Hi Tweets:
I birded at Des Moines today from Noon to 3pm. There was beautiful sunshine, and no wind. Here are some of the highlights.
There were great birds including a female LONG-TAILED DUCK.
At noon at the marina there was one adult THAYER'S GULL, several MEW GULLS, 6 HARLEQUIN DUCKS, some WHT-WINGED SCOTERS, a few BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, several RED-NECKED GREBES, 10 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, a PIGEON GUILLEMOT in breeding plumage already, one BRANDT'S CORMORANT and a PACIFIC LOON right by the dock. An adult BALD EAGLE perched in the tree up on the bluff.
A friend and I were at the private beach that is south of the Des Moines marina at about 1pm. The LONG-TAILED DUCK was perched on the water out about 200 feet. We watched it for awhile. It drifted out farther from the other ducks, and was all by itself. Then it flew north behind the jetty where we couldn't see it anymore. It still is in winter plumage with white face and dark cheek. There were 8 BLACK BRANT near the beach, and 8 DUNLIN on a floating log. We walked down the beach to the south and saw 4 BLACK SCOTERS and 6 more HARLEQUIN DUCKS.
I drove south down to Salt Water State Park and birded in the sunshine, seeing more of the same birds, quite a few BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, several RED-NECKED GREBES, a few Harlequins, and another BRANDT'S CORMORANT. Then I drove back north and went down the stairs to the viewing platform at the access off of S 240th St (actually at the bottom of S 239th). There was an Audubon's YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER fly-catching out of the trees at the top of the steps. Out in front of me there were the usual Surf Scoters, Wht-winged Scoters, and both Goldeneyes. But when I viewed back toward the marina jetty, there was a COMMON LOON, and an actively feeding juv RED-THROATED LOON. I looked directly north through the branches of a pine tree to the small bay to the north. In close near shore w/ scoters and Goldeneyes, there were 18 BLACK SCOTERS, both male and female. It was almost high tide. I had not seen Black Scoters here for at least two years, although we used to see them here. Seeing 18 of them was awesome. I wish I could have been closer so I could have heard the male Black Scoters do their whistle.
There were Surf Scoters, Horned Grebes, Common Goldeneyes, Glaucous-winged Gulls, and DC Cormorants at all stops.
There was no wind, and we had glorious sunshine. It was a great day in Des Moines along the water.
Yours, Carol Schulz