Red-Breasted Mergansers

One of the more interesting sights I found on my walk out to the Dungeness Lighthouse was a group of displaying Red-breasted Mergansers about 50 yards or so from the shoreline of the spit. Many birds came and went across the wave as I traveled but this bunch settled in after eating and began different dances along the surface of the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

I had been searching for male Red-breasted Mergansers all week but only managed to find the females in various spots around Puget Sound. A few are reported every Winter along the Merritt Island area in Central Florida but I am never there at the right time.

That day there were several arriving just after the light rain and wind died down as I was halfway along on my way back from the lighthouse. It appeared to be 2 pairs resting near one another when the males began to move next to each other and started making bobbing movements with their heads.



After several seconds they would change the dance and begin calling and motioning with their wings.



As you can see from the distance photos, the females seemed not to be any real part of all this. Just hanging around waiting for them to wrap it up. The males would continue this set of motions as they paddled in small circles near the females but always seemed to end up in the middle of the dance floor.

Every now and then, the seeming civility of the displays would fall apart all together and one of the males would thrash about and run across the water in a brief shout.



Not long after this outburst the males would settle back into a calmer posture and begin to nod and call in sequence as they had before.

It was similar to displays I have seen with Hooded Mergansers last Winter. I took a bunch of pictures of those displays one day and will post that in the near future. However, with the smaller 'Hoodies' the dance seemed more similar to a pair of rams challenging each other but not head-on.

This year I will try to get over to see any stray Red-breasted Mergansers over at the Cape. I doubt the displays happen in this wintering ground but you never know.

Canada Geese

One of the things I was missing from living a bit farther North as a young boy was the occasional sighting of Canada Geese. Whether it was a single bird walking by the edge of a lake or a flock in a flying 'V' heading south, I always had a liking for these large geese.

We don't get too many here in Florida. Maybe the rare stray or weather blown and tired migrating few but it is a special day if one is reported here.

Washington state, however, was chock full of them.



Canada Geese would occasionally fly up from retention ponds just about everywhere around the Seattle/Tacoma area. We even found one standing on the shoulder of the road right at an exit ramp. Could have been hitchhiking the way he just stood there staring at the passing cars.

The pair above seemed to be arguing on which way to travel next. They were there to greet us as we stepped into the parking lot at Nisqually. Deeper into the refuge, hundreds of Canada and Cackling Geese could be seen and heard grazing in the meadow that lies between the trails.



This shot shows another flock of hundreds that set down near the visitor center as we headed toward the exit. Geese were everywhere.

My favorite shot of the geese that day took place in the ponds that are surrounded by the boardwalk at Nisqually. The sun was beginning to set and this pair sat away from the throng of geese found in the rest of the refuge.



I look forward to visiting the Canada geese again. Perhaps we can get there when the huge flocks of Snow geese are still hanging around and walking wing to wing with these black and tanned beauties.

A New Flicker

Just after I had happened upon the Chickadees in Belfair, I headed back to the car and passed an open yard littered with Robins. Hopping in a different manner than the Robins was another pair of birds.

I tried to get a closer look and they flew up into a nearby tree and began some sort of either territorial or other display with one another.



They bobbed and squawked at one another for a few minutes before heading off to the brushy edges of the yard.

The best part about this find was that these would be my first 'red-shafted' Northern Flickers. Here in the East I have only previously found the 'yellow-shafted' variety. Unlike the yellow-shafted, I couldn't usually see the red in the wings unless the birds were in flight. We found many in the days ahead.

Many near our house show the yellow on the edges of the wings and in the tail area even when stationary. Compare the red-shafted on this page to the yellow-shafted ones at my other web site.

Another distinguishing feature is that the yellows have a red patch on the nape of the neck and the reds have red "whiskers" on the face.

The most important factor, of course, is location. Reds stay in the Western U.S. and the Yellows stay in the East.

My Little Chickadees

Chickadees. How cute are they, eh? Soooooooooo, cute!

They can bite like the dickens, though. Try taking one out of a mist net prior to banding. At least the Carolina Chickadees that seem to be expanding their range here in Central Florida.

I am guessing that the Black-capped and Chestnut-backed versions in Washington would pack a similar vise-like grip.
Those two species were high on my list as we headed out to the West. Managed to peg them both on different days.

The first would be the Black-capped Chickadees. They were found on that wrong turn day I mentioned in a previous post where I ended up in Belfair. Managed to end up at the entrance to a trail, so I stepped out for a breath of fresh air and a scan of the trees.



Not far above me was a family of Chickadees busily chasing one another through the nearly bursting buds on many trees that I couldn't quickly identify. The Chickadees would fly out in little bursts, sometimes zipping high and sometimes tracking lower to land nearly above my head.

It was the first time I had heard that clear "Chick-a-dee-dee-dee" call so clearly. The Florida birds tend to alter their calls a bit from the norm.

A little past the tree party, near a large group of neglected and empty bird feeders, was a couple more birds interested more in preening and relaxing than chasing one another. I managed to creep in close enough to get a nice shot through the branches. This bird didn't seem to mind me leaning in to say 'Hi'.



It took longer than I had hoped to find the Chestnut-backed Chickadees. I had read that they frequented the woods near the beach at Dungeness but I couldn't find any. Not saying they weren't there, but I didn't find them. The rain probably kept them, literally, high-and-dry.

The first ones showed up when I bought that bird feeder near the end of the trip. That entry is detailed here.

The action was fast and furious that morning and we had to move along but having a couple of OK shots to bring home was nice. Every so often, a curious bird would land beneath the feeder and stare down next to the steps to see if it was worth the trip.



The next time we are out there the task will be to get a more natural looking photo. Maybe I can find them nearer to the coast, then. A bigger camera rig would probably make a difference, too.

So would actually trying to get a shot instead of being blinded by their cuteness.

Meanwhile, Back in Washington...Creepers

Despite the urge to post the most recent photos, such as the baby birds showing up all over, I need to finish the Washington State birds. So many birds, so little...ya know.

SO!

The first morning in Port Orchard yielded a number of birds that were new to me right off the bat. In my hunt for the new "alarm clock" I eventually headed around to the back of the house which contains a lot of 150 ft. trees of various species.

I almost found the Wren I was hunting down when another bird flew across an early morning sunbeam through the branches and landed on a trunk in the shadows ahead of me. I slowly made my way toward the landing spot and finally could make out the shape and movement of a Brown Creeper.

Even though it was the first Creeper I had ever seen, I knew what it was immediately. It matched the descriptions and behaviors I had read in the past and here it was, 30 feet in front of me at eye level. Still too dark for a good photo but a great find.

As the week wore on it kept "creeping" up on me that I wouldn't have a photo of such an interesting bird. There were plenty other birds around but it would be nice to have one for the blog, eh? Well, about a week later, as we were walking down the trail at Nisqually in the light rain, we discovered not one, but two more!

This first shot is actually the 2nd I got. I like the way it shows the curve of the bill since these birds hug so tight to the tree and it was hard to get an angle that showed a profile.



The second shot, being the first, was a Creeper that was in a feeding flock of Chickadees, Golden-crowned Sparrows, and Song Sparrows. You can tell from this shot how easily they blend in to the bark of the local trees.



Another happy ending to one of the birds I had given up on finding. Twice.

Just like a lot of things in life, once you stop trying so hard things just seem to happen. Still we keep doing it, again and again.

Hello, Stranger!

I will get back to the Washington birds. Promise. However, we did have a little surprise this past Sunday out at Wekiva.

It was not a bad day. Pretty good for this time of year, actually. Still had some migrants moving through which included some fun stuff among the variety of local species.

Here it was, the first week of May, and we still managed a Gray Catbird, several Ovenbirds, and a few Black-throated Blue Warblers. Then an Eastern Palm Warbler flew into a net. They are suppose to be way up North this time of year. I was thinking the Palm would be the bird of the day.

Even though we had a Black and White Warbler and only the third, fourth, and fifth Blackpoll ever banded at Wekiva State Park I still was very perplexed by this late Palm Warbler.

Oh, well. Chalk it up to a fluke. The morning was waning and the breeze was picking up as the temperature headed toward 94 degrees that day. Time to close the nets and call it a day.

We had most of the nets folded and as I headed back to the table to pack up I heard someone say that there was one more bird in one of the loop nets. Alright. Probably another Common Yellow-throat. I dropped the net bags and sat at the table to await the bird for ID and banding.

The bag was handed to me and I asked. "So, what have we here?"

"Either a Mourning or a Connecticut.", Shemus stated as he reached for a field guide. I stopped in my tracks, thinking he was kidding. "If it is either of those it would be a tad special!." I said with a smile. I took my time getting the bird out of the bag as everyone gathered around, starting to get excited.

I pulled the bird out of the bag and we all got a good look and looked at one another. Smiles all around! It WAS a Connecticut Warbler!! First ever record officially at Wekiva and first sighting for every single one of us.



I took my time with the bird, a male, and took many, many photos. As the group headed out they called behind me, "You can't take it home, Andrew!".

I let it go and last saw it heading in a Southeast direction, band flashing in the hot sunshine.

What I call cool.

Uh, Oh. I've Been Tagged!

We interrupt the Washington State Bird review for this late breaking news! I have been tagged by a fellow blogger!!!

Here I was, just minding my business, working my 12-14 hour shifts this week when I received an email that I almost deleted. The subject line read, "Most Beautiful Birds Meme Tag" and was from one John L. Trapp. Could it be spam? Don't know.

The 'bird' mention sucked me in. Hey, I'm on a Mac and use a third-party email program so the virus problem is, oh, nil. So, 'click'.

Took me to John's blog page and post. Claims he, himself was tagged by yet another blogger and was following through. I was simply surprised that anyone out there in the country outside of my local birders knew of my site.

The task is this:

"The rules are simple: Post a list of the 10 birds you consider most beautiful on your blog; you may limit the list to the ABA area (continental United States and Canada) or use a geographic area of your choice. Mark birds you have seen with an asterisk. Tag 3 bloggers to keep it going."

Not one to usually follow through on chain letter kind of thing but I figure that birders are, by and large, a harmless and friendly bunch and it is a kind of networking in this sense. So why not?

Being that I am fairly new to this blogging thing, I figured I might not have my favorite, beautiful birds on the blog itself. The blog started as a quicker way to showcase some birds on the fly instead of trying to find time to update the photography site as often which I do by hand and takes longer to do.

Looking through my few posts I guess I will settle on the following birds:

American Wigeon*
Eurasian Wigeon*
American Goldfinch*
Barn Owl*
Harrier Hawk*
Hooded Merganser*
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker*
Grey Jay*
Steller's Jay*
Brown Thrasher*

Still haven't posted about the Harlequin Duck or a full post on the Chestnut-sided Chickadee but they are right up there. Not to mention all of my Wood Duck shots. They can all be found over at my photo site at Rather Be Photog....

Who to tag? Let's see. I tag Laura at Birder's Blog, Bill at Bill of the Birds, and Sharon at Birdchick Blog.

I enjoy all of them. Hope they don't mind.

Now, maybe I can get back to my Washington birds since just about all of our Winter residents have just about left us here in Florida.

Tag.

Pelagic Cormorant

One bird I had figured would be an easy find was the Pelagic cormorant. After all, we would be near the water often and many spots would have some rocks or pilings. Perfect settings for cormorants. Right?

However, it took 3 days longer than I thought it would. Add to it that I found the first one out on the Ocean Shores jetty in the rain, 30 mph gusting winds, and approaching nightfall and I couldn't even get a picture. Decided to keep my footing on the slick rocks, instead.

A few days later, again on the Dungeness hike, around midday I spotted a flying bird just above the waves. Far off but became the first ID photo.



A little while later I found another Pelagic Cormorant. This one was in breeding plumage which it noticeable by the white patch on the sides of the bird. Compare to no patch on the photo above.



It was on the way back to the house that I got my closest view. It was during a stop at the John Wayne Marina just outside of Sequim. Yes, THAT John Wayne. He, or part of his family, used to own it and you can find Duke souvenirs in the store.

I grabbed some more film, a hat pin and a postcard and headed out to the view of the docks and the jetty. The water was running fast past the marina and fishing in the current was my last Pelagic Cormorant of the trip.



I could finally see some of the shiny blue feathers with the bird this close. It is also very thin-necked and slender-billed compared to the common views of Double-crested Cormorants in Florida.

An almost elegant looking member of the Cormorant family.

Bewick's Wren

Actually one of the last of my Washington Lifers, the Bewick's Wren was way down on my "must-have" checklist. Not seeing any in a week, I had given up. We know what usually happens next.

Just as we headed up the gravel part of the trail just off of the first part of the wooden boardwalk at Nisqually, we had a mixed flock of birds, mainly Golden-crowned Sparrows, make a blur of feeding feathers and song.

Out of the bushes next to the creek popped the Bewick's Wren about 30 feet away from us. I am used to Carolina Wrens here at home and the Bewick's is fairly similar. Eye-line seemed a bit more distinct and they weren't quite as Rufus.

The first one we saw didn't stick around too long but we found a second, also hanging near Golden-crowned Sparrows and some Chickadees. The rain had returned for another wave and had just started to back off when I spotted a Bewick's dancing through the branches.



Ended up being the only photo I was able to get as they headed to the back side of the tree which was blocked off by blackberries and marsh.

We were left with some Marsh Wrens here and there and other locals but the Bewick's were out of sight for the rest of the walk. At least they gave us a quick glimpse.

Fox Sparrow

Which will it be first? The good news or the bad? O.K., the good.

The good news is that I was able to find many Fox Sparrows out in Washington. Even got some really good close-up photos one early morning just outside the hotel we stayed in over at Ocean Shores. Witnessed all their funky scratching jumps while they forage in the underbrush.

Even had a nice comparison between the Fox and Song Sparrow as they sat just a small branch apart. Fox Sparrows foraged just feet in front of me and then would travel by in single-file lines. It was awesome.

The bad news? The digital card that I took all the photos on went circuits-up when I tried to download the pictures. I have tried 12 different ways to rescue them but the danged thing just won't mount anywhere. I have decided they are lost forever.

Then again, there was that "We recover pictures from digital cards!" sign up at the local photo and hobby store. Hmmmmmm...might be the final try. I just can't convince myself to throw the thing away.

SO! All I have left of the Fox Sparrow are a couple fairly horrible photos from the end of my hike out to Dungeness Lighthouse. They are from a good distance so I had to enlarge them but they are Fox Sparrows.

The first bird I saw near the maintenance building was a Junco but there were other birds flying to and from the bird feeder set up outside so I stopped to rest and see what I could see. After the Junco caught my eye, a Spotted Towhee hopped out to pick up seed from the ground and was soon followed by a Fox Sparrow.



It would grab something and fly back to the brambles to eat and then come back out again after a couple minutes. Every now and then it would jump up on a nearby stump and do a display of some sort by flaring out its tail every now and then.



Then it would fly back into the brambles. Interesting. I still had a half-mile to get back to the car for some Gatorade so I headed on.

If there is some miracle that resurrects the fallen digital card I will update this species account, but I have a feeling that the cold science of the situation will prevail.

Pity.

Still, I have the memory of that morning by the Pacific in my brain. It was a warming time on a chilly day.

Golden-crowned Sparrow

In the top ten of most wanted to see birds on our Washington trip was the Golden-crowned Sparrow. I had seen photos that others had taken and decided I needed to see one up close and personal.

We didn't see a lot of them but they were found in several locations throughout the week. The first possible sighting was a small flock quickly crossing the road as we went around Brady Loop toward Ocean Shores. They dashed into some blackberry bushes and refused to come back up for a positive ID.

So, I would have to wait until my Dungeness hike to find them for sure. It was a cold, windy morning but at the edge of the bluff near the entrance to the park there were a lot of Golden-crowned Kinglets and just beyond them the sparrows appeared.

Unlike the Kinglets, which flitted around and past my head so fast I could not get a got photo, the sparrows were a little more bold and stopped out on the grass to peck at seeds. It was the best place to get a shot of the male to show the crown.



So, a definite ID and bird added to the list. We found one more flock the next day out at Nisqually. The males were ahead of the females and did not want to pose here. A female did stop in a small tree in the marsh and seemed to freeze as if trying to hide from me. It stopped long enough for a closer shot.



I would like some better chances for photos, of course, but it was nice to see them several times in different habitats.

Now I needed to find a Fox Sparrow...

Song Sparrows

One of the species I am working on improving ID skills on is the Sparrow and its many groups. Most of the Orlando Sparrows are of the House variety. Those are easy. Several other types live in the state but they are usually in most rural areas until Winter when we get a few new birds hanging out for a while.

In Washington, Sparrows seemed to be everywhere. I added a few new Life birds on the recent trip including some of the Sparrows that are most common in the state. First up for discussion is the Song Sparrow.

Song Sparrows were the most frequently viewed Sparrow on our trip and I already miss them. They are much more likely to pop out of the bushes for good looks and photos and have a wonderful song. Naturally.

The first confirmed sighting came after I took a wrong turn looking for a store and ended up 15-20 miles away in the town of Belfair. I found a trail that was mentioned by my brother-in-law a day or two before. I didn't have time to explore it but I stepped out to listen and look for a minute.

Beyond the flock of Black-capped Chickadees, another new Life bird for the day, was a bird calling from a small tree. I had to scoot around the back side of tree and managed to walk up fairly close to the bird. Wasn't sure what it was at the moment but the shot made the ID pretty easy later.



The next morning, I was able to find them all over the Port Orchard neighborhood and I showed one photo at the feeder spot in the previous post about the new feeder I placed before we left.

We also saw them on every stop throughout the state. Even when I tried to make them into something new like a Lincoln's Sparrow. No luck on that but seeing so many Song Sparrows was and fun bonus.

Last big bird site of the trip was Nisqually and the Song Sparrows were all over the place, too. The first pair were inspecting the reeds in the small pond in front of the visitor center.






We reached the limit of our walk thanks to time constraints so we looped back and I heard a really loud song that ended with a rather metallic ending. I couldn't find the bird but knew it had to be very close. I started to give up the search and nearly walked into the singing bird.

It stayed and sang some more and let me get in one last shot.



Like I said, I miss them already.

There were other birds around that day such as the Golden-crowned Sparrows and I will talk about them next time.
For more info and a sample of the Song Sparrow's song head over to the page for them at the USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter.

Once I get through all of the Washington birds, I will try to remember to discuss some of the Florida sparrows including the Grasshopper and Henslow's Sparrows. After all, those are what I wanted to start this blog experiment with in the first place!

You never know which direction the birds will lead you.

American Wigeons

So, we covered the smoking Eurasian variety. The Washington trip was also the first time I got fairly close to some of the more common American versions. Most of them were off in the distance but close enough to pick out with binoculars.

At Nisqually, however, they were right next to the boardwalk that guides visitors on a 1-mile trek around the first part of the property. We had rain showers that were sweeping through in waves but being closer made for some nice photos. The first shot was with the film camera as a few birds picked along the duck weed in the canals.



Here, a male and female give a good look at their different plumage types.



It was nice to see the bold green stripe that goes along the head of the males as they cruise through the water.



A final shot and then we would leave them to feed and relax in the light rain and cool forest canopy.



We had other birds to find but I hope that I can get some closer looks here in Florida next Fall or Winter.

The Unexpected Wigeons

I wasn't paying attention to the fact that Wigeons would be out in the Washington area. We get a smattering of American Wigeons in places like Merritt Island in the winter and I guess that in my mind that's where they would be still and yet to move back north.

All of the Wigeons I have encountered in Florida have been, oh, 100 yards away or more. Here they were much closer in various locations. Most were off to the side of the road in small ponds or in waterways leading in from the ocean but always in spots I couldn't just stop and view them easily.

The first place I did find a spot to view them I almost didn't.

After my 10 mile hike out to Dungeness I decided to stop at some of the spots mentioned in the Washington bird finding guide. Most were directly across from the Dungeness Spit and past Sequim (pronounced "Squim") on the way back to homebase in Port Orchard.

One of these spots was by the Three Crabs Restaurant. It overlooks Dungeness Bay and was marked for numerous chances to see some birds. As I parked in the gravel parking lot I had noticed some ducks to my left but didn't really think too much about it. Some were Mallards for sure, so...

I headed up the dead end road noticing American Wigeons in the ponds and a House Finch pair on the fences. Heading back toward the restaurant and curiosity got the better of me and I parked in the lot again and got out to check out the Mallards I had seen earlier. Good thing I did. It got another Life Bird for me.

Among the Mallards and American Wigeons was one rarer bird: Eurasian Wigeon. Easily told apart from the American variety by the Rufus head feathers, even in the fading light, it was dabbling back in forth in the mixed flock. Still a little too far out for a great picture but fine for ID.



I also like the small group of American Wigeons doing some sort of display in that shot. In the next shot you can see the Eurasian in the middle, Mallard behind him and an American Wigeons surrounding them.



There was still one more unexpected Wigeon to be found. Rather shocking to find this behavior. Maybe they figured some square like me being so far away couldn't get to them in trouble so what the heck...

If I ever do find this little rascal's parents you bet I will tell them that their precious baby is being a bad influence on his peers. I mean, I never even knew Wigeons COULD do such a thing. Imagine the surprise, finding a duck that can smoke!



With all the wind that day I am can't fathom how he even got the thing lit.

My Port Orchard Alarm Clock

Beginning with Day 2, the first morning after the flight in, of our Washington trip I started hearing one of the most wonderful songs I have ever heard. Loud, crisp, wandering all over the scale and lasting several seconds at a time.

I scanned the towering trees in the pre-dawn gloom and failed to find the singer. One moment the song would be off to the side of the house and the next it would seem to be quite close. Every silence-shattering song would send me searching in a slightly different direction. Even when it seemed the song was coming from a nearby, leafless tree I failed to find the bird.

I made a mental note to remember the song and track down a CD of western bird calls A.S.A.P.!

The following morning brought the same situation. Dark, cold, misty morning with those wondrous songs all over and a lone guy in his PJs and leather jacket searching the trees with binoculars. The Spotted Towhees, Varied Thrushes, and Hairy Woodpeckers (all Life birds) were nice, but I needed to find this crooner.

Just as we were wrapping up breakfast I stepped out back to inspect the scene. At the bottom of the stairs was a small brown bird searching around a small wood pile. Knew by the size and actions that it was some sort of Wren. I ran back in to get the camera hoping it would be something new for me.

Got a couple quick shots in the gloomy morning rain. Better yet, it sang! I had finally found my new alarm clock. The Winter Wren.



Soon, I was seeing them all over the place. Mainly in the underbrush and skipping from low branches to leafy piles. Every now and then they would pause and emit their song then continue foraging.

To here this song for yourself and read a little more about Winter Wrens, click here.

Now, off to search for an actual alarm clock that I might be able to arm with that song...

Clark's Nutcracker

Last time we had the Jays we found in Washington and I realize I forgot another bird from Mount Rainier. Not a new bird so it wasn't in the same vein as the others. However, I can't forget the Clark's Nutcracker which is also more in the crow family.

On my first trip out west in the 80s we found several of these birds in several states. I even got a photo of one without trying when I was trying to get a shot of Wizard Island at Crater Lake.



I wasn't even looking for them this trip but there they were way up at Paradise Lodge on Mount Rainier. A pair were flying from one set of pines to another as the sky darkened and the next wave of snow showers began to fall upon us. I had to rush across the icy parking lot to grab a quick shot.



From Cornell Labs, here are a few interesting facts about Clark's Nutcracker:

* The Clark's Nutcracker has a special pouch under its tongue that it uses to carry seeds long distances. The nutcracker harvests seeds from pine trees and takes them away to hide them for later use.

* The Clark's Nutcracker hides thousands and thousands of seeds each year. Laboratory studies have shown that the bird has a tremendous memory and can remember where to find most of the seeds it hides.

* The Clark's Nutcracker feeds its nestlings pine seeds from its many winter stores (caches). Because it feeds the young on stored seeds, the nutcracker can breed as early as January or February, despite the harsh winter weather in its mountain home.

* The Clark's Nutcracker is one of very few members of the crow family where the male incubates the eggs. In jays and crows, taking care of the eggs is for the female only. But the male nutcracker actually develops a brood patch on its chest just like the female, and takes his turn keeping the eggs warm while the female goes off to get seeds out of her caches.

Washington Jays

Some things we just take for granted. Or, maybe just we don't appreciate some everyday things for one reason or another. When you start looking a birding forums from different areas of the country or world it starts becoming obvious really quickly.

For example, to get an idea as to what birds I might find on our Washington trip, I subscribed to the Tweeters forum which concentrates on bird sightings in the Northwest. Early on there were excited conversations about a rare bird in the Seattle area: a Blue Jay.

For someone who has grown up seeing a Blue Jay seemingly everyday of his life this brought a little chuckle to my throat. Likewise, an earlier photo posting I did about a "common" bird, the Northern Mockingbird, turned out to not be so common throughout the country. Have to remind myself that common to me isn't common to everyone.

So, it was our turn to head out west and check out some common, uncommon birds. Speaking of Jays, I will showcase a few of the western types here.

The first species we encountered was along a road that swings by the Chehalis River called the Brady Loop. It swings through some farmland just off of the interstate. We were headed to Ocean Shores and my mind was more focused on possible birds there but we decided to drive through since it was mentioned in the Washington Bird Finding Guide.

Down near the river's edge, we paused to check out some activity along the fences but it turned out to be more Song Sparrows. A couple swallows teased me by flashing through so fast it was impossible to know if they were the sought after Violet-green versions.

Driving slowly onward, we came closer to a farmhouse with a little barn in the back. From the doorway, something blue shot out to the oak trees. Turned out to be a Western Scrub Jay! Hadn't counted on that. In fact, there were at least 4 though they never came any closer for more than a zoomed in view.

You can check out the Florida Scrub Jay for comparison here.



There were dozens of European Starling foraged with them and a Stellar's Jay joined in. I didn't get a closer look at a Stellar's Jay this trip until we got up to Mt. Rainier. I had seen a Stellar's Jay in Oregon on a trip years ago so it wasn't a new bird but I am still hoping to get a better photo. Until then...



That shot was at the Longmire Lodge but the bird would not sit still too long. I had another shot on digital but that is the only card I have ever had that got corrupted. Lost my good Fox Sparrows, too. Oh, well.

The last Jay of the trip was hanging around with the Stellar's. Or maybe it was the other way around. This Jay was more curious and seemed to be looking for handouts where ever they were found. The Gray Jay.

I had seen pictures of them before but not in person. They are amazingly adorable, no?



We saw them in several places along the roads and pull-offs.



Very friendly birds. We sometimes had a half-dozen around us at a time. Every now and then one would launch themselves from a branch and fly right at my head before changing course to land nearby. Wish I had another day to spend with them.

To Give and Receive

Where to begin this Washington trip blogging? So many things, so many birds. I figure no one wants to read a long-winded day-by-day account of the trip. I know I might not make it through it as a reader.
So I'll take a new tack.

This is "Drew's Birds" so we will stick to the birds. Fair enough? Cool. I am still scanning and processing files so there will be a lot to share. Might as well begin at the end and hopscotch all over as needed.

This way...

The total count for Life birds is still being determined but will end up around 45. On the last day to go sightseeing I had 2 of those just walking out the door. It was bound to happen.

A few days into the trip I decided that my in-laws needed a feeder of some sort. Just stepping outside as I did almost every morning after dawn was like stepping into some great aviary. Bird song floats or pierces the air from all sides and 150 feet overhead. Problem is, it is hard to see the singers through dense cover and cedar branches.

And shade. Lots of shade.

A bird feeder would have to draw some of the little guys closer. Wednesday night I bought a feeder, a hook, some seed and found a place for it when most of the family was asleep. I knew I wouldn't be able to see the discovery by birds or humans but, oh, well. I had Dungeness to hike.

But the day after the hike, I woke to find a pair of Song Sparrows feeding on the seed I had thrown around under the feeder as a "starter" for the birds to find the spot.



We got ready to head to Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and while I was getting things into the rental car the birds were getting really loud. A lot of little chips and cheeps and then a flash of tiny feathers near the feeder. Then more and more and more.

The first new bird of the day was one on the several I had written off as the week progressed: Chestnut-backed Chickadee.



Cute, eh? So is the bird! There were over half a dozen of that species and it was soon joined by a bird I had found a few days earlier after getting lost trying to find a store: Black-capped Chickadee.



The most surprising bird flew in somewhere in the feeding frenzy but I had to look a couple of time to see that it really was different from the others. Until it flew to the feeder alone: Red-breasted Nuthatch. Second new bird of the morning.



Not a great pic but enough. Then we were off to find the final new birds of the trip but that will have to wait until a later date.

The main point is that the gift I had given to bring the joy birds to others also served to bring me some new birds, too. I only got to watch for a few minutes but I am sure it will bring many birds up close as long as the seed is there.

Speaking of which, I need to go check my feeders at home. Goldfinches are going crazy!

Back from Washington State

Whew! Longest vacation in a while. A good trip to catch up with the west coast relatives and get in some birding and sight seeing.

Shortly, I will begin recounting the birds portion in a day by day posting. After I finish scanning all relevant photos. Might be a little be. Only shot 19 rolls of film and 10 digital cards worth!

In the meantime, we got home late Saturday night and I had to check the feeders to see what was up while we were away. Holy Cats! Those Goldfinches were HUNGRY!

Every feeder was drained empty. Nyjer, sunflower, all except the suet which hasn't been touched since I hung it out. Oh, well. Need a different brand I suppose. Bird bath was dry and full of leaves since it is our "Fall" this time of year.

With an empty cupboard, I was afraid that the goldfinches had eaten and run. I filled the feeders near midnight and crossed my fingers.

We slept in late, still on west coast time, and by the time I checked out back...



Not too mad at me afterall! Time to head out and buy more nyjer...

A Favorite: Brown Thrashers

We recaptured one of of my favorite bird species this past weekend: Brown Thrasher. They are starting to arrive again in numbers and it only takes a few months absence to make me realize how much I like them.



From those bright yellow eyes to the excellent reddish-brown back and tail to the marvelous brown spots on a bright white breast they are a lovely bird to behold.



Maybe its the Mockingbird-like singing or the curious "chuck!" calls while foraging.

Maybe its because they fit in my hand a lot easier. Nice and hefty.

Glad they are back.