kept trying, but it flew upstream, underneath the bridge I was standing on, and I couldn't find it again after that. It might have stopped under the bridge, or it might have flown on up the creek, out of sight. I was getting wet, anyway, and I had my bird, so I headed for home.
So, just one bird for my lists today, but it was one I especially wanted. Not only do I really like dippers, I had seen one for 24 months in a row, and I wanted to keep that streak going. Now I have 109 species this month.
Last year I had 131 species in January, and in 2018 I had 133. Obviously, I'm not going to come even close to those totals this year. The weather has been just awful this year, and I haven't been able to do a couple of day trips that I like to do in the winter.
Friday, January 24, 2020
Today we had rain showers, especially in the morning, and it was also quite windy. I went up to Richmond Beach Saltwater Park and walked out onto the pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks. I didn't see or hear my target species, but I played the call a few times. I got several responses from CALIFORNIA QUAIL, so it went onto my lists as a "heard only" species. I couldn’t spot one or lure one out in the open. That was one I had especially wanted to get this month because this makes 25 months in a row I have had California Quail on my monthly list.
It was drizzling and very windy, but the wind was coming from the south, so I was able to get these next pictures looking north from the bridge, without my camera lens getting covered with water drops.
The rainbow only lasted a minute or two, and it never got real bright, but I wanted to see how pictures would come out. Here is the left side of the rainbow.
Here is the right side.
After that I moved on up into Edmonds and tried for Marsh Wren at the Edmonds Marsh, but got no responses to playback of Marsh Wren calls. Marsh Wren is another species I would especially like to get this month, since it is the only species left now that I have counted in each month of 2018 and 2019. Marsh Wrens are around all year, but in the winter, they are very reclusive and they rarely respond to playback. It was too windy to do anything else, and the rain increased, so I called it a day.
California Quail brings my total this year to 110 species.
Saturday, January 25, 2020
We were between storms today, so I drove up to Skagit county. I found nothing at Wylie Slough, Hayton Reserve, or the Valentine Road feeder houses, so I moved on to March Point. The tide was high, which wasn't good for the shorebird I was looking for, and I thought I had missed it. Then, as I rounded the point and headed west, I spotted two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, feeding along the edge of the water, despite the high tide. They were moving down the beach, right toward me, and I got out and took pictures as they approached. I ended up being closer to a Black Oystercatcher than I ever have been before, I think. Here are some pictures of Black Oystercatchers.
Their bills and their eye rings are really that bright neon color - it hasn't been enhanced with processing.
They seemed to be finding little things to eat. The bird in the picture above has something round in its bill.
As I was finishing taking pictures of the two oystercatchers, I noticed a Common Loon not far offshore.
Next I drove to Deception Pass and crossed the bridge to Whidbey Island. I stopped at Dugualla Bay because Greater Yellowlegs had been reported there, but the tide was too high. I went in to Oak Harbor and gassed up my car at Safeway for $2.53 per gallon, and then drove to the west end of Penn Cove. Greater Yellowlegs had been reported there, too, and I managed to find one GREATER YELLOWLEGS for my lists.
From there I drove to Libbey Beach, but I didn't find anything I needed there. I did get this picture of a female Harlequin Duck, though.
I wasn't able to add anything at Hastie Lake Access or West Beach county park, and I crossed back off of Whidbey Island and went back to the Skagit Flats. I tried again for Purple Finch at the house with feeders on the corner of Dodge Valley Road and Valentine Road, but all I saw were House Finches. On Fir Island, I drove down Rawlins Road, and I got this picture of a female American Kestrel.
While I was taking pictures of the kestrel, I was hearing a meadowlark singing, and when the kestrel flew off, I noticed the meadowlark nearby on a higher wire. Here is a Western Meadowlark. Check out those long toenails.
At Hayton Reserve, I walked up onto the dike, where there were some birders with scopes. I asked about what was out there, and one of them kindly showed me a distant PEREGRINE FALCON with his scope. That was an excellent year-bird.
I stopped again at Wylie Slough and again looked for the rare Northern Waterthrush that has been hanging out there, but I missed it again, for maybe the 8 or 10th time. I tried for Marsh Wren, but they just aren't responding to my playback this winter. I walked out on the dike trail, but all I got for my effort is this picture of a female Bufflehead.
While I was looking for the waterthrush, I noticed a Golden-crowned Sparrow eating new buds on a bush. I like to get pictures of bird behavior, so I took this series of pictures of the Golden-crowned Sparrow eating buds.
You can see that the bud next to its left foot has a bite or two taken out of it. The bird moved a little and started in on another bud. Here it appears to be sizing up the bud in front of it.
It took a bite out of that bud.
In this last picture you can see that there is less of the bud left now.
So, I drove about 200 miles, and I visited a number of birding sites in 7 1/2 hours today. I only had a few sprinkles and a little drizzle a couple of times, and it never interfered with my birding. I added 3 more species to my January and 2020 lists, and now I have 113 species so far this year. I don’t know if I'll get any more or not. Last year I had 131 and in 2018 I had 133, but both of those were outstanding months for the winter. The weather this month has reduced the amount of birding I was able to do, and my bum knee held me back at the beginning of the month, too. The wet weather is supposed to continue, but at least my knee is a lot better now, and it isn't slowing me down any more (for now, knock on wood).
Sunday, January 26, 2020
After rain overnight, we had another break from the rain today, for the most part, although it was pretty windy. I went over to Magnuson Park to look for a species that has been reported there. I parked and walked to the area where there are many hawthorn trees, and many of them still have berries. At first I saw no birds, and then I spotted a couple of American Robins. Here is a picture of an American Robin that had been eating the hawthorn berries.
Robins are very common, and people usually don’t pay much attention to them, so you can study this one. Note the white feathers under the tail, the streaks on the throat, and the unique pattern of white around the eye.
There were also 5 or 6 squirrels eating the hawthorn berries.
A male Anna's Hummingbird was sitting on his station and kept coming back to it.
His gorget looks black in most light, but when he turned his head, it flashed its bright color in the sun.
I walked around, looking for my target species, but it wasn't looking good. I kept at it, though, and eventually a little group of about 6 or 8 CEDAR WAXWINGS flew in, and they landed in a tree fairly close to me. I had to make my way through the puddles and mud, but I got close enough for a couple of pictures before they all flew off, never to be seen again. I just happened to be n the right place at the right time. Here is an adult Cedar Waxwing, looking very sleek, as usual.
Here is a juvenile Cedar Waxwing, with streaks on its flanks and no patch of waxy red substance on its wing.
While I was trying to get pictures of the Cedar Waxwings, a Black-capped Chickadee distracted me, and I took some pictures of it.
When the waxwings left, I made my way back to my car. On the way out of the park, I stopped one more time, though, and walked a little in the marsh area. I played the songs of Marsh Wren, but I couldn't attract one. There was a male Bufflehead diving on a pond, and I took some pictures of him. Normally, male Buffleheads look black and white, but the sun was in the right place, and you could see the iridescence of the head and neck. Here is the male Bufflehead in the sun.
That was it for the morning, but after lunch I tried again for Marsh Wren. I went down to Juanita Bay Park and walked up and down the fire station road, where a Marsh Wren had been reported yesterday. I saw a couple of Northern Flickers, a couple of Downy Woodpeckers, a couple of Black-capped Chickadees, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, a Song Sparrow or two, and I heard a Virginia Rail call. Fairly birdy for a short walk, but no Marsh Wren.
Cedar Waxwing brought my 2020/January total to 114 species. It appears the weather might give me another opening tomorrow morning, and maybe again on Tuesday, so maybe I can get one or two more species this month, although there really isn't very much to go looking for.
Monday, January 27, 2020
It's a very brief report tonight, with no pictures. We had another dry day, and I went up to Edmonds and played Marsh Wren songs around the Edmonds Marsh. No luck. I went up to Sunset Avenue and looked for Common Murre and Marbled Murrelet, but couldn't find either species. As I was standing there, a small group of 5 or 6 swallows flew through along the bluff, over the beach. They came by at lest three times, and I got good looks at them with binoculars. They were dark on top, white underneath, and they had slightly forked tails. I decided they were juvenile BARN SWALLOWS, a very early spring returner. Normally Barn Swallows wouldn't show up until March, but these were very early this year.
Barn Swallow gives me 115 species this month. If the weather forecast holds, and I feel up to it in the morning, I plan to go over to the Kitsap Peninsula tomorrow by ferry and try for 3 or 4 possible species I need.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
It rained a lot overnight, but it was supposed to taper off to showers and then be dry in the afternoon. I left home in the rain and rode the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston, over on the Kitsap Peninsula, on the west side of Puget Sound. As we approached the harbor in Kingston, I spotted a COMMON MURRE from the ferry, and I had one for my list. Later I saw at least a dozen more Common Murres, but I was happy to have the first one. When I got to Point No Point, at the north end of the Kitsap Peninsula, the rain was tapering off. Here is a picture, taken later, of Point No Point, from Norwegian Point.
Here is a closer shot, showing the lighthouse complex at the tip of the point.
The large two story building is the former lighthouse keeper's house. Now half of it is rented out as a vacation rental and the other half is the headquarters of the United States Lighthouse Society. Here is a picture of the lighthouse itself, taken from the lighthouse complex grounds.
When the rain stopped, I looked out over the bay with my scope. At first there was nothing out there at all, but after a while, gulls started showing up. In a short while, there were tons of Mew Gulls (which I didn't need) and dozens of BONAPARTE'S GULLS, the gull species I was looking for today. That's when I saw a lot of Common Murres, and other birds showed up, too. The best one was a pair of MARBLED MURRELETS, my third target species of the day. There were also Common Loons, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Pigeon Guillemots, Red-breasted Mergansers, a Rhinoceros Auklet, and cormorants out there.
I never got any more for my list after that, but I drove around the north end of the peninsula and visited several sites. At Driftwood Key, I got some pictures of ducks. Here is a Eurasian Wigeon, a semi-rarity that should be in Asia now.
I think that is a juvenile male, but I'm not sure. It isn't right for an adult male or an adult female, but I'm sure it is either a Eurasian Wigeon or a hybrid of some kind. Here is another shot of it.
Here is a male American Wigeon for comparison.
Here's a picture of a pair of Northern Pintails. The male is the more colorful one, of course.
Here are two male Northern Pintails.
I ate my lunch at the lighthouse complex, sitting in my car and watching the water. Then I headed toward the ferry to go home. On the way, I saw a bird fly in to a pole up the road, and I could see it was a woodpecker of some kind, so I pulled up to take a look. It turned out to be a female Pileated Woodpecker, and I got this picture.
I don't see Pileated Woodpeckers very often, but this month I have seen 4 or 5 of them.
Once I got on the ferry, I got out of my car and took this picture of a couple of female Red-breasted Mergansers in the harbor.
It was a successful day of birding for me, and I had a nice outing. I added 3 more species to my January/2020 list, and now I have 118 species this month. I also added 5 species to my lifetime Kitsap county list - Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Wigeon, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Marbled Murrelet. Now I have 76 species in Kitsap county since I started keeping county lists in 2012. It looks like there could be another break in the rain on Thursday morning, so maybe I can add another species or two to my year list, but there aren't very many species left for me to get.