Hi Tweets

The WOS trip to Whidbey Island yesterday went well, although things were slow at times. As to be expected this time of year there was not much singing, but the birds were there.

The ferry ride over from Mukilteo started out slow, but we did have a few RHINOCEROS AUKLETS fly by going to the north. A rapid flyby by a RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was exciting. A couple of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS at the Clinton side and a handful of GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS. The wetland along Ewing Rd has essentially dried up, but we got very nice looks at OSPREY on a natural nest at the top of a Douglas Fir. There were a good number of BARN and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS on the wires, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS along the road. As we left the area about 10 BAND-TAILED PIGEONS were in the tops of the trees.

Our next stop was at Deer Lagoon where we had distant looks at a GREATER YELLOWLEGS, some MALLARDS and a few peeps (probably WESTERN SANDPIPERS). Mixed in with the GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS were a few CALIFORNIA and RING-BILLED GULLS.

A brief stop at Earth Sanctuary, off Newman Road, gave us good views of some WOOD DUCKs and MALLERD, more BARN plus CLIFF and NORTHERN ROUGH-WING SWALLOWS. A GREAT BLUE HERON buried itself in a tree. We also had PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET and a BEWICK'S WREN.

Useless Bay at Double-Bluff was singularly empty with only a few very distant alcids, but an adult BALD EAGLE did fly thru. When we left Double-Bluff we made our way down to another access to a different part of Deer Lagoon. There were several hundred, maybe as many a a couple of thousand swallows working the marsh over, including BARN, CLIFF, and VIOLET-GREEN. As we walked along the dike it became obvious that a major hatch of tiny flying "critters" had occurred providing a vast buffet for the swallows. SAVANNAH SPARROWS kept flushing along the dike. We had a nice comparison between a GREATER and a LESSER YELLOWLEGS. The open water held MALLARDS, NORTHERN PINTAIL and an occasional shorebird - WESTERN SANDPIPERS. A small flock of about 20 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS flew over. An accipiter sped past us and kept going away giving us a great vent view but no other identifying features. A flock of 18 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS kept ahead of us on the dike. Several ROCK PIGEONS flew over. All during this early part of the trip we had intermittant, very light sprinkles - sure didn't seem like August.

At Crockett Lake we made our way out from the north side to find that the water levels were high enough that there was no exposed mud. In spite of this we had good looks at both Yellowlegs. A small flock of dowitchers worked the area over including a still breeding plumage LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER with the rusty running all the way down past the belly. Most of the rest of the birds were juveniles and all but one were LONG-BILLED with their dark tertials with thin buffy edges. The exception was a nice, brightly colored SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER with tertials and scapulars with buffy/rusty workings in their interiors and buffy edges. Several SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS were also present. A few peeps were there, but managed to conceal themselves mostly in the marsh growth. The quick looks showed us WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS. A male NORTHERN HARRIER cruised by overhead. Over on the south side of the lake, where the mud was were a good number of peeps - guess we have to go over there. The thistles coming and going were crowded with AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, and the occasional SONG SPARROW popped up.

On the south side of Crockett Lake we spent another hour working along the roadside scanning the shorebirds. A few more dowitchers, a couple of yellowlegs and lots of peeps - probably two hundred or so. About half of them were WESTERN SANDPIPERS and the other half were LEAST SANDPIPERS. Mixed in with them were one BAIRD'S SANDPIPER who scurried about so quickly that it was difficult to follow it. One SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER also showed briefly, but the whole flock lifted off and when they touched down again the semipalm was nowhere to be seen. A large group of about 35 CASPIAN TERNS loafed along the south shore, and some more gulls.

At the Keystone Ferry terminal, there was a single DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT on the old platform joined by three PELAGIC CORMORANTS. Several PIGEON GUILLEMOTS hung around the platform, and several HEERMANN'S GULLS were just offshore.

Things were very quiet at our lunch stop at Fort Casey (later than usual), but we did have very excellent looks at a GREAT HORNED OWL perched in a big Douglas Fir. This bird was notable for having one mostly missing ear tuft.

The tide was way out at Penn Cove, but down near the Kennedy Lagoon end was a nice flock of SURF SCOTERS, a RED-NECKED GREBE, some PIGEON GUILLEMOTS and a couple of RHINOCEROS AUKLETS.

At the Hasty Lake boat ramp area we had three BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS working the rocks over, disappearing when they lowered their heads and the bright orange bill was not visible. Offshore were SURF SCOTERS, PIGEON GUILLEMOTS, RHINOCEROS AUKLETS and a couple of COMMON LOONS.

In the Swantown area we stopped at the overlook of the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Their were lots of PIGEON GUILLEMOTS below the nesting cliff, further out were three COMMON LOONS, lots of RHINOCEROS AUKLETS, SURF SCOTERS, a couple of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, and a couple of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS. Across the road Bos Lake had just a few birds on it. At the far side were several NORTHERN PINTAIL, some MALLARDS, a small flock of peeps kept attempting a landing by the log crossing the channel. We crossed over and scanned the edges - we had several WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS. A female NORTHERN HARRIER soared low over the marshy edges. Further down the lake the small area of mud had many peeps, but they all turned out to be Western and Least Sandpipers. About 5 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS lazed about.

Up at Joseph Whidbey SP we scanned the open water and turned up 3 PACIFIC LOONS. Along the way home we had a COOPER'S HAWK fly over the highway near Coupeville, and a RED-TAILED HAWK turned up farther along the route. Numerous HOUSE FINCHES were present during the day, and we did have one calling NORTHERN FLICKER.

All in all a nice day that resulted in seeing 73 species of birds.

Brian H. Bell
WOS
Woodinville WA
bellasoc at isomedia dot com