The Northern Wheatear at Pt. Robinson proved to be a very cooperative and
photogenic bird this morning and afternoon. Despite a constant stream of
dog walkers it allowed fairly close approach by the beasts before switching
to another spot. It maintained a pretty consistent territory extending
about 100 meters along the beach from the light keeper residences and then
south a bit. It perches prominently on driftwood and then drops down to the
beach detritus to feed and then returns to a perch. A few times when
flushed it flew up on to the bluff or on to the peak of one of the houses
but then always returned to some portion of the stretch of beach logs it
preferred. The light keeper residences are right next to the lower parking
lot of Pt. Robinson Park which is at the extreme eastern tip of Maury Island
(Maury Island being attached to Vashon Island).



Thanks to Martha Taylor for forwarding her photos and announcement of the
sighting and Scott Ramos for helping her make the initial identification.
Scott showed up this morning and found a Western Meadowlark as well. We
have very few recent/modern fall meadowlark sightings for Vashon. Some
other fun birds seen while watching the wheatear included a Peregrine Falcon
and a Merlin. The temperature was a pretty incredible 70+ degrees, pretty
nice for mid-October.



If you come over, the Vashon Audubon Society website, vashonaudubon.org, has
a map of birding hot spots on the Island with descriptions and directions
from my book The Birds of Vashon Island. There's some good returning
waterfowl birding along Tramp Harbor and Fisher Pond, a mile west of the
town of Vashon, has a lot of puddle ducks including Wood Ducks and lately
some cooperative snipe feeding openly out in the mud.



Ed Swan

Nature writer and guide

Check out the new The Birds of Vashon Island at:

www.theswancompany.com <http://www.theswancompany.com>

edswan at centurytel.net <mailto:edswan at centurytel.net>

206.463.7976