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Tuesday, March 5, 2024

 

I ventured out birding again today.  Once again, I went out to the Snoqualmie Valley in search of American Dipper.  I missed it on my two previous trips this year.  I got Ring-billed Gull and Feral Pigeon as I drove across the Sammamish Valley, and I stopped at the Redmond Watershed Preserve as I drove over Novelty Hill toward the Snoqualmie Valley.

 

It was mostly sunny today, with the temperature in the mid-30's when I started and up into the mid-40's by the time I quit this afternoon.  At the Redmond Watershed Preserve, I walked a little in the woods and played bird songs on my phone.  Almost immediately a Pacific Wren popped up and sang back to me.

 

There was not much light in the forest, but I stuck with it and took pictures of the Pacific Wren, which stuck around.  Here's a front shot.

 

I added Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, and American Robin on that trail, too.  Here's a male Spotted Towhee.

 

I walked back to my car and on the way out of the parking lot, I spotted a Varied Thrush, an excellent bird.  I got out to try for a picture, but it flew off.

 

Out in the valley, I added some birds as I drove cross the valley, but nothing notable.  At Sikes Lake, I added Trumpeter Swan, Common Merganser, and Pied-billed Grebe.  On the south side of Sikes Lake, I got this picture of an immature Red-tailed Hawk.

 

At the pond at Chinook Bend, I got this distant picture of the continuing male Redhead.

 

I added Gadwall there, and then I heard a bird calling repeatedly from across the pond.  I didn't recognize it, so I fired up the Merlin app on my phone, and Merlin identified the call as a Wood Duck.  Since I wasn't familiar with the Wood Duck sound, I wasn't willing to count it from the call, but I scanned the shore on the opposite side of the pond, and after a short search, I spotted a male Wood Duck near the shore.  I wouldn't have been looking for it if I hadn't heard it and if Merlin hadn't identified it.

 

I stopped in Carnation at the two houses with feeders, and I added a few common species, including Black-capped Chickadee.  All the birds took off, and I looked around for a hawk, but didn't see one.  I decided to move on, and as I backed up to leave, a Cooper's Hawk flew across the street, right in front of me.  A good bird, and the reason all the birds took off, no doubt.

 

I picked up a sandwich at the Carnation Market, and my next stop was the Tolt River bridge south of Carnation.  I was pleased to see two American Dippers on the near shore as I approached.  Unfortunately, they were in the deep shade under the bridge, so the only picture I was able to get before they flew off across the river was this distant one that mainly only shows the characteristic shape of the American Dipper.

 

I would have loved to get a better picture, but at least I had my dipper, for the first time this year.

 

After that I drove down the west side of the river toward Fall City.  At the pond south of Jubilee Farms, I got this picture of a Great Blue Heron.

 

I saw a juvenile White-crowned Sparrow in a yard, and some Buffleheads on that pond.  I planned to stop where I had seen several good sparrow species last time out and eat my lunch in the car, while I watched for sparrows.  Unfortunately, there was a guy on a piece of farm equipment doing something right where I wanted to park, so I had to move on.  I ended up pulling off the road where I saw some sparrows and ate my sandwich there.  There were a number of sparrows, but they were all Golden-crowned Sparrows.  Here is one of them.

 

I tried playing Fox Sparrow and Lincoln's Sparrow songs in several places today, but never could call one up.  At Fall City, I drove across the Raging River and down Dike Road, on the east side of the highway.  My birding buddy, Hank, had told me he had seen a dipper there last week, and I had never been on that road before.  It was great dipper habitat, and you could look from the car, but I didn't see any dippers there today.

 

I moved through Fall City and drove up dead-end Neal Road.  At one point I was trying to call up sparrows and spotted a European Starling sitting in the sun.  It was quite striking with the sun showing off its iridescence.

 

At one point a bird flew into a tree, and I quickly pulled over.  It was a Red-breasted Sapsucker, but I wasn't quite quick enough to get a picture.  At the end of the road, there were blackbirds in a leafless tree across the river, so I got out my scope.  I was able to identify some Brewer's Blackbird among the Red-winged Blackbirds and European Starlings.

 

On the highway back north, there was an American Kestrel on a wire, but the road was too busy to stop and go back for a picture opportunity.

 

Back in Carnation, I got some pictures at the feeder hose with all the flowers in the front yard.  Here is an American Robin.

 

Here's a female House Finch.

 

Here's the Black-capped Chickadee that kept coming in for seeds.

 

The usual Anna's Hummingbirds were going to the nectar feeders, and I got this shot of a male Anna's Hummingbird in the sun.

 

Some American Crows came in for seeds, and I got this shot of one of them.

 

Here is a male House Sparrow.

 

Here's a female House Sparrow.

 

There were a lot of Red-winged Blackbirds, and here is a first winter male Red-winged Blackbird.

 

I even spotted a single Bushtit at the back of the yard, but it didn't stick around for long.

 

After that I headed for home, and I didn't see anything interesting or get any more pictures on the way.  I did stop at the Redmond Retention Ponds, but there was nothing there except three Buffleheads.  I was out for about 5 1/2 hours, and it was a nice outing for me.  Using my binoculars and camera didn't seem to bother my right shoulder (rotator cuff), which was excellent news.  I got 42 species, which exceeded my two previous efforts on the same route earlier this year.  I hope to do more birding this year.

 

 

Friday. March 29, 2024

 

I went out to the Snoqualmie Valley again today.  My first stop was at the Redmond Watershed Preserve, and I picked up Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, and Gadwall on the pond.  Here is a male Bufflehead.

 

Here is his female counterpart.

 

I walked in the woods a little and was able to call up a Pacific Wren.

 

Next I drove out into the Snoqualmie Valley.  I got my first swallow of the year, a pair of Tree Swallows, and there was a Bald Eagle in a tree across the river.  I added other birds as well, including Downy Woodpecker and Bewick's Wren, while driving across the valley on 100th.  At Sikes Lake I got American Coot and Pied-billed Grebe.  At the pond at Chinook Bend, I added some ducks, including Wood Duck.

 

In Carnation, I saw my first Pine Siskins of the year, at the original house with feeders.  Here are a couple of pictures of Pine Siskins.

 

 

There were at least three Band-tailed Pigeons high in an evergreen tree, but my pictures didn't come out.  A Steller's Jay was gathering peanuts at a feeding platform, and here is a picture of a Steller's Jay with two peanuts in his mouth, one part way down its throat..

 

There wasn't much at the second feeder house, but I did see my first Rufous Hummingbird of the year there.

 

I picked up a sandwich at the deli at the Carnation Market, and stopped at the Tolt River bridge, south of Carnation to look for American Dipper.  Alas, no dipper today.  I backtracked to the Stillwater Access to the Snoqualmie Valley Wildlife Area, and I took my camp chair and my lunch out onto the dike trail.  I enjoyed my sandwich in the sun, watching for birds, but there weren't many birds around.  After I ate, I left my chair on the side of the trail and walked to the first bridge.  At the bridge, I played Marsh Wren songs on my phone, and attracted one.  Unfortunately, it stayed down in the brush, and I couldn't get a picture.

 

On my way back to my car, I sat in my chair some more, and a pair of Wood Ducks swam by in the pond.  Here is the female Wood Duck.

 

Here is the more colorful male Wood Duck.

 

When I was finished there, I made my way back across the valley to home, and I didn't see anything interesting on the way.

 

I only saw 32 species on the trip, but I enjoyed the spring sunshine, I saw some good birds, and it was great to get out there.