Subject: [Tweeters] Seattle Audubon Whidbey Island trip - long
Date: Sep 17 17:08:16 2016
From: B&PBell - bellasoc at isomedia.com


Hi Tweets



Yesterday, Seattle Audubon took a trip to Whidbey Island. The day started
out with nice clear weather and no winds At the Mukilteo ferry dock we saw
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, CASPIAN TERN and ROCK PIGEON. On a rather quiet ferry
ride over to Clinton we had more Glaucous-winged Gulls, CALIFORNIA GULL, and
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. A stop at Clinton Beach Park yielded
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLs (including lots of hybrids), GREAT BLUE HERON, SURF
SCOTER, BELTED KINGFISHER on one of the large structures, HOUSE SPARROW,
EUROPEAN STARLING, and AMERICAN CROW.



The ride over was in the clear with some high clouds, but there was a
fog/cloud cap over Whidbey. As a result when we arrived at Deer Lake we
could not see across the lake. We still managed to find GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLET, NORTHERN FLICKER, BELTED KINGFISHER, AMERICAN CROW, HOUSE FINCH,
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, STELLER JAY, SPOTTED TOWHEE, AMERICAN ROBIN, and
BEWICK'S WREN. By the time we left you could barely see the opposite shore,
but no waterbirds.



Our stop at Rollinghill Rd. was most productive with HOUSE FINCH,
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (FOS for most), WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, SONG SPARROW,
LINCOLN SPARROW, NORTHERN FLICKER, CEDAR WAXWING, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD,
DARK-EYED JUNCO, MOURNING DOVE., FOX SPARROW, AMERICAN CROW, BEWICK'S WREN,
COOPER'S HAWK (at which point it became very quiet), SPOTTED TOWHEE, VARIED
THRUSH, SAVANNAH SPARROW and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.



Our next stop was in Maxwellton where we saw RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, BREWER'S
BLACKBIRD, EUROPEAN STARLING, HOUSE SPARROW and AMERICAN ROBIN. A stop at
Dave Mackie Park gave good views over the southern end of Useless Bay (under
the cloud/fog deck), with ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD at a feeder, AMERICAN CROW,
AMERICN ROBIN, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, HEERMANN'S GULL, MEW GULL, CASPIAN
TERN, WESTERN GULL (there must have been 6-700 gulls along the shore),
HORNED GREBE, WESTERN GREBE, COMMON LOON, SURF SCOTER, PIGEON GUILLEMOT,
COMMON MURRE, RED-NECKED GREBE, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, CANADA GOOSE, BELTED
KINGFISHER, MALLARD, GREAT BLUE HERON.



We made a quick stop at the South Whidbey School District Outdoor Classroom
and had GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETs calling near the entrance (later views were
of brilliant red crowns), BEWICK'S WREN, BROWN CREEPER, PACIFIC WREN,
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE and an OSPREY calling.



Around to the Ewing Road wetland, mostly fairly dry, but we picked up at
least two OSPREY young on the nest and at least one adult bringing in food,
a COMMON RAVEN in the distance, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, BARN SWALLOW, ROCK
PIGEON, a VIRGINIA RAIL, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, RED-TAILED HAWK, NORTHERN
FLICKER, EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW
and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.



At the eastern end of Deer Lagoon as seen from Sunlight Beach Rd. we saw
KILLDEER, LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, RING-BILLED GULL, NORTHERN
HARRIER, BELTED KINGFISHER, GREAT BLUE HERON, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, MALLARD,
BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, and from the access viewpoint from Lincoln Ave looking
over Useless Bay we saw AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (3), GREATER YELLOWLEGS and
BELTED KINGFISHER.



Coming in from the north access to Deer Lagoon from the Useless Bay Colony,
we saw OSPREY, MALLARD, AMERICAN WIGEON, GADWALL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL (lots of
ducks at a distance), GREAT BLUE HERON, MARSH WREN, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE,
AMERICAN ROBIN, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, PIED-BILLED
GREBE, CHESTNUT-BACK CHICKADEE, SPOTTED TOWHEE, CANADA GOOSE, CALIFORNIA
QUAIL, SAVANNAH SPARROW, NORTHERN SHOVELER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, VIRGINIA,
RAIL, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. We heard BALD EAGLE.



We made a lunch stop at Holmes Harbor that was as birdless as we have ever
seen.



At Crockett Lake we saw GREAT BLUE HERON, RED-TAILED HAWK, at a distance
Dowitcher species (too far to i.d.), GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a few DUNLIN,
NORTHERN HARRIER (immature), AMERICAN WIGEON, and NORTHERN PINTAIL. At the
Keystone Ferry Terminal the old platform had PELAGIC CORMORANT and BRANDT'S
CORMORANT, lots of HEERMANN'S GULLs on the jetty and a couple of EUROPEAN
STARLINGS. By the time we arrived at Keystone it had clouded over and was
thickening and the wind had picked up.



Libbey Beach showed us RED-NECKED GREBE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT,
HEERMANN'S GULLs, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, three nice HARLEQUIN DUCKs and a
very distant RHINOCEROS AUKLET.



On the drive back down the island we had a BARN OWL fly across the road -
the real surprise of the day!



It was a very nice day with some good friends. We finished with 84 species
for the day, that we felt was good for the middle of September.



Good Birding,



Brian H. Bell

Woodinville WA

mail to bell asoc a t iso media dot com