Subject: Mountain Quail at S.Port Orchard Airport
Date: Mar 3 18:55:30 2001
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net
Hello Tweets,
Today Dave Hayden, my mother, and I birded the day, starting at the S.Port
Orchard Airport in Kitsap County, where we met with Ken Knittle, and Marv
Breece, at 6:30am, then later Michael Willison, where up to 12+ MOUNTAIN
QUAIL were noted, being mostly heard throughout our stay until 8am, and up
to 5 birds seen at close range, and in flight as they were flushed. The
males were calling on territory, and were evident, even before dawn, as Ken
and Marv, noted them, before we arrived, hearing their distinctive
clear,descending call note, with many males also giving aggitation calls,
throughout the brushy area, along the west side of the airport, with a few
birds heard, east of the main airport, across Sidney Rd. Due to these birds
being on territory, only two females were observed, and all the males seem
to call all directions, and not in coveys, as they can be observed here in
the late fall-early winter, where I have seen up to 12 birds at one time, as
they feed along the gravel edges, bordering the thick, Scotch Broom, and
blackberry covered slopes, along with various evergreen, and deciduous
growth, including Red Alder and Pacific Madrona. Other species of note
during our stay at this location included:
1 RING-NECKED PHEASANT
1 Hutton's Vireo
1 Red Crossbill
It was a real treat for all of us, as they weather was appropriate, being
crisp, frosty and cold,with isolated fog, turning to mostly sunny skies
throughout the remainder of our birding day, then partly cloudy skies
late,as we arrived back home to Tacoma.
After birding the airport, we joined Ken and Marv, as we headed towards
Ocean Shores, and the Brady area, starting with our first WESTERN SCRUB JAY
in Elma, along Hwy.12, then another one in Hoquim, after trying
unsuccessfully for the immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK along Brady Loop Rd., on
two attempts during the day.
A quick check at the Hoquim STP, produced one ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, then a
TURKEY VULTURE along Hwy.109, west of Burrows Rd.,before we arrived at Ocean
Shores, then one at the Ocean Shores Game Range, along with our first TREE
SWALLOW of the day, over the Ocean Shores STP, and up to 25 BLACK SCOTERS in
the inner cove bordering the game range, behind the sewage ponds, being
among the highlights. We birded the Ocean Shores Jetty, quite thoroughly,
mainly in search for the Priblof Island race of the ROCK SANDPIPER, which we
located upon searching, at low tide, along with 3 of the dominant race of
the ROCK SANDPIPERS, and up to 17 Black Turnstones at 12pm-2pm. Other
species noted at this location included:
1 dark-morph NORTHERN FULMAR
12+ BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES
1 first-year Thayer's Gull
Along the back 9 hole section of the Ocean Shores Golf Course, were 8
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, as noted by Ken and Marv.
Other species of note within Ocean Shores, along to and from destinations
included:
1 Common Snipe
1 HERMIT THRUSH
27+ Yellow-rumped(Audubon's and Myrtle)Warblers
On our way home during the afternoon, we stopped again along Brady Loop Rd.,
where the RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was again not located, but a few other species
of note, including our morning visit:
1 male AM.KESTREL
1 GREATER YELLOWLEGS
25+ TREE SWALLOWS
We stopped by the Schouweiler Rd. wetland, west of Elma, as our third
WESTERN SCRUB JAY was noted, along Hwy.12 at Satsop, before we all arrived
at the wetland, where we walked the main trail seperating the two main
wetlands, as we usually do, with the following notable highlights:
3 TRUMPETER SWANS
32 Ring-necked Ducks
1 Virginia Rail
40+ TREE SWALLOWS
5 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS
Then, our last species of the day, being two immature male ANNA'S
HUMMINGBIRDS at our feeder in Tacoma.
Good birding,
Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net