7/31/2024 Concluding July (
link to here)
During July we drove 1424 miles, spending 4 nights away from home and 5 days birding and
submitting 30 complete checklists with 139 species. We added only two new year birds for a
total of 312.
8/26/2024 Pelagic Trip (
link to here)
Laysan Albatross (from 2022), Westport offshore
Short-tailed Albatross, Westport offshore
Today we had a truly remarkable day of pelagic birding with
Westport Seabirds +. Of the 19 pelagic or mostly pelagic birds we
might hope to counter on a late-summer trip we missed only two, an impressive feat in itself, but
in addition we found three mega-rarities, species which have each been seen fewer than four times
in the past four years on 75 trips out of Westport. I'm not sure that has ever happened before
in nearly 50 years of Westport pelagic trips.
Bruce, Liam, Bill and me, Westport bar
Waiting for the fog to clear, Westport bar
Crossing the bar, Westport bar
Although fog had not been in the forecast, gray mist shrouded the marina when we arrived at Float
10 at 5:30 AM and enveloped us as we motored out of the harbor, across the bar and out to sea.
The water was glassy and almost flat; I don't think I've ever seen the bar so calm. That's not
necessarily a good thing. The birds tend to move around more when they can advantage of the
energy of wind and waves, potentially making it easier to find them.
The fog began to thin out as the sun rose behind us but we still were not seeing many birds. We
passed, or were passed by, an occasional murre or shearwater but no big flocks so I began to adjust
my year bird estimates for the day downward. I had initially figured 12-15 new birds would not be
unreasonable but after an hour and half in the fog I was prepared to be content with 10-12.
Pink-footed Shearwaters, Westport offshore
Buller's Shearwater, Westport offshore
Pink-footed Shearwaters, Westport offshore
Not long after that we began to see groups of mostly Pink-footed Shearwaters and Westport Seabirds
started their first checklist -
westbound from the 50 fathom line L+. Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels began to show
up, individuals at first then large flocks. They were not new but the Buller's Shearwater in one of
the flocks of Pink-foots was one of the birds we were looking for, as was the Northern Fulmar a few
minutes later. Both species are regular but neither has been seen in large numbers recently. Given
that I do not always see every bird, I did not want to miss them.
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, Westport offshore
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels, Westport offshore
Wilson's and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels, Westport offshore
Two hours out we had our first mega-rarity. Bill was standing next to my wheelchair on the port
side of the boat when, alerted by someone up front, got binoculars on a dark storm-petrel and
shouted "Wilson's Storm-Petrel!" In his words:
As we were enjoying the FTSP show, one of the participants called out that they had a dark storm
petrel with a white rump. I was able to get on their bird immediately, and noted the extensive
white on the rump wrapped around onto the sides. I immediately called out Wilson's Storm-Petrel and
attempted to get everyone on board on the bird. I noted a dark, almost blackish storm-petrel with
extensive and brightly white rump that continued onto the sides almost to the undertail coverts.
Flight was fairly direct, with relatively shallower wingbeats than nearby FTSP. Wings are broader
in shape than nearby FTSP. When it hovered over the wake, the long legs dangled very obviously.
My view was too distant to identify it without optics but I watched it fly past the boat and over the
wake while Darchelle scrambled to get photos. To my delight she succeeded. I think it was our sixth
year bird of the trip, not to mention a state bird for both of us. Things were looking up!
Shrimp Trawlers, Westport offshore
Red and Red-necked Phalaropes, Westport offshore
Cassin's Auklet, Westport offshore
Around 9 AM we caught up to several fishing boats trailing large loose flocks of seabirds,
mostly shearwaters but also albatrosses, gulls and jaegers. Westport Seabirds
did a separate checklist for the next three hours and 18 miles covering the
area north of Grays
Canyon L+ near the edge of the continental shelf. As noted in the checklist comments,
Ocean conditions were excellent, with essentially no wind (Beaufort 0-1), a light swell from the
west, and overcast skies with occasional light rain. Sea surface temperature was 63F.
The birds were excellent too. Along with the Black-footed Albatrosses were several less common
Laysans, a beautiful bird. We saw numerous Sabine's Gulls and Cassin's Auklets, both expected, and
Arctic Terns as well, which we do not get on every trip. Among the flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes
were a few Red Phalaropes, another bird we needed but were not counting on. Bill pointed out
another hoped-for bird, a Short-tailed Shearwater, in the swirling groups of Pink-footed
Shearwaters. By 11 AM we'd also had good looks at a couple of South Polar Skuas, several
Long-tailed Jaegers and at least one Parasitic Jaeger which, together with the Pomarine we'd seen
earlier, gave us a "Skua Slam" - sightings of all four Washington members of the jaeger family.
That has only happened on about one trip in three over the past four years.
Laysan Albatross, Westport offshore
Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses, Westport offshore
Scripps's Murrelet, Westport offshore
With 16 new birds at that point we had already exceeded my projections when we came across our
second mega-rarity, a Scripps's Murrelet. A small black and white seabird which occasionally wanders
north into Westport waters in the fall, it had not been reported for the past three years. I first
saw one on another memorable pelagic trip back in
October 2013; I think it was unusual then too.
Short-tailed Albatross with Pink-footed Shearwaters
Short-tailed Albatross with Pink-footed Shearwaters
Short-tailed Albatross, Westport offshore
Within 10 minutes of leaving the murrelet we were motoring past a another group of Pink-footed
Shearwaters when someone (I think it was Bill again) noticed a very large dark brown bird with a
bright pink bill sitting on the water with them. Short-tailed Albatross! Our third mega-rarity in
three hours, it was the rarest of the three albatrosses which breed in the North Pacific ocean and a
bird which few people on the boat had ever seen. Phil cut the engine and we floated quietly in the
company of the rare albatross for almost 15 minutes before the big bird got up, padded across the
water and flapped heavily away.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Westport offshore
Tufted Puffin
Adult Common Murre with young, Westport bar
Shortly after we turned to head
inbound from Grays Canyon L+ we met up with another bird rarely found 40 miles
off Westport, a Brown-headed Cowbird. Although they can be quite tame on land it was nervous on
the boat and soon took off low over the water, presumably to its demise. Otherwise the trip in
was relatively uneventful though we did pick up our 19th year bird of the day, a Tufted Puffin
about 25 miles offshore.
Delia and Ed, Westport offshore
Carrying me off the boat, Westport Marina
The Fortunate Few, Westport Marina
Not only was it an amazing trip in terms of birds, but it was easier than I anticipated as well.
I always worry about getting on and off the boat but many people helped and the transfers went
without a hitch. Bill, who was also one of the spotters, was especially helpful. Unlike some past
trips I never got too cold. Also unlike past trips, I had to pee but Darchelle had brought the
bottle and it worked fine. I don't know if we'll do another one next year but if not, what a way
to end!
8/31/2024 August Totals (
link to here)
During August we birded 9 days and spent 11 nights away from home, although 7 of those were for a
family reunion in Walla Walla. We drove 2114 miles for an ending odometer reading of 124060. Thanks
to our pelagic trip on the 26th which contributed 25 species and the morning of the 31st at Steptoe
Butte which added 22, we tallied 151 species for the month on 26 complete checklists. That gives us
337 species for the year in Washington
9/01/2024 Washtucna (
link to here)
Barn Owl, Bassett Park
Coyote, Bassett Park
Porcupine, Bassett Park
We spent the night in Othello and drove over to Washtucna early, arriving at
Bassett Park L+
by 6:30 though we didn't park my chair in front of the bush right away. The morning was sunny but
cool and there initially wasn't much activity at the bush so we drove around inspecting sparrow
flocks. That might have been a mistake; by the time we returned to the bush it was hopping so we
might have missed a few early birds.
Warbling Vireo, Bassett Park
Warbling Vireo, Bassett Park
American Redstart, Bassett Park
I still did pretty well in four hours of watching the bush, with close views of Warbling Vireos,
Dusky and Hammond's Flycatchers and Wilson's Warblers every few minutes along with an occasional
visit by the previously-reported American Redstart, a new bird for the county for me.
Hammond's Flycatcher, Bassett Park
Hammond's Flycatcher, Bassett Park
Dusky Flycatcher, Bassett Park
The flycatchers were vocalizing which made it easy to distinguish Dusky ("wit") from Hammond's
("peet") and provided an opportunity to compare plumage characteristics between the two species.
In the fall migration Dusky Flycatchers haven't molted yet so tend to be more gray overall with
more visible feather wear. Hammond's Flycatchers have already molted into fresh plumage with more
olive coloration and more contrast in the underparts. They also tend to have a more crested and
larger-headed appearance which in turn makes the bill appear smaller. Despite the practice
though, at the end of the day a solitary silent bird could still leave me guessing.
White-crowned Sparrow and Wilson's Warbler, Bassett Park
Wilson's Warbler, Bassett Park
Lincoln's Sparrow, Bassett Park
Most of the warblers were Wilson's which, like the other species, visited the bush both to bathe
and to forage. Fat moths were the preferred food item though they were neither easy to catch nor
to subdue once caught. The White-crowned Sparrow in the photo on the left above took a couple of
minutes to get its moth under control, with the young Wilson's Warbler all the while watching
intently.
Northern House Wren, Bassett Park
Northern House Wren, Bassett Park
Bewick's Wren, Bassett Park
Among the birds which did not visit the bush were the wrens. Darchelle, watching the willows up
beyond the swimming pool at the northeast corner of the park, had three species - the two
pictured above along with a Rock Wren.
Also in the willows were the two best birds of the day. The Red-eyed Vireo would have been another
county bird for me but the grosbeak was also a year bird, putting her one ahead of me in the
eBird Top 100 +.
Neither bird lingered long enough for her to come down to get me and even if she had, the
path up there was too steep for us to negotiate with the wheelchair. I was sorry to miss them
but delighted that she was able to get photos.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Bassett Park
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Bassett Park
Red-eyed Vireo, Bassett Park
9/12/2024 Emails (
link to here)
I wrote two emails today. It took me three hours.
In other news, we have been tracking weather forecasts and migration statistics for the Columbia
Basin in an attempt to time our visit to Washtucna to coincide with a fallout of migrants.
Migration numbers so far this month have been lower than normal and I suspect that may be due to the
weather. The wind for the past week has been mostly out of the south, a headwind for southbound
birds which may be discouraging them from taking flight. They won't wait forever for favorable
weather so we anticipate a big flight in response to a change in the wind sometime in the next few
days.
Along the coast that big flight happened
last night +. It appears that the wind shifted to the northwest
during the night prompting much larger migration than on the previous several nights. On the east
side of the mountains though, the winds remained southerly and the numbers of migrating birds
ranged from 50% of normal along
the northern tier + of counties to only 10% of normal in the
southeast +. Weather systems move across the state from west to east so we are
hoping that what happened along the coast last night will happened over Washtucna tonight.
9/15/2024 Walla Walla (
link to here)
The
flight over Adams county + was indeed big; at 2.7 million birds it was the third
largest flight of the past four years. Excited by the prospect of a busy day at Bassett Park, we
left David and Kasey to fend for themselves for breakfast and pulled out of the driveway at 5:35 AM
headed for Washtucna. The bush was full of birds when we arrived at 8:30 so Darchelle wheeled me
over and parked me in front of it but the activity died down quickly and never picked up again.
RJ dropped by around 10 to report that he had never seen so many birds at Hooper as he had that
morning, adding to the mystery of the Washtucna big day that wasn't. Giving up on Washtucna we
drove down to Lyon's Ferry where I sat in the car and counted juncos flying between the fruit trees
while Darchelle searched for vagrants in the thickets along the shore. I came up with 51 and she
came up with a thrush which she was unable to turn into an Ovenbird.
We spent Sabbath with Darchelle's folks in Walla Walla, not even slightly tempted to chase birds
after our disappointing experience on Friday though I did do checklists on both
Friday afternoon L+ and
Saturday afternoon L+
while sitting outside visiting with Richard and Donna. The flyover Nighthawks on Friday and Wood
Ducks on Saturday both stumped me at first but Darchelle was able to get binoculars on them to
confirm the wing pattern on the former and the face pattern on the latter.
Long-tailed Jaeger, McNary NWR
Headquarters pond, McNary NWR
Red-necked Phalaropes, McNary NWR
On our way home this afternoon we stopped at
McNary NWR L+ to look for a Long-tailed Jaeger which had
been discovered at the headquarters ponds this morning. While Darchelle was scoping distant ducks
in the marshy cove where the jaeger had been reported half an hour earlier I spotted a dark brown
gull flying erratically out over the open water and tried to follow it, suspecting it might be
the bird. Shortly after I lost it Darchelle found it again and confirmed that it was a jaeger
by the white patches at the base of the primaries. Whether or not it was a Long-tailed is still
being debated by those with greater knowledge and better photos. As for myself, after watching
the bird in flight and reviewing Jeff Blake's photos
here + along with photos of both
Long-tailed + and
Parasitic + Jaegers on eBird, I believe that the bird is a Long-tailed Jaeger for
the following reasons:
1: Overall color of the plumage. Juvenile Parasitics tend to be a
warm brown color due in part to conspicuous buffy tips on the coverts while juvenile Long-tailed
Jaegers are a more neutral brown with pale cream or whitish feather edges. This bird is neutral
brown in color without buffy tones.
2: Color of undertail coverts. Juvenile Parasitics have dark brown bars on a buffy orange background
while juvenile Long-tailed Jaegers is usually show bold black bars on a whitish background, as this
bird does.
3: Shape of the bird on the water. Parasitics appear somewhat bulky compared to Long-tails, a difference
analagous to the difference between Herring and California Gulls. In addition a Long-tailed Jaeger is
more likely to show a rounded forehead like a Ring-billed Gull while a Parasitic often appears to have a
slanted forehead like a Herring Gull. This bird better fits the Long-tailed Jaeger profile.
4: Style of flight. In my experience, when they are not pursuing another bird, Parasitic Jaegers
tend to be direct and predictable in flight while Long-tails tend to be more erratic and
unpredictable, gliding up and diving down to the surface of the water and making frequent and abrupt
turns. While certainly not diagnostic, this bird's style of flight suggested a Long-tailed Jaeger.
5: Shape of central retrices. Per Bill Tweit, the two central tail feathers on a juvenile Long-tailed
Jaeger have rounded tips while on a juvenile Parasitic they are pointed. On this bird they are rounded.
NOTE: Photos of another juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger taken by Charlie Wright on a Westport
pelagic trip + a few
days later illustrate several of the above characteristics.
Sabine's Gull, McNary NWR
Sabine's Gull, McNary NWR
Blue-winged Teal, McNary NWR
The Long-tailed Jaeger was not the only pelagic bird at the McNary ponds this afternoon. When we
arrived two Sabine's Gulls were paddling around right next to the causeway and as we departed, a
large flock of Red-necked Phalaropes was milling about on the east pond. I particularly enjoyed
the close-up views of the former, which btw is a species not often recorded on the same checklist
as Blue-winged Teal.
9/16/2024 Black-headed Gull (
link to here)
Black-headed Gull, Birch Bay
Bonaparte's Gull, Birch Bay
Black-headed Gull, Birch Bay
We have chased a Black-headed Gull four times in the past eight years; while we were successful
in
2016,
2022 and
2023
I never enjoyed a satisfactory view of the bird but Darchelle was eager to try once more so after it
was reported again this morning we set out for Birch Bay.
The gull had recently been seen roosting on the beach with a flock of Bonaparte's Gulls but when we
arrived we discovered that the beach was at least a mile long and mostly hidden by a berm of dune
grass from the street which borders it. We were, to use one of Darchelle's recent favorite words,
daunted. Compounding the difficulty, access to the beach is private except for a few
widely-separated public parking areas. We resorted to live-parking illegally at intervals along the
street so that Darchelle could get out and scan the narrow strip of beach between the dune grass and
the high water line. That worked! Within a few minutes she spotted the gull standing on the wrack
line at the edge of the water immediately opposite a little path cutting through the dune grass.
Parking illegally again, she loaded me into the chair and wheeled me out to
the beach L+ where
I sat and watched the Black-headed Gull from within 20 feet while she and another birder named Kellie
S took photos. Kellie also captured
a recording of
the gull calling,
used here with her permission. I heard a different call, a thin "kileee" given as the gull threw its
head back with its bill pointing at the sky.
Shortly before we left all of the gulls along the shore flushed at once giving me an opportunity to
compare the Black-headed Gull with a Bonaparte's Gull in flight. The Black-headed appeared to be about
20% larger but otherwise pretty similar.
9/18/2024 Hawk Watching (
link to here)
Ruffed Grouse, Van Creek FR 7520, Leavenworth
View northwest, Sugarloaf Mountain
Yellow Pine Chipmunk, Sugarloaf Mountain
We had been planning a trip up to Harts Pass to look for Ptarmigan with Andy and Ellen for several
weeks but the decision to meet on Sugarloaf Mountain but to look for migrating raptors was a
new development. Inspired by a
recent report +, we were particularly hoping to see a Broad-winged Hawk or two
since
our report L+
from Mill Canyon on the same day has not been approved. Not that we doubt our ID, though apparently
the reviewers do. In any case we were disappointed; we sat just
below the fire lookout
cabin L+ for four hours and saw almost no hawks at all.
We saw other migrants - Mountain Bluebirds, White-crowned Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers - but
even that activity was slow. I sat next to the information kiosk facing out to the north up the
Chiwawa River valley where I used to hike and hunt 40 years ago. Thanks to the Tyee fire 30 years
ago which burned the surrounding boreal forest, my view of both
mountains
and migrants was unobstructed as was the westerly breeze which despite the warm sunshine eventually
persuaded us to give up and retreat to the warmth of our cars. I don't know if we will return.
Andy and Ellen had arrived before us and spoken to the lookout, a friendly and sympathetic man named
Doug who had opened the gate to allow us to drive the last quarter mile to the top. We would not
have been able get there otherwise.
Where we would like to return is the forested canyon of
Van Creek L+ which we followed out of Leavenworth to get to
Sugarloaf. Having spent the night at the nearby Wedge Mountain Inn we were
there early and found lots of birds, including a Ruffed Grouse, in the thickets along the stream.
Maybe next June we can get back there to check out the breeding birds.
9/19/2024 Harts Pass (
link to here)
View west, Slate Peak Road
View east, Slate Peak Road
We checked into the Mazama Ranch House
around 7:00 after stopping for supper at the Twisp River Tap House where the Chicken Pot Pie was solid
but the Traditional Cheesesteak Sandwich was spectacular. It was a treat to eat out with friends again
and I managed both the eating and the visiting without any serious problems.
We tackled the 18 mile trek up to
Harts Pass L+ at 6:00 hoping that if we were the first cars up the hill we might spot a
Spruce Grouse on the road like we did
two years ago, but we didn't. We instead had three falcons for the day, and maybe a
Peregrine to make four, along a handful of Accipiters. We did not find a single Ptarmigan even though
Darchelle and Ellen hiked across the basin and back while Andy and I watched from above. The weather
was just about perfect, sunny and cool without too much wind. Clouds were curling over the crest from
the west when we reached the pass so we birded Meadows Campground while we waited for Slate Peak to
clear. Lots of White-crowned Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Higher up around
Slate Peak L+ American
Pipits predominated.
While Andy and I waited for Ptarmigan to appear, I noticed an interesting pattern in the vegetation
of the basin below us. Grasses and forbs are interspersed with diffuse areas of Mountain Heath
across the floor and gentler slopes of the basin but the other common ground cover shrub,
Cascade
bilberry (Vaccinium deliciosum) +, mostly seemed to grow in discrete patches up to 30 feet wide
that were sometimes almost circular. Their uniform dull red color and sharply defined margins
suggested that few other plants were growing within the borders of these patches. Apparently the
Cascade bilberry often spreads by rhizomes so it seems likely that each patch consists of a single
plant. I wondered how old they were and whether they were relatively recent arrivals, given that
they appear to be currently expanding at the expense of the surrounding vegetation.
Merlin, Harts Pass
Northern Pygmy-Owl, Harts Pass
Pika, Slate Peak
The Merlin just east of the pass was eating a small bird, perhaps a warbler. Ellen spotted the
Northern Pygmy-Owl on top of a Subalpine Fir along FR 700 west of Harts Pass. Darchelle and I
thought it might be new for us for Whatcom County but it was not; we saw one in
the same location L+
exactly three years ago. The Pika on the other hand was a first - the first photo Darchelle has ever
taken of that species.
9/25/2024 The Coast (
link to here)
When we departed for a trip to the coast this morning there were, as far as we could tell, five
species of non-pelagic birds in Washington which we had not yet seen this year in the state. By the
end of the day we had ticked off three of them, or so we thought until I reviewed Darchelle's photos
on the computer a few days later. The bird we found this afternoon on Midway Beach which we had
hoped was an American Golden Plover turned out to be its more common consin, the Pacific Golden
Plover. Anticipating that possibility, we spent the night in Shelton in order to try for the
confirmed American Golden Plover at Fort Flagler State Park tomorrow.
My view of the Laughing Gull, Hoquiam STP
Scope view of the Laughing Gull, Hoquiam STP
Laughing Gull, Hoquiam STP
Our first new year bird, the Laughing Gull at the
Hoquiam STP L+ which Wayne Sladek found a month ago and Liam
recently refound in the same location, was not one which I expected to see. I didn't end up seeing
very much of it either, just its head - a tiny white dot - sticking above the grass on the far side
of the pond. I would not even have known it was a bird except that Darchelle was at that moment
standing outside my car door viewing it through the scope. The gull's plumage indicated
that it was an adult which means that it could be the bird we saw at the Tokeland Marina in
March and again in
August of last year.
About 600 Marbled Godwits, Tokeland Marina
My view of the Hudsonian Godwit (far right), Tokeland Marina
Willet and Marbled Godwits, Tokeland Marina
We were headed there next in hopes of getting a good view (and photos) of the rare Hudsonian Godwit
which has been hanging out with a flock of about 1200 Marbled Godwits for at least a week now. When we
arrived at the
Marina L+
we found the godwit flock stretched out on the beach between the crab house and red barn. They were
ideally positioned for photos but the incoming tide was steadily encroaching on their narrow remaining
strip of sand so they could have at any moment relocated to the distant breakwater where they usually
rested at high tide. Fortunately they did not so Darchelle was able to get great views and photos.
Unfortunately I did not get out of the car so I did not see them as well as I might have.
Marbled Godwit, Tokeland Marina
Bar-tailed Godwit, Tokeland Marina
Hudsonian Godwit, Tokeland Marina
Also in the godwit flock were two Bar-tailed Godwits so Darchelle had the opportunity to compare them
with both the Marbled and the Hudsonian at close range. The three species are not as easy to tell
apart as her photos might suggest. In basic, that is non-beeding, plumage Bar-tailed Godwits are
generally gray with upper parts that appear scaly rather than barred but their Marbled cousins can
be quite gray as well. Hudsonian Godwits, the smallest of three species, are gray-brown in color and
do not appear as strongly patterned, at least at a distance, as the other two. Except in flight when
the black and white tail really stands out.
Show more Godwit images
Willets, Tokeland Marina
Willet, Tokeland Marina
Short-billed Dowitchers, Tokeland Marina
Willets are a large shorebird comparable in size to the godwits. They are rare elsewhere in Washington
but a small (though growing?) flock resides in the vicinity of Tokeland. I have to wonder what they think
about the annual autumn invasion of their territory by the godwits but I have never observed any competitive
interaction between the two species.
The Wrack Line, Midway Beach
Snowy Plover, Midway Beach
Pacific Golden Plovers, Midway Beach
After Tokeland we drove
the beach L+ north from the Warrenton Cannery Rd entrance in North Cove. The tide
was high and occasional large waves were pushing the wrack line, mostly tangled clumps of eelgrass,
up onto the dry sand. Flocks of ducks were flying south over the surf and shorebirds were foraging
in the wrack. They were mostly Sanderlings and Snowy Plovers but somewhere off Midway we flushed three
Golden Plovers. Excited because Golden Plovers are rare on the beach, we chased them for several
minutes and Darchelle was able to get photos of all three.
Pacific Golden Plover, Midway Beach
Pacific Golden Plover, Midway Beach
Pacific Golden Plover, Midway Beach
From her photos I was able to determine that they were all Pacific Golden Plovers. American Golden
Plovers have relatively longer primaries and shorter tertials but the differences are subtle and it
helps to know the range of variation in those features in Pacific Golden Plovers. That range is
illustrated nicely by the three birds we photographed on the beach. The photos are arranged from
left to right by the length of the wing relative to the tail. The bird on the left has the longest
primary extension beyond the tail (suggestive of an American) and the bird on the right the shortest
(clearly a Pacific) but in all three the tertials appear long relative to the primaries with no more
than three dark primary feathers extending beyond the spotted tertials.
FWIW Our hope of finding an American Golden Plover was not unreasonable; just
nine days later +
Maxine found one on the same stretch of beach.
9/26/2024 Port Townsend (
link to here)
My view of the American Golden Plover, Fort Flagler SP
American Golden Plover, Fort Flagler SP
American Golden Plover, Fort Flagler SP
There being no question about the identity of the American Golden Plover at
Fort Flagler State Park
L+, we gambled that it would stick around one more day and drove up there this morning to look
for it. Our plan paid off, but barely; I think we were the last birders to report it. Darchelle
found it roosting with about 100 Black-bellied Plovers on the sand (and pebble) spit west of the
beach campground but the spit was not accessible for my wheelchair so I waited in the car hoping
that the birds would fly and give me a view of the flock. They did and I counted the tick, #346 for
the year. I assumed that the bird was in the flock and later confirmed that it was - dead center in
the photo on the left above.
Black-bellied Plover, Fort Flagler SP
Black-bellied Plover, Fort Flagler SP
Red Knot and Western Sandpiper, Fort Flagler SP
After identifying the American Golden Plover, Darchelle was distracted by two Black-bellied Plovers
which looked very similar to it. Most of the Black-bellied Plovers were clearly larger and more
gray overall than the Golden Plover but she wondered if those two might be Pacific Golden Plovers.
She spent quite a bit of time watching the bird in the center photo above before it finally raised
its wings and revealed the telltale black axillars of a Black-bellied Plover.
My view of the Red-footed Booby, Fort Worden SP
Red-footed Booby, Fort Worden SP
Red-footed Booby, Fort Worden SP
While we were out there we decided couldn't pass up the opportunity to pay our respects to the
local celebrity bird, the Red-footed Booby which first showed up in Port Townsend back in August.
It posed cooperatively for us on pilings by the Marine Science Center while Darchelle took photos.
9/30/2024 September Summary (
link to here)
As we had anticipated, September was a big birding month, second only to May for days in the field
(13) and nights away from home (9). We put 3145 miles on the car (odometer now at 127205), entered
30 complete checklists and accumulated 165 species for the month. With 346 species, we are
two behind where we were a year ago and 16 behind our big year pace in 2022.
10/5/2024 Spowmania (
link to here)
Overcome with optimism about the possibility that a few Spotted Owls might yet be found in the
scattered fragments of old growth forest in southern
Skamania County, we drove down to Stevenson Friday afternoon, checked into
the Rodeway then continued on to
Trout Creek Flats L+ a few miles north of Carson. Great habitat, no SPOWs.
Residual optimism impelled us to spend the next day exploring higher elevation forest about
ten miles northwest of Trout Creek Flats along the west side of the Trapper Creek Wilderness. We
drove NF-54 up to the
Soda Peaks Trailhead M+ and stopped there to ask some hunters for
directions. They had a camp set up at the trailhead with a motorhome and several pickup trucks and
an American flag flying over it all along with another flag, red with a gold insignia, which I
couldn't read but which I suspected might be associated with some right-wing militia. I didn't
ask.
To our surprise one of the hunters recognized us. It was Eric, whom we had asked about grouse, owls
and old growth back at the
end of June while we were looking for Spruce Grouse near Horseshoe and Takhlakh
Lakes north of Mount Adams. He had told Darchelle about an area with really big trees somewhere
near the Trapper Creek Wilderness and had even drawn her a map. We had misplaced his map but had
come up to the Trapper Creek area anyhow in hopes of finding Eric's patch of big trees, and now
we had found Eric himself instead.
Eric explained that he had just been thinking about us because he and a friend (Brad?) were getting
ready to drive to that exact area in a few minutes. He had been over there the previous evening and
had heard two owls calling to each other. He couldn't describe the call but we could follow them
over to the spot; it wasn't far and he would point out the big trees where he'd heard the owls. Eric
led us north on NF-5407 to its junction with NF-311 (where he and Brad had startled a cow elk and
heard another owl at 3AM that morning), then west about two miles on the Calamity Peak Road to a
dogleg, then north over the ridge into the drainage of Calamity Creek and left on NF-319 to traverse
down about a half-mile through dense second-growth to a
wide spot M+ with a big view.
Eric hopped out of his truck and pointed out the landmarks - Mount Saint Helens squatting on the
horizon with a crown of new snow, snow-clad Rainier lurking in the distance and a few hundred
yards below us, the patch of old growth we were seeking. The trees were big but the grove was
smaller than we had expected and more than half of it had been burned by the 2020
Big Hollow Fire + and the 2022
Siouxon fire +, both of which unfortunately appeared to have spread
more easily in old growth than in the second-growth forest.
Deciding to return at sunset, we drove a
ten mile loop L+ through the patchwork of old growth and
second-growth forest below our vantage point and up onto the ridge to our east (on roads 319, 57
and 58) then took NF-5407 back to the Soda Peaks Trailhead, surprising
a Sooty Grouse in the road
along the way. With a couple of hours to kill, we explored NF-34 both northwest and southwest from
NF-54 in search of owl-worthy old growth but the roads were sufficiently confusing that we decided
we would not try to tackle them after dark. Back at the overlook we listened for an hour then
drove the ten mile loop again, heard only a couple Saw-whets and called it a night.
Focused on the forest, I failed to notice the geology beneath it until later when I reviewed
satellite and topo maps on my computer at home. Within a mile or so of Soda Peaks we had driven by
craters
and lava flows +, features which less than 10,000 years ago erupted into the much older ridges
and valleys of the southern Washington Cascades. Apart from the volcanoes the landscape and even
the forests probably look much as they did several million years ago, before the volcanoes began
to erupt.
10/6/2024 Horseshoe Lake (
link to here)
Back at the Rodeway the bedbugs were waiting for us. Unfortunately we did not yet realize that so
we slept peacefully. The sheets were not bright white but seemed clean enough and the bed was
comfortable. Not until sometime the next afternoon did Darchelle begin to notice the welts on her
right arm and hip. I never developed any but within a day or two, and for the next week, she
suffered from about 50
very itchy bites.
Apparently I do not react to them; not everyone does.
For several days after we returned home we worried that they might have hitched a ride with us.
We stuffed our clothes into the freezer for three days, washed and dried our bedding on high heat
and bought
bedbug cups
and diatomaceous earth on Amazon. By the time we realized that we should probably also have warned
visitors and friends about our affliction, Darchelle had gone a week without any new bites so we
have concluded that we did not bring any home after all.
Entertaining Canada Jays, Horseshoe Lake
Canada Jay, Horseshoe Lake
Mount Adams from Muddy Meadow
On this our second visit to Horseshoe Lake north of Mount Adams we again found no Spruce Grouse
but the sunshine and scenery were beautiful and the Canada Jays very friendly. We encountered
more traffic between Takhlakh and Horseshoe Lakes than we expected for a Sunday afternoon - not
good for grouse - but we were no more successful on the less traveled roads east and north of
Horseshoe Lake. We did not hear any owls in their former haunts along FR-22 either but the extra
hour we spent trying for them allowed us to miss most of the Sunday evening traffic into Seattle.
10/8/2024 Chestnut-collared Longspur (
link to here)
Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ediz Hook
Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ediz Hook
Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ediz Hook
The Chestnut-collared Longspur found yesterday on Ediz Hook in Port Angeles was in non-breeding
plumage so was not nearly as colorful as those we saw
last year in North Dakota, but having never seen one in Washington we got out there
as soon as we could and it was soon enough. The bird was still present. It would stick around for
another day though of course we could not assume that; half of the
vagrants so far whis fall have been seen on only one day.
Mason M
carpooled with us so we enjoyed catching up with him during the two-hour drive to
Ediz Hook L+.
When we arrived we pulled over near where the bird had been discovered. Darchelle and Mason hopped
out to look for it and quickly located it along the gravel path which parallels the beach, creeping
through the dry grass and picking at the ground. Stuck in the car (by my own choice - I asked
Darchelle to get photos before getting me out), I had a few anxious moments before I too was able
catch a glimpse of it.
Watching the Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ediz Hook
Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ediz Hook
Shaggy Mane Mushrooms, Ediz Hook
I had more than a glimpse once I was out. Sitting in my wheelchair in the middle of the path I
watched the longspur creep to within six feet of me but neither then nor later from Darchelle's
photos was I able to determine what it was eating. Mason, who was able to get even closer than I
did, believed it was picking up grass seeds along with an occasional termite (?). Whether because
it was very hungry or just confident in its cryptic coloration, it seemed reluctant to fly. The
pattern of white in the tails of longspurs is diagnostic but difficult to see unless they fly, which
this one eventually did revealing a wedge of white on either side of the tail tapering towards the
corner, as expected.
We'd had the bird to ourselves when we'd arrived but by the time we taking finished photos a party
had developed,including Bob B,
Maxine R, Dan
W and others. Ali
K, also in the party, got
some good tail shots
+. Hoping for a few more photos ourselves we joined them but the thickening overcast had begun
to rain on the party so we didn't linger, though we did pause to pick a few of the Shaggy Manes
clustered along the edge of the pullout where we'd parked. I felt fortunate to have a second chance
at them since we'd passed up several opportunities to gather some along FR-22 on Sunday but they
weren't as good as I remembered. Delicious at first, they developed a bit of an off flavor as I
chewed them. Perhaps salt air does not suit them.
10/10/2024 ALS Clinic (
link to here)
ALS Clinic whiteboard
Going grocery shopping, Metropolitan Market
Aurora redux, Ravenna
Fearing bad news we tend to be apprehensive about upcoming ALS Clinics but this one was uneventful.
We did not have significant issues to present so I just reported my status - incremental decline in
speech, swallowing and transfers, no falls, challenges using the eye gaze computer - to the
appropriate parties. My weight was unchanged but my FRS score was down a point. Joe dropped by
so I had him check out my wheelchair and tighten up any loose connections.
We celebrated with a field trip to Metropolitan Market. It was the first time I've been into a
grocery store since I began using the wheelchair
3 1/2 years ago. We visited the produce section (so colorful), the cheese section
(so tempting, and so expensive), the fish counter (not today) and the beer cooler. So many different
labels, and so frustrating that I couldn't read them from my chair. The beers were arranged by
brewer so locating the stouts was not easy but eventually I settled on a 4-pack of
Founders KBS +
which I subsequently enjoyed more than my first impression would have predicted, along with a
4-pack of
Enchantments Hazy IPA + by Icicle Brewing which I subsequently enjoyed less than
I have previous iterations of this beer. Perhaps it is just meant to be drunk during the summertime.
10/13/2024 The Corson Building (
link to here)
Ready for Dinner, The Corson Building
Dinner Menu, The Corson Building
Carrot and Pepper Salad, The Corson Building
Darchelle has been thinking about eating at
The Corson Building + in Georgetown for years but until last week I
had never heard of it. When she first considered it the restaurant did not have much for
vegetarians but that has changed. This evening they were offering "A Fall Vegetarian Dinner with
Ashley Morford-Haines of Windward Aventures - a 4-Course meal for $100 per person before tax and
gratuity" and we took them up on it. Each of the four courses had two options so there being two
of us, we were able to try everything and it was some of the most diverse and flavorful vegetarian
food I've ever had. I partcularly enjoyed the soups. The Corn Soup combined fresh sweet corn with
toasted corn tortillas and the Vegetable Brodo featured shell beans and chanterelles in a beefy
broth. I thought of my friend Pat Swinthe who used to can shell beans, pick chanterelles and
raise beef cattle. Our server told us that everyone in the restaurant chipped in to shell the
beans. The Eggplant Schnitzle reminded me of the
Spinach Croquettes we had in Barcelona, creamy and sweet inside with a crisp
savory crust. The fig leaf ice cream accompanying the fig tart had just a hint of green fig leaf
flavor imparted by steeping leaves from the tree by the kitchen door in hot sweet cream. That
same tree also provided the figs for the tart.
10/16/2024 Conway Merlin (
link to here)
Merlin location, Conway
Merlin prey, Conway
Black Merlin, Conway
A few days ago a Rusty Blackbird was found with a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds near Conway south
of Mount Vernon. Yesterday a Tropical Kingbird was seen in Edison north of Mount Vernon. The two
reports, both of birds we need for the year, were enough to induce us to detour up to the Skagit
Flats this morning on our way to Neah Bay, where we had already booked a room for the night.
We found a big flock of blackbirds and starlings sitting on utility lines near a farm just
west of town L+ so
we parked in the gravel driveway to inspect them. It wasn't easy. The birds were skittish and we
soon discovered why. A Merlin perched on the power pole across the street was dashing out in
pursuit of them every couple of minutes. The blackbirds would ball up, the Merlin would sail around
a bit then everyone would return their places except that the blackbirds and starlings would have
rearranged themselves. Darchelle would have to inspect each one again to verify that it wasn't
Rusty.
Merlin considering rock, Conway
Merlin picking up rock, Conway
Merlin holding rock, Conway
Tiring of this exercise we were about to move on when the Merlin flew down and landed on the gravel
right next to Darchelle's side of the car. For a Merlin to perch so close to us was unexpected.
"Get photos!" I urged, unnecessarily. Then the Merlin did something even more unexpected - it picked
up a rock. Granivores like grouse swallow gravel to grind up seeds in their crops and I used to know
a German Shepherd which would carry a big rock in its mouth apparently just for fun but I'd never
heard of raptors collecting rocks. The Merlin dropped its rock after a few moments then picked up
another and dropped it too before flying off. BTW The Merlin was a member of the "Black" subspecies
which breeds locally as well as north to Alaska but which seems to me to be relatively uncommon.
Searching online I found this reference to
similar behavior by an American Kestrel + along with an explanation.
Falcons pick up and swallow small pebbles in order to "de-grease" their crops. Fat which has
accumulated in the bird's crop sticks to the swallowed stones, which the bird then regurgitates. I
had no idea!
Neither we nor anyone else was able to relocate the Tropical Kingbird in
Edison L+. We gave
it an hour then grabbed some goodies at the
Breadfarm + bakery before heading over to Keystone to wait two hours
for the Port Townsend ferry. Lacking reservations, we were standby and missed the first boat by one
car.
10/17/2024 Neah Bay (
link to here)
Jetty Road, Neah Bay
Glaucous-winged Gull and cormorants, Neah Bay
Ba'aadah village, Neah Bay
We'd originally planned to spend the weekend out there with Marcus and Heather but Neah Bay plans tend
to evolve with the weather forecast, which in this case grew wetter and windier as the date grew
nearer. By Tuesday afternoon, the day before yesterday, we had decided on a one full day today, while
the sun would still be shining, with an option to spend another night if Harmony Cabin #5 was available
and the rain held off. I am nothing if not a fair-weather birder.
Neah Bay has so far this fall been notably unproductive of rare birds and today was no exception. We
scoured
town and bay +
for seven hours and came up with nothing more unusual than the previously-reported White-throated
Sparrow at Butler's. Nothing special in the Wa'atch River Valley either, and a new sign prominently
prohibited driving on Hobuck Beach, effectively closing that area to me. The sunshine was nice
though; the potholes, especially on the jetty, not as nice. Our most memorable bird was the
Golden-crowned Sparrow, which we found everywhere in town. A wave of them must have arrived overnight.
We spent a second night in Harmony Cabin #5 but skipped our customary fish and chips. The rain
began as we were packing up in the morning. We lingered in Neah Bay long enough to find an
Orange-crowned Warbler near Warmhouse and do a quick check of Ba'aadah village for vagrants before
driving south to Ocean Shores.
10/18/2024 Ocean Shores (
link to here)
Two-point buck Black-tailed Deer, Ocean Shores
Blowing sand, Ocean Shores
Roosting Western Sandpipers, Ocean Shores
Ocean Shores was wet and windy, conditions not conducive to finding either a Tropical Kingbird or
a Palm Warbler in the thickets near the old marina but not unfavorable for driving the beach. We
drove north from the
Taurus Blvd access L+
to Ocean City but found most of the birds sheltering behind piles of wrack in the first two miles.
The rain was spotty but the wind was steady out of the south at about 25 mph, sweeping streamers
of loose sand over the hard-packed surface of the beach.
Saltation + in action!
On our way home we stopped at
Lytle Oysters +. I have been meaning to stop there for years and
today we finally did. Darchelle bought me a couple bags of frozen bay scallops, the small ones that
are particularly sweet but hard to find in grocery stores, and a pint of shucked medium oysters for
oyster stew +. The oysters
were delicious, mild and sweet, but the stew which we cooked up a few days later was not as good as
I remembered. We undercooked the oysters and added too much liquid. We'll try again.
10/19/2024 Party (
link to here)
Darchelle with me and dessert
Flowers from Sarah and the garden
Special coffees from E and J
At home on Sabbath afternoon we hosted a lunch party with Monica, Marco and Marc and E,
J, A and O. Monica brought most of the food. She and E
both brought gifts and Sarah sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
Monica, A, E, Marco and Marc
Chilling with A
Monica with O and family
It was fun to see J and E and their little family again; it has been a
while. A seemed to particularly enjoy the company, and hamming it up for the camera.
10/27/2024 Neah Bay (
link to here)
Fall Foliage, Kingston
Sunbreak, Neah Bay
Tropical Kingbird, Neah Bay
Two days ago Liam, Elizabeth and Scott, birding in Neah Bay, found the third Tropical Kingbird to
turn up in the state this fall. The other two did not stay overnight so we resisted the impulse to
head out there immediately but when the bird was seen again yesterday we succumbed and caught the
12:40 ferry to Kingston. Darchelle took the photo of the fall foliage to show to Mom since I was
visiting with her via facetime during the crossing.
Except in the rain shadow through Sequim we had rain all the way to Neah Bay but as we pulled into
town and started our checklist, the clouds parted and a minute later we spotted the Tropical
Kingbird chasing gnats from the power lines in front of the Warmhouse Restaurant. Success! We
birded around
town L+
for another hour or so then picked up fish and chips at Bigginz and packed ourselves into room 5
at the Harmony Cabins.
Tropical Kingbird, Neah Bay
Steller's Jays, Neah Bay
Townsend’s Chipmunk, Neah Bay
In the morning we slept in long enough to ensure that we would have no difficulty spotting birds
even during the sporadic rain showers. We dedicated about five hours to surveying the
town and bay L+
but only managed to find 59 species. Other parties covering the same ground over the next few days
would count as many as 82 but neither we nor they would come up with any birds we had not already
seen this year. Nor would they find the Tropical Kingbird; our sighting this morning was
apparently the last of that bird. Although two days later Andy and Ellen found a Tropical Kingbird
near
the STP +, I
believe theirs was a different individual based on the patterns of dark centers in the median coverts
and the dark area behind the eye.
Mostly California Gulls, Neah Bay
Rainbow, Neah Bay
Glaucous-winged Gulls, Neah Bay
We all counted lots of gulls. Most of them were California Gulls; my best estimate of thir numbers
at the time was 600 but after reviewing photos I think we probably saw twice that many. Gulls are
big birds; I wonder how they all find enough to eat. I saw a few of them with clams but there
did not seem to be enough of those to go around.
Harlequin Ducks, Neah Bay
Harlequin Duck, Red-breasted Merganser and Surf Scoter
Harlequin Duck and Black Turnstones, Neah Bay
Ducks are arriving for the winter. There seem to be more dark dots on the bay every day and the
species diversity is on the increase. The males are already in breeding plumage and beginning
to compete for the attention of the females with entertaining displays. Counting them is tedious,
but it is the easiest way to augment our checklist totals.
Rivaling the Tropical Kingbird as an incentive to make the trip out to Neah Bay was the opportunity
to stop by
the Marina Market + in Poulsbo on the way home. I recently discovered that
Marina Market carries two of my favorite beers - Spruce Pale Ale by Propolis Brewing and Even More
Jesus Imperial Stout by Evil Twin Brewing. The pale ale I could pick up at the brewery in Port
Townsend (though I haven't found time to do so on any of our birding trips to the area during the
past two years) but I have not been able to find a place to buy Even More Jesus since Total Wine
stopped carrying it three years ago. Poulsbo is about a half hour out of our way so to make the
trip worthwhile I had Darchelle pick up a few other beers too. Here's the shopping list I worked
out with the help of the beer guy in the store and the facetime app on Darchelle's phone.
Beer
Brewer
ABV
Pkg
$/oz
Notes
Spruce Pale Ale
6.0%
4x16oz can
0.58
pale, fragrant, floral bitter spruce
BA-88
Sage Belgian Dark
5.5%
1x16oz can
0.41
decent dubbel with sage finish
La Fin du Monde Trippel
9.0%
4x12oz btl
0.28
rich, light, sweet and spicy
BA-96
ABT 12 Quadrupel
10.0%
1x750ml btl
0.72
La Trappe Quadrupel
10.0%
4x12oz btl
0.63
fishy at first then sweet dried figs
BA-93
Three Philosophers Quad
9.7%
1x750ml btl
0.68
Even More Jesus Imp Stout
12.0%
4x16oz can
0.41
rich, dark, creamy and complex
BA-95
10/31/2024 October Overview (
link to here)
We spent five nights away from home and part or all of nine days in the field in search of birds but
came up with only 103 species on 17 complete checklists, our lowest monthly totals all year. To be
fair our objective was not to find lots of birds but rather to find birds we had not yet seen this
year. We were not very successful at that either, adding only two species to our Washington year
list for a total of 348. Primarily in pursuit of birds we put 1706 miles on the car for a
cumulative total of 128911 miles in 3 1/2 years, or an average of 3685 miles per month. To document
the birds we saw during the month Darchelle took about 3800 photos, including nice ones of both of
our new birds.
11/02/2024 Neah Bay (
link to here)
American Herring Gull, Hobuck Beach
Northern Saw-whet Owl, Neah Bay
Lapland Longspur, Neah Bay
Given the dearth of new birds in Neah Bay this fall, why did we dedicate another weekend to the
place? Primarily because Liam found a Palm Warbler out at Hobuck Beach yesterday afternoon. In the
wheelchair we would not have been able to reach the spot but maybe the bird would move to somewhere
more accessible by the time we got there. Maybe it did, but it didn't leave a forwarding address
and no one ever saw it again.
Meanwhile a credible report of an Upland Sandpiper at Roosevelt Beach north of Ocean Shores popped
up on Darchelle's phone at 11 PM last night. The drive to Neah Bay via Roosevelt Beach is only 90
minutes longer than our usual route so we got up early and beat the traffic out of town. I sat in the
car on the beach and watched the clouds turn pink overhead while Darchelle searched the
banks of a muddy stream through the dune grass
where the bird had been L+ 15 hours earlier. Other birders showed up,
including Maxine and Mike, but the bird did not.
Arriving in Neah Bay by early afternoon, we
searched the willows along
the south end of Hobuck Beach L+, accessible by car, but our only warbler was a
Townsend's. Back the
in
town L+ we followed up on a couple of Liam's other sightings and Darchelle got photos.
American Herring Gull, Neah Bay
Bonaparte's Gull, Neah Bay
Bonaparte's Gull, Neah Bay
Preparing to fall back, we turned in early but still did not get started in the morning until two hours
after sunrise. Our late start did not matter. Birding mostly
around town L+ we found 63 species, our best effort this fall,
but neither we nor anyone else in town found anything rare. We left at 3 PM and made
it home shortly after 8.