Roy, even before I read your guesses, I was talking to my computer screen saying "He's describing a bushtit." We get good numbers of them here in western WA and they are often in active little flocks of 10 to 20 birds. The only wrentits I've seen were in northern California, and they were larger, and decidedly more brown than our little bushtits. Thanks for the recap. Sounds like you have a fun trip. -Rolan
Roy Harvey <rmharvey at snet.net> wrote:I've finally had time to put the sightings from my three days of
birding in Washington into Birder's Diary and get out some tallies, so
now I can give you all a brief (well it was supposed to be brief, but
is not) recap of the trip.

At the end I have two questions about possible identifications, so
some of you might want to skip over my blatherings and go to the end.

On Thursday night I stayed in Mt Vernon at the Comfort Inn as someone
suggested; it was comfortable, reasonably priced and well located. I
hit Wal-Mart that night for the F&W parking permit and a Delorme
atlas.

Friday morning I was out early in a terrible fog, looking for Frances
Rd. After driving it from one end to the other I finally realized I
had been on it all along! Along the way I had my life Trumpeter Swans
(near the corner parking-sticker area), my first Bald Eagles of the
trip, and plenty of other birds. Then I crossed the river and headed
inland on 20, stopping here (Spotted Towhee) and there (both Kinglets)
until I reached the main eagle viewing area, where the fog was gone.
Some nice views of cooperative eagles there, though I didn't yet
realize just how many eagles I was eventually going to see.

Around mid-day I headed back on 20, and then took Bayview-Edison north
to the Samish Flats, where I wandered until sunset. My target bird
was the Prairie Falcon, but I had to settle for some Peregrines, lots
more eagles, lots of Northern Harriers, and both light and dark morph
Rough-legged Hawks. And I got to learn a bit about your Washington
versions of the Red-tailed Hawk, including dark red ones and one
Harlan's. About 29 species for the day.

After staying at the same place in Mt Vernon on Friday night, I was
out early again, and again in the fog. I returned to Samish flats,
and continued to learn the back roads, but didn't turn up anything new
or unusual. Then I went up to Samish Island, to the overlook where
the two outhouses are. The Pigeon Guillemot I picked up was not a
life bird, but it was the first of many great looks at a bird I had
barely seen on one prior occasion. I also had my only Chestnut-backed
Chickadee of the trip, and one bird I will ask about at the end.

Eventually I left and headed toward Anacortes, stopping to bird March
Pt. Here I searched and searched among the Common Goldeneyes for a
Barrow's, but never did find one. Then off to Washington Park, where
I drove the loop and scoped out from the points. More guillemots, and
probably (but not quite good enough to count) a Common Murre, as well
as Eared Grebe and dolphins with back and fin arcing out of the water.

After that I went to Deception Pass, which I did not bird very
effectively, and then returned back to March Pt where I still didn't
find the Barrow's but did get Pelagic Cormorants. From there I
returned to Samish Flats for my third try at the Prairie Falcon.
After wandering all over, I stopped where two birders from Seattle
were watching the Prairie atop a pole, and they provided nice looks
through their scope as well as plenty of good advice. That was life
bird number 2 for the trip! Staying until sunset again did not yield
any Short-eared Owls, but at least that is a bird I can find at home.
About 35 species on day 2.

I was determined to try for the Snohomish Gyrfalcon, so I drove there
after dark and stayed at the local motel. Out early again on Sunday
morning, south to where the gyr had been reported at various times.
Over the course of the morning I met lots of local birders after the
same bird, but no gyr for me. I did get a good lesson in telling
Tundra from Trumpeter Swans, as they were both feeding in the same
field and several of us had great looks at two facing each other in
the scope. Of course by the third day I was in Bald Eagle overload,
so it seemed no big thing for an immature to land in a tree less than
50 yards away, ignoring both myself and three more cars of birders
that arrived.

Filled with lots more advice from the birders I met, I headed up to
Skagit flats by mid-day. Lots of birds, as expected. I saw one of
the clouds of Snow Geese at a great distance, but never got a close
view. One great trip bird was an American Bittern, which flew across
in front of me before landing and promptly disappearing. One group I
ran into was four Trumpeter Swan researchers; one of them urged me to
go back to where I started the trip on Frances Rd and check out the
swans in a field there - which I did. This was back to the corner by
the permit parking, but instead down the side road through a gate that
had been locked on Friday morning. Hundreds of trumpeters - my guess
was 300+ - all at close quarters and making an amazing racket! (I
even got out my digital camera and took a short resolution-free video
just to get any kind of recording of the sound.) There were also
quite a few eagles across the field, and a huge flock of ducks (mostly
Mallards).

Finally I had to start back, with the fishing pier by the Edmonds
ferry as my last stop. (Hint to visitors: the signs on I-5 do not say
Edmonds ferry, they say Kingston ferry. If you wait for a sign that
says Edmonds you end up in Seattle wondering what you did wrong!)
Once I reached the pier I quickly saw my life Barrow's Goldeneye
(third life bird of the trip)! And lots more, including Common Murre
and what was probably a Rhinoceros Auklet, but I never re-found it
after the second dive. And lastly, since I am very poor on Gulls,
having realized that there was a gap in my list that should be easy to
fill, I spent a few minutes nailing down a Glaucus-winged Gull for my
fourth and last life bird of the trip. Day three had about 35
species.

Before the trip I had a tremendous response to my request for
information here, and the trip could not have been the great success
it was without everyone's advice. (In fact I've got enough advice
unused still for at least three more trips!) And the many birders I
ran into helped even more, and added a lot to the enjoyment and
success of the trip. Total species for the trip was a modest 58, but
I was concentrating on a few target birds and not trying for a long
list.

Now for two bird ID questions. First, when I was up Skagit valley at
the eagle viewing spot, there were a good many gulls. I can handle
the common eastern gulls, but I just don't have any confidence with
the western ones. To my eye the appeared to be herring gull size, but
I had no basis for comparison. Can anyone say what common gull would
be expected in that place?

The second is more interesting. When I visited the outhouse overlook
spot on Samish Island on a foggy Saturday morning there was one bird
in among the kinglets and Bewick's Wrens that I could not identify.
It was - very roughly - of similar size to the kinglets. I saw no
markings at all, it was quite plain all over. The tail reminded me of
a gnatcatcher in that it was narrow and held up a bit. Searching the
books made me wonder if it might be a Wrentit or Bushtit. I'm curious
what the odds might be on either of these, or on any other candidate.

In closing, thanks to all who helped both before and during the trip.
It was great!

Roy Harvey
rmharvey at snet.net
Beacon Falls, CT

Rolan Nelson
Burley, WA
rnbuffle at yahoo.com


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