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.
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.
Overlook over Calamity Creek valley
View up towards Calamity Peak
Sunset over Calamity Creek valley
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.
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.
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
10/8/2024 Chestnut-collared Longspur (link to here)
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.
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.
Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ediz Hook
Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ediz Hook
Chestnut-collared Longspur, Ediz Hook
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
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)
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.
ALS Clinic whiteboard
Going grocery shopping, Metropolitan Market
Aurora redux, Ravenna
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)
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.
Ready for Dinner, The Corson Building
Dinner Menu, The Corson Building
Carrot and Pepper Salad, The Corson Building
10/16/2024 Conway Merlin (link to here)
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.
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.
Merlin location, Conway
Merlin prey, Conway
Black Merlin, Conway
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
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)
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.
Jetty Road, Neah Bay
Glaucous-winged Gull and cormorants, Neah Bay
Ba'aadah village, Neah Bay
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)
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.
Two-point buck Black-tailed Deer, Ocean Shores
Blowing sand, Ocean Shores
Roosting Western Sandpipers, Ocean Shores
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)
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.
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.
Darchelle with me and dessert
Flowers from Sarah and the garden
Special coffees from E and J
Monica, A, E, Marco and Marc
Chilling with A
Monica with O and family
10/27/2024 Neah Bay (link to here)
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.
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.
We all counted lots of gulls. Most of them were California Gulls; my best estimate of their 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.
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.
Fall Foliage, Kingston
Sunbreak, Neah Bay
Tropical Kingbird, Neah Bay
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
Mostly California Gulls, Neah Bay
Rainbow, Neah Bay
Glaucous-winged Gulls, Neah Bay
Harlequin Ducks, Neah Bay
Harlequin Duck, Red-breasted Merganser and Surf Scoter
Harlequin Duck and Black Turnstones, Neah Bay
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
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, six species behind last year. Not since 2020 have we had such a low total at the end of October. 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.
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, six species behind last year. Not since 2020 have we had such a low total at the end of October. 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)
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 for the Palm Warbler in the willows along the south end of Hobuck Beach L+ where they are accessible by car but our only warbler was a Townsend's. Back in town L+ we followed up on a couple of Liam's other sightings and Darchelle got photos.
Preparing to fall back to standard time, we turned in early but still did not get out 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.
American Herring Gull, Hobuck Beach
Northern Saw-whet Owl, Neah Bay
Lapland Longspur, Neah Bay
Sunrise at Roosevelt Beach
Arriving in Neah Bay by early afternoon, we searched for the Palm Warbler in the willows along the south end of Hobuck Beach L+ where they are accessible by car but our only warbler was a Townsend's. Back 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
11/08/2024 Neah Bay (link to here)
If a particular activity conducted three years in a row constitutes a tradition, it has now become traditional
for us to visit Neah Bay over Veterans Day weekend. Darchelle wanted to go again this year and lined up
company to help us to ferret out all the rare birds lurking in the bushes and backyards around town. Ed and Delia
had accompanied us in both 2022 and 2023. Marcus and Heather had joined last year as well. We would all meet in Neah
Bay Friday evening for supper and stay through Monday, and so we did. The company was great but the
rarities were unremarkable, at least by Neah Bay standards. Still we managed to find 87 species
over three days, as Marcus recounted in his excellent trip report +, and apart from a little drizzle it didn't rain on us
either.
It was consistently damp though, so damp that former Eagle Scout Marcus had to heat up our kindling in a frying pan on the stove before he could successfully light a fire with it. But he persevered and by the end of our first evening together their little cabin at Butler's was almost warm enough to persuade me to relinquish my electric blanket.
Ruffed Grouse, SR-112 west of Shadow
Northern Mockingbird, Neah Bay
Neah Bay Dinner Party
It was consistently damp though, so damp that former Eagle Scout Marcus had to heat up our kindling in a frying pan on the stove before he could successfully light a fire with it. But he persevered and by the end of our first evening together their little cabin at Butler's was almost warm enough to persuade me to relinquish my electric blanket.
11/09/2024 Neah Bay (link to here)
I found several of our better birds over the weekend, among them the Northern Mockingbird
yesterday afternoon L+ and the
Yellow-shafted Flicker and Lapland Longspur this morning L+. All three of them just happened to pop up in front of the car
while I was sitting in the passenger seat staring out through the windshield. It was gratifying to
be able to contribute. Often birding with other people for me just means sitting in the car while
they walk around together looking at birds through their binoculars or stand in little groups twenty
feet away peering through spotting scopes at distant ducks. I miss the socializing almost as much as I
miss seeing and photographing the birds.
I sympathized with the Western Gull standing alone on a log near the Senior Center, its oil-stained
feathers no longer resisting the weather and probably no longer providing enough lift for flight.
It would probably soon die. Like humans, gulls live mostly in community but effectively die alone
even in the company of others.
Northern (Yellow-shafted) Flicker, Neah Bay
Lapland Longspur, Neah Bay
9 Killdeer, Neah Bay
(R-L) Double-crested, Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants
Western Gull, Neah Bay
Tropical Kingbird, Neah Bay
11/10/2024 Neah Bay (link to here)
Tropical Kingbirds are flycatchers which mostly inhabit South America but breed as far north as the
Mexican border of the United States. Small numbers of individuals from this northern population
disperse northward along the Pacific coast as far as British Columbia in the fall. Most probably
never make it back south again. Their normal diet is large insects caught in flight but those are
hard to come by in Neah Bay in November so they have to settle for what they can find, typically
small gnats. This was the first time I have seen one eating blackberries.
On our checklist L+ this morning we identified three Tropical Kingbirds but we subsequently learned that one of them was probably a Western Kingbird, a common summer bird of eastern Washington. Unfortunately we did not get a photo of that one.
While we were out in Neah Bay looking for rare birds, one turned up much closer to home. Rafael
spotted a Black-throated Green Warbler in a small flock of similar Townsend's Warblers in his
backyard in Normandy Park. We learned about it in time to hustle back there from Neah Bay and see
it this afternoon. With Rafael's help I saw it too, and Darchelle got photos.
Tropical Kingbird eating blackberries, Neah Bay
Tropical Kingbird eating blackberries, Neah Bay
Tropical Kingbird eating blackberries, Neah Bay
On our checklist L+ this morning we identified three Tropical Kingbirds but we subsequently learned that one of them was probably a Western Kingbird, a common summer bird of eastern Washington. Unfortunately we did not get a photo of that one.
Black-throated Green Warbler, Normandy Park
Birches, Normandy Park
Raphael with Darchelle and me
11/11/2024 Winter Wren (link to here)
An autumn vagrant to Washington state can be considered to be a perishable commodity in more than
one sense. Sometimes they actually do perish within a short time of their arrival. The Ross's Gull
which was eaten by a Bald Eagle within an hour of its discovery by Seattle birders a few years ago
comes to mind. More commonly, they move on within a short time of their initial appearance and the
opportunity to see them is lost. About half of the
rare birds reported this fall have been seen on one day only and several of the others lingered for
less than a week.
With that in mind we decided to chase the Winter Wren three hours away in Mattawa this morning L+ despite needing to get home by 1 PM for my appointment with Tara from Tobii Dynavox to set up my eye-gaze computer. I've been waiting for months for that appointment but the Winter Wren has already been waiting six days for us to come see it and it probably won't wait much longer. The way things have been going this fall, it could be one of last new birds this year.
As it turned out, it was and sadly, we did not see it but we heard it. The wren is the source of the high-pitched staccato chatter interspersed with Song Sparrow chips on the recording. While I was waiting in vain for a glimpse of the Winter Wren I did have a cool mammal sighting. Four River Otters in a line galumphed across the open wash about 50 feet in front of me. They are odd-looking animals, dense and dark brown and shaped in profile like a bell curve - highest in the middle and tapering to the ground at both ends. They were big too, almost three feet long as best I could tell.
My Tobii Dynavox I-16 eye-gaze computer is basically a laptop which I control with my eyes. Or at
least I will control it once I figure out how. Under Tara's tutelage today I made significant
progress but while the interface is fairly intuitive, proficiency will definitely take practice.
Tara also assembled the floor and wheelchair stands for us. So helpful!
Winter Wren location, Mattawa
Watching for the Winter Wren, Mattawa
Bewick's Wren, Mattawa
With that in mind we decided to chase the Winter Wren three hours away in Mattawa this morning L+ despite needing to get home by 1 PM for my appointment with Tara from Tobii Dynavox to set up my eye-gaze computer. I've been waiting for months for that appointment but the Winter Wren has already been waiting six days for us to come see it and it probably won't wait much longer. The way things have been going this fall, it could be one of last new birds this year.
As it turned out, it was and sadly, we did not see it but we heard it. The wren is the source of the high-pitched staccato chatter interspersed with Song Sparrow chips on the recording. While I was waiting in vain for a glimpse of the Winter Wren I did have a cool mammal sighting. Four River Otters in a line galumphed across the open wash about 50 feet in front of me. They are odd-looking animals, dense and dark brown and shaped in profile like a bell curve - highest in the middle and tapering to the ground at both ends. They were big too, almost three feet long as best I could tell.
Setting up the eye-gaze computer
Tara assembling the stand
Using the eye-gaze computer
11/14/2024 Northern Hawk Owl (link to here)
The Northern Hawk Owl is one of a handful of Washington species which are flagged as sensitive in
eBird which means that neither sightings nor locations are visible to the public. News gets out
nonetheless, generally by old-fashioned word-of-mouth, and the eBird sleuths get to work correlating
checklists, photographs and occurrence maps to find the prize. Darchelle is quite skilled at this
treasure hunt and had soon deciphered the location of the Northern Hawk Owl reported a few days ago
from Okanogan County.
As usual Maxine got there ahead of us, in part because I wanted to wait for a confirming report before making the trek over the North Cascades to Winthrop to chase the bird. She and Mike drove over yesterday evening and provided that confirming report. They were there when we arrived this afternoon and pointed out the distant dead pine favored by the owl as well as the pine tree along the nearby Beaver Pond Trail L+ where they had earlier photographed it. I think we spotted the owl dot in the distant pine a few minutes later on our own.
We watched the owl hunting from the treetops while the sunset faded from magenta to mauve to dusky blue and the full moon rose over the Methow. Like a falcon, the owl would plunge down to the ground from its perch and fly swiftly just above the sagebrush on deep strokes of its downcurved wings before sailing back up to the top of another tree. Once it dropped to the ground briefly but as far as we could tell, came up empty.
When it was too dark for further photos we retreated to our room at the Abby Creek Inn+ and hosted Maxine and Mike for cocktails, or beer, or maybe just conversation, I can't remember. In any case we enjoyed their visit.
Burned pines with Northern Hawk Owl, Winthrop
Northern Hawk Owl, Winthrop
Moonrise over the Methow, Winthrop
As usual Maxine got there ahead of us, in part because I wanted to wait for a confirming report before making the trek over the North Cascades to Winthrop to chase the bird. She and Mike drove over yesterday evening and provided that confirming report. They were there when we arrived this afternoon and pointed out the distant dead pine favored by the owl as well as the pine tree along the nearby Beaver Pond Trail L+ where they had earlier photographed it. I think we spotted the owl dot in the distant pine a few minutes later on our own.
We watched the owl hunting from the treetops while the sunset faded from magenta to mauve to dusky blue and the full moon rose over the Methow. Like a falcon, the owl would plunge down to the ground from its perch and fly swiftly just above the sagebrush on deep strokes of its downcurved wings before sailing back up to the top of another tree. Once it dropped to the ground briefly but as far as we could tell, came up empty.
When it was too dark for further photos we retreated to our room at the Abby Creek Inn+ and hosted Maxine and Mike for cocktails, or beer, or maybe just conversation, I can't remember. In any case we enjoyed their visit.
11/15/2024 A long way home (link to here)
Not terribly early in the morning we returned to the Beaver Pond and considered trying for better
photos of the Northern Hawk Owl but decided instead to bird the mixed pine-fir forest along the
nearby road to the Little
Wolf Trailhead L+, where we heard crossbills but could not spot the one which sounded like like
a White-winged.
Darchelle was eager to search for a large falcon on the Waterville Plateau so we spent the afternoon
up there. We knew our chances were not good because none had been reported there during the month
of November but we had a few minutes of excitement when Darchelle's photos of a distant raptor on a
utility pole revealed a large gray falcon. We concluded based on the face and underwing pattern
that the bird was a Prairie but I have never seen one so gray.
The Prairie was along F Road NW L+, attracted perhaps by early flocks of winter passerines including Snow Buntings and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches.
We drove F Road south to Lamoine then west to the windbreak where we failed to flush any Long-eared
Owls. They may have been in the locust grove to the northeast but we didn't have time to walk in there
to check. Back in town we found a Northern Shrike and east of town, several Rough-legged Hawks, evidence
that the winter raptors have begun to arrive.
Dropping into the Lower Grand Coulee from US 2 around 4 PM, we drove underneath a dramatic sunset which
Darchelle photographed out her window at my request. During the three hour drive home in the dark I
suspect that we listened to Stay Hidden + by Paul Doiron, our current mystery on Audible. Once settled in at
home, we watched the engaging but forgettable rom-com What's
Love Got To Do With It while I worked on my calorie quota for the day. Sometime before midnight
Darchelle photographed my feet by the light of the full moon.
Pine forest, Winthrop
Clark's Nutcracker, Winthrop
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches, Waterville Plateau
Prairie Falcon, Waterville Plateau
Prairie Falcon, Waterville Plateau
Prairie Falcon, Waterville Plateau
The Prairie was along F Road NW L+, attracted perhaps by early flocks of winter passerines including Snow Buntings and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches.
Lamoine farm quipment, Waterville Plateau
Rough-legged Hawk, Waterville Plateau
Rough-legged Hawk, Waterville Plateau
Sunset over the Lower Grand Coulee
My feet under the full moon
11/20/2024 Yard birds (link to here)
We recently resumed feeding the birds in the back yard and while the juncos were the first to notice,
a crowd of Bushtits was not far behind and now the siskin numbers are growing rapidly too. Darchelle
keeps an eye on our back yard birds, enters checklists from time to time and tries for photos of any
unusual visitors or behaviors. I on the other hand have not had much interest in them this fall and
that feels like another loss, another reason for sadness.
Anna's Hummingbird, Ravenna
Bushtits, Ravenna
Dark-eyed (Cassiar?) Junco, Ravenna
11/27/2024 Waterville Plateau (link to here)
On our way to Walla Walla for Thanksgiving we detoured up the Waterville Plateau via
Badger Mountain Road L+
to search again for an early Gyr and try for the Harris's Sparrow reported a few days earlier along
Road 15 NW west of Mansfield. Fog obscured our views of all the Gyrfalcons but had lifted by the time
we reached Road 15 NW L+.
where the sparrow had been photographed with American Tree Sparrows in a brushy draw north of the
road. Darchelle photographed some Tree Sparrows but the possible Harris's was too quick for her to
photograph and too distant for me to identify.
Northern Shrike, Waterville Plateau
Sparrow spot, Waterville Plateau
American Tree Sparrows, Waterville Plateau
11/30/2024 November Numbers (link to here)
While the family went to church, we drove up to Dodd Road L+ to search the blackbird flock for a Rusty. Around
the feedlots and blood ponds we found thousands of starlings and perhaps 1500 Brewer's Blackbirds
but nothing more unusual than a juvenile dark-phase Red-tailed Hawk. We had better luck with the
Long-tailed Ducks at Hood
Park L+, a county bird for both of us.
We dedicated 10 days in November to birding, most of them in the first half of the month, and spent 8 nights away from home, half of them in College Place for Thanksgiving. We put 2264 miles on the car (odometer now at 131175), entered 20 complete checklists and accumulated 112 species for the month. With 351 species, we are now 12 behind where we were a year ago and 21 behind our big year pace in 2022.
Red-tailed Hawk, Dodd Road
Red-tailed Hawk, Dodd Road
Long-tailed Duck, Hood Park
We dedicated 10 days in November to birding, most of them in the first half of the month, and spent 8 nights away from home, half of them in College Place for Thanksgiving. We put 2264 miles on the car (odometer now at 131175), entered 20 complete checklists and accumulated 112 species for the month. With 351 species, we are now 12 behind where we were a year ago and 21 behind our big year pace in 2022.
12/01/2024 Chasin' in the Basin (link to here)
On our way home we chased two year birds recently reported at two locations in the Columbia Basin -
a Harris's Sparrow at
Bassett Park L+ in Washtucna and a Ross's Goose at Montlake Park L+ in Moses Lake. Washtucna was cold and gray under a
heavy stratus overcast when we arrived but by working the thickets at the west corner of the park and
the weedy yards in the corner of the town we were able to refind most of the 100 or so juncos which
had been reported with the Harris's but unfortunately not the sparrow itself.
We emerged out from under the stratus overcast a few miles south of Moses Lake but it was shortly
before sunset so the light was against us when we pulled into Montlake Park to look for the Ross's
Goose reported there a few days earlier. Darchelle found the backlit bird on far side of the channel
but we were unable to verify that it was not a very similar and more common Snow Goose.
Song Sparrow, Bassett Park
Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco, Bassett Park
American and Lesser Goldfinches, Bassett Park
Trumpeter Swans, Moses Lake
Snow/Ross's Goose, Moses Lake
Snow/Ross's Goose, Moses Lake
12/04/2024 Close Call (link to here)
We had a bit of a scare today when my ventilator hose disconnected while Darchelle was her way to the grocery store. I immediately called her on Alexa and she called Monica who came up with Marc and reconnected the hose. I was still catching my breath when Darchelle arrived a minute or two later.
Without the pressurized air supply from my ventilator I could suffocate within 15 minutes. Some people might argue that we should make sure that someone is with me at all times to ensure my safety but like anyone else, we are willing to incur a certain level of risk in order to live a normal life. Normal for someone else might mean commuting to work in Seattle traffic five days a week. Normal for us means that Darchelle can run to the store without first arranging for someone to babysit me but to be sure, we will be double checking my hose connections before she leaves.
We had a bit of a scare today when my ventilator hose disconnected while Darchelle was her way to the grocery store. I immediately called her on Alexa and she called Monica who came up with Marc and reconnected the hose. I was still catching my breath when Darchelle arrived a minute or two later.
Without the pressurized air supply from my ventilator I could suffocate within 15 minutes. Some people might argue that we should make sure that someone is with me at all times to ensure my safety but like anyone else, we are willing to incur a certain level of risk in order to live a normal life. Normal for someone else might mean commuting to work in Seattle traffic five days a week. Normal for us means that Darchelle can run to the store without first arranging for someone to babysit me but to be sure, we will be double checking my hose connections before she leaves.
12/05/2024 Misses (link to here)
We drove out to the coast today hoping to finally pick up a Palm Warbler for 2024. It was last reported + four days ago at the sewage treatment plant in Ocean Shores so we knew we might miss it, and we did. We had a pleasant outing nonetheless. Darchelle wheeled me around the paved access roads and scrubby lawns of the STP grounds L+ while we searched for the bird along the fence line where Andy and Ellen had seen it. The sun came out and had it not been for the persistent southerly breeze off the water, I would have been almost comfortable. We flushed lots of ducks from the ponds and coaxed a fair number of small birds out of the thickets of Scotch Broom and Evergreen Huckleberry surrounding the STP but the Palm Warbler was not among them.
It was our sixth unsuccessful search for a new year bird in the past three weeks. On the 15th of November we thought we heard but could not confirm the White-winged Crossbill Liam had reported the previous day while searching for the Northern Hawk Owl. Later that day, and again on the 27th, we drove the Waterville Plateau looking in vain for an early Gyrfalcon. Also on the 27th on the Waterville Plateau we thought we saw but could not confirm the Harris's Sparrow recently photographed along 15 Road NW. After failing to pick out a Rusty Blackbird in the crowd of Brewer's Blackbirds at Dodd Road on the 30th we tried for another Harris's Sparrow in Washtucna and the Ross's Goose in Moses Lake on the 1st and as noted above, missed both. It's always challenging to find new birds at the end of the year but we don't usually have this much trouble.
We drove out to the coast today hoping to finally pick up a Palm Warbler for 2024. It was last reported + four days ago at the sewage treatment plant in Ocean Shores so we knew we might miss it, and we did. We had a pleasant outing nonetheless. Darchelle wheeled me around the paved access roads and scrubby lawns of the STP grounds L+ while we searched for the bird along the fence line where Andy and Ellen had seen it. The sun came out and had it not been for the persistent southerly breeze off the water, I would have been almost comfortable. We flushed lots of ducks from the ponds and coaxed a fair number of small birds out of the thickets of Scotch Broom and Evergreen Huckleberry surrounding the STP but the Palm Warbler was not among them.
It was our sixth unsuccessful search for a new year bird in the past three weeks. On the 15th of November we thought we heard but could not confirm the White-winged Crossbill Liam had reported the previous day while searching for the Northern Hawk Owl. Later that day, and again on the 27th, we drove the Waterville Plateau looking in vain for an early Gyrfalcon. Also on the 27th on the Waterville Plateau we thought we saw but could not confirm the Harris's Sparrow recently photographed along 15 Road NW. After failing to pick out a Rusty Blackbird in the crowd of Brewer's Blackbirds at Dodd Road on the 30th we tried for another Harris's Sparrow in Washtucna and the Ross's Goose in Moses Lake on the 1st and as noted above, missed both. It's always challenging to find new birds at the end of the year but we don't usually have this much trouble.
12/07/2024 Oyster Stew (link to here)
Darchelle and I made Oyster Stew + from the shucked oysters we picked up at Lytle Seafoods + two days ago. Years ago Mom made oyster stew at Christmas and I've never forgotten that delicious combination of rich earthy oysters with sweet buttery broth. I've never successfully replicated it either, until this evening. I think the key is to use really fresh oysters and to use both milk and cream in the broth. I also think it helps to sautée the oysters separately instead of simmering them in the stew. The oysters were so good that for the next several days I found myself craving that flavor. Next time I'll pick up two pints instead of just one.
I ordered 2025 nature calendars + today after not ordering last year's calendar + because I did not like how it looked when printed. Darchelle took nine of the twelve photos, seven of them this year and the other two last year. I edited them and we collaborated on selecting which photos to include. All of them were taken in Washington and most of them either were or could have been taken in the month they illustrate. Eastern Washington, the location of only three of the shots, is under-represented in the calendar but birds, featured on ten of the twelve months, are not.
The cover page of the calendar, shown above, displays the image for each month in clockwise order beginning
with January at the upper left. Captions and dates (which link to the related journal entry) are as follows:
January: Great Gray Owl, Okanogan Highlands (4/6/2024)
February: Great-horned Owlets, Nisqually NWR (2/7/2013)
March: American Tree Sparrow, Upper Grand Coulee (1/21/2024)
April: American Bittern, Lynden (5/5/2024)
May: Pacific Golden-Plover, Grayland Beach (5/17/2024)
June: Tidepool Life, Toleak Point (8/18/2011)
July: Black-throated Gray Warbler, Suiattle River Road (5/29/2024)
August: Short-tailed Albatross, 40 miles offshore, Westport (8/26/2024)
September: Coyote, Bassett Park, Washtucna (9/1/2024)
October: White-tailed Ptarmigan, Mount Rainier NP (9/19/2013)
November: Swamp Sparrow, Neah Bay (10/8/2023)
December: Winter Wren, Rockport (11/29/2023)
Darchelle and I made Oyster Stew + from the shucked oysters we picked up at Lytle Seafoods + two days ago. Years ago Mom made oyster stew at Christmas and I've never forgotten that delicious combination of rich earthy oysters with sweet buttery broth. I've never successfully replicated it either, until this evening. I think the key is to use really fresh oysters and to use both milk and cream in the broth. I also think it helps to sautée the oysters separately instead of simmering them in the stew. The oysters were so good that for the next several days I found myself craving that flavor. Next time I'll pick up two pints instead of just one.
I ordered 2025 nature calendars + today after not ordering last year's calendar + because I did not like how it looked when printed. Darchelle took nine of the twelve photos, seven of them this year and the other two last year. I edited them and we collaborated on selecting which photos to include. All of them were taken in Washington and most of them either were or could have been taken in the month they illustrate. Eastern Washington, the location of only three of the shots, is under-represented in the calendar but birds, featured on ten of the twelve months, are not.
2025
Washington
Nature
Calendar
Washington
Nature
Calendar
February: Great-horned Owlets, Nisqually NWR (2/7/2013)
March: American Tree Sparrow, Upper Grand Coulee (1/21/2024)
April: American Bittern, Lynden (5/5/2024)
May: Pacific Golden-Plover, Grayland Beach (5/17/2024)
June: Tidepool Life, Toleak Point (8/18/2011)
July: Black-throated Gray Warbler, Suiattle River Road (5/29/2024)
August: Short-tailed Albatross, 40 miles offshore, Westport (8/26/2024)
September: Coyote, Bassett Park, Washtucna (9/1/2024)
October: White-tailed Ptarmigan, Mount Rainier NP (9/19/2013)
November: Swamp Sparrow, Neah Bay (10/8/2023)
December: Winter Wren, Rockport (11/29/2023)
12/12/2024 Success? (link to here)
For the first time in a month we had a successful year bird chase. Despite feeling crappy from vaccines yesterday, we dropped everything and took off for Whatcom County today when the Whooper Swan + was reported again on the US side of the border at Sumas M+. Accompanied by Ed and Delia, we arrived at the spot about 30 minutes before sunset but the light was already low under a heavy cloud cover, not favorable for photos even if the swans had been close to the road, which they were not. We scoped each group of distant birds but they were all Trumpeters. Darchelle was the one who finally spotted the Whooper on the far side of a field as the daylight was beginning to fade.
The swans began to fly a few minutes later so we followed them west and relocated the Whooper with about a dozen Trumpeters in a large pasture pond about 1/3 mile north of the intersection of Rock and Hillview roads M+. For the next 30 minutes we watched as hundreds of swans flew in and settled onto the water. Taylor Justason joined us there and succeeded in getting an identifying photo of the Whooper through our scope. His photo was by far my best view of the bird.
Back home again we submitted the checklist and could not figure out why our year bird count did not go up until we remembered that we had already seen a Whooper Swan this year back in February.
For the first time in a month we had a successful year bird chase. Despite feeling crappy from vaccines yesterday, we dropped everything and took off for Whatcom County today when the Whooper Swan + was reported again on the US side of the border at Sumas M+. Accompanied by Ed and Delia, we arrived at the spot about 30 minutes before sunset but the light was already low under a heavy cloud cover, not favorable for photos even if the swans had been close to the road, which they were not. We scoped each group of distant birds but they were all Trumpeters. Darchelle was the one who finally spotted the Whooper on the far side of a field as the daylight was beginning to fade.
The swans began to fly a few minutes later so we followed them west and relocated the Whooper with about a dozen Trumpeters in a large pasture pond about 1/3 mile north of the intersection of Rock and Hillview roads M+. For the next 30 minutes we watched as hundreds of swans flew in and settled onto the water. Taylor Justason joined us there and succeeded in getting an identifying photo of the Whooper through our scope. His photo was by far my best view of the bird.
Back home again we submitted the checklist and could not figure out why our year bird count did not go up until we remembered that we had already seen a Whooper Swan this year back in February.
12/21/2024 The Week before Christmas (link to here)
The week before Christmas we did no birding. I worked on my journals from 2014, adding photos and text for April and photos for my
trip to Spain at the end of June. Darchelle made plans for family visits at the
end of the year and readied the house for Daniel and Caroline to visit over Christmas. On several
evenings we streamed movies including Carry-On,
Laapadaa Ladies and Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel
Pie Society. We enjoyed all three.
Crepes, 12/16
Rainbow, 12/21
Ready for Christmas, 12/23
12/25/2024 Christmas (link to here)
My Christmas was made memorable by a visit from Daniel and Caroline and by the spectacular dinners they prepared for us. Daniel had
some good news - he has finally been promoted to assistant beverage director, a position he has sought
for several years and an important title should he want to move on at some point. I shared more somber news about my continuing, albeit gradual, decline and
thoughts about my memorial and such. He shared concerns about his other parent as well, in particular
her social isolation.
For Christmas dinner Daniel had brought two items from the restaurant where he works in San Francisco, a potato gratin
(though it went by a different name) and a steak. The gratin was as light as a soufflé and the
steak was A5 Japanese Wagyu, an ultra-marbled marvel which apparently retails for $140, or was it
$400, per pound. Seared in a dry pan, the Wagyu was luscious, each bite a flood of flavor and two
slices a sufficient serving. Daniel supplemented the steak with roasted grilled carrots and polenta
with mushrooms braised in burgundy. The mushrooms were delicious but the carrots were amazing,
creamy inside with a savory-sweet crispy crust. I really should have paid more attention to how he
made those.
For our dinner on Boxing Day Daniel and Caroline outdid themselves with a five hour marathon of meal
preparation. Caroline baked eggplant with a garlic yogurt dressing and Delicata squash marinated in
maple syrup and rice vinegar. Daniel brought us a pasta maker and used it to roll out long strips of
egg-rich pasta from which he then made ravioli using three different fillings. The simplest was a
ricotta-like goat cheese flavored with lemon zest. The second filling combined sautéed chanterelle
mushrooms with grilled persimmons flavored with fresh thyme. For the third and most complex filling
Daniel steamed two Dungeness crabs and extracted the meat then mixed it with two sauces made from
the remainder of the crabs. He scraped out the contents of the crab bodies, pressed it through a
seive and sautéed the resulting paste in butter to make what he called "crab miso". The broken and
empty shells he sautéed in butter and deglazed with the crab cooking liquid to make crab "gravy".
The final mixture was intensely and deliciously crabby. Boiled for a minute or two in salted water,
each raviolo was tender and full of flavor but when Daniel asked me which I liked best, I had to say
the crab.
Caroline and Daniel dressed for dinner, Christmas Eve
Christmas breakfast
Father and son with loved ones, Christmas night
Caroline and Daniel sautéeing mushrooms
A5 Japanese Wagyu
Christmas dinner
Caroline and Daniel with homemade pasta
Daniel making ravioli
Boxing Day dinner by Daniel and Caroline
12/29/2024 Success! (link to here)
The report of an Arctic Loon in Port Angeles came through eBird, or maybe it was the Clallam County
rare bird chat, around noon but Darchelle didn't notice it until after 1 PM. We considered leaving
immediately to chase it but would not have reached Port Angeles until shortly before sunset so
decided to leave first thing in the morning instead, trusting that the loon would not relocate
overnight. It was the right decision; the bird was just outside the entrance to
the Boathaven Marina L+,
exactly where it had first been discovered, when we arrived around 10 AM.
As we expected, we found a bird party already underway. Maxine and Charlotte had caught the 7:10 ferry along with Warren (but not Katie, who was out of town for a few more days) and several others including Alex S who showed us the Hoary Redpoll at Green Lake two years ago and Stefan S with whom we watched Sharp-tailed Grouse along Siwash Creek Road in the Okanogan last January. Fortunately the guest of honor was also still at the party.
Arctic Loons are very rare in Washington, showing up perhaps only once or twice a decade. They breed from Norway across northern Siberia to far western Alaska and winter mostly along the coasts of Europe and Asia. This bird was an ABA life bird for all of us, not to mention our first state your bird since mid-November, so we had reason to celebrate.
For us, the loon was not the only special bird of the day. During the ferry crossing to Kinston we
spotted, and Darchelle even photographed, the only Short-tailed Shearwater we've ever seen in Puget
Sound. The Lesser Black-backed Gull at
Maple View Farm L+
in Sequim was no less unusual but not unexpected; this is the fourth year in a row that we have seen
that individual at that location.
Arctic Loon, Port Angeles
Arctic Loon, Port Angeles
Arctic Loon, Port Angeles
As we expected, we found a bird party already underway. Maxine and Charlotte had caught the 7:10 ferry along with Warren (but not Katie, who was out of town for a few more days) and several others including Alex S who showed us the Hoary Redpoll at Green Lake two years ago and Stefan S with whom we watched Sharp-tailed Grouse along Siwash Creek Road in the Okanogan last January. Fortunately the guest of honor was also still at the party.
Arctic Loons are very rare in Washington, showing up perhaps only once or twice a decade. They breed from Norway across northern Siberia to far western Alaska and winter mostly along the coasts of Europe and Asia. This bird was an ABA life bird for all of us, not to mention our first state your bird since mid-November, so we had reason to celebrate.
Short-tailed Shearwater, Edmonds-Kingston Ferry
Long-tailed Duck, Port Angeles
Lesser Black-backed and Glaucous-winged Gulls, Sequim
12/30/2024 New Years Eve Eve (link to here)
On the eve of New Years Eve we celebrated a second Christmas with Richard and Donna and with Sally and
Ben and the kids. Darchelle helped the kids make hors d'oeuvres for dinner and they were delicious.
Afterwards we opened gifts around the Christmas tree and the kids made socks out of the wrapping paper.
On New Years Eve the Dawson family left for their annual trip to Florida while we stayed home and
celebrated the arrival of the New Year five hours early over dinner with Richard and Donna in the living
room.
Dawson kids with hors d'oeuvres
Second Christmas in Seattle
Darchelle with gift from the Dawson chickens
Donna and Brian with gifts
Dawson family leaving
Donna and Richard with dinner
12/31/2024 2024 (link to here)
In December we put 1017 miles on the car to conclude the year with an odometer reading of 132192. We spent zero nights away from home and four days out birding during which we submitted 14 checklists and spotted 106 species. Only one of those, the Arctic Loon on the 29th, was new for the year.
Darchelle got photos of both the loon and Lesser Black-backed Gull that day, nudging her cumulative total for the past 12 months up to about 60,000 shots. Most were of birds and family and many were redundant so I only kept about 7,800 and of those, included about 10% in the Journal.
In the eBird Top 100 for Washington in 2024+ we finished in a three-way tie for first place with Maxine with 352 species, 11 behind last year's total thanks to a fourth quarter which served up 9 fewer year birds than last year. We submitted just about the same number of Washington checklists for the year as last year and only two fewer in the fourth quarter than last year, so we didn't slack off any. There just weren't as many birds around to find.
In December we put 1017 miles on the car to conclude the year with an odometer reading of 132192. We spent zero nights away from home and four days out birding during which we submitted 14 checklists and spotted 106 species. Only one of those, the Arctic Loon on the 29th, was new for the year.
Darchelle got photos of both the loon and Lesser Black-backed Gull that day, nudging her cumulative total for the past 12 months up to about 60,000 shots. Most were of birds and family and many were redundant so I only kept about 7,800 and of those, included about 10% in the Journal.
In the eBird Top 100 for Washington in 2024+ we finished in a three-way tie for first place with Maxine with 352 species, 11 behind last year's total thanks to a fourth quarter which served up 9 fewer year birds than last year. We submitted just about the same number of Washington checklists for the year as last year and only two fewer in the fourth quarter than last year, so we didn't slack off any. There just weren't as many birds around to find.