Subject: [Tweeters] Pt. Wilson Yellow-billed Loon
Date: Mar 11 21:07:28 2012
From: Jim Owens - jimo at brainerd.org


Tweets,

The highlight of Saturday's Seattle Audubon Society's field trip to the Kitsap Peninsula was a Yellow-billed Loon brightly lit by late afternoon sun close to Point Wilson. Bob Whitney was on hand to document the bird's presence, and a great group of six trip participants led by Paula Crockett and myself added the loon to a list that totaled 67 species by the end of the day.

Starting at the Edmonds Ferry Terminal, the trip progressed to Kingston, Point No Point and the Hansville Post Office, Driftwood Key, Port Gamble, Nordland, Mystery Bay State Park, Fort Flagler, and Point Wilson before winding up at Kai Tai Lagoon in Port Townsend. Highlights along the way included close to a thousand Bonaparte's Gulls feeding close to Point No Point, sharing the bounty of the tide with almost as many Mew Gulls and several flocks of Brant as well as both Common and Pacific Loons; the Eurasian Wigeon still in residence with American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal in the marsh behind the Point No Point Lighthouse; bright Yellow-rumped Warblers feeding on the Point No Point Lighthouse's lawn with Spotted Towhees and House Finches; Eurasian Collared Doves near the Point; and a Brewer's Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbirds, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows at the feeders behind the Hansville Post Office.

Northern Pintails showed up on schedule at Driftwood Keys along with Greater Scaup, Surf Scoters, Common Goldeneyes, and Long-tailed Ducks and at Port Gamble we saw more Long-tailed Ducks, Common and Barrow's Goldeneyes, White-winged Scoters, and Western Grebes. Further down the road at Nordland Store we picked up Greater Yellowlegs, and at Mystery Bay we found flights of Brant as well as several Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles and more Common Loons and Greater Yellowlegs. Fort Flagler produced Long-tailed Ducks, Brant, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Ducks, White-winged Scoters, Sanderlings and Dunlin. At Point Wilson, in addition to the Yellow-billed Loon we found many Common Murres flying past the point, Brant, Long-tailed Ducks, and a Northern Harrier cruising the dunes and headlands. The Ruddy Ducks at our last stop at Kai Tai Lagoon were accompanied by both Greater and Lesser Scaup and Northern Shovelers as well as American Coots, Buffleheads and Mallards. Throughout the day we saw stunning Red-breasted Mergansers in breeding plumage, Horned and Red-necked Grebes, and Pigeon Guillemot in various stages of molt.

The species list for the day is as follows:
Brant
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Yellow-billed Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Sanderling
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Marsh Wren
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
House Sparrow

Jim Owens
Mercer Island