BIG DAY REPORT:
WASHINGTON STATE, 6 NOVEMBER 2010

DATE AND TIME:
6 November 2010, Start time: 08:00 ? End time: 17:30
TEAM MEMBERS AND SPECIES TOTAL:
Jamie Acker 104 species
Brad Waggoner 104 species
George Gerdts 104 species
MILES COVERED:
35 miles driving, 5 miles on foot
AREA COVERED:
The entire route was on Bainbridge Island which is entirely in Kitsap
County, Washington State with a short (? mile) detour off Island and across the
Agate Pass Bridge to the Suquamish Indian Casino car park where a
Peregrine Falcon was sighted. Thus 103 recorded on Bainbridge Island, Kitsap Co.
and 1 additional species added in Suquamish, Kitsap Co. for a total of 104
species recorded by all members of the team. Areas visited on Bainbridge
Island included Restoration Point, South Beach Road, Fort Ward area, Lytle
Beach, Schel-Chelb Estuary, Brad Waggoner?s yard and pond, Gazzam Lake, Dock
Street Road-End and Manzanita Bay area.
SPECIES OF NOTE:
1) Trumpeter Swan (V)
2) Gadwall (R)
3) N. Shoveler (R)
4) N. Pintail (R)
5) Lesser Scaup (R)
6) Brown Pelican (V)
7) N. Harrier (R)
8) Peregrine Falcon (S)
9) American Coot (V) (S)
10) Black-bellied Plover (R) (#)
11) Ruddy Turnstone (V)
12) Wilson?s Snipe (R)
13) Ancient Murrelet (R)
14) Yellow Warbler (L)
15) Evening Grosbeak (R)
V= Vagrant (species that is less than annual in the county)
R= Rare (species that is less than annual along chosen route)
L=Late (species that is rare because it is unusually late in lingering)
S= Staked Out (rare or unusual species located prior to Big Day and
expected)
# = Unusually high number of a species recorded
COMMENTS:
The ?Accidental? Big Day!!
Jamie Acker, Brad Waggoner, and I have been conducting a monthly bird
survey at Restoration Point, a private enclave of about 400 acres at the south
end of Bainbridge Island since November of 2003. Sometimes the weather can
be atrocious in November, other years it can be wonderful. Last year's
November Restoration Point Survey was conducted on Saturday, November 7,
2009. The high temperature for the day was in the low 40s and the wind was
blowing from the southwest at a steady 30 mph with gusts over 45 mph!! Rain,
hard rain, and hail were operative words for the day. What a difference a
year can make!! In contrast, yesterday, November 6, 2010, was downright
balmy at 48 F, reaching 55 F by the time Jamie Acker, Brad Waggoner, and I
(George Gerdts) finished our census, and the wind was virtually calm with NO
rain (well, maybe a slight mist now and again). The birds certainly seemed
to acknowledge the fine (for Bainbridge Island) November weather by putting
on a dazzling display. We tallied a new November record of 78 species
recorded, including 12 new species never before recorded on one of our
November surveys!! The new species for the November list included the following:
Trumpeter Swan (12 flying by the point, low over the water with their
long, graceful necks fully outstretched); Green-winged Teal (4, with 2 landing
in the water off the point); Greater Scaup and Lesser Scaup (a skein of
scaup with birds of two distinct sizes, each having a different-length
wing-stripe, flying south past the point); a BROWN PELICAN (Brad spotted it at
what seemed like 30 miles out from the point, flying north in front of the
Seattle waterfront); a Northern Harrier (a male flying over the point towards
Winslow); 5! Black-bellied Plovers flying over the point with a lone
Dunlin; a Ruddy Turnstone (undoubtedly the same bird that we found on last month?
s survey , feeding along the shore at the point with a lone Dunlin ), a
Hairy Woodpecker (a male in the snags by the cattail pond); a YELLOW WARBLER
(a first-year male that gave us great looks, we could even see the faint
"petechia" lines on its breast!!); several Townsend's Warblers (3 in a
massive winter-flock at the base of Upper Farms Rd), and Evening Grosbeaks
(about 8 flying overhead and calling). The bright Yellow Warbler was clearly
the highlight of the day. While it is not a rare bird, it is extremely
rare to find one lingering here into November. Most of the Yellow Warblers
have departed the state for warmer climes by the end of September, so we were
both delighted and surprised to see the little yellow waif flitting through
the shrubs on the banks below the Community Center out near the point.
The Brown Pelican was also a surprise. While Brown Pelicans are not unheard
of this far into Puget Sound, it is a rare event to see one on or near
Bainbridge Island, especially in November. This year there have been very few
other reports from the waters of Puget Sound.
There were literally birds everywhere we looked. Some other birds worthy
of special note (that weren't new to the November all-time list) include
the following species: 4 Northern Shovelers that landed in the water near
Blakely Rock; a single Cackling Goose (ssp. "minima") that flew in to join
the flock on the lawn on the south side of the point; 2 Ancient Murrelets
flying with two Rhinoceros Auklets off the point; and 3 Hermit Thrushes (2
on the edge of Country Club Drive just as we entered the grounds at first
light.
There are very few places anywhere in Washington State that one could
record 78 species of birds during a 4-hour walk at any time of the year, never
mind in November. The sheer diversity of habitats within the proximity of
the waters of Puget Sound makes Restoration Point a very special place. So,
having 78 species ?in hand?, the weather cooperating, and "only" 22
species to find to get to 100 for the day, the decision was made to try for the ?
Century Mark? by visiting a few choice birding locales around Bainbridge
Island. South Beach Road yielded many Cedar Waxwings and Yellow-rumped
Warblers feeding on the bumper crop of ripened Madrone berries; the Fish Pens
produced Rock Pigeon and Western Gull; driving up the hill to the Fort Ward
area, we startled a male Ring-necked Pheasant; the wet meadow at Fort Ward
east of the Parade Grounds gave us 2 Wilson?s Snipe, a singing female-type
Purple Finch, and an adult Merlin! Lytle Road-end had roosting Killdeer
which we somehow managed to miss at Restoration Point, and an obliging Lincoln?
s Sparrow that responded to our frantic phishing. Schel-Chelb Estuary
and surrounding area harbored House Sparrows, a White-crowned Sparrow, three
Eurasian Wigeons, and a female Gadwall. Two Ravens, calling as they flew
over the estuary, added to our growing total. A quick trip to Brad Waggoner?
s house gave us several Wood Ducks and a Sharp-shinned Hawk in the alders
at the end of his driveway. We then decided that at 16:00 we had enough time
to make a dash to Gazzam Lake. It took us just under 17 minutes to hoof
the ? mile to the lake, check off American Coot, Hooded Merganser,
Ring-necked Duck, and Pied-billed Grebe, and return the ? mile back to the car!! As
we left Gazzam Lake it started to rain. We were at 99 species recorded!!
We had grandiose plans to go to Manzanita Road end at Dock Street, check
for the Peregrine at the Agate Pass Bridge, walk Suyematsu?s Farm, check the
overlook at Murden Cove, and finish at Meig?s Farm looking for Marsh Wren.
Jamie had also promised that ?Fannie? his habituated-to-?feeder-mice?
Barred Owl would put in an appearance at his house shortly after 18:00.
Needless to the hard rain altered our plans. Dock Street yielded an Eared Grebe
after much searching, and Brad found a pair of Long-tailed Ducks. Two
Band-tailed Pigeons flew over us heading west, and a Mourning Dove at a feeder
upped our total to 103 species!! Foregoing all of our other stops, a try
for the Agate Pass Peregrine Falcon would be our last attempt.
Unfortunately, the falcon was not on its perch on the Bainbridge side of the bridge,
but as we drove across the bridge to Suquamish, Jamie spotted the Peregrine
sitting on one of the snags in the casino parking lot. We pulled into the
car park and savored the sight of a slightly rain-soaked falcon stoically
sitting and waiting as the rain pelted down and the daylight began to fade.
We ended the day with 104 species recorded for the day. The only ?heard
only? birds were several Virginia Rails at Restoration Point.
We had the good fortune of recording some 15 rare or vagrant species last
Saturday. Not every day brings such good fortune, so good luck certainly
helps greatly!! We had not started the day thinking of doing a "Big Day",
but the conditions were near perfect and the birds were extremely
cooperative!!
The total of 104 species recorded is a new record for Kitsap County in
November. Moreover it is also the highest total ever recorded for any county
in Washington State in November. For that matter it is also an all-time
record for November for birds recorded anywhere in Washington State (meaning
a birding excursion that went to more than a single county!!) Pretty
amazing for a little Island only 12 miles long by 3 miles wide! Birding on
Bainbridge Island and Kitsap County from November through February is superb!!.
One might be hard pressed to best the Kitsap County records for November
(104), December (102), January (110), and February (112). Jamie, Brad, and
I welcome and encourage any and all challengers to the friendly
competition of fall/winter Big Day birding!!! Best of luck!
George Gerdts
Bainbridge Island, 8 November 2010
_geopandion at aol.com_ (mailto:geopandion at aol.com)
206-842-8138