Today, I was taking birdingpal Phil Birch, from the UK, around some of the coastal hotspots.? We were about to give in to the relentless rain and call it quits whn Phil got a bird in his scope and asked me to take a look.? In all fairness, I should say that he had already pretty much figured out its ID, but wanted backup.? Based mostly on its overall coloration and constant bobbing, I was ready to write it off as a pipit, but this bird was strangely unmarked on the breast and belly, with a coloration a bit too rich, and apparently black wingtips/tail.
When it took flight, I was finally able to lay aside prejudices based on what "should" be there and call a wheatear a wheatear!? Tail pattern unmistakable.? This is an adult female Northern Wheatear.? THe bird was seen around 4PM on the rocky western end of the sandy, semicircular bay that forms the northern border of Westhaven State Park.
She?spent a good fifteen minutes foraging on rocks, bare ground, and the driftwood there, occasionally flying to a different perch and showing off the inverted "T" tail pattern.
It was quite unperturbed by two people walking reasonably close to it, but their off-leash dog proved too much, and the bird flushed towards the jetty.
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And yes, the Common Eider is still there, in the entrance to the marina, visible from the bridge.
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Two fantastic new state birds for me, both quite ho-hum for Phil, who much preferred his life Cackling Goose and Golden-crowned Sparrow.
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Jeff Bryant
Seattle
jbryant_68 AT yahoo