Hi Tweets



Yesterday, Seattle Audubon took a trip up to Whidbey Island. The day started
with broken clouds and cooler weather at Mukilteo and on the ferry. Even
with not optimal conditions we had a good time and saw 78 species.



At Mukilteo we started out with GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, CASPIAN TERN, and
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT.



The ferry provided us with the bird of the day - a LONG-TAILED JAEGER. The
rest of the trip let us see CALIFORNIA GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, CASPIAN
TERN, and SURF SCOTER. When we came off the ferry we stopped at the Clinton
Beach Park at the base of the ferry dock. There we saw GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL,
SURF SCOTER, BONATPARTE'S GULL, EUROPEAN STARLING, HOUSE SPARROW, ROCK
PIGEON, BELTED KINGFISHER, and AMERICAN ROBIN



We pushed on up the hill and made a stop at Deer Lake (the clouds were
thickening) and saw CANADA GOOSE, OSPREY (at least 4), EUROPEAN STARLING,
BROWN CREEPER, AMERICAN ROBIN, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE,
STELLER'S JAY, NORTHERN FLICKER, and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.



We made a stop at Rollinghill Rd. and saw or heard SONG SPARROW, BEWICK'S
WREN, GREAT BLUE HERON, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, HOUSE
FINCH, AMERICAN CROW, and an unidentified warbler species (quite possibly
Orange-crowned, but it did it's warbler thing and hid in the leaves and then
disappeared).



Our next stop was at Maxwellton/Dave Mackie Park where we got our first rain
of the day (and with a 5-10 mph breeze it was chilly) - we had BREWER'S
BLACKBIRD and HOUSE FINCH on the way in and, MALLARD, OSPREY, PIGEON
GUILLEMOT, BARN SWALLOW, RED-NECKED GREBE, COMMON MURRE, WESTERN GREBE,
KILLDEER, COMMON LOON (9 in a group), AMERICAN WIGEON, CALIFORNIA GULL, and
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL on this south end of Useless Bay (also a Harbor
Porpoise).



The So. Whidbey School District Outdoor Classroom is usually a good place to
stop and it yielded GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, BROWN CREEPER, NORTHERN
FLICKER, CHEST-BACKED CHICKADEE, AMERICAN ROBIN, DOWNY WOODPECKER, and
SPOTTED TOWHEE.



We swung by the Ewing Rd. wetlands (only they weren't - because of the very
dry year) - we did have RED-TAILED HAWK and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW just as
we turned on Ewing Rd. The light rain continued (as it would for most of the
day).



We drove down Sunlight Beach Rd to Deer Lagoon (east) - the tide was still
quite high, but we did find KILLDEER, RING-BILLED GULL, EUROPEAN STARLING,
GREAT BLUE HERON, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER, WESTERN
SANDPIPER, BARN SWALLOW, AMERICAN CROW, and EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE (on
Sunlight Beach Rd.).



Across from Useless Bay we walked out to the end of the public access
(thanks to a local who told us about it) and ogled a large flock of WHITE
PELICANS (at least 120), OSPREY, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, CASPIAN TERN,
RING-BILLED GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL, GREAT BLUE HERON, CANADA GOOSE, and
AMERICAN CROW.



Up the hill to Lincoln St. access to the Bay we saw or heard RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD, BALD EAGLE (adult), VIRGINIA RAIL (two called), AMERICAN CROW,
RING-BILLED GULL, BLACK SCOTER (3, a ways out but we did make them out),
COMMON LOON, and OSPREY.



Many of us were getting hungry so we made a lunch stop at Holmes Harbor and
saw AMERICAN CROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW during lunch.



When we arrived at Bush Point (still raining and breezy) it looked empty,
but we managed to find GREAT BLUE HERON, HEERMANN'S GULL, ROCK PIGEON,
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, and PIGEON GUILLEMOT. On the
road up the hill we saw SONG SPARROW, HOUSE FINCH, and NORTHERN FLICKER.



On to Crockett Lake and at first there didn't seem to be much around but we
did find GREAT BLUE HERON, MALLARD, DUNLIN (a bunch), BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER,
WILSON'S PHALAROPE (a bit of a surprise), NORTHERN HARRIER, NORTHERN
PINTAIL, WESTERN GULL, BALD EAGLE, CALIFORNIA GULL, BARN SWALLOW, KILLDEER,
CASPIAN TERN, and AMERICAN WIGEON. Mixed in with the Dunlin were two
dowitcher species who disappeared when the whole group flushed and didn't
seem to come back with the group. Down the road to the Keystone ferry
terminal where we saw all three cormorants - DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT,
PELAGIC CORMORANT, BRANDT'S CORMORANT. There was big group of HEERMANN'S
GULLs on the jetty, but flushed and left, BALD EAGLE, GREAT BLUE HERON, and
a distant but identifiable RHINOCEROS AUKLET.



Libby Beach gave us our first look at HARLEQUIN DUCK and also WESTERN
GREBE, SURF SCOTER, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, and a pair of MARBLED MURRELETs.



At the Hastie Lake Rd. access point we got really excellent looks at a
RED-THROATED LOON, and SURF SCOTER, HORNED GREBE, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL,
COMMON LOON, RED-NECKED GREBE, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, and HARLEQUIN DUCK.



Much the same at the Swantown overlook with HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE,
SURF SCOTER, and COMMON LOON. Across the road Bos Lake had some additional
ducks including NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, RUDDY DUCK, and
MALLARD, BARN SWALLOW, and GREEN-WINGED teal.



The Oak Harbor marina was really quiet with MALLARD, RING-BILLED GULL,
CALIFORNIA GULL, GREAT BLUE HERON, AMERICAN CROW. The changes the marina
made a year or so ago seems to resulted in the Black Turnstones and Surf
Birds deciding to go elsewhere.



Out a Dike Rd./and the Dugualla Bay lake we picked up HOODED MERGANSER,
TURKEY VULTURE, GREAT BLUE HERON, BARN SWALLOW, CANADA GOOSE, GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, PIED-BILLED GREBE. COMMON GOLDENEYE, and
RING-BILLED GULL.



As we took Dodge Valley Rd. on our way home we saw two additional birds
DARK-EYED JUNCO, and CALIFORNIA QUAIL.



It was a good day (even with rain and wind and chill - the high temperature
for the day got up to 61F), with a nice group of folks and a bunch of really
nice birds.



Good Birding!



Brian H. Bell

Woodinville WA

Mail to bell asoc a t iso media dot com