Hello Tweeters,



I spent Saturday visiting various sites in western Washington. The morning
was blustery and wet, but by the afternoon the wind and rain had calmed down
a lot, and I was able to enjoy most of the day outside of the car.



My first stop of the day was at Nisqually, where I saw the small wintering
flock of Snow Geese, hundreds of cacklers, and a good diversity of dabbling
ducks in the flooded fields. The biggest surprise was a female Common
Goldeneye in the flooded field just south of the Cross Dike ? not exactly
their usual habitat.



Next I stopped at Luhr Beach. It was my first visit there, and it really is
a nice spot. Lots of close views of waterfowl, including 20 Brant. Also
one distant flyby Common Murre, thousands of Dunlin swirling along the
beaches far to the east, and one Snowy Owl perched on a block of driftwood
sticking just a few feet out of the water.



Next I visited Meadows Road near Grand Mound. I saw a small flock of Tundra
Swans, about 10 birds, and lots of ducks and Cackling Geese, but nothing
really unusual. I did see my first Western Scrub-Jays of the day. This was
the first of about 15 I saw in ones and two here and to the south and west ?
they seemed to be everywhere!



I searched along Lincoln Creek road for raptors, hoping to find a
White-tailed Kite. I finally spotted one along Bunker Creek Road, just east
of Ingalls Road. If there were more around, they must have been perched low
and out of the wind. I then drove up to the intersection of Independence
and Van Dyke roads to look for the Red-shouldered Hawk that so many people
have been seeing. Along the way I was surprised to see a Gray Jay perched
atop a tree near the intersection of Lincoln Creek Road and Manners Road. I
also drove by, and in turning around on 201st Ave SW (the first road north
of Van Dyke on Independence), I found a tan-striped White-throated Sparrow
in with a flock of Golden-crowned and White-crowned. I spent half an hour
strolling along Independence Road, Van Dyke Road, and Bachman Road, but no
sign of the Red-shouldered. I think it also must have been hiding out from
the wind.



My next destination was up in Mason County along the shore of the Hood
Canal. Along the way there, I saw 6 Trumpeter Swans in a field along
Highway 12 near Oakville. I had never birded in Mason County before, so I
spent most of my time at the usual spots along Anna?s Bay and the bend of
the Hood Canal. There was a flock of 50+ robins and many Varied Thrushes
feeding in the grass at Potlatch State Park. Also several Herring and
Western Gulls among the more common Glaucous-winged and hybrids, and one
Eared Grebe just north of the park. No sign of any shorebirds in the area.



I had seen no Barrow?s Goldeneye all day up to this point, so I was
thoroughly impressed when I read the passage by Bill Shelmerdine in
Opperman?s book that mentions Barrow?s Goldeneye at Saltwater Park, drove up
the road, and found a flock of 30 Barrow?s feeding in the outflow from the
hydroelectric project! Last highlight of the day was a single drake
Long-tailed Duck from the fish hatchery in Hoodsport.



It was great to bird some places I?d never visited before, and I was
pleasantly surprised by both the weather and the birds.



Good birding,

Matt Dufort

Seattle, WA






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