Hi Tweets



A group from the Washington Ornithological Society took a trip to Whidbey
Island today. The day started out under high overcast and at 45F. There were
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs at the Mukilteo ferry terminal. It was pretty quiet
going over to Clinton, but with a couple of BARROW'S GOLDENEYEs, and as we
got close we could see a huge group of SURF SCOTERs off the terminal. There
must have been 300 Scoters, a few PIGEON GUILLEMOTs, a couple of
RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs. It was slightly foggy at the terminal and we scoped
the area from Clinton Beach Park and saw ROCK PIGEONs, EUROPEAN STARLINGS,
BELTED KINGFISHER, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs (and hybrids), COMMON LOON,
RED-NECKED GREBE, HORNED GREBE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, GREAT BLUE HERON.



Our next stop was at Deer Lake, and as we climbed up the came into the
clouds and the lake was completely fogged in. In the trees at the entrance
we did pick up SONG SPARROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, VARIED THRUSH,
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE. Down to Rollinghill Rd.
where we saw, or heard, SONG SPARROW, SPOTTED TOWHEE, GOLDEN-CROWNED
SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, FOX SPARROW, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH, COMMON RAVEN and PINE SISKIN.



We hoped that the west side of the island would be under the clouds, like
the eastern, but when we got to Dave Mackey County Park the clouds had
dropped and the visibility was short. We did pick up EUROPEAN STARLING,
AMERICAN KESTREL, AMERICAN CROW, SONG SPARROW, MOURNING DOVE and ANNA'S
HUMMINGBIRD on the way in. By carefully scanning and scoping Useless Bay
thru the murk we could see COMMON LOON, PACIFIC LOON, HORNED GREBE,
RED-NECKED GREBE, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, SURF SCOTER, PACIFIC LOON (about 15),
RED-THROATED LOON, WESTERN GREBE, MALLARD, AMERICAN WIGEON, CANADA GOOSE,
BEWICK'S WREN and KILLDEER.



We stopped at the South Whidbey School District Outdoor Classroom just
before a bus with gobs of kids arrived. We managed to find PACIFIC WREN,
SONG SPARROW, SPOTTED TOWHEE, NORTHERN FLICKER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. A ways
down the road we stopped at the Ewing Rd. wetlands and the fog had lifted
slightly and we managed to pull out MALLARD, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, GADWALL,
NORTHERN PINTAIL, CINNAMON TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
(about 50), EUROPEAN STARLING, BALD EAGLE, GREAT BLUE HERON, BUFFLEHEAD.



By the time we arrived at the Sunlight Beach part of Deer Lagoon the fog had
lifted and we found GREEN-WINGED TEAL, MALLARD, GREAT BLUE HERON, NORTHERN
PINTAIL, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, DUNLIN, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, MEW GULL,
RING-BILLED GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, GREATER YELLOWLEGS,
COOPER'S HAWK and juvenile NORTHERN SHRIKE. On the way out we stopped to
look at some sparrows and saw GOLDEN-CROWNED, WHITE-CROWNED and
WHITE-THROATED SPARROWs, and at the house with feeders we picked up
EUROPEAN STARLING, BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD, DARK-EYED JUNCO, SONG SPARROW, HOUSE FINCH and our Shrike came in
an made a lightning pass and got a House Finch for breakfast (it departed
being chased vigorously by Red-winged Blackbirds. Around the corner on
Lincoln Ave there were both Chickadees, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Down
scoping the Useless Bay we picked up another 200 SURF SCOTERs, RED-BREASTED
MERGANSERs, COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON LOONs, RED-NECKED GREBEs, RHINOCEROS
AUKLET, HORNED GREBEs, BALD EAGLE, GREAT BLUE HERONs, lots of distant
gulls, and at least 28 HARBOR PORPOISE. As we walked out two VIRGINIA RAILs
called in the marsh.



As we drove in on Double Bluff Rd. we saw EURASIAN COLLARD-DOVE. We walked
in to the western part of Deer Lagoon with the clouds leaving and the sun
coming out. There we saw MALLARD, NORTHERN PINTAIL, NORTHERN SHOVELER,
BUFFLEHEAD, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, a single GREATER SCAUP in with a flock of
AMERICAN WIGEON (the lagoon was covered with Wigeon, at least 500), HOODED
MERGANSERs, one COMMON MERGANSER, GREAT BLUE HERONs, and a perched NORTHERN
HARRIER. Several SONG SPARROWs were around and a BEWICK'S WREN.



Crockett Lake had a large flock of distant GREEN-WINGED TEAL, some AMERICAN
WIGEON, NORTHERN HARRIER, RED-TAILED HAWK, BUFFLHEAD and three distant
TRUMPETER SWANs. At the Coupeville ferry terminal, the old platform had all
three CORMORANTs - DOUBLE-CRESTED, BRANDT'S, and PELAGIC.



Up to Penn Cove, at the treatment plant access and another huge flock of
SURF SCOTERs with a couple of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERs.



At Libby Beach we saw HARLEQUIN DUCK, COMMON LOON, PACIFIC LOON,
RED-THROATED LOON, RED-NECKED GREBE, SURF SCOTER, our first LONG-TAILED DUCK
and a MARBLED MURRELET. At Bos Lake we managed to find MALLARD, NORTHERN
PINTAIL, RUDDY DUCK, GREATER and LESSER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, GLAUCOUS-WINGED
GULL and HEERMANN'S GULL.



Over to the Oak Harbor Marina and about 200 BLACK TURNSTONEs and at least 30
SURFBIRDs. At the lake at Dugualla Bay there were a bunch of decoys, and one
AMERICAN COOT.



We finished the day with a large flock of SNOW GEESE on Fir Island.



Along the way during the day we saw WESTERN GULL, AMERICAN CROW, MARSH WREN,
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, and HOUSE SPARROW.





We finished the day at 60F and sun. It was a great day with great people and
a nice total of 93 species.



Good Birding!



Brian H. Bell

Woodinville WA

mail to bell asoc a t iso media dot com