Subject: [Tweeters] Broad-winged Hawk, Stilt Sand. - Whidbey
Date: Aug 17 22:53:23 2005
From: buteoreg - buteoreg at comcast.net


Hi Tweets,

Some days you just get lucky? Today was one of those days for Marissa
Benavente and I. We volunteered to take a Dutch couple (Hetty De Jong and
Andre Van Den Berg) out for the day. We headed for Whidbey Island in the
rain, but managed to get in a full day?s birding with overcast skies in the
AM, and sunny skies by the PM. A few quick notes on highlights include:

1 Ancient Murrelet right next to the boat at Mukilteo Ferry dock (also 2-3
alt. plumaged Marbled)
Approx. 20 Dowitchers (mostly Short-billed) at Crockett Lake
1 bright juv. Stilt Sandpiper at Crockett Lake
1 imm. Broad-winged Hawk over Fort Casey St Park

We only birded the south shore of Crockett Lake, walking the margin, close
to the road. This is where we saw the dowitchers and the Stilt Sandpiper.
There were also fair numbers (50-100) peeps, although no Semi Sandpipers, a
few Semi Plovers, etc. At Penn Cove we saw some distant rockpipers,
including 3-5 Black Turnstones, 2-3 Surfbirds and one Ruddy Turnstone.

The big highlight of the day though was the Broad-wing. It was a state bird
for both Marissa and I. After seeing a couple in Alberta a couple of years
ago and then hundreds in Virginia last Fall, it was great to finally see one
in Washington. Hetty spotted it as it circled to gain height, just above the
trees of the first parking lot in the park. She, Andre and I watched it as
it continued to soar overhead for about 2-3 minutes. Marissa arrived after
my shouting for her and got to see it well also, but the bird continued to
circle upwards and away before I got the scope on it. It was a very light
colored immature, very similar to that illustrated in the Sibley guides,
except that the black-tipped primaries were even more prominently dark than
illustrated. It was almost completely white underneath with no patagial mark
or belly band, with a darker tail, black-tipped primaries, rather short,
pointed wings (for a buteo) and shortish tail. The uppertail was brown with
banding and a prominent white terminal band. Another noticeable point were
the marks on either side of the neck/face.

I wouldn?t have guessed that we could see Broad-winged Hawk, Ancient
Murrelet and Stilt Sandpiper all in the same day?

Good birding,

Jim Flynn
Seattle, WA
buteoreg at comcast.net

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