Hi Tweets

Yesterday, 7 of us from SAS took a trip up to Whidbey Island. The day started out down in Seattle with snow, we got more snow and rain on the way north. But by the time we were up in Marysville, it was clearing. We took a detour to the Stanwood area and were in bright sunshine (and for the rest of the day). On Thomle Road we saw a pair of Bald Eagles at the nest, American Robins, a nice immature Cooper's Hawk, lots of European Starlings, a field full of Mallards, Northern Pintail and a few American Wigeon. A nice group of Mew Gulls was present and a few Red-winged Blackbirds. We went down to Boe Road and at the intersection with Marine Drive a beautiful adult Peregrine Falcon was perched in a Cottonwood tree. South of Boe the field was full of about 7-10,000 Snow Geese - lots of "Goose Music" as they foraged. There also was a very large group of American Wigeon and we picked out two Eurasian Wigeon. An American Kestrel was perched on the way and we saw both male and female Northern Harriers. Small groups of swans were in the fields.

We progressed north toward Conway and had many more swans, but couldn't pull over because of narrow shoulders and lots of traffic. On Fir Island Road we stopped at the Snow Goose Produce stand and worked over a group of swans - all Trumpeter. Along the way we saw more Bald Eagles and lots of Red-tailed Hawks.

The feeders at Rancho Valentine were busy with Downy Woodpeckers, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Spotted Towhees, and couple of Fox Sparrows. A small group of California Quail hung out at the back of the garden. Steller's Jay, House Finch and Red-breasted Nuthatch (one perched on a telephone wire and preened - unusual) round things out.

As we drove along Dodge Valley Road we saw a perched adult Red-tailed Hawk with a white wing tag - we noted the details to forward on to Bud Anderson. Several hundred more Trumpeter Swans were in the fields along the road.

We made a stop at Rosario Beach and picked up Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Red-throated Loon. The tide was wrong so we missed the huge Red-throated Loon spectacle in Discovery Pass. Cornet Bay had a large group of Common Mergansers, more Bufflehead, Glaucous-winged Gulls, a Bald Eagle and a couple of Pigeon Guillemots.

The pond at Dugualla Bay was filled with at least 50 Canvasback under ideal light - really beautiful birds. Some American Coots, Mallards, American Wigeon, a Pied-billed Grebe and a Lesser Scaup were present. A Belted Kingfisher shounded off and flew down to the pilings.

While it was bright and sunny on the west shore of Whidbey, there was a stiff wind and most birds were well offshore. A small flock of sleeping Ruddy Ducks was on Bos Lake. We still managed to find Pigeon Guillemots, Horned Grebes, Surf Scoters, Common Loon, Harlequin Ducks, Red-breasted Mergansers, a Red-necked Grebe and still more Bufflehead. A Ring-billed Gull as well as more Glaucous-winged Gulls were around. A group of 9 Bald Eagles soared in the distance and were harassed briefly by a Common Raven.

At Kennedy Lagoon there were lots of four Black Oystercatchers, Common Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, a couple of female Hooded Mergansers, a Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, a nice group of Barrow's Goldeneyes, a Great Blue Heron, and some Mallards. We scanned the mussel platforms in Penn Cove and picked up several dozen Black Turnstones as well as Dunlin and a few Least Sandpipers. A couple of Turkey Vultures flew over Coupville.

At the Keystone Ferry Terminal the old platform had Pelagic (great light), Double-crested and Brand'ts Cormorants. Lots of Pigeon Guillemots and a few Horned Grebes, and a couple of Harlequin Ducks. A nice female Northern Harrier pecked on a post at Crockett Lake. Lots of Green-winged Teal were on Crockett Lake and a few Dunlin and Least Sandpipers. At the small ponds there were Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck and Greater Scaup.

The Ewing Road ponds yielded Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Pintail and several Tree Swallows (the first of the year for the group).

On the ferry ride back from Clinton we got killer views of Barrow's Goldeneye, Horned Grebes, Surf Scoters from the ferry terminal. On the ride we saw White-winged Scoter, California Gull, lots of freshly plumaged Glaucous-winged Gulls and a nice flock of Brant. Going up the hill from Mukilteo one of our members was what was a probably Barred Owl.

Elsewhere at various locations we saw: Canada Goose, Western Gull, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Rock Pigeons, Eurasian Collared-Doves and Mourning Doves, American Crow, and Golden-crowned Sparrows.

It was a great day with near ideal, of cold, weather and 80 species.

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


Snow Goose
Brant
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
California Quail
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Brandt's Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Black Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Barred Owl?
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Golden-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch