Hi Tweeters. Sorry this is so late. Last Monday, November 6th, Carol
Schulz and I decided to head up to Everett after we did the Sibley field trip
on Sunday and went owling on Sunday night. We got to Everett at about 9:00AM.
We walked to Spencer Island to start looking for the Red-shoulder. When we
first got there the bird wasn't anywhere in sight. There were 4 BARN SWALLOWS
and 2 VIOLET-GREEN/TREE SWALLOWS flying over the field. These seem like
surprising numbers for November.
There were a few RED-TAILED HAWKS around, lots of NORTHERN HARRIERS, and
an imm BALD EAGLE out on a snag. A COMMON SNIPE flew down into the field.
Some good sparrows were found in the blackberry bushes on the beginning of
the dike trail. About 5 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were singing all around us,
skulking like they normally do. This was the first time I've heard them sing
in fall/winter in western Washington. 3 FOX SPARROWS were also quite skulky,
but could be found by their call note. There were also 2 SPOTTED TOWHEES
along with the common sparrows.
Back at the barn there were many VIRGINIA RAILS in the marsh. We saw at
least 3 and heard 4+ more. A SHORT-EARED OWL was flying out in the fields,
occasionally quietly calling, a rare experience in winter. An AMERICAN
BITTERN flew by about 50 feet away; giving a coughing or barking call note,
and then landed in the marsh.
About 2 hours after arriving, we heard a very loud, "Kee-yah, Kee-yah,
Kee-yah" call, immediately recognized it, and found a small hawk out in the
field being chased by a pair of harriers. A closer look showed that it had
the translucent crescents on the base of the primaries. The RED-SHOULDERED
HAWK flew up and landed in the wood lot to the north of the barn. We set a
scope up and started viewing the bird. It looks like a rather light juvenile
elegans (California) Red-shoulder. The only problem is that it didn't appear
to have any dark coloring on the underwing coverts. One time the bird seemed
to lose it's balance on it's perch and spread it's wings, holding them out
vulture-style for a minute while getting a better grip on it's perch. The
whole underwing was light as far as I could see. Did anyone else notice this?
A male columbarius (Taiga) MERLIN landed on a snag for a few minutes, and
then flew to the south. We heard a TRUMPETER SWAN fly over, but could not see
it. A COMMON RAVEN also flew over.
I then walked up the dike trail to the north of the barn. An AMERICAN
PIPIT flew over. I found a flock of BUSHTITS, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES,
GOLDEN-CROWNED and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, and 2 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS. I
also saw a possible House Wren, which was not being cooperative at all in the
blackberry bushes and other shrubs. If anyone else goes in the next couple of
days, be sure to keep an eye out for a House Wren. Back at the barn, we saw a
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE. Ten AMERICAN PIPITS flew over and 2 COMMON SNIPES
flushed out of the grass.
We continued to observe the hawk until it flew off its perch and landed on
another in the grove, then flew off slowly to the south. Carol and I then
walked to the Everett STP.
At the Sewage Lagoons we found thousands of MEW GULLS, several hundred
BONAPARTE'S GULLS, 2 HERRING GULLS, a first year THAYER'S GULL, and several
"Olympic Gulls." Ducks out in the water included about 10 NORTHERN SHOVELERS,
about 150 CANVASBACK, 30 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 10 LESSER SCAUP, and 5 GREATER
SCAUP. 2 SWAN SPP flew over. As we left, a PELAGIC CORMORANT flew over the
STP.

Spencer Island - SI
Everett STP - EV
Other - O

Birds seen/heard (in taxonomic order):

1. Double-crested Cormorant - EV
2. PELAGIC CORMORANT - EV
3. AMERICAN BITTERN - SI
4. Great-blue Heron - all
5. TRUMPETER SWAN - SI (flyby)
6. Canada Goose - SI
7. Mallard - all
8. Gadwall - EV
9. Northern Pintail - SI
10. American Wigeon - EV
11. Northern Shoveler - EV
12. Green-winged Teal - SI
13. Canvasback - EV
14. Ring-necked Duck - EV
15. Greater Scaup - EV
16. Lesser Scaup - EV
17. Common Merganser - EV
18. Ruddy Duck - EV
19. Northern Harrier - all
20. Sharp-shinned Hawk - SI
21. Cooper's Hawk - SI
22. RED-SHOULDERED HAWK - SI
23. Red-tailed Hawk - all
24. Bald Eagle - SI
25. MERLIN - SI
26. American Coot - EV
27. Virginia Rail - SI (seen and heard)
28. Killdeer - all
29. Common Snipe - SI
30. Bonaparte's Gull - all
31. Mew Gull - all
32. Herring Gull - EV
33. THAYER'S GULL - EV (first winter bird)
34. Glaucous-winged Gull - EV
35. Rock Dove - EV
36. Band-tailed Pigeon - SI
37. SHORT-EARED OWL - SI
38. Belted Kingfisher - SI
39. Downy Woodpecker - all
40. Northern Flicker - SI
41. Pileated Woodpecker - SI
42. Steller's Jay - SI
43. COMMON RAVEN - SI (1 flyby)
44. American Crow - all
45. VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW - SI (2)
46. BARN SWALLOW - SI (4)
47. Black-capped Chickadee - all
48. Chestnut-backed Chickadee - SI
49. Bushtit - SI
50. Red-breasted Nuthatch - SI
51. Bewick's Wren - all
52. Winter Wren - SI
53. Marsh Wren - all
54. Golden-crowned Kinglet - SI
55. Ruby-crowned Kinglet - all
56. American Robin - all
57. European Starling - all
58. AMERICAN PIPIT - SI
59. Cedar Waxwing - SI
60. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER - SI (2)
61. Yellow-rumped Warbler - SI
62. Spotted Towhee - SI
63. Golden-crowned Sparrow - SI
64. White-crowned Sparrow - SI
65. Fox Sparrow - SI
66. Song Sparrow - all
67. Lincoln's Sparrow - SI
68. Dark-eyed Junco - EV
69. Red-winged Blackbird - all
70. House Finch - all
71. Pine Sisken - SI
72. American Goldfinch - SI
73. House Sparrow - EV

http://hometown.aol.com/birdking88/index.html
Birdking88 at aol.com
Charlie W. Wright
Sumner, WA
Age 12