We went on a birding trip to Leadbetter Park today! Awesome birding out there. Can be overwhelming for a novice birder! The highlight of the trip was a tufted duck! It had to be one, everything checked out. I really wish I could have called out some experienced birders to the occasion, but I am about 95% sure that is what it was.
Anyway, here goes.

Temp. 50% F Little to No wind 0-5 mph
Patchy clouds.
No rain around us but some south of us.

17:30-19:00 hrs

2 counters.

2 m rufus hummingbirds
1 bald eagle
9 blue herons
5 white crowned sparrows
1 golden crowned sparrow
17 + Am. Crows
66 Northern pintails
62 greater yellowlegs!
1 belted kingfisher
5 caspian turns
5 western grebes
2 fox sparrows (I know there were alot more)
4 mallards (2 pair)
6 song sparrows
2 ravens
1 flicker
1 tufted duck!
Too many robins to count! All along the sides of the road out there.
18 species
190 + individual birds
The Tufted Duck was fairly close but hard to see in the lighting. It definitely had the white patch on the sides and dark back, body. neck and head. I couldn't make out the color of the head except that it was very dark and no contrast with the rest of the body color. It didn't have the white at the base of the bill, but according to the field guide I have they don't always. But it is kind of hard to miss that distinctive shape of the white patch.
One pair of pintails were seen mating in the water.
The Greater Yellowlegs were quite numerous. They kept moving north along the shore in small groups like 5 or so at a time.
At the very beginning of the trip we thought we had heard an owl. I have no idea what kind nor did it repeat it's call. And of course I never saw it. Hopefully we will have the chance to see them in future trips.
We saw a little wild rabbit that I have been unable to identify. It was chocolate brown over the whole body with a very small amount of white around the nose area. The main body color had alot of black ticking in it. I don't think it was a released rabbit it looked very wild in shape and color. I will have to work on identifying it or it will drive me nuts. :-)
And just a note for anybody who wants to bird at Leadbetter, BRING BUG REPELLENT!!!! We were absolutely covered in swarms of bugs. Something I was willing to put up with for a while but 1 1/2 hours of it was quite enough for me. Mostly mosquitoes but also other types of biting bugs aswell. Having a jacket with a hood helps a bit even without repellent. I am interested in ornithology not entomology. :-) I'm sure that is a basic for birders but I always have to find out the hard way! But it was still more than worth it!
Happy Birding!
Dan Williams
Klipson Beach, WA
dewdrop129 at hotmail.com