May 2022

Click here to return to 2022 Birding Reports: http://www.barry15.com/2022_Birding_Reports

Sunday, May 1, 2022

A new month, so a new monthly list. Here at home this morning, I started myself off with American Crow, Dark-eyed Junco, and Song Sparrow, in our yard. I headed up to Edmonds, with a stop in the town of Woodway on the way. At my quail site, I sat in the car and watched and listened. In about ten minutes, I heard California Quail call four times, so it went on my list. While waiting, I added American Robin, White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, Spotted Towhee, and Golden-crowned Sparrow.

Next I stopped at Deer Creek Park in Woodway, but I wasn't able to call up a Pacific Wren or a Brown Creeper, so I moved on to the Edmonds Marsh. There were Marsh Wrens singing away at the marsh, so I took pictures.

I also added Canada Goose, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Great Blue Heron, Least Sandpiper, Tree Swallow, and Killdeer to my list.

At the fishing pier, I saw Pelagic Cormorants on the ferry dock pilings, and there was a Purple Martin at one of the nest boxes in the bay. I added Surf Scoter, Pigeon Guillemot, Feral Pigeon, and Glaucous-winged Gull. With my scope, I could see dozens of Western Grebes, far offshore. There were several Red-necked Grebes around, almost into their full breeding plumage now. Here are a couple of pictures of Red-necked Grebes.

I was pleased to spot a pair of Rhinoceros Auklets fairly close to the pier, so I took their pictures, too.

Next I drove up to Sunset Avenue and looked around with my scope. I saw some Horned Grebes that were almost into full breeding plumage, and then I saw one of my main targets for the day, a male Black Scoter. I was glad to see that they hadn't all left in migration yet. Another species I was looking for was Brant, a small saltwater goose that will be leaving soon. I didn't see any, but as I was pulling out, a small group of 5 or 6 of them flew in. I stopped and took this picture of two of the Brant.

I notice in the picture that the one in front has a green band on its left leg. I wonder where and when it was banded.

There weren't very many sea birds around today, but that might have been partly because it was fairly windy. Another reason is that most of them have already migrated out of this area. I drove to Ocean Avenue, and I discovered where all the Brant were. There were several hundred of them along the shore and swimming in to shore. Here's a picture of some of them.

The tide was low, and the Brant were feeding on eelgrass along the shore in the shallow water.

That was it for my birding today. I started the month off with 29 species, and 19 of them were repeaters. The weather looks pretty iffy tomorrow, but then there should be a couple of good days, and I hope to add some good numbers then. There are a lot of species that are just now migrating away for the summer, and I hope to find as many of those as I can before they leave. Then I can concentrate on the many summer residents that are just starting to migrate in to our area, and the shorebirds that are migrating through here. May is an interesting time of the year, with nesting going on in full force, and migrants coming and going.

Monday, May 2, 2022

It was raining this morning, but it was supposed to turn to showers. I had a lunch appointment up in Everett, so I went up early, despite the rain, hoping to maybe find some ducks at the Everett Sewage Treatment Plant. The rain had lessened by the time I was approaching the ponds, and I saw a couple of Eurasian Collared-Doves on wires, for my list. At the main pond, the rain had turned to a light sprinkle. There were hundreds of swallows swooping around over the big pond, and a few of them were perching on some barbed wire near where I could drive my car. I maneuvered my car into position so I could lower my window halfway and take pictures of the wet swallows on the wires. There were five different species of swallows - Barn, Tree, Cliff, Northern Rough-winged, and Violet Green. I still needed all of those except Tree Swallow, which I had seen yesterday in Edmonds at the marsh. Here are some pictures of the very wet swallows. Here is a Barn Swallow.

Here's a Cliff Swallow.

Here's a NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, which was new for me for the year.

Here's a better picture of a Cliff Swallow, showing the light-colored patch on the forehead.

That bird turned toward me, and I took this picture. It shows how wide a swallow's bill is, which makes it easier for it to scoop up bugs as it flies.

You can see what I meant by wet. They were all very wet. Here is a male Tree Swallow and a Cliff Swallow in the same picture.

Finally, here is one more Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

I never got a picture of a Violet-green Swallow, but I saw one when I first got there and hadn't gotten set up yet. It was really convenient for them to perch on the wires for me, since it would have been awkward to identify them in the rain, while they were swooping around. My binoculars lenses would have gotten covered with raindrops.

By the time I was done taking their picture, the rain had lessened still more and it was barely sprinkling. I was able to get out of the car and set up my scope and check out the ducks on the big pond. I added Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, and Ruddy Duck easily, and with a lot of searching I found a Ring-necked Duck as well. In the meantime, Red-winged Blackbirds had been calling and flying around, another one for my May list.

I checked out the 12th St wetlands, but there was nothing there, so I drove over the 10th St boat launch. There was an Osprey on the piling next to the nest I like to watch, and another Osprey on a nearby piling. It was raining pretty good again by then, but I looked at the Great Blue Herons hunkered down on their nests, from my car. While I was doing that, my first European Starling of May came along.

After lunch I drove to Edgewater Beach Park in Mukilteo to look for Barrow's Goldeneye, since that is a good spot for them, and they will be migrating soon. I didn't see any, even though the rain had again lessened enough for me to get out my scope. I did see a Marbled Murrelet, though, only the second time I have seen that species this year. I was in the car and had the engine started to leave when the ferry pulled out from the terminal, so I parked again and got out my scope. I wanted to see if there had been any birds on the other side of the ferry. Bingo! That's where the Barrow's Goldeneyes had been hiding. There was a group of about 15 or 20 of them, and I was able to identify the species with my scope. I was really lucky with the rain today; it let up each time I needed to get out and use my scope.

I did well for such a wet day. I added 16 more species to my May list, and quite a few of them were ones that will be leaving soon. Now I have 45 species this month. Five of the species today were repeaters, and now I have 24 of my 70 repeaters. Northern Rough-winged Swallow was new for the year for me, and now I have 156 species this year. Now we are supposed to get 2 dry days, followed by more wet ones.

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

It was drizzling a bit this morning, but I headed out anyway. Before I left home, I added Black-capped Chickadee and Chestnut-backed Chickadee to my May list. My first stop was Marymoor Park. I drove through the community gardens and then walked along the slough. I added Gadwall to my May list, and here's a picture of a male Gadwall.

There were dozens of swallows swooping around over the slough, and I managed to pick out a VAUX'S SWIFT among them, up high. Vaux's Swifts are migrants that are just now starting to come through here. Some stay here all summer and breed, but most move on north, I think. I only saw the species once last year, so getting it so early in the season is great.

Here is a picture of an Osprey at the nest on the new nesting pole.

I didn't see any Ospreys at the nest by the ball fields, but there might have been one sitting there, out of sight.

I next stopped at the Redmond Retention Ponds. There had been a report of a Spotted Sandpiper there yesterday, but I didn't see one today. I did add American Coot to my list, and here's a picture.

I drove out to the Snoqualmie Valley, and while driving across the valley, I added Rufous Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-tailed Hawk, and Wood Duck to my May list. At the house with feeders in Carnation, I added Band-tailed Pigeon to my list, and here's a picture of two of them.

The seed feeders were busy today, and I added Pine Siskin and American Goldfinch there. Here is a Pine Siskin.

Here is a male American Goldfinch.

Here is a female American Goldfinch, without the black cap of the male and with more subdued colors.

I went to the deli at the Carnation Market to get a sandwich, and I ran into Hank and Karen, a couple of birders I see in the field regularly. They told me about a second house in Carnation that has feeders, and after we got our sandwiches, they showed me where it was. That was fortuitous because I added Mourning Dove to my list right away, and they aren't always easy to find. Here is one of the two Mourning Doves I saw there today.

A pair of Purple Finches came to one of the feeders, and that was another good one to get for May. Here is a picture of the female (on the left) and male Purple Finches.

Next I went to the bridge over the Tolt River, to look for American Dipper. I didn't see one at first, but then I noticed one in the shallow water near the shore, downstream a little. Here is the American Dipper, looking for food underwater.

Here is the dipper, standing up tall and sticking its tail up.

After that, I took my sandwich to the Stillwater Access for the Snoqualmie Valley Wildlife Area. I carried my folding camp chair up onto the dike trail and ate half my sandwich as I watched and listened for birds. I heard a Common Yellowthroat singing for a long time, but I never got a look at it. It went on my list as a "heard only" species. I was disappointed to not see the Red-breasted Sapsuckers that had been working on a nest hole the last time I was there. Nor did I find the Cinnamon Teal pair that I saw last time. No American Bittern this time, either. I did see a couple of returning migrants, a male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and a male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, my first of the year for both species. Here is the male Bullock's Oriole, high in a tree.

Here is a shot of the oriole from the back.

Here's a partially obscured view of the male Black-headed Grosbeak.

He looks kind of splotchy for some reason. He flew across the trail to the same tall tree that the Bullock's Oriole had been in, and here's a picture from the front.

I walked up and down the trail a bit, and I saw a couple of Bushtits, which I needed for my list. Here are some pictures of the male Bushtit (females have light-colored eyes).

I presume they had a nest nearby, but I couldn't spot it.

I walked back to my car and drove up to the Duvall area. Along W Snoqualmie River Rd NE, I spotted two birds on the back of a horse, near the road.

I think they were female Brown-headed Cowbirds, one for my list. Here is a closer shot.

They flew down to the ground near the horse and were foraging in the grass. The grass was pretty long for pictures, but here is one of the female Brown-headed Cowbirds in the grass.

While I was watching them, a Savannah Sparrow flew up onto a nearby post, and I added that one to my list.

Overall, I did okay today. My main goal was the American Dipper, and the Vaux's Swift was an excellent one to get. It was nice to see my first Bullock's Oriole of the year, too. I don't see them that often. I added 21 species to my May list, and now I have 66 this month. 15 of the species today were repeaters, and now I have 39 of my 70 repeaters in May. Three new species for the year brought my yearly total to 159 species. Tomorrow is supposed to be warm (mid-60's) and not very windy. I'd like to go to Whidbey Island, if I feel up to it in the morning.

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

It wasn't a very high energy day for me today, but the weather was right, and I was determined to go over to Whidbey Island to look for some sea birds that are overdue to head north on their annual migration. I didn't know how many I could find, but I had to try now, because they will certainly be gone in a week, and some are leaving all the time.

I got away early (for me), and I caught the 9:30 ferry out of Mukilteo, having stopped at Subway on the way, to pick up a tuna sandwich. As we came in to the ferry terminal at Clinton, on Whidbey Island, I spotted a Double-crested Cormorant on a piling - an easy one for my list. Then, still sitting in my car, I saw a pair of Harlequin Ducks, which was one of my targets for the day. Here are the female and male Harlequin Ducks. The male is the fancy one, of course.

My first birding stop was Deer Lagoon. I lugged my scope out to where I could see both the saltwater and the fresh water lagoons. One of my main targets today was AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, and I saw a small group of them across the fresh water lagoon. There were a lot of Caspian Terns around, and I needed that one, too. I heard a Pied-billed Grebe give its very distinctive call, so it went on my list. On the saltwater lagoon side, there was a group of Dunlin, which I needed, and a number of Whimbrels (which I also needed) walking around looking for food. Here are three pictures of Whimbrels.

I also needed Northern Pintail, and there were several of those ducks around, too. I also added Short-billed Gull, American Wigeon, and Greater Yellowlegs there. It was a productive stop, as I had expected.

After that I drove to Crockett Lake. There were Western Sandpipers feeding on the mud, and Red-breasted Mergansers out on the lake. I needed both of those species for May. At the Purple Martin nest boxes, I didn't see any Purple Martins, but I had that one already anyway. Instead, there were several Yellow-rumped Warblers hawking flying insects over the water, so it went on the list. At the old pier, the usual cormorants were roosting, and I found one Brandt's Cormorant, the one I needed still, among the many Pelagic Cormorants.

Next I drove to what I call the west coast of Whidbey Island. I didn't get anything at Libbey Beach park, but on the way to the Hastie Lake Road Access, I added American Kestrel to my list. Here is a picture of the male American Kestrel, looking at me in my car.

At the Hastie Lake Road Access, I added Common Loon. Then I spotted two pairs of Long-tailed Ducks, which was one of the ones I thought would probably already be gone. Score! I ate the first half of my sandwich there and heard Black Oystercatchers calling as I ate. I got out with my camera and spotted two Black Oystercatchers. Here's a picture of one of them.

I moved on to the overlook called West Beach county park. There were not many sea birds on the water today, because they have mostly left for the summer, but I managed to find another one I hadn't expected, White-winged Scoter. Score again! I also saw 4 or 5 Pacific Loons, another good one that will be leaving this month.

As I moved on, I stopped to take pictures of a pair of Northern Pintails, a species I had added to my list this morning at Deer Lagoon. Here is the male Northern Pintail.

Here is the female Northern Pintail.

I saw Brewer's Blackbirds along the roads several times today, and I needed that one. A stop at Dugualla Bay got me Trumpeter Swan. I thought all the swans had left, but one lone Trumpeter Swan had been reported at Dugualla Bay, and I found it today. I wasn't expecting to get that one in May. There were some Western Sandpipers feeding there, and I took this picture of one of them.

After that I headed toward home. I stopped at the house on Valentine Road that has the big suet feeder, and sat in the car for a few minutes. Very soon, a Pileated Woodpecker flew in to the suet feeder and ate while I took pictures. Here is the male Pileated Woodpecker, always an excellent one to get.

Here's a close up of his classic "Woody Woodpecker" head.

I also added Red-breasted Nuthatch there. There was a hummingbird feeder fairly far away, but I took some pictures anyway. There was one female Anna's Hummingbird at the feeder, and I needed that one still. I had Rufous Hummingbird already, but I thought this picture of a couple of female Rufous Hummingbirds interacting was interesting because it shows the tail feather colors.

Here's a female Rufous Hummingbird alone.

As I drove across Fir Island toward home, I kept watch for another species that has mostly left by now, Snow Goose. I was quite pleased to find a flock of several hundred Snow Geese for my May list.

By the time I came to Wylie Slough, it was raining lightly and I was running out of time, so I didn't take the time to do any walking. I got Black Phoebe from the car, though, and I took this picture.

On my way to the freeway, I saw this Red-tailed Hawk standing in a field.

I stopped for gas on the way home ($4.259 per gallon, which is good for around here), and I got home at about 4:15. For me, it was a long day - 7 1/2 hours and 155 miles. I added 28 species to my May list, and now I have 94 species this month. 12 of those 28 were repeaters, and now I have 51 repeaters this month. American White Pelican was new for the year for me, and now I have 160 species this year.

Thursday, May 5, 2022

It rained all day today, and I didn't go birding. I did spot a bird in our yard, though, a male WILSON'S WARBLER. It was not only new for the year, it was new for me in our yard, as far as I can remember. Here is a distant picture of the male Wilson's Warbler, with his black skullcap.

That brings my May total to 95 species and my 2022 total to 161 species.

Saturday, May 7, 2022

It rained most of the time today, but I got out there in a brief rainless window of time this morning. I went down to the fire station road at Juanita Bay Park, and I got a response from a Virginia Rail. Then three Steller's Jays flew in to check me out. I needed both of those species and they were both repeaters. The rain started up again, so I went home. Now I have 97 species this month, with 53 of my 70 repeater species.

Monday, May 9, 2022

Over the weekend, I added Northern Flicker to my May list, here in our yard. Today I had a lunch appointment up in Everett, and I went up early to look for birds. My first stop was Jennings Memorial Park in Marysville, my California Scrub-Jay site. I walked around a little and saw a Steller's Jay, so I threw out a couple of peanuts for it. There were several squirrels around, and they thought the peanuts were for them. Anyway, a California Scrub-Jay did show up, and I got two quick pictures of it, as it hung around hoping for a peanut.

I got a picture of the Steller's Jay, too.

The scrub-jay flew off, so I headed back toward my car. On the way, a black and yellow bird shot through, and I watched it to where it landed in a tree. I got my binoculars on it, and it was a male WESTERN TANAGER, my first of the year. I tried to move closer for a picture, but it flew off and I couldn't call it back. I also saw a Bald Eagle circling around overhead, and I hadn't seen one of those this month yet.

Next I went to the parking lot at the 10th St boat launch in Everett. There were gulls loafing there, and I added California Gull to my May list. Here is a mature California Gull.

I think it takes three years for a California Gull to attain its adult plumage, and I think this next picture is a California Gull after two years.

The legs are a very distinctive color.

There was an Osprey on the nest I have watched for several years, and the nest had been added to a lot in the last week or two. Here is the Osprey on the nest.

As I watched, it started to move sticks around and also other stuff that looked like moss or something, lining the inside of the nest. As I was watching, another Osprey flew in with a load of stuff that looked like more moss or vegetation of some kind.

As I said, the nest has been added to a lot. Here is a picture of that same nest back on April 6, before the Ospreys had returned. A couple of Canada Geese were occupying it then. You can see how much smaller it was, after the attrition of the winter.

Next I checked out the Great Blue Heron rookery. They are still sitting on the nests. There are at least two dozen nests, and here are a few of them.

Here is a Great Blue Heron with a stick. They keep adding to their nests.

Here are a couple of Great Blue Herons, with their breeding plumes flying in the breeze.

Here is one of the nests, and you can see the fuzzy heads of a couple of youngsters in the nest.

Here are some nests with some larger chicks in one of them (on the left).

Those three larger chicks from that last picture were fairly active. Here is the best picture I could get of them.

That was it for me today. I added 5 more species to my list, and now I have 102 species this month. Three of the ones I added were repeaters, and now I have 56 of my 70 repeaters this month. Western Tanager was new for the year for me, and now I have 162 species this year.

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

This morning I went down to Juanita Bay Park to see what I could find. I tried playing Golden-crowned Kinglet songs where I usually see them near the parking lot, but not today. A Bewick's Wren showed up, though, and I needed that one for May still. Here is the Bewick's Wren.

I already had Bushtit this month, but a couple of them were flitting around, so I took their pictures.

I walked to the east boardwalk, and I saw a male Downy Woodpecker there, another one I needed still.

A woman with a camera pointed out a hummingbird nest, so I took this picture. I think it was an Anna's Hummingbird.

Hummingbirds make the cutest little nests. I would guess it was her second brood of the year, since they start pretty early.

There was a feeding flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the trees, so I took pictures. I already had that species, but pictures are always welcome.

I got lucky with this next shot, snapping the picture just as the bird took off.

Here is one last Yellow-rumped Warbler picture for today.

I walked around the park, and I spotted a bird that I didn't recognize at first. I took pictures, and I finally figured out it was a juvenile European Starling. I remember years ago when I first saw juvenile starlings, I couldn't figure out what they were, since they look quite different from the adults. Here are two pictures of the juvenile European Starling.

I also took this picture of a Song Sparrow that was singing.

That's all I got in the main part of the park, but I went over to the fire station road, across the main road to the east. I walked up and down the unpaved "road" and saw a Red-breasted Sapsucker for my May list. It was deep in the vegetation and kept moving around, but I got these two pictures of the Red-breasted Sapsucker.

So, I added three more species to my May list, and now I have 105 species this month. Two of them today were repeaters, and now I have 58 of my 70 repeaters this month. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy, but then it should be okay again after that.

Friday, May 13, 2022

I started today's birding at Marymoor Park. At the rowing club pond, I heard - then saw - my first WARBLING VIREO of the year. Here are a couple of pictures of it.

I drove around to the main part of the park, but I couldn't find anything at the community gardens. I walked along the slough, and there were many swifts flying overhead, but I think they were all Vaux's Swifts, which I already had, not Black Swifts. I took this picture of a Canada Goose family across the slough.

I tried the viewing mound and drove through the rest of the park, but I didn't see anything else I needed. Next I stopped at the Redmond Retention Ponds. People have been seeing Spotted Sandpiper there, but I didn't see anything interesting. At the pond at the Redmond Watershed Preserve, though, I did add Hooded Merganser to my May list. Here is a male Hooded Merganser.

Out in the Snoqualmie Valley, I took this picture of a Barn Swallow on a wire.

Soon after that, I saw my first TURKEY VULTURES of the year. There were three of them circling overhead, and they were accompanied for awhile by an immature Bald Eagle.

I didn't get anything else until I got to the river, and just across the river, I spotted a pair of Common Mergansers on the beach. Here is the female Common Merganser as she was getting ready to go in the water.

The male Common Merganser had already entered the water, and I took this picture of him.

Here is the pair of them - male and female Common Mergansers.

I drove into Carnation and picked up a sandwich at the deli counter in the market there, and I took it up to the Stillwater Access to the Snoqualmie Wildlife Area. I took my lunch and my folding chair out on to the dike trail and ate my lunch in the sun. I took this picture of a male Wood Duck just as I got to the trail.

A female Mallard was herding her young ducklings around the pond, and I took this shot.

While I was eating my lunch, Red-winged Blackbirds were calling and proclaiming their territories. Here is one of the male Red-winged Blackbirds, showing off his epaulets.

When I finished my lunch, I walked a bit on the trail. Another birder showed me where there was a Brown Creeper nest, and I played the creeper's song. One flew in, and I took this picture of that repeater that I still needed.

When I left there, I drove to W. Snoqualmie River Rd NE, hoping to see a Northern Harrier. No harrier, but at the end of the road, across from the dairy, I took this picture of a male House Sparrow, another repeater I still needed.

That was it for me today. I added 6 more species to my May list, and 4 of them were repeaters. Now I have 111 species this month, and 62 of my 70 repeaters. I added two more to my year list, and now I have 164 species this year. We are supposed to have showers this weekend, but maybe I can get out there in between the showers.

Saturday, May 14, 2022

The weather today was marginal, but I headed up to Skagit county anyway. I picked up a sandwich at Subway and drove to Fox Road, near Clear Lake, east of Burlington. The site is all messed up with the construction of a pipeline, but as I drove in, a Killdeer flew in to a puddle in a field, calling. The light was poor, but I think that Killdeer is a photogenic species, so here is a picture of the Killdeer.

At the end of the road, the habitat looked good for Pacific Wren, and since Pacific Wren is tough in May, I played the song, just in case. It took a minute or two, but a small bird flew across in front of me. Eventually, it started singing, but it stayed in the bushes. It was indeed a Pacific Wren, and the only pictures I could get were peek-a-boo ones, through the branches.

The best shot I got caught the Pacific Wren blinking.

I had been hoping to see or hear Wilson's Snipe there, but had no luck, so I drove on to the town of Lyman, east of Sedro Woolley. My first stop there was the Bank Swallow colony on the river, west of town. I guess I was too early in the year, though, because there weren't any swallows around. I did see a kingfisher going into a hole in the bank, and then coming out again, but that was all. Kingfishers nest in holes in the banks of rivers, like Bank Swallows do, but the holes a little larger.

I moved on to my birding buddy Gary's house. I found one of the Barn Owls in his barn, so that species went on my list for May. Here is a picture of one eye of the Barn Owl, as it looked down at me, upside down.

From there I drove to the Samish Flats, hoping to see a raven or a Northern Harrier. I ate half my sandwich at the East 90, but I never saw a raven or a harrier. Next I drove to the house on Valentine Road called Rancho Valentine. That is the one with the big suet feeder and nesting House Wrens. I guess it might be too early for House Wrens, because I couldn't call one up. I ate the other half of my sandwich while watching the suet feeder, but no Hairy Woodpecker showed up. I was missing a lot of species I had either expected or hoped for.

At the house at the corner of Valentine Road and Dodge Valley Road, there was a lot of bird activity. There were Mourning Doves on the ground and Purple Finches at the feeders, along with other birds. I had Purple Finch already this month, but pictures are always welcome, so here is a female Purple Finch.

Here's a male Purple Finch.

While I was taking pictures of the Purple Finches, a female Black-headed Grosbeak flew in.

She didn't stick around, and I went back to taking pictures of the Purple Finches. Here is the male Purple Finch, showing him from the back.

Finally, here is one more shot of the female Purple Finch, with a sunflower seed that she had removed the shell from.

Next I drove to Hayton Reserve. I took my scope up on the dike, but the wind was so strong that I couldn't really use it much. I didn't see any of the species I was hoping for there, so I moved on to Wylie Slough. At Wylie, I saw Gary, the guy whose barn I had visited earlier. He is a true expert on Skagit county, and I picked his brain about possibilities. He mentioned that he had seen Long-billed Dowitchers there about 45 minutes earlier, and told me where they had been. I parked and walked out on the dike trail, but I couldn't find any dowitchers where he indicated. On my way back to my car, though, I spotted a long-billed shorebird briefly, and eventually I was able to see that it was a Long-billed Dowitcher, one I needed this month and one of my main targets for the day. Here's a picture of a Long-billed Dowitcher.

I ended up seeing at least nine dowitchers, and here's a picture that shows seven of them.

I was taking pictures in the poor lighting, and I thought that one of them looked smaller. I took pictures of that one, and here is one of those pictures.

To me, the one on the left looks smaller and the bill looks shorter. Most importantly, the "eyebrow" line makes a sharp downward turn in front of the eye, which is my main marker for Short-billed Dowitcher. Long-billed Dowitchers are more common at this time in that location; Short-billed Dowitchers mostly migrate north along the coast in the spring. The two species look very similar, and it is always controversial to call them when you don't hear them call, but I'm calling the one on the left a Short-billed Dowitcher, a great one for my list. Here is another picture of what I think must be the same bird, a Short-billed Dowitcher.

Back at the parking lot, I got this picture of a Black Phoebe, a species I already had this month.

It wasn’t a completely successful day, since I missed so many I either expected or hoped for, but I did manage to add 4 to my May list (with the help of my speculative call of Short-billed Dowitcher), and now I have 115 species this month. Pacific Wren was a repeater, and now I have 63 of my 70 repeaters. I got drizzled on a bit and had to put up with a lot of strong winds, but I prevailed. I drove 182 miles and on the way home I filled my tank with $4.459 gas, which was 90 cents a gallon less than the station at one offramp to the north. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy all day, and I'm looking forward to catching up on some things around home.

Monday, May 16, 2022

Today I decided to go over to the Montlake Fill to see if I could see a Cooper's Hawk at the nest I saw them building last month. On the way I stopped at Magnuson Park because there had been a report yesterday and another one today of a Greater White-fronted Goose that was hanging out with some Canada Geese there. Greater White-fronted Goose is uncommon enough at this time of year that the two sightings were listed on eBird's Notable Sightings list, and I hadn't expected to see one this month. I found the Greater White-fronted Goose with ten Canada Geese. Unfortunately, the light was all wrong, and my pictures are terrible. Nonetheless, here is the Greater White-fronted Goose.

Here's one more picture, showing the Greater White-fronted Goose with one of the much larger Canada Geese.

I don't know why the pictures are so bad. Even in the poor light, they should have been better. Something seems to be going on with my new camera in certain situations that involve shooting into the sun. I wish I had taken the time to try some experimentation.

I drove through Magnuson Park, but it was pretty windy, and I didn't see anything else interesting. I drove on to the Montlake Fill to check out the Cooper's Hawk nest. It is located right next to a main trail, and I suspected that the birds would have abandoned that nest, due to all the people walking by. I approached the nest, and I couldn't see anything in the nest, but as I stood there, a Cooper's Hawk flew in and perched nearby. I had to shoot through the foliage, but the bird stayed there, and I took shots from various perspectives. Here is my May Cooper's Hawk.

As I left, I looked again at the nest, and I could see the last inch or two of the tail of another Cooper's Hawk, sitting on the nest.

I didn't feel like walking in the wind, so I gave it up and went home. The two species I added today bring me to 117 species in May. I still have 63 repeaters this month and 164 species this year.

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Today I ventured down to Issaquah, to Lake Sammamish State Park. I don't go there often, but there were 12 species reported there yesterday that I still needed this month, and I hoped to get 2 or 3 of them. I parked and walked to the beach area, hoping to see Spotted Sandpiper. I didn't see one, but there were three small birds running around in the sandy soil, and I realized they were American Pipits, which I needed, although that species wasn't even on my list of ones seen yesterday. American Pipits only come through here in migration, and almost all of them are gone now, so I wasn't expecting to get it this month. Here is a picture of one of the three American Pipits, blending in to the background.

Here are two of the American Pipits.

In this next shot, one of the pipits was reaching up to get something off a plant.

That was a great start, and next I walked along Issaquah Creek. I was hoping for Green Heron or warblers, but I didn't find any. I did see a single Cedar Waxwing, which was a repeater I still needed this month. Here are a couple of pictures of the Cedar Waxwing.

Most Cedar Waxwings migrate south for the winter, and this year, not many seem to have stuck around for the winter. I hadn't seen one since January. They should be easy for the next several months, now that they are coming back.

Near the mouth of the creek, there was a female Common Merganser with five ducklings, sitting on a log. I had that one this month, but it made a nice picture, I thought.

Here is mama Common Merganser with one of the ducklings.

After a couple of minutes, the ducklings started to stir around a little, with a big yawn from the one on the right.

I walked back along the creek toward my car, playing various bird songs. The only thing I was able to attract was a Golden-crowned Kinglet, another repeater I still needed. It was actually too close for a picture, but when I moved back, I lost it and never saw it again. Here is another Cedar Waxwing, from the front this time.

I didn't get anything else there at the state park, so I drove home, stopping at Marymoor Park on the way. I drove through and I went up on the viewing mound, but I didn't see anything interesting or get any pictures. I made one more stop on the way home, at the Redmond Retention Ponds. I found a SPOTTED SANDPIPER there, my first of the year. Here is a picture.

There was also a female Hooded Merganser with three ducklings in tow.

That was it for today. I added 4 more species to my May list, and now I have 121 species this month. Two of them were repeaters, and now I have 65 of my 70 repeaters this month. Spotted Sandpiper was new for the year, and now I have 165 species this year so far.

Friday, May 20, 2022

The rainy weather has finally left us, supposedly, for a while. This morning I started my birding at Juanita Bay Park. Several birds I need for May were reported there yesterday, including a Blue-winged Teal. Unfortunately, the Blue-winged Teal didn't hang around, but I did get my first WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE for my lists. I had a quick look at it, and then I got this distant picture of what I think was the same bird.

I'm not certain that is the Western Wood-Pewee. The extent of the white eye ring bothers me, and the picture might very well be some other flycatcher. I definitely saw a Western Wood-Pewee a minute or two before I took that picture, though. A couple of other birders were there as well, and they heard a Western Wood-Pewee call at that time, but it might not have been this bird.

Anyway, I moved on to Marymoor Park, in search of other birds. I drove along the community gardens at Marymoor, but I didn't get anything there. I took this picture of a White-crowned Sparrow in the gardens.

I parked and walked along the slough. There were a lot of birds swooping round overhead. Some of them were swallows, but most seemed to be swifts. I got Vaux's Swift last week there at Marymoor, but today I think that at least some of the swifts were BLACK SWIFTS. They are larger than Vaux's Swifts, with a longer body with respect to the wingspan. The head sticks out in front of the wings less, too. They also tend to fly higher. I can't be certain, but I feel sure enough that I am counting Black Swift for my list. It is the first time I have counted Black Swift since July of 2020. I took this picture of a female Common Merganser in the slough.

Next I drove through the park, and I took this picture of an Osprey near the nest at the ball fields.

I parked and walked up on the viewing mound, but I didn't see anything from there. Next I walked along the west edge of the East meadow, hoping to see a Lazuli Bunting. At the south end of the East meadow, I took this distant picture of a Western Wood-Pewee, the species I had counted over at Juanita Bay Park earlier.

It's a lousy picture, but it does show the bird adequately for record purposes. I continued on the path toward the lake, and I saw a bird on the path ahead of me. It was a thrush, and at the time I thought it was a Hermit Thrush, but when I looked at my pictures and consulted my field guides, I decided it was my fist SWAINSON'S THRUSH of the year. Here are pictures.

A Hermit Thrush would have a thin white eye ring, rather than the wider buffy-colored eye ring on this bird. The rump would also be more reddish in a Hermit Thrush. I walked a little farther, playing Yellow Warbler songs, but I couldn't attract one. On my way back to my car, a weasel ran across the path, up ahead of me.

I got another picture of it as it scampered away, up the path. It kind of hopped, rather than ran.

I decided to walk up the east side of the East meadow to get back to my car, and that turned out to be a good decision. A woodpecker was drumming in a tree off the path, and eventually I got a look at it. Based on size, I'm calling it a Hairy Woodpecker, one for my May list. Here is a partially obscured picture that unfortunately doesn't show the bill, which is the real diagnostic thing to see, to tell Hairy Woodpecker from Downy Woodpecker.

Hairy Woodpeckers are quite a bit larger than Downy Woodpeckers, though, and I feel confidant that this was the larger species.

Shortly after that, a yellow bird flew through, and I got a quick look at it near the top of a tree. It was a YELLOW WARBLER, my first of the year. A couple of minutes later, it flew to another tree, and I got a distant picture of the Yellow Warbler.

You can even barely see the red streaks on the breast that indicate a male Yellow Warbler. I continued around the loop, and as I got back to the area near the viewing mound, a bird was sitting near the top of a fir tree. I got this distant picture that shows a male LAZULI BUNTING, my first of the year.

It flew off before I could get closer for more pictures, but I had it. I went up on the viewing mound again, hoping to get a better view of a Lazuli Bunting. I sat on a bench there, and a male Anna's Hummingbird flew in and perched quite close to me.

When he turned his head toward me, the light reflected off his red gorget.

I continued to sit there, and a male Lazuli Bunting flew in and perched quite close, but it was obscured by some weed stems. It sang several times, while I struggled to get a focus through the stems. I was only able to get one picture, and it would have been good except that the eye of the bird is hidden by a weed stem. Too bad. Here it is, showing the pretty blue color of the male Lazuli Bunting.

That was it for me today. It was quite successful in terms of numbers, and I got some pictures, even though many of the pictures are pretty distant. I added 6 more species to my May list, and now I have 127 species this month. Five of those were new for the year, and now I have 170 species this year. I still have only 65 of my 70 repeaters, and the rest of them could be pretty tough. Several species just haven't been around much this year. I plan to go up Skagit county tomorrow or Sunday and try for a couple of those repeaters, but May is a tough month for those particular ones (Common Raven and Northern Harrier). It was fun to see the weasel today; I don't recall seeing one before, but I probably have.

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Today my quest for birds took me up to Skagit county, about an hour north of home. It was a nice, sunny day, and the temperature got up to the high 60's by this afternoon. Spring is finally here, maybe. I had a short list of birds I needed, and my first stop was Wylie Slough. I didn't get anything I needed there, in a short walk on the dike trail, but I did get a better picture of a male Yellow Warbler than I got yesterday.

Two of my main targets for the day were Common Raven and Northern Harrier. They are both on my repeater list, but they are both difficult to find in May. Next I tried the Jensen Access to the Skagit Wildlife Area. No ravens or harriers, but I did spot some Black-bellied Plovers in the distance. That is a repeater I had given up on this month, so it was great to see them there. Next I tried the North Fork Access to the SWA, but found nothing there, either, although I did take this picture of a Savannah Sparrow.

I headed to Valentine Road to try for House Wren at Rancho Valentine, the house with the big suet feeder. On the way, I went by the house on the corner of Valentine Road and Dodge Valley Road that has feeders, and I took some pictures. Here are two male Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Here are two pictures of a male Black-headed Grosbeak.

Here is the male Black-headed Grosbeak and a female Brown-headed Cowbird. You can see that the female cowbird looks a lot different from the male.

As a reminder, here is another picture of a male Brown-headed Cowbird.

Cowbirds are like cuckoos, the female lays an egg in another birds nest (several eggs in several nests, I assume), and the other birds raises the cowbird chick as if it were their own, even if it looks very different or is a whole lot larger. The cowbird chick, which is usually larger than the chicks of the host species, pushes the host chicks out of the nest and gets all the food that way.

I couldn't call up a House Wren at Rancho Valentine, so maybe it is too early or maybe they won't nest there this year.

I drove on to the northeast part of the Skagit Flats, where Northern Harrier and Common Raven have been reported recently. I drove up and down several roads, but I didn't see either species. All day long I kept seeing crows, and I had to look closely to be sure they weren't ravens. Here is an American Crow that I checked out.

I drove to Bay View, on Padilla Bay, and tried the cemetery there for House Wren. A woman was mowing the lawn with a riding mower, though, and that limited me to looking along one side of the cemetery. I walked and played House Wren songs, but didn't attract one. I got this picture of a flycatcher, but I can't identify it.

Because it was in the trees and seems to have a greenish back, I suspect it is a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, which I would love to get, but I am not sure enough to count it.

Next I drove to the Samish Flats, stopping briefly at the West 90 and then backtracking to the East 90. No ravens or harriers, and they are both quite common there in the winter months. At the East 90 I got lucky, though, and spotted a pair of Cinnamon Teal, one I needed but didn't expect to get this month. There don't seem to be many around this year. Here is a picture of the male Cinnamon Teal (the red bird on the right) and another duck that I think must have been a female Cinnamon Teal, although it looks wrong in a couple of ways.

I think the white on the neck is a reflection, but the head still looks funny to me. Here is another picture of the same two ducks, and in this one they both look like Cinnamon Teal.

Here is one more.

In that one they both look like Cinnamon Teal, so I guess it was a pair of them. That was an excellent species to get this month.

I continued to watch for ravens and harriers as I made my way up the Skagit River to the town of Lyman. I visited the Bank Swallow colony there. I had tried it last weekend and didn't see any swallows. I had been told they were there this week, though, so I tried again. Bank Swallows nest in holes in sandy banks of rivers, and the holes are very obvious. Today I didn't see any swallows at first, and I was quite disappointed, but I kept watching, and eventually I saw a couple of BANK SWALLOWS, my first of the year.

After that I drove up the Skagit Valley as far as the town of Concrete. I had been told that ravens were pretty common along the highway, but I never saw one. I gave that up and retraced my steps back down the valley. As I approached the freeway, I saw another black corvid and this time I thought I had my raven. I pulled over and took this picture.

It was large and the bill looked stout enough to be a raven. It called and flew, though, and I could tell from both the call and the tail that it was a large American Crow, not a raven. Too bad.

I headed toward home then, but on the way, I drove to the same area I had looked through earlier, in the northeast Skagit Flats, hoping still for harrier or raven. No luck. I gave it up then, and headed for home by the shortest route, which took me south through the Skagit Flats and across Fir Island. I continued to watch, of course, and as I left the flats and started up the hill to Rexville, I saw a couple of large black birds in the distance. One landed in a field and the other flew around over it. I pulled over, and got my binoculars on them, and darned if they weren't Common Ravens, one of the species I had been looking for all day. The one in the air gave me great views of its diagnostic tail.

I took the extra time to go down Valentine Road, so I could check once more for House Wren at Rancho Valentine, but on the way there, I saw a flycatcher at the top of a dead tree. I pulled over and looked at it, and then took some pictures. I believe it was an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, an uncommon bird that I didn't expect to get this month. I hadn't seen one for three years, so it was definitely a surprise today to get one. Here are three pictures of what I belive to be an Olive-sided Flycatcher.

That was it. I drove home, stopping for gas on the way at my favorite Indian gas station, where regular unleaded was $4.559 per gallon, which was 80 or 90 cents per gallon less than other stations along that stretch of I-5. I put 220 miles on my car today, and I was out there for well over 7 hours. I added 5 more species to my May list, to bring it to 132 species. I got 2 repeaters, to give me 67 of my 70 repeaters now this month. Two species today were my first of the year, and now I have 172 species so far this year. Whew.

Monday, May 23, 2022

I had a lunch appointment up in Everett today, and I had 2 or 3 species I could look for up there, so I went up early. At the Everett Sewage Treatment ponds, I pulled over and took pictures of some of the few ducks that are there in the late spring months. Here is what I think is a pair of Greater Scaup.

Greater Scaup and Lesser Scaup look very much alike, but the head shape is subtly different. The head of Greater Scaup is longer than it is tall, and the head of Lesser Scaup is taller than it is long. To me, the male (in the middle) has a "long" head. Here is what I think is a Lesser Scaup, with what I would call a "tall" head.

Here is another male Greater Scaup, or maybe the same one as in the first picture.

One more, a Lesser Scaup pair, I think.

I was trying to get a picture of a Ruddy Duck, but they all were sleeping. Then I noticed a smaller bird near a pair of sleeping Ruddy Ducks.

The bird on the right is a WILSON'S PHALAROPE, my first of the year. It is probably on its way from as far south as Argentina, where it wintered, to its breeding grounds in Canada. I think it is a female. I was very surprised to see it because they are pretty uncommon around here. Here is one more picture of the surprise Wilson's Phalarope. Phalaropes are shorebirds, but they are usually seen swimming, like this bird.

So, with that nice one in the bag, I moved on to the marshy area near the bridge to Spencer Island, where a duck I still needed had been reported a couple of days ago. I didn't see it, but I took this picture of a female Wood Duck with 12 small ducklings.

I continued to scan the area, and a duck came swimming in to view in the distance. It turned out to be a male BLUE-WINGED TEAL, the very species I was looking for, and my first of the year. Here is a distant view of the male Blue-winged Teal.

As I watched it, trying for pictures, it took off and flew closer. Here is a closer picture, with the male Blue-winged Teal partially obscured by vegetation.

That was great, and I drove over to the 10th St boat launch parking lot to look through the roosting gulls. I found a Ring-billed Gull, which is a repeater I still needed. It kept moving away from me; I guess it was camera shy, but I persisted.

Gulls are interesting because they take two to four years to finally get their adult plumage. In between, each year a given species looks different. Ring-billed Gull is a three year gull, and I got this picture of what I think is a first summer (hatched last year) Ring-billed Gull.

I couldn't find a Herring Gull, which wasn't at all surprising, since they are quite uncommon here in May. I moved over to the Great Blue Heron rookery. The nests are located on the tops of old pilings in one corner of the bay. Here are some of the Great Blue Heron nests, with the birds hanging out in them.

Many of the nests had youngsters in them, usually three to a nest, sometimes only two. Here is a windblown Great Blue Heron near the nests.

Here is one of the larger Great Blue Heron nestlings.

Some of the herons were still bringing sticks to the nests, and the ones in the nests were arranging them. That seems to continue even after the eggs have hatched and the nestlings are growing up. The nests look kind of flimsy to me, so maybe they lose some sticks over time. I have heard that Great Blue Herons will steal sticks from neighboring nests, too. Here is a pair of Great Blue Herons copulating; I guess they are getting a late start on a family.

There isn't much privacy for Great Blue Herons, I guess. The one on the left is watching closely, it seems.

Here are more pictures of Great Blue Heron nests and nestlings.

While I was taking those pictures, there were a lot of starlings flying around, and here is a picture of two juvenile European Starlings.

I added three more species to my May list today, which gives me 135 species now. Two of the species today were new for the year for me, and I have 174 species this year so far now. Ring-billed Gull was a repeater, and now I have 68 of my 70 repeaters. I don't have Northern Harrier or Bonaparte's Gull this month, and I probably won't get either one. There are only two or three other species I have any reasonable expectation of getting this month, unless a rarity shows up somewhere and I see it. Of course, I had no expectation at all of getting Wilson's Phalarope before today, so maybe I will get an unexpected species or two.

Thursday, May 26, 2022

For a week now, I have been reading reports of an American Avocet at Hayton Reserve in Skagit county. That is a rarity around here, and finally today I decided to go for it. The reports have also been mentioning Red Knots and Ruddy Turnstone, and I needed both of those species as well. A couple of reports mentioned Northern Harrier and one even mentioned Bonaparte's Gull. Those last two were my remaining two repeaters. On top of all that, Willow Flycatchers have been reported at Wylie Slough.

I headed north today, with great hopes but modest expectations. My first stop was Wylie Slough. I walked on the dike a bit, but I didn't see anything I needed. I did get these two pictures of a Cedar Waxwing, though.

I also saw a single Long-billed Dowitcher.

I moved on to Hayton Reserve. The tide was out, which isn't good for shorebirds there, but I did see some in the middle distance. I saw some Black Bellied Plovers, but I had that one already this month. Then I saw a single RED KNOT, an excellent year bird for me. It has been four years since I last saw a Red Knot, which shows how uncommon they are around here. Later I saw five more Red Knots, for a total of six. After a while I found the Ruddy Turnstone that has been reported there, too, which was another one I needed. Later I got a couple of very distant pictures of the Ruddy Turnstone. It was the first time I have seen Ruddy Turnstone in Skagit county since I started keeping county lists in 2011. Here is a distant picture of a couple of Black-bellied Plovers.

The one on the left is in its winter (non-breeding) plumage still, and the one on the right has started to transition to its summer plumage, when it will have a black belly.

After about an hour of scanning for the avocet, I left, intending to come back in the afternoon when the tide was going to be coming in.

At the feeder house at the corner of Dodge Valley Road and Valentine Road, I took this picture of a Mourning Dove.

Here is a male Purple Finch at the same place.

At Rancho Valentine, I pulled up to play House Wren songs, since they nest there and I have been able to call them up easily in the past. I talked to the woman who lives there, though, and she said they haven't seen the House Wrens yet this year. I played the songs anyway, but I didn't see one. Next I drove to the northwest corner of the Skagit Flats and drove around looking for Northern Harriers. I spent about 30 or 40 minutes at it, eating my lunch as I slowly drove and looked, but I didn’t see any harriers. Somewhere along the way, I got this picture of a Red-tailed Hawk.

Red-tailed Hawks have a big variety of different plumages. A little later I saw another Red-tailed Hawk dive down the to ground, as I approached in my car. It flew a short distance and stopped where I could get a picture of it with its prey. I has some little furry thing with a tail in its bill in this picture.

I headed back toward Hayton Reserve for the incoming tide, but I stopped at the North Fork Access to the Skagit Wildlife Area. After a few minutes of scanning with my binoculars, I spotted a pair of Northern Harriers, a brown female and a ghostly gray male. That was one of my remaining two repeaters, so I was quite pleased.

Back at Hayton Reserve, the tide was indeed coming in. There was a lot more bird activity than in the morning. I saw six Red Knots, the Ruddy Turnstone, a couple of Dunlin, and at least a dozen Black-bellied Plovers, but I never could spot the American Avocet. After it was reported there every day for a week, today was the day it decided to go AWOL, I guess. Nine people reported it yesterday, and none today. That's birding for you.

In the afternoon, with the tide coming in and the light coming from behind me, I did a little better with pictures, but the birds were still very distant. Here is the Ruddy Turnstone it its breeding plumage and standing upright.

Here are some more shorebirds.

The one on the right is a Black-bellied Plover in summer (breeding) plumage. Next, in the middle is a Black-bellied Plover in winter plumage. Behind and on the left is a Black-bellied Plover that is starting to transition from winter to summer plumage. The smaller reddish bird on the left is a Red Knot in breeding plumage. Here is another distant shorebird picture.

That one shows a Black-bellied Plover that is almost in full breeding plumage, and the smaller birds behind it are Red Knots.

There were a couple of dozen Caspian Terns there this afternoon, and while I watched, two or three dozen Bonaparte's Gull flew in. That was my last repeater for this month, much to my surprise. It is the first time I have ever seen Bonaparte's Gull in Skagit county, so I certainly wasn't expecting to see two or three dozen of them, despite the single report I had seen. Almost all the Bonaparte's Gulls were still in their winter plumage, or maybe they were first year birds, hatched last year. I only saw one in breeding plumage, with a black head. Here it is.

Finally, here is one last distant shorebird picture.

On the left is a Black-bellied Plover that is almost in full breeding plumage, then a couple of winter plumaged Black-bellied Plovers. The fourth bird from the left is the Ruddy Turnstone in breeding plumage.

That was it for today. I missed the American Avocet, which was my main target, but I got four excellent species for my May list. That brings me to 139 species this month, which exceeds my total for each of the last four years. (I started keeping monthly lists in 2018.) Red Knot was new for the year for me and the first one I have seen in four years. I have 175 species this year now. Northern Harrier and Bonaparte's Gull were my last two repeaters for this month, and now I have all 70 of my repeaters this month. It was the first time I have ever seen Ruddy Turnstone and Bonaparte's Gull in Skagit county, and now I have 178 species on my Skagit county list.

All in all, a surprisingly successful day, despite missing the avocet.