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Monday, February 1, 2021
I only went out a couple of times in the last 13 days of January, and I didn't get any new birds or good pictures. I finished January with 121 species. On Monday, a new month started, so I got motivated. Unfortunately, it rained all day and I had other obligations as well. I didn't go birding, but I did add 9 species to my February list here in our yard, with casual observations out of the back door. I got Dark-eyed Junco, Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Red-winged Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, Pine Siskin, House Finch, and Fox Sparrow. All except Fox Sparrow are common in our yard.
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
It rained again today, but I went out anyway. Before I left home, though, I had more in our yard. I spotted our local Bewick's Wren, then House Sparrow and Song Sparrow. A Downy Woodpecker came to the seed feeder, and a couple of dozen Feral Pigeons came in for the seed that Christina puts out. A couple of Steller's Jays came for peanuts, and I saw a Red-breasted Nuthatch at the seed feeder. I finally got on the road, and my first stop was the site for the rare (for this area) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Everett. I didn't see it, and after 15 minutes, I moved on to the parking lot at the 10th St boat launch on the waterfront. Before I left the sapsucker site, though, I did add Anna's Hummingbird to my list.
At the boat launch parking lot, I sorted through the gulls that were roosting there. Here is a California Gull, characterized by the greenish legs and the black and red marks on its bill.
Here's a Ring-billed Gull, identified by the ring on its bill near the tip and its yellow legs.
Here is another Ring-billed Gull, on the grass.
Mew Gull is a small gull with a small, chisel-like bill.
Glaucous-winged Gull is a large gull that is probably the most common one around here, other than hybrids. I didn't get a picture today, but I saw some. I was quite pleased to see a Western Gull, characterized by its very dark back and wings.
I looked for a Herring Gull, but I couldn’t find one. In the nearby water I saw Canada Goose, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Goldeneye, and Bufflehead.
My next stop was the marsh at 12th St NE, just north of the Everett sewage ponds. I picked up Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, and Northern Pintail there. It was raining all this time, so I didn't try for distant pictures. Even opening the widow to look let the rain in, and it wasn't worth trying for pictures most of the time. I saw some European Starlings as I drove to the main pond of the sewage works. An immature Bald Eagle was perched in a tree overlooking the pond. The rain let up enough for me to get out and set up my scope under the overhang from my tailgate door, and I looked at the ducks on the large pond. I soon added Greater and Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, and Ruddy Duck. It was windy, as well as raining, so I didn't spend much time trying to see distant birds. I did see some large flocks of Dunlin, a shorebird, though. I drove to the end of the road and spotted a Red-tailed Hawk and then a Great Blue Heron.
The rain continued and I headed back toward home. On the way I stopped again at the 10th St boat launch and this time I found what I think was a Herring Gull. The thing I look for to identify a Herring Gull is light-colored eyes, and this gull has fairly light-colored eyes.
I've seen lighter eyes, but everything else was right for Herring Gull, and I'm going with that call. I stopped again for ten minutes at the sapsucker site, but again I dipped.
When I got home, I got this picture of a juvenile male Red-winged Blackbird at our suet feeder.
He looks like a female Red-winged Blackbird, but there is a reddish patch on his wing that marks him as a juvenile male. In that last picture, you can see a small part of the Northern Flicker on the other side of the feeder, and here is a picture that shows more of him.
So, despite the non-stop rain, I added 32 more species to my February list today, and now I have 41 species this month. Tomorrow is supposed to be dry, and I hope to go up north to Skagit county and do some real birding, rather than driving-around-in-the-rain birding.
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
Today I went north to Skagit county. My first stop, after picking up a sandwich at Subway, was at Wylie Slough. As I approached the reserve, I saw some American Wigeons, and then some Greater Yellowlegs in a partially flooded field. Here are a couple of pictures of a Greater Yellowlegs.
There were a few Trumpeter Swans near the entrance, and as I drove into the reserve, I got a quick look at a Black Phoebe. It flew off before I could get a picture. I added Golden-crowned Sparrow and got this picture.
I didn't see anything else there, and I moved on to my Barn Owl site east of Sedro Woolley. I found the Barn Owl in the barn of my birding acquaintance, Gary, as usual, and this time I tried for a picture. There really was very little light, and in such low light, my camera is slow to focus. I couldn't hold the camera steady enough to get a decent focus, and this was my best effort at getting a shot in the dark of the Barn Owl.
At least you can make out the bird. I moved on to the Samish Flats. Just outside of the tiny town of Edison, I got this picture of a pair of American Wigeons. The male is the one on the left.
I had gotten American Wigeon earlier today, but what I was looking for there was its cousin, Eurasian Wigeon, a vagrant that shows up here regularly. Here is a male Eurasian Wigeon, with his head tucked under his wing, taking a little nap.
Here is the male Eurasian Wigeon after he woke up.
You can see a male American Wigeon, with the green stripe on his head, in the background, for comparison. At that same place, I got this picture of a male Northern Pintail, a species I got yesterday.
Moving on to the East 90, I got this picture of a Rough-legged Hawk in a field.
It flew up to a pole, and I got this shot of the Rough-legged Hawk.
Somewhat later, I was back there and got this shot of a Rough-legged Hawk hovering in the air as it hunted. It's too bad it was facing away from me, but I'm showing the picture anyway because it is unusual to get such a good focus on a flying bird, and I like the feather detail.
After the East 90, I moved on to the West 90 and ate half of my sandwich as I looked for birds. I managed to see a Northern Harrier for my list, but not a Short-eared Owl, which I had hoped for. After I ate half my sandwich, I drove to the overlook on Samish Island and looked for sea birds. I got Surf Scoter and White-winged Scoter, and then I noticed quite a few Long-tailed Ducks in the distance. Several Red-breasted Mergansers flew in, and finally, I saw a Common Loon way out there. It was windier than ideal, and that made spotting birds in the waves difficult, but I got the two I wanted the most - Long-tailed Duck and White-winged Scoter. I tried for pictures, but they were all so distant that they aren't worth showing.
I drove back to the East 90 and ate the second half of my sandwich while I watched for owls. I did finally see a distant Short-eared Owl, although it wasn't a very satisfactory or very long look. A WESTERN MEADOWLARK flew in and I happened to notice it. That was one I missed in January, so this was my first of the year. Here is a distant picture of the Western Meadowlark.
Next I headed south, toward home. On the way I saw an American Kestrel on a wire, but the road was too busy to stop for a picture. At the house with feeders at the corner of Valentine Road and Dodge Valley Road, I looked for Purple Finch or Mourning Dove, but I didn't find either of those. As I was sitting there, I noticed some California Quail approaching from across the main road. Three male California Quail stopped at the edge of the road and looked both ways before crossing. Here they are looking left.
Once they decided it was clear, they crossed the road.
Here is a male California Quail feeding on the ground.
Here is a female California Quail.
I was sorry to miss Purple Finch there, but California Quail was an even better species to get for February.
I stopped briefly at Hayton Reserve, although I didn't get out of my car. On the way out, I played Lincoln's Sparrow songs where I had seen one a few weeks ago. I didn’t attract a Lincoln's Sparrow today, but a Marsh Wren showed up to check me out, and I got a good look at it. I might have gotten a picture, but a car came along just then, and the bird disappeared.
I detoured on Dry Slough Road to look at swans, but I never found a Tundra Swan today. I did pick up Brewer's Blackbird for my list, but nothing good. I drove down to Stanwood, hoping to find Snow Geese, but I never saw any today. I took a different route back to the freeway, on the Pioneer Highway, and there was a small hawk on a wire along the way. I turned around and went back, and I managed some pictures.
It was the age-old question - Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk? I wavered back and forth and ended up deciding to count it as a Cooper's Hawk, which is the easier of the two to get.
So, I had a nice day of driving in the sunshine, and I added 21 species to my February list, which now totals 62. Western Meadowlark was new for the year, and now I have 122 species in 2021.
Friday, February 5, 2021
Today I went up to Edmonds and caught the 9:35 ferry to Kingston, which is on the Kitsap Peninsula, across Puget Sound. Before the ferry left the dock, I added both Pelagic Cormorant and Brandt's Cormorant to my February list. Here is a Brandt's Cormorant.
I also saw a Black Scoter as we pulled out. While crossing the sound, I saw several Brant (a small goose), the first of many I saw today in various places. While approaching the dock in Kingston, I saw the first of many Red-necked Grebes, a first for February for me. I also got my first Pigeon Guillemot of February. Today I saw Pigeon Guillemots in winter plumage, summer plumage, and also in between. In the summer, they are black with a white wing patch, but here is a Pigeon Guillemot that is pretty much still in its mostly gray and white winter plumage.
I picked up a sandwich at Subway in Kingston and my first actual birding stop was at Port Gamble. I saw a couple of Pied-billed Grebes, a species I usually see on fresh water, but these were in salt water. There were a number of Horned Grebes, too. I was specifically looking for Western Grebe there because I had seen a lot of them the last time I was there, and today I again saw dozens of them. Just as I was getting ready to leave, I saw a pair of Hooded Mergansers, too.
My next stop was Oak Bay county park, which is across the Hood Canal Bridge, in Jefferson county. I got my first Pacific Loon of the day and the month there, and then I saw three female Harlequin Ducks for my list. I missed Black Oystercatcher, which was my main target there. I drove across the bridge to Indian Island and stopped at Lagoon Beach to try again for Black Oystercatcher. I didn't see one, but I did pick up Belted Kingfisher, right where I had seen one the last time I was there, sitting on a rock jetty, overlooking the channel.
I drove across another bridge to Marrowstone Island, and on my way to Fort Flagler State Park, I saw some Hooded Mergansers in Nordland. Here is a female Hooded Merganser.
It was supposed to be dry today, with less than a 15% chance of rain, but I had drizzle and even light rain sometimes, for most of the day. At Fort Flagler State Park I set up my scope in the drizzle and scanned the distant shore. I found several Sanderlings, which was one of my targets there. I also saw some Black Turnstones, another one for my list. I pulled up into the main parking lot and ate the first half of my sandwich, while watching for another species I hoped to see there. I wasn't disappointed, there were about a half dozen Black-bellied Plovers on the grass, and I got a couple of pictures.
It was drizzling too much and the wind was blowing too hard for me to set up my scope to look out over the strait, so I skipped that and moved on. Before I left the park I got this shot of a female Harlequin Duck.
On my way back down Marrowstone Island, I got these next two shots of a Greater Yellowlegs, a species I already had this month.
Farther down the road, I saw some Mourning Doves for my list, and I got this picture of one. You can see the drizzle drops on its shoulder.
There were some American Robins in a tree there, too, and that was one I hadn't yet seen in February.
Next I drove to Point No Point, at the north end of the Kitsap Peninsula. I had skipped it this morning because the tide was wrong (I thought) for the best sea birding, and this afternoon it was theoretically better. As it turned out, there were very few birds out on the water, although I did see a couple of hundred Bonaparte's Gulls, which was one of my target species there. I also saw 3 Marbled Murrelets and 3 or 4 Common Murres, both of which were excellent species to get for February. My second target species there, in addition to Bonaparte's Gull, was California Scrub-Jay. There is a colony of them there, and I wanted to see one. I hadn't seen one, so I sat in my car and ate the second half of my sandwich as I watched for them. I added Eurasian Collared-Dove while I was eating, and then, just as I finished, a California Scrub-Jay flew into view. It flew on, but I moved my car and got some pictures through the drizzle. Here are some California Scrub-Jay shots.
That was the first one I saw; it had something in its bill. Here is the second California Scrub-Jay I saw.
The drizzle actually let up, and I was able to get out of my car and use my scope, but I didn't see anything else I needed. I headed back to the Kingston ferry terminal. I got there early for the 3:10 ferry, so I walked over the edge of the parking area to try to see a Barrow's Goldeneye, a species that is usually very reliable there. I couldn't find one today, so I got back in my car. Once I was on the ferry, I got out of my car and looked around the harbor, and I did manage to find a pair of Barrow's Goldeneyes. Here is the female Barrow's Goldeneye.
Here is the male Barrow's Goldeneye.
Here is a shot of both Barrow's Goldeneyes together.
I had already gotten Surf Scoter this month, but I took this picture of a male Surf Scoter.
After crossing Puget Sound, I stopped on my way home at the house in Lake Forest Park where I get Band-tailed Pigeon usually, and today I saw exactly one of them, high at the top of a fir tree.
So, despite the drizzle that interfered with my birding today, and despite seeing so few birds at Point No Point, I still got 25 more species for my February list. Now I have 87 species this month.
Saturday, February 6, 2021
It was dark and windy today, and I decided to go looking for American Dipper. I drove out to the Snoqualmie Valley, and I didn't get anything as I drove across the valley until I got to the pond at Chinook Bend. I added Gadwall to my list there. At the house in Carnation with feeders, there were no birds at all around, other than a couple of crows. Maybe a hawk had been around recently. I drove down the west side of the Snoqualmie River, and I stopped at a place where I had seen sparrows this winter. Today all I could call up was a Golden-crowned Sparrow and a single immature White-crowned Sparrow. At least the latter was one for my February list, but I couldn't attract a Lincoln's Sparrow or a White-throated Sparrow.
At the pond just beyond Jubilee Farms, I saw one of the feral Muscovy Ducks and I got these pictures of it.
The Muscovy Ducks there are domestic ducks that have escaped and gone feral, and as such, they are not countable, so they don't go on my lists. While I was taking those pictures, I heard and saw a flock Cackling Geese, a species I needed for February. Here are some pictures of some of the Cackling Geese.
After that I drove up to Tokul Creek to try for dipper. There were at least 7 fishermen on the part of the creek that I could see from the bridge. Here are some of them, looking upriver.
I couldn't see any dippers, and I figured that maybe all the people had chased them upstream, out of my sight. I was about ready to give up when I finally spotted an American Dipper, pretty far upstream. I lost sight of it, but it appeared again, closer to the bridge. I got just one quick picture before it flew off upstream, and I didn't find it again. Here is that picture of the American Dipper, about to take off.
While I was looking for the dipper, I noticed a little bird in a leafless tree, and I got this quick picture of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, one for my list.
After that I drove back down the hill and across the valley to home. There wasn't much bird action on this dark, windy day, but I did manage to add 5 more species to my February list. Now I have 92 species in February. We are supposed to have some cold and dry weather now, so maybe I can get out and find more.
Sunday, February 7, 2021
Today I went over to Seattle. My first stop was the little marina on the bay, just east of Husky Stadium, where they rent boats in the summer. I scanned the ducks on the bay, and soon found a Common Merganser. I looked further and found three Canvasbacks, and soon after that I spotted a pair of Redheads. That was three duck species I needed in less than five minutes. As I drove off, the road took me next to a little bay, and I stopped and scanned the ducks there. Most were Mallards, but I also saw a male Wood Duck, which I also needed for February.
I stopped at Magnuson Park on the way home, hoping to find Cedar Waxwings or the early Barn Swallows that have been reported there the last couple of days. I walked around the field with hawthorn trees, and I sat in the car and watched the wetlands ponds, but I never saw anything I needed. Later I noticed that people had reported both Cedar Waxwings and Barn Swallows this morning, right where I was. I guess my timing was slightly off.
I added 4 more species to my February list today, and now I have 96 species this month.
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Today I went on an oystercatcher hunt. I have four sites up in Skagit county and north Whidbey Island for Black Oystercatcher, and today I was determined to try all four. On the way, though, I had to drive across Fir Island in Skagit county, and my first stop was at Wylie Slough. I stopped and looked through some swans, and I soon found a Tundra Swan, which was one I needed for this month. As I drove into the reserve, a Black Phoebe was hunting bugs over the little slough on the left. I tried many times for that species in October, November, and December last year, and never could see one. Now in 2021 I think I have seen one every time I have gone to Wylie Slough, which must be 6 or 8 times in a row. Here are a couple of pictures of the Black Phoebe today.
A Bewick's Wren was flitting around, too, and here is a head-on shot of it.
Next I drove to Hayton Reserve. I walked up on the dike to look for Snow Geese, but I couldn't find any. As I drove out, I took this picture of the pair of Bald Eagles that is occupying the nest there this year.
I tried playing Lincoln's Sparrow songs on the way out, stopping at several places, but I couldn't call one up. Next I drove to the house at the corner of Valentine Road and Dodge Valley Road, hoping to find Purple Finch. There were almost no birds around when I got there, but before I could pull away, I noticed a woodpecker near a feeder that had some suet on it. It turned out to be a Hairy Woodpecker, an excellent February bird. Here are a couple of pictures of the Hairy Woodpecker.
It kept popping into and out of view, and by the time it moved on, a bunch of birds had come in to the feeders. Most of them were juncos and House Finches, but then I got this shot of a female Purple Finch, the one I was there to find.
Here are some male House Finches.
A male Spotted Towhee flew in and posed for me, and I can't resist taking pictures of Spotted Towhees because I think they are so striking.
After those stops, I was ready to begin the actual hunt for oystercatchers. The first of my four sites for that species was West Beach at Deception Pass State Park on the north end of Whidbey Island. There were only gulls on the offshore rock where I have seen oystercatchers, but I used my scope to scan the waters offshore. I saw a pair of Marbled Murrelets and a number of Common Murres, both of which are excellent species, but I already had them both this month. Eventually I found a couple of Red-throated Loons, which was the one I needed. The last time I was there, I saw dozens of them, but today I had to work to find two. While I was scoping the waters, a Spotted Towhee came along and was calling and posing for me. So, here is a second male Spotted Towhee. This one was kind of puffed up against the cold (it was in the mid to high 30's all day).
I moved on to my second oystercatcher site, Rosario Beach, on the south end of Fidalgo Island. At first I didn't find any, but as I was leaving, I looked back at one of the islands for a second time, and I spotted a Black Oystercatcher where there hadn't been one five minutes earlier. Being thorough and checking again paid off.
So, with my oystercatcher taken care of, I headed toward home, intending to look for Snow Goose on the way. I couldn’t find any Snow Geese on Fir Island, and there weren't any north of Stanwood. I continued south of Stanwood, and on Tholme Road, I finally found a large flock of Snow Geese. Here is an adult Snow Goose.
Juveniles are darker for their first year.
Here is part of the large flock of Snow Geese.
Here are some distant shots of Snow Geese flying.
I made one more stop at Tulalip Bay to look for the rare (for this area) Ruddy Turnstone that has been wintering there. I couldn't find it. All I saw was a single Black Turnstone and about a dozen Dunlin.
I had a nice day out in the sunshine (and cold), and I added 6 species to my February list. Now I have 102 species this month.
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
It was cold again today (30's), but I went over to Magnuson Park to look again for Barn Swallow and Cedar Waxwing. As I drove in, a juvenile Cooper's Hawk was perched almost right over the road. I abandoned my car on the side of the road where you aren't supposed to park and got out and took some pictures. Here is the juvenile Cooper's Hawk.
After that, I parked and walked toward the field of hawthorn trees where Cedar Waxwings feed on the berries, and on the way there I saw some Golden-crowned Sparrows feeding on the ground. I didn't need that species, but pictures are always welcome, so here is a picture of a Golden-crowned Sparrow.
Walking on, I saw a single BARN SWALLOW fly over, my first of the year. I had a good look at it with binoculars, and I could see the colors and the forked tail. Barn Swallows spend their winters in Southern California and Mexico, and this is a bit early for them to be returning.
At the hawthorn tree field, I didn't see anything at first, and I sat on a bench and watched. Then a couple of CEDAR WAXWINGS flew in, another new one for the year for me. I got this peek-a-boo picture of one of the Cedar Waxwings just before they both flew off into the distance.
It was a brief sighting and an unsatisfying picture, but I had my bird. A couple of House Finches landed near the top of a tree, and here is a picture of the male House Finch.
I walked around a bit more and spotted a hummingbird at the top of a tree. I got closer and got these pictures of a male Anna's Hummingbird.
While I was taking those pictures, five Cedar Waxwings flew in to a nearby tree. I was able to get these two pictures of one of them.
Here is a shot of an immature Cedar Waxwing.
I didn't see anything else of interest at Magnuson Park, so I headed for home. On the way I stopped at St. Edwards State Park in Kenmore and tried for Brown Creeper and Pacific Wren, but I dipped on both of them.
I had my lunch at home, and then I went down to Juanita Beach Park. I took my scope out on the dock and I spotted a couple of Killdeer and 6 or 7 Wilson's Snipe on the beach beyond the condos. I needed both of those species for February. I looked around the bay and saw a group of American Coots far across the water. That was another February bird for me.
Next I went around the bay to Juanita Bay Park. Near the parking lot I was able to attract a couple of Golden-crowned Kinglets, which I needed for my February list. Here are two pictures of a Golden-crowned Kinglet.
I played Brown Creeper songs, but couldn't attract one. I drove across the main road and walked on the fire station road. I was able to get a response from a Virginia Rail by playing its call, and that was another February bird. I didn't need it, but I also got this picture of a Song Sparrow.
It is unusual for me to go out before and after lunch, when I eat at home, but it paid off today. I got 7 more species for my February list, bringing me to 109 species. We have one more day of cold weather, and then on Friday and Saturday we are supposed to get snow. They never know how much snow we will get, but right now they are forecasting 8 inches for our neighborhood. Meanwhile, maybe I'll go looking for birds in tomorrow's cold and cloudy weather.
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
We had a foot of snow over the weekend, and we had two or three days of rain before that, so I hadn't been out birding for a week. Today it was finally nice, so I went out to the Snoqualmie Valley, around the town of Carnation.
I stopped at Sikes Lake as I drove across the valley, and while I was trying to lure out a possible Lincoln's Sparrow with playback, I heard and then saw a Common Raven at the top of a tree in the distance.
I needed that one for February. I thought I had seen a Lincoln's Sparrow, but I never got a good enough look to confirm it. A persistent Song Sparrow kept hanging around, including sitting on my car and singing back to me, in response to the Lincoln's Sparrow songs I was playing. Here are a couple of pictures of the Song Sparrow on my car.
I continued on across the valley to the house with feeders in Carnation, but I didn't get anything I needed or any pictures worth showing. There was an American Kestrel on a wire, but I already had that one this month, and my pictures didn't come out.
I drove down the west side of the Snoqualmie River, south of Carnation. At the Blue Heron Golf Course, I drove in and played Lincoln's Sparrow songs again. This time I atracted one that posed for me, so it went on my list. Here is the Lincoln's Sparrow.
There is a pond there, and there were ducks on it. Here is a male Bufflehead.
Here's a male Ring-necked Duck.
Next I stopped at the spot where I have gotten White-throated Sparrow a couple of times this winter, but today all I could attract was a single Golden-crowned Sparrow, some House Sprrows, and another Lincoln's Sparrow. Here is the Lincoln's Sparrow.
I went on to try for a rarity, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that has been around all winter, but I didn't see it. I saw an American Kestrel, a couple of Spotted Towhees, a Black-capped Chickadee, and some starlings.
I drove back to Carnation and picked up a sandwich at the Carnation Market, and took it to the house with feeders. There wasn't much around, other than some starlings and some Pine Siskins. I ate my sandwich and watched, though, and a couple of American Goldfinches flew in to a feeder. That was the one I was looking for there. Here are the two American Goldfinches.
I didn't get anything else while driving back across the valley, but when I got home, a male Downy Woodpecker came to our suet feeder, so I took his picture.
It was a beautiful partly cloudy day today, and it was good to get out, after being stuck at home because of the snow. I added 3 more species to my February list, and now I have 112 species so far this month.
Thursday, February 18, 2021
It was sprinkling this morning, but I headed over to St. Edwards State Park anyway. I was looking for Brown Creeper and Pacific Wren. I was hoping the snow had melted from the north trail, and it indeed had. It was a little muddy, but I went down the trail, playing bird songs on my phone. I got no responses for a long time, and then I saw a Bewick's Wren. A nice little bird, but no cigar. On my way back to my car, I finally got a Pacific Wren to respond, but it was too dark in the woods to get any pictures of the very active little cutie. After that, I drove to Juanita Bay Park and tried for Brown Creeper in the rain, which was getting heavier, but I missed it there, too.
Back at home, I got these pictures of a Red-breasted Nuthatch at our suet feeder. I took them from the car, with the rain coming in the open passenger side window.
When the nuthatch left, a female Red-winged Blackbird flew in.
A little later, a Bewick's Wren was foraging on the ground under the suet feeder, and I got these pictures. I like wrens. There have been two Bewick's Wrens around the last couple of days, so maybe they will breed in our yard this year.
That was it for today. Pacific Wren brought my February total to 113 species.
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Today I went up to Edmonds, which is located on Puget Sound, about a half hour northwest of home. I got out my scope on Sunset Avenue, and after looking around for a while, I got a quick look at a Rhinoceros Auklet, the species I was looking for today. I would have liked a longer look, but it dove and I never located it again. It was marginal, but I was sure enough of my identification that I counted it.
After that I stopped at City Park in Edmonds. I played Brown Creeper songs on my phone, and eventually a Brown Creeper flew in to a nearby tree trunk. I tried for a picture, but there wasn’t enough light to focus quickly enough, and the bird flew off.
That was it for today. No pictures, but 2 more species for my February list. Now I have 115 species this month, and I don't know if I'm going to get any more or not.