Subject: [Tweeters] Eastside Audubon Whidbey trip
Date: Nov 3 12:19:55 2010
From: B&PBell - bellasoc at isomedia.com


Eastside Audubon took a trip yesterday to Whidbey Island under nice clear skies. We had a nice group of BARROW'S GOLDENEYES at the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal along with GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs, EUROPEAN STARLINGs, ROCK PIGEONs, and a few HOUSE SPARROWs. As we made our way across the Sound we picked up CALIFORNIA and MEW GULLs and a single HEERMANN'S GULL, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, two WESTERN GREBEs and RHINOCEROS AUKLET. The Clinton terminal had its usual crowd of SURF SCOTERs. As we made our way along Campbell Road we saw DARK-EYED JUNCO and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, and a PACIFIC WREN ticked and finally showed itself.

The wetlands along Ewing Road yielded MALLARD, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, a few AMERICAN WIGEON, RED-WINGED and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDs and a PIED-BILLED GREBE. A RED-TAILED HAWK cruised over and finally perched in a Douglar Fir. A COMMON RAVEN called in the distance.

At Useless Bay we saw COMMON LOON, RED-NECKED GREBE, SURF SCOTER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, HOUSE SPARROW, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, and a BALD EAGLE. A FOX SPARROW jumped out of the cattails briefly, and a SONG SPARROW made a quick appearance. A bit further down the road Deer Lagoon turned up BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, KILLDEER, DUNLIN, GREATER YELLOWLEGS (many) and a single LESSER YELLOWLEGS. There were large groups of GREEN-WINGED TEAL, bunches of MALLARDs, a few GADWALL and probably close to a thousand AMERICAN WIGEON and 3 EURASIAN WIGEON. As we walked back out along the dike a MARSH WREN was really close.

A quick stop at Earth Sanctuary gave us a nice group of BUFFLEHEAD, as well as MALLARDs, NORTHERN PINTAIL, RING-NECKED DUCK and GREATER SCAUP. Several GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETs worked the trees over in front of us and were joined by a couple of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETs. An AMERICAN ROBIN flew over.

Out at Double Bluff a BALD EAGLE perched just above the parking lot, some SURF SCOTERs were joined by two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERs. We took a brief walk out the dike to the west part of Deer Lagoon and saw MALLARDs, NORTHERN PINTAIL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, and HOODED MERGANSER. In the distance there were several AMERICAN COOT. We stopped for lunch at Holmes Harbor in Freeland and were entertained by two pairs of BALD EAGLEs - making passes at each other and finally settling down with one pair on top of the mast of a sailing boat and the other on the cabin. Meanwhile a ways away the second pair perched on the furled sail of a boat. After a stare down there were tentative flights away and a quick return to the boats - it seemed like a territorial boundary was being established. A quick stop at Bush Point gave us good looks at PIGEON GUILLEMOT, RHINOCEROS AUKLET, COMMON LOON, and a fly by of a COMMON MURRE.

Crocket Lake was very quiet with a few BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and some DUNLIN, a NORTHERN HARRIER and almost nothing else. There was a group of about 8 SNOW GOOSE on the lake - they later flew off to the northwest. At the parking lot by the ferry terminal the old pier yieled its usual trio of DOUBLE-CRESTED, BRANDT'S and PELAGIC COMORANTS and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW and SONG SPARROW. At Libby Beach there were a few HARLEQUIN DUCKs, and in the distance some SURF SCOTERs. Up the road at the Hastie Lake Road access point there were HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBEs, COMMON LOON as well as a couple of PACIFIC and RED-THROATED LOONs. At the overlook at Swantown we saw more scoters and had an absolutely terrible (but identifiable) look at a BLACK SCOTER. Across the road in Bos Lake there was a nice group of RUDDY DUCKs and a few GREATER SCAUP.

At the Oak Harbor marina we managed to pull out some BLACK TURNSTONEs and a single SURFBIRD. Ala Spit only had a bunch of flyby DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTs and a GREAT BLUE HERON. Rosario Beach was very quiet with some cormorants on the rocks and a COMMON LOON foraging immediately below us. A BELTED KINGFISHER perched in the top of a tall Douglas Fir and two CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEEs worked over a tree. We finished the day at the feeders on Valentine Road and picked up a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Approximately 800 SNOW GEESE were in the field on Fir Island (couldn't stop because we were in Fir Island Road with no parking allowed).

Along the way a SPOTTED TOWHEE almost collected itself as it flew immediately in front of the car. A small flock of CANADA GEESE flew over, a single Dowitcher species flew over but it was strongly backlit and couldn't be identified to species. There were a couple of RING-BILLED GULLs. Lots of AMERICAN CROWs, a few NORTHERN FLICKERs and some HOUSE FINCH.

A great day with ideal, warm and sunny November weather and good friends. We would up the day seeing 75 species.

Good birding,

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville Wa
mail to bell asoc at iso media dot com