The WOS field trip to Vashon Island yesterday did fairly well with 64
species being found and while it was pretty cold, a light rain didn't set in
until about noon.



Canada Goose

Eurasian Wigeon (female) Raab's Lagoon, nice to see the female which often
don't stand out so clearly

American Wigeon

Mallard

Ring-necked Duck

Greater Scaup

Harlequin Duck Luanna Beach road

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Barrow's Goldeneye

Red-breasted Merganser

Red-throated Loon several out in Quartermaster Harbor

Common Loon

Pied-billed Grebe in Quartermaster Harbor at Dockton, don't see them on
saltwater very often

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Eared Grebe several in both Quartermaster Harbor and Tramp Harbor

Brandt's Cormorant 80-100 in groups of 20-40 around Quartermaster Harbor.
There was a large group as deep in to Quartermaster Harbor as between Raab's
Lagoon and Jensen Pt., the farthest into the Quartermaster that I've ever
seen Brandt's. Also, this is the largest total number I have ever seen for
Vashon. Many were in breeding plumage with white plumes down the head and
even in yesterday's cloudy weather, flashes of bright blue from by the bill

Double-crested Cormorant

(Pelagic Cormorant) I saw this on my own at the Vashon dock, the group
didn't go there. All three cormorant species were on the pilings in
breeding plumage.

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk pair perched together at Monument

Virginia Rail Monument Rd, none replied at Fisher Pond

Killdeer

Spotted Sandpiper Ellisport

Greater Yellowlegs Raab's Lagoon

Mew Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Pigeon Guillemot

Rock Pigeon

Anna's Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Hutton's Vireo calling repetitively at Fisher Pond

Steller's Jay

American Crow

Common Raven seen at many locations, amazingly only 3-4 at Matsuda
Preserve

Black-capped Chickadee using spring call, birds at Raab's Lagoon
using a four note version that I haven't heard before

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Pacific Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet singing

American Robin

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing feeding on a Hawthorne tree a block north of the senior
center, unfortunately couldn't find a Bohemian mixed in

Yellow-rumped Warbler Northilla/Manzanita, unfortunately dipped on
Black Scoter and Pacific Loon often found here but found this consolation
prize

Spotted Towhee

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow 4 at Monument Road. The most cooperative Lincoln
Sparrows ever. Second time I've been to visit these birds and had them
perch still for minutes at a time for scope views. Beautiful birds.

White-crowned Sparrow 2 first year birds at Monument Road, singing

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird chased off one of the Red-tails at Monument
Rd

House Finch

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch several at Joe Van Os' feeders along
Luanna Beach road, just starting to turn yellow

House Sparrow



We had several surprising misses: the kestrels at Wax Orchard were
apparently perched under cover to avoid the rain showers starting, the
Eurasian Collared-Doves in Vashon town were likewise out of sight and the
Wood Ducks and Wilson's Snipe don't appear to have returned yet to Fisher
Pond after the pond being repeatedly frozen over this winter.



A good map with descriptions and directions for bird hot spots on Vashon
Island is at the Vashon-Maury Island Audubon Society website:
http://vashonaudubon.org/birding.html. These location descriptions come
from my book on the birds of Vashon Island.



Ed



Ed Swan

Nature writer and guide

<mailto:edswan2 at comcast.net> edswan2 at comcast.net

206.949.3545

www.theswancompany.com



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