My wife and I visited Washington from June 22 to July 1st. This was my
first trip to Washington and we both had a great time. We went on a
Westport pelagic trip and then followed Hal Oppermans guide to bird
areas of the Olympic Peninsula and wandered west to the
Ellensburg/Yakima area and finished the trip with a hike up Sunrise on
Mt. Rainier. We ended up with 173 species of birds (6 lifers for me!)
and got most of our targets (except for that #$**!!!!! ptarmigan!).

A web page of thumbnail photos (including a couple of the Ashy
Storm-Petrel) are at this link. A complete list follows with non-avian
sightings subject to errors in ID! Capitalized birds below represent
either target birds for us, or birds that may be a bit unusual for the
date/location. * birds were lifers for Jane and/or for me.

http://home.comcast.net/~smirick/washington/washington.html

Steve & Jane Mirick
Bradford, MA

Bird List - 173 Species
---------------------------
Canada Goose
Mallard
GREATER SCAUP ? 4 at sewage lagoon near Gray?s Harbor on 6/25.
Harlequin Duck ? 6 at La Push and 125 (!) at Ediz Hook in Port Angeles.
Surf Scoter ? 5 total from outer coast. 4 imm males.
White-winged Scoter ? 39 total from several locations on outer coast.
Common Merganser
*CHUKAR ? 3 adults and 3 young together off Huntzinger Road in Vantage
on 6/30.
*BLUE GROUSE ? 7 total. All at Hurricane Ridge. 3 booming.
*California Quail
Northern Bobwhite ? 1 female at Tolt River John McDonald park in
Carnation. Tame. Origin?
RED-THROATED LOON ? 5 total. Most off north end of Ruby Beach on 6/25 &
6/26. A couple in breeding plumage.
PACIFIC LOON ? 44 total. Most off north end of Ruby Beach on 6/25 &
6/26. A few in breeding plumage.
Common Loon ? 4 total. 1 on Columbia River in Vantage on 6/30.
Western/Clark?s Grebe ? 1 off north end of Ruby Beach on 6/25.
*Black-footed Albatross ? 67 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24.
Northern Fulmar ? 12 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24.
*Pink-footed Shearwater ? 37 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24.
Sooty Shearwater ? 292 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24.
*Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel ? 33 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24.
Leach's Storm-Petrel ? 36 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24.
*ASHY STORM-PETREL ? 1 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24. First
state record.
American White Pelican ? 7 in Vantage and 11 soaring over Yakima on 6/30.
Brown Pelican ? 300+ max estimate when all in flight over Westport on 6/23.
Double-crested Cormorant
*Brandt's Cormorant
*Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle ? 30 +/- from La Push. Seen nearly every day.
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon ? 3 adults near cliffs along Huntzinger Road in Venture
on 6/30.
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER ? 16 in one flock on beach at Ocean Shores on 6/25.
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher ? 2 on offshore island at La Push. 4 on logs at Ediz
Hook in Port Angeles.
GREATER YELLOWLEGS ? 1 in Quillayute River near Rialto Beach in La Push
on 6/26.
Spotted Sandpiper
WHIMBREL ? 5 on flats at Ocean Shores on 6/25.
MARBLED GODWIT ? 2 in Tokeland on 6/24 and 2 in Westport on 6/25.
WESTERN SANDPIPER ? 1 flock of 28 in Tokeland on 6/24.
Wilson's Snipe
*SOUTH POLAR SKUA ? 1 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24.
POMARINE JAEGER ? 1 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24.
*Heermann's Gull ? 3 in Westport on 6/24 and 1 at Ediz Hook in Port
Angeles on 6/26.
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Caspian Tern ? Common. Seen nearly every day.
Arctic Tern ? 1 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24.
Common Murre - Commonly seen from nearly all coastal locations.
*Pigeon Guillemot - Commonly seen from nearly all coastal locations.
*Marbled Murrelet ? 4 off northern end of Ruby Beach on 6/25 and 1 near
Tongue Point on 6/27.
Cassin's Auklet ? 5 on Pelagic Trip out of Westport on 6/24.
*Rhinoceros Auklet ? Commonly seen from nearly all coastal locations.
*TUFTED PUFFIN ? 8 on pelagic trip and 40+ rather easily seen with scope
in La Push and Rialto Beach area.; sitting on water and flying around
nesting island offshore.
Rock Dove
*Band-tailed Pigeon - A few from several locations.
Mourning Dove
*FLAMMULATED OWL ? 1 or maybe 2 heard calling in pre-dawn on 7/1 along
forest road in Naches Valley. Responded to tape and called frequently,
but never flew in close enough to see.
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL ? 1 whistled in for excellent scope views on 6/29
along forest road in Swauk Creek Basin on 6/29.
Common Nighthawk
*BLACK SWIFT ? 2+ at Spencer Island in Everett on 6/28.
*Vaux's Swift ? 5 total for trip.
White-throated Swift ? Several dozen seen at cliffs along Huntzinger
Road in Vantage only.
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD ? 2 along hillside near Wenas Creek campground.
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis's Woodpecker ? 5 on Umptanum Road. Nest site with adult carrying
food just past bluebird box #24.
Red-naped Sapsucker ? Pair at nest hole in Liberty.
*Red-breasted Sapsucker ? 1 on our first day in Washington in Olympia
and that?s it. Expected more, but no luck. Roadkill found at Mt. Rainier.
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker ? 2 in Mt. Rainier.
*WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER ? 3 at Wenas Creek Campground area. Nest site
on elevated area past campground. Adult feeding young.
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee - Common
Willow Flycatcher
Hammond's Flycatcher
*Dusky Flycatcher - Didn't work too hard on empids. But got at least one
Dusky and 1 Hammonds.
*Pacific-slope Flycatcher ? Most common empid. Heard most days. Mostly
male call notes.
Say's Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
Cassin's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo ? 1
Gray Jay ? 2 in Capitol Forest and 1 at Mt. Rainier.
Steller's Jay
Clark's Nutcracker ? 3 on Mt. Rainier only at Sunrise.
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
*Northwestern Crow ? 40+ presumed to be this species in vicinity of La Push.
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit ? 2 in Tolt River John McDonald Park in Carnation on 6/28.
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Rock Wren
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
American Dipper ? 3 with adult feeding 2 young in Liberty on
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird -
Mountain Bluebird ? 3 at Sunrise on Mt. Rainier. Only location.
Townsend's Solitaire
Veery
Swainson's Thrush ? Very common. Seen/heard nearly every day.
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Sage Thrasher ? Along Umptanum Road and old Vantage highway.
American Pipit ? Hurricane Ridge and Mt. Rainier
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
*HERMIT WARBLER ? 8 estimated singing in Capitol State Forest on 6/23.
MacGillivray's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler ? Very common on Olympic peninsula.
Yellow-breasted Chat ? 1 singing along Umptanum Road.
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow along Huntzinger Road in Venture on 6/30.
BLACK-THROATED SPARROW ? 2 including singing male along Huntzinger Road
in Vantage on 6/30.
SAGE SPARROW - Nice views along Old Vantage Road.
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Purple Finch
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow


Bat sp. ? Only 1 for trip
Snowshoe Hare
Hoary Marmot ? 1 on Mt. Rainier
Yellow-bellied Marmot ? 1 in valley near Yakima
Olympic Marmot ? 2 on Hurricane Ridge
Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
???? Ground Squirrel
Yellow-pine Chipmunk
Chipmunk sp.
Douglas's Squirrel
Raccoon ? Only roadkill seen.
Long-tailed Weasel ? 1 believed to be this species at Spencer Island in
Everett
Sea Otter ? 4 or 5. All from Ruby Beach area.
Harbor Seal ? Common with over a dozen hauled out on logs at Port Angeles
Elk ? 2 in Swauk Creek Basin and 2 along road to Mt. Rainier
Mule Deer
Mountain Goat ? 9 including 1 very young one at Mt. Rainier. Distant views.
Pacific White-sided Dolphin ? 70 on pelagic trip
Dall's Porpoise ? 2 on pelagic trip
Northwestern Garter Snake???
Western Tiger Swallowtail ? Very common. Seen every day.
Western White
Cabbage White
Sara Orangetip
Blue sp.
Edith's (?) Checkerspot
Green Comma
California Tortoiseshell ? Very common at higher elevation.
Mourning Cloak - 1
Milbert's Tortoiseshell - 1
Bluet sp.
Darner sp.
Eight-spotted Skimmer
Common Whitetail
Variegated Meadowhawk
Cardinal Meadowhawk - 1