Hi Tweets

On Tuesday, I led a group from ELWAS to Whidbey Island. We started out in beautiful clear weather that stayed with us all day. We began our trip at the north end at Rosario Beach. Just as we stepped out of the cars we had a MOURNING DOVE zoom off. We had singing WHITE-CROWNED and SONG SPARROWs, DARK-EYED JUNCO, PINE SISKIN, BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER and a WILLOW FLYCATCHER. The Willow Flycatcher was perched on a snag just above the Swainson's Thrush. The Willow was driven off by an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD. A bit further along the path was a RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD. On the water there was a COMMON LOON, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, RHINOCEROS AUKLET, PELAGIC CORMORANT, and GLAUCOUS-WINGED and HEERMANNS GULLs. A BALD EAGLE flew over, as did four BLACK OYSTERCATCHERs. VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs were chittering overhead. A TURKEY VULTURE came and circled us.

We made a quick check of Deception Pass State Park, but except for a MUSKRAT and some more CANADA GEESE, there wasn't a lot of activity.

At Dugualla Bay we found GREATER YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, MALLARD, GREATER SCAUP, BELTED KINGFISHER, BARN SWALLOW and CANADA GOOSE. There were at least 30 GREAT BLUE HERONS waaaaay out on the edge of the mud/water line.

We stopped by the marina at Oak Harbor, but the tide was way out and we were almost birdless - there were some ROCK PIGEONS there. At Swantown/Bos Lake, there were MALLARD and NORTHERN PINTAIL. A MARSH WREN and a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT sang from the marsh. On the Strait we saw SURF SCOTER, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, and a breeding plumage HORNED GREBE.

At the Hastie Lake Road access we had more PIGEON GUILLEMOT, RHINOCEROS AUKLET, SURF SCOTER, and HARLEQUIN DUCK. A ways down the road, at Libby Beach we had AMERICAN CROW, BEWICK'S WREN and a couple more HARLEQUIN DUCK.

We had three target birds at Fort Casey State Park. In the picnic area, we very quickly had a calling OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (#1). We thought we heard a House Wren, but it turned out to be an AMERICAN GOLDFINCH that was giving a decent imitation. A few feet further on we had a nice GREAT HORNED OWL perched in a tree - it gave us nice looks before swooping off into the forest (#2). We then had a HOUSE WREN (#3)scolding us and doing its best to keep concealed. We finally all saw it, and of course then it perched out in the open for a bit. In the forest we had GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETs, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEEs, WINTER WREN, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and SWAINSON'S THRUSH. In the walk along the road we saw juvenal WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWs, and two fawns with spots.

At the ferry terminal, there was a nice look at a HEERMANN'S GULL alongside a GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. At the base of the rock jetty were some HARLEQUIN DUCKS. On the old platform were both adult and juvenile PELAGIC CORMORANTS.

Crockett Lake was pretty quiet. We did have PURPLE MARTINs at the nest boxes, a "bunch" of CASPIAN TERNs, and a small flock of very nervous probable WESTERN SANDPIPERs. A NORTHERN HARRIER flew over. Some SAVANNAH SPARROWs flitted around the grasslands.

At the Deer Lagoon access near Double Bluff we had GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WESTERN SANDPIPER, OSPREY, CLIFF SWALLOW, MALLARD, NORTHERN PINTAIL and CANADA GOOSE. A RED-TAILED HAWK was overhead as we made out way down past Sunlight Beach. At the Ewing Road pond site we were greeted by totally dry ground. There were CLIFF SWALLOWs on the lines, and an OSPREY was perched in a tree right next to the nest that had another bird on it.

We finished up the day as we came into Mukilteo with a MARBLED MURRELET right close to the dock.

Other birds seen during the day included: California Quail, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Tree Swallow, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Spotted Towhee, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged and Brewer's Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbird, and House Sparrow.

We enjoyed a nice breeze all day long and it kept the temperatures comfortable. We wound up with 72 species for the day.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville Wa
bellasoc at isomedia dot com



Canada Goose
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
California Quail
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Western Sandpiper
Heermann's Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Caspian Tern
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
Common Yellowthroat
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow