Hi Tweets

Five of us from WOS took a very nice trip to Whidbey Island today. The day started out overcast but mild. It was slow at the Mukilteo ferry terminal - only AMERICAN CROW, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL and ROCK PIGEON. We didn't see any birds until we were very close to the Clinton side when we picked up BALD EAGLE, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, more pigeons and gulls. Our first stop was on Rollinghill Road (thanks to the Websters and Steve Dang for the heads up here). There we saw and heard AMERICAN ROBIN, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, BARN SWALLOW, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, CASPIAN TERN, AMERICAN CROW, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, AMERICAN ROBIN, SPOTTED TOWHEE and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.

We made our way over to Maxwellton and Dave Mackie Co. Park and saw TREE SWALLOW, RHINOCEROUS AUKLET (lots), CALIFORNIA GULL, MARBLED MURRELET (really distant, terrible views), RED-NECKED GREBE, KILLDEER, more Glaucous-winged Gulls, BALD EAGLE, BARN SWALLOW, MOURNING DOVE (about 6), CLIFF SWALLOW, HOUSE FINCH, HOUSE SPARROW, MALLARD and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD.

Next up to Ewing Road wetlands where we found OSPREY, more Mourning Doves, PIED-BILLED GREBE (saw and nicely giving calls), CINNAMON TEAL (concealed in the greens but sticking its head up), incredible views of AMERICAN BITTERN displaying and ker-thunking, heard briefly a SORA, GADWALL, AMERICAN COOT with young, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, MALLARDs, and lots of Barn and Cliff Swallows. Tide was out at Deer Lagoon, but we saw at least 6 WHIMBREL, KILLDEER, HOUSE SPARROW, a Bald Eagle, and two NORTHERN FLICKERs (red-shafted). The Sunlight Beach access off Lincoln down to Useless Bay gave us the opportunity to search out BONAPARTES GULL, GREAT BLUE HERON, MEW GULL, RING-NECKED DUCK, DUNLIN (about 7 of them running along the edge of the water), WESTERN GREBE (probably 25 out on the bay), COMMON LOON, WESTERN GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, and behind us in the marsh MARSH WREN, VIRGINIA RAIL (a few partial calls), and SAVANNAH SPARROW.

Over to Earth Sanctuary with the sun breaking thru - WARBLING VIREO (first heard and then later briefly seen), SWAINSON'S THRUSH (at least 7 singing, calling), BROWN CREEPER (at least two), WESTERN WOOD PEWEE, SONG SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, SPOTTED TOWHEE, NORTHERN FLICKER, HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER (nicely calling but never seen), DOWNY WOODPECKER and several CEDAR WAXWINGS. A WOOD DUCK flew into the pond. Looking into the western end of Deer Lagoon from Double Bluff Road we could see MALLARDs, GADWALL, CANADA GOOSE, saw MARSH WREN, NORTHERN PINTAIL, and RED-TAILED HAWK.

A quick stop at Bush Point had excellent close looks at RHINOCEROUS AUKLET, breeding plumage COMMON LOON, more G-W gulls, a CALIFORNIA GULL, and PIGEON GUILLEMOTs. The trees on Shore Dr. in Greenbank yielded BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, YELLOW WARBLER, WILLOW FLYCATCHER and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.

We hit Crockett Lake at low tide (as all previous stops) and had some very distant looks at unidentifiable ducks, a great look at a close cruising male NORTHERN HARRIER, and Savannah Sparrows. The Purple Martin houses seemed to be occupied by EUROPEAN STARLINGs. Still more PIGEON GUILLEMOTs on the old platform by the ferry terminal.

Up the hill to Fort Casey for lunch and wildly singing PACIFIC WREN, a PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, dueling RUFUOUS HUMMINGBIRDs, a late WESTERN TANAGER, and a HOUSE WREN. The Penn Cove mussel rafts had HARLEQUIN DUCKs on the rafts, SURF, WHITE-WINGED and BLACK SCOTER. On the way up to Coupeville we saw a single BREWER'S BLACKBIRD.

The birds were way out at Libby Beach but we could see SURF SCOTER, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, and a couple of MARBLED MURRELETs. Swantown and Bos Lake had NORTHERN SHOVELER, MALLARD, GADWALL, GREATER SCAUP (1), LESSER SCAUP (1), RUDDY DUCK and AMERICAN WIGEON on the lake and on the open water side PACIFIC LOON and a single BRANDT'S CORMORANT. A COMMON RAVEN flew overhead. Ala Spit County Park had a BELTED KINGFISHER. Rosario Beach had a single DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, a couple of PELAGIC CORMORANTs, a BELTED KINGFISHER and a heard RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.

A good time was had by all, we saw 88 species and several folks picked up new birds to their county lists.

Good Birding

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