Hi Tweets

A group from WOS took a trip to the Marrowstone area today. We had a nice day with no rain or wind, some clearing and even some sun.

The ferry ride from Edmonds was early and it was still fairly dark, but we picked up PIGEON GUILLEMOT, PELAGIC CORMORANT, GLAUCOUS-WINGED, MEW and CALIFORNIA GULL. On the Kingston side there were more cormorants, and SURF SCOTERs.

We took a slight diversion at the start of the trip out to Point No Point, where we saw HEERMANN'S, GLAUCOUS-WINGED, MEW and BONAPARTE'S GULLs, PIGEON GUILLEMOTs, COMMON MURREs, RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs, RED-NECKED and HORNED GREBEs, DOUBLE-CRESTED, PELAGIC and BRANDT'S CORMORANTs, COMMON and PACIFIC LOONS. BUFFLEHEAD, SURF SCOTER were the ducks there. We also got some very nice looks at flyby ANCIENT MURRELETs. A BALD EAGLE was on a treetop on the ridge behind. A GREAT BLUE HERON was in the marsh and some EUROPEAN STARLINGs flew over.

At Norwegian Point (by the Hansville store) we picked up more cormorants, Common and Pacific Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and had great nearby looks at ANCIENT MURRELETs on the water - super scope looks at them showing all the plumage differences from Marbled Murrelets.

On to Port Gamble, where we were able to search out BUFFLEHEAD, MALLARD, SURF SCOTER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, AMERICAN WIGEON, LONG-TAILED DUCK, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, and GREATER SCAUP as well as cormorants, BALD EAGLE, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, SONG SPARROW, SPOTTED TOWHEE, BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, RUBY-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETs, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.

Around the corner we stopped at Salsbury Point County Park. More Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Surf Scoter, Mew Gull and a juvenile WESTERN GULL. Perched behind us on top of one of the conifers was a magnificant adult PEREGRINE FALCON. A flock of geese (probably Canada) flew by in the distance.

We made the long drive up thru the Chimacum Valley and out to Port Hadlock and Oak Harbor Jefferson County Park. Lots and lots of NORTHERN PINTAIL and AMERICAN WIGEON, and in among the wigeon was a very pretty EURASIAN WIGEON. More Bufflehead, Mallards, and some GADWALL and GREEN-WINGED TEAL. Two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERs flew by, but refused to perch down by the jetty for better looks. Just offshore was a THAYER'S GULL.

At Indian Island County Park we picked up GOLDEN-CROWNED, SONG and FOX SPARROWs, SPOTTED TOWHEE, and PACIFIC WREN.

At the next county park we had a bunch of AMERICAN CROWs both in the trees and on the ground, Bufflehead on the water, and we managed to pull out BLACK TURNSTONE and SURFBIRD on the line of rocks over toward the jetty.

We made a stop at Mystery Bay State Park for lunch, and also were able to find HOODED MERGANSER, SONG and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs, AMERICAN ROBIN, HOUSE FINCH, hear VARIED THRUSH. Two GREATER YELLOWLEGs were nestled down at the base of the distant spit.

We next went down to the campground area at Fort Flagler State Park and got very nice looks at LONG-TAILED and HARLEQUIN DUCKs, SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HORNED, RED-NECKED and EARED GREBEs, cormorants. Across the channel on the north shore of Indian Island there was a large group of gulls and many BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER sized birds.

At Marrowstone Point the tidal rip gave us nice looks at COMMON MURRE, ANCIENT MURRLETs, our first MARBLED MURRLETs (nice comparisons), a couple of RHINOCEROS AUKLETs, COMMON and PACIFIC LOONs, grebes, Surf Scoters. In addition to MALLARDs on the pond there was one NORTHERN SHOVELER.

We drove around to Port Townsend and out to Point Wilson for more great looks at ANCIENT and MARBLED MURRELETs, lots of COMMON MURREs, PIGEON GUILLEMOTs and RHINOCEROS AUKLETs, BUFFLEHEAD, RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs, COMMON and PACIFIC LOON. A COMMON RAVEN gronked from over the ridge. A couple of ultimately unidentified finches (perhaps Purple) perched in a tree.

A quick stop at Kah-Tai Lagoon added PIED-BILLED GREBE, RUDDY DUCK, and AMERICAN COOT.

At various spots we added WESTERN GREBE, (a five grebe day), RED-TAILED HAWK, KILLDEER, DUNLIN, ROCK PIGEON, BAND-TAILED PIGEON, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, MOURNING DOVE, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, BELTED KINGFISHER, NORTHERN FLICKER, DARK-EYED JUNCO, (PINE SISKIN?), and HOUSE SPARROW.

A great day with nice folks. We wound up with 79 species plus two likely additional ones.

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