Subject: [Tweeters] Seattle birding 11/11 and 11/12/05 - long
Date: Nov 12 09:44:00 2005
From: Brett Wolfe - m_lincolnii at yahoo.com


Hi tweets,

Between yesterday and today, I got not only some good birds within the city limits of Seattle, I also got to watch some neat inter-species activity.

On Friday morning, I got up to go birding at Discovery Park - had to try to get the Snow Buntings. I parked at the North Parking Lot and started out. Saw some American Goldfinches and a single Pine Siskin feeding in a maple tree, and a group of American Robins feeding on berries - I could hear some Cedar Waxwings as well, but missed the visual. Walking up the hill towards one of the trails that would take me to the north bluff, I got lots of the usual suspects: Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees; Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets; Bewick's and Winter Wrens; both Oregon and Slate-colored races of Dark-eyed Juncos; Bushtits; Red-breasted Nuthatch; Brown Creeper; Song, Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows. I also got a single Hutton's Vireo moving along with one of the roving flocks, and a pair of Downy Woodpeckers, squeaking and feeding.

As I moved further over the hill, I got a glimpse of the beach and a couple of Great Blue Herons (GBHE) feeding in the low surf. A number of gulls, including Ring-billed, Western, Glaucous-winged and Bonaparte's Gull(a very good look at the winter plumage of this bird to make sure). I got back to the road just above the lighthouse and looked up to see one of the GBHE's flying over, sedately flapping along. Looked back to the road and heard a loud "Raaahk! Raaahk!" sound and looked up to see a Peregrine Falcon attacking the heron! The GBHE wasd twisting and turning in the air, and the Perefgrine was on it at every turn. Finally, the heron turned and dove with the wind at it's back over the north side of the hill over the water treatment plant with the Peregrine in hot pursuit. I didn't see either bird again until a minute or so later as I got to the beach and saw the Peregrine flying back, low over the bluff, utilizing the wind to move back and forth in it's hunt. As I went a!
bit
further, the Peregrine came back, and this is when I saw my lifer Snow Bunting, as one scared up and took off up the bluff away from the beach and the lighthouse. That was the only SNBU I saw on Friday, but I was sure of the ID.

I then went around the north side of the lighthouse to look for water birds. Picked up a large raft of Western Grebes, with a number of Clark's Grebes interspersed. There were a few Horned Grebes closer in to shore. Also spotted many Double-crested Cormorants; a group of 6 Red-breasted Mergansers; and a mixed flock of Greater Scaups and Ring-billed Ducks. Not a bad day.

Finally, as I was walking back up the hill to get back to my car, I spotted some movement and picked up an awesome pair of Varied Thrushes. Always one of my favorite Seattle birds, it was nice to watch them for a few minutes before moving on. Last bird was a Northern Flicker I heard as I got back to the car. Kinda nasty weather, but lots of great birds, including a lifer!

Saturday morning I got up and split again. Had some things to pick up and some shopping to do, so thought I'd make a bonus bird run. Went down to Discovery Park again, focused solely on the Snow Buntings. As stated in an earlier post, I did see a single bird, and was able to watch it on the ground for a couple of minutes before I moved on - too blustery and cold for me to want to disturb the poor thing to much.

In other stops along Alki Beach to Constellation Park, I picked up Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters and a Black Scoter right up next to shore, diving and feeding. Circled back under the West Seattle freeway and hit T-107 park on the Duwamish. Good thing - picked up a Bald Eagle on one of the pilings, in addition to Gadwalls, Mallards, American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal all feeding in the brackish water.

All told, I had a great two mornings birding in Seattle. Didn't even have to drive my little Geo Metro far to do it!

Brett A. Wolfe
Seattle, WA
m_lincolnii at yahoo.com



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