Hi Tweets

Several of us were on my WOS trip to Whidbey Island today. We started out north on I-5 and picked up RED-TAILED HAWK, EUROPEAN STARLING, and ROCK PIGEON. We had good weather all day today, with the exception of some strong winds early. In Conway we added BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. We made our first stop at the feeders at Rancho Valentine on Valentine Rd. As we stepped out of the cars we heard RED CROSSBILLS, and saw DOWNY WOODPECKER, HAIRY WOODPECKER, SONG SPARROW, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, PINE SISKIN, RUFOUS and ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDs, AMERICAN CROW, CALIFORNIA QUAIL and AMERICAN ROBIN.

On around to go down the north end of Whidbey with a stop first at Rosario Beach. We had a circling BALD EAGLE, SONG SPARROW, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, PINE SISKIN (including a juvenile), and gorgeous BLACK OYSTERCATCHER. The Bald Eagle circled back and landed in a tree just above the rocks and the Oystercatcher immediately took off and spent a lot of time dive-bombing the eagle. We heard more RED CROSSBILLs.

Down to Deception Pass State Park and a few gulls off of West Beach - GLAUCOUS-WINGED. Not much else. Then over to Cornet Bay where there were about 35 CANADA GEESE scattered about. We walked the closed road a bit and managed to pull in a HUTTON'S VIREO. Also saw BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEEs.

Off to Ala Spit with a very low tide. There we had three CASPIAN TERNs, a distant PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, and some more Glacouse-winged Gulls. Dugually Bay was all mud, and the pond had more CANADA GEESE, a BELTED KINGFISHER, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER, and a couple of LESSER SCAUP. The Oak Bay Marina was virtually birdless, a couple of gulls. The marsh at Swantown yielded MARSH WRENs and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD and Bos Lake had three GREATER SCAUP and some MALLARDs. The Strait had lots and lots of PIGEON GUILLEMOTs as well as two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERs.

Down to Hastie Lake Rd and the access point. More PIGEON GUILLEMOTs, and a couple of feeding groups of gulls (nothing new), a couple of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTs and some RHINOCEROS AUKLETs. Libby Beach was empty on the water, but around it there were singing SONG SPARROWs, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, and PURPLE FINCH.

The Penn Cove Mussel rafts are still not being worked and there were no birds there, but some BUSHTITs came thru the bushes and a couple of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVEs were at a house across the street. So on to Fort Casey. At the area around the picnic lot we picked up OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, HOUSE WREN, PACIFIC WREN, HOUSE FINCH, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and COMMON RAVEN. Down at the ferry terminal the old platform had some PIGEON GUILLEMOTs, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, PELAGIC CORMORANT, and bunch of CALIFORNIA GULLs (immatures and they were really worn - some feathers nothing more than shafts). Crockett Lake had a lot of distant gulls and a few CASPIAN TERNs.

Earth Sanctuary was excellent with CEDAR WAXWINGs, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, WILSON'S WARBLER, YELLOW WARBLER, WARBLING VIREO, a female HOODED MERGANSER with 8 young, BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEEs. The tide was in at Deer Lagoon at Sunset Beach and there were RING-BILLED, CALIFORNIA, and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs, a KILLDEER flew over, an OSPREY did likewise, and the usual HOUSE SPARROWs were numerous. In the little marsh off Lincoln Ave. we got a response from a VIRGINIAL RAIL.

At the Ewing Road ponds there were PIED-BILLED GREBEs with young (brightly striped heads), an AMERICAN COOT and a GADWALL. The OSPREY were around the nest tree.

Along the way we had BARN, VIOLET-GREEN, TREE at most locations and CLIFF SWALLOW was at Ewing Road. At a variety of spots we saw GREAT BLUE HERON, NORTHERN HARRIER, BEWICK'S WREN, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, SAVANNAH SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.

A good day for the end of June, and we ended up with 77 species.


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