Barbara and I joined Steve Dang for a trip to Whidbey Island on Tuesday January 17th. It was an interesting day: the sky was mostly clear near us, and though we could see showers all around we never got rained on. The temps were in the upper 40s. Whidbey Island is a fine destination, indeed: we missed a lot of standard birds (no Harlequins or Long-tailed ducks, no nuthatches or jays or non-robinate thrushes) but still logged 71 species for a short day. The highlight of the day was a flock of 700+ Brant, whose location I'll pass on to interested birders if they drop me a line.

At the Mukilteo ferry terminal we saw a flock of 20+ resting Sanderlings and 3 Dunlin. In the water were two Red-necked Grebes, all three cormorants (2 Brandt's, 1 Pelagic, 20+ Double-crested), 8 Surf Scoters, 10+ Barrow's Goldeneyes, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 6 Mew Gulls, and 2 Rhinoceros Auklets. As we neared Clinton there were 2 more Red-necked Grebes, and two Common Murres.

Steve knows Whidbey Island well, so we used today to get acquainted with some areas that are off the standard loop of birding sites. Deer Lake Park a few miles west of Clinton was our first Island stop. We found 40+ aggressive Mallards, assorted scaup, Buffleheads, a domestic goose, and a huge, disheveled Muscovy Duck. The other birds were flickers, both kinglets, Bewick's and Winter Wrens, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Brown Creeper, Spotted Towhee, Song and White-crowned Sparrows, and juncos.

Maxwelton is south of Clinton on the island's west side and here we scoped Useless Bay from Dave Mackie County Park. We spotted Common Loons, Red-necked and Horned Grebes, Surf Scoters, more Mew Gulls , and 5 Bonaparte's Gulls. Just outside Maxwelton we checked a flooded field with 5 Greater Yellowlegs, robins, Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and House Finches, all watched appreciatively by a Bald Eagle and an American Kestrel.

On the way to Sunlight Beach some 10 miles north of Maxwelton we saw a Cooper's Hawk, marshes with harriers, mallards and a kingfisher. The Sunlight Beach area had lots of large, standard gulls, and four Bald Eagles. On a wooded sideroad we found a flock of ground-feeders: towhees, Fox, Song, and Golden-crowned Sparrows, plus kinglets and another Cooper's Hawk.

At Freeland County Park we ate lunch at a picnic table, hoping without success for the Clay-colored Sparrow we'd seen here last month. But in Holmes Harbor there was plenty to see: a Pied-billed Grebe, Western Grebes, a Great Blue Heron, Surf Scoters, a kingfisher, lots of large gulls including 2 California Gulls, plus Rock Pigeons, starlings, House Finches and House Sparrows.

Newman Road just south of Freeland has a marsh maintained as a natural and meditation area by a local foundation. Careful here, traffic moves fast! We found Mallards, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, and Hooded Merganser, plus standard passerines. Back on the west side of the island we stopped at a marsh near Mutiny Bay, then finished up a good day at Crockett Lake and Fort Casey.

Total species seen: 71

Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Horned Grebe
Western Grebe -- 30+ in Holmes Harbor
Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt's Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Brant
American Wigeon
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter -- 50+ seen at various sites
White-winged Scoter -- 1 in Mutiny Bay
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover -- 20+ on Keystone Avenue
Greater Yellowlegs
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper
Dunlin
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull (incl hybrids)
Bonaparte's Gull
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Rhinoceros Auklet
Rock Pigeon
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
American Robin
Bushtit
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Brown Creeper
American Crow
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
House Sparrow

Paul Webster
Seattle
paul.websterATcomcast.net