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April 4, 2009

WOS Trip to Port Townsend and Vicinity

Yesterday, 4 of us from WOS made a trip up to Port Townsend and vicinity. The day started out clear and cold (32F) with a hint of haze or fog. The ferry ride from Edmonds was fairly quiet with a few SURF SCOTERs, an occasional HORNED GREBE and GLAUCOUS-WINGED and MEW GULLs. A couple of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTs flew by and a single PELAGIC CORMORANT. The most numerous birds were PIGEON GUILLEMOTs. Approaching the terminal in Kingston there were a few COMMON GOLDENEYE. As we drove out of Kingston we encountered fog. We made a quick stop at Salsbury Point County Park near the Hood Canal Bridge. More Pigeon Guillemots, Horned Grebes, Surf Scoters and our first COMMON LOON. Squinting into the morning glare there were some ducks near the shore, but it was too bright for good ID.

We pushed on up to Port Townsend, with minimal visibility as we went through the Chimacum Valley due to the fog, although a COMMON RAVEN flew by. Port Townsend and Fort Worden were in the sun. We took a walk thru the rhododendren gardens and past the dirigible hanger and out to the Chinese Gardens area. We saw BROWN CREEPER, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, DARK-EYED JUNCO, SONG SPARROW, SPOTTED TOWHEE, AMERICAN ROBIN, VARIED THRUSH, PINE SISKEN, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET and AMERICAN CROW in the garden and dirigible area. CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEEs were two feet over our heads. Out at the lake at Chinese Gardens we had GREATER SCAUP, MALLARD, HOODED MERGANSER, AMERICAN WIGEON, two EURASIAN WIGEON, CANADA and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. In the pond back in the woods there were BUFFLEHEAD and MALLARD. Along the trail we saw a WINTER WREN and a female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD.

Next we went out to Point Wilson by the lighthouse. A NORTHERN HARRIER female was coursing over the fields. It started out quiet with a few RHINOCEROS AUKLETs flying and drifting by. A couple of PELAGIC CORMORANTs went past. We spotted a different looking loon southeast of the lighthouse and walked closer. It was the YELLOW-BILLED LOON. We watched it with Bob Whitney for about 20 minutes while it fished, catching at least one fish. A feeding frenzy started out with GLUACOUS-WINGED and MEW GULLs and lots of RHINOCEROS AUKLETs, a few cormorants, HORNED GREBEs, RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs, and PIGEON GUILLEMOTs moving around the currents. A COMMON LOON was present in breeding plumage. Two MARBLED MURRELETS took off and flew out of sight. HOUSE FINCH were around the lighthouse and a small group of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWs flew past.

We made our way down to Point Hudson and had more gulls, the first two BRANT of the day, HARLEQUIN DUCKs, a single BONAPARTE'S GULL, and over by the marina entrance pilings at least 100 BLACK TURNSTONES. A few DUNLIN zoomed by. We went thru town and stopped at Kah Tai Lagoon, barely making there before a giant parade of logging trucks came past sounding their horns and sounding like a giant train. Out on the lake there were MALLARDs, RUDDY DUCKs, LESSER SCAUP, and GADWALL. In the scrubby areas we had our only HOUSE SPARROW of the day. AMERICAN CROWs were plentiful, and we saw SPOTTED TOWHEE and a BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE. A couple of AMERICAN COOT were on the pond.

We left Port Townsend and went to the Port Hadlock area. At lower Port Hadlock we had an unusual PACIFIC LOON close to shore, and on the lagoon/pond COMMON MERGANSER, NORTHERN PINTAIL and GREAT BLUE HERON. At the county park on Indian Island we had a large (at least 200 hundred) group of BRANT. On the old small jetty we had two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERs, some more HARLEQUIN DUCK, two BALD EAGLEs perched in a tree, NORTHERN PINTAIL.

By now it had warmed up to close to 50 F and was very pleasant. At Mystery Bay there were more Pintail, a single GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, GREAT BLUE HERON, lots of HORNED GREBEs out in the channel. At the pond near the RV park there were RINGED-NECKED DUCK and AMERICAN WIGEON. We pushed on out to the West Beach at Fort Flagler State Park. More BRANT, across on the beach on Indian Island were lots of gulls and a group of about 25 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and a few DUNLIN and two GREATER YELLOWLEGs. We walked out to the point of the spit and could see lots of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs, HORNED GREBEs, a single EARED GREBE, BUFFLEHEADs, and on the tower lots of DOUBLE-CRESTED, PELAGIC and about five BRANDT'S CORMORANTs. A single KILLDEER flew away and a WESTERN MEADOWLARK perched on a log. We walked back down to the boat launch and scanned the water finding a group of 8 LONG-TAILED DUCK. Over at the lighthouse at Marrowstone Point we had more Mallards, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, and a single male NORTHERN SHOVELER. A RED-TAILED HAWK soared overhead on the way out. As we left Marrowstone and Indian Islands a PILEATED WOODPECKER flew over the car. We stopped at Oak Bay County Park that had few birds, but did have a nicely accomodating THAYER'S GULL perched eight feet from us.

We stopped at Shine Tidelands State Park just before the Hood Canal Bridge and had a BELTED KINGFISHER flew toward the bridge. About 12 GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs worked the edges of the blackberries and a couple of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWs. We stopped at Port Gamble and picked up some WHITE-WINGED SCOTERs, a TURKEY VULTURE flew over, another BELTED KINGFISHER was by the dock.

On the ferry back we saw RED-NECKED GREBE and BONAPARTE'S GULL.

At various spots along the way we also saw PIED-BILLED GREBE, ROCK PIGEON, NORTHERN FLICKER, STELLER'S JAY, EUROPEAN STARLING, and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD.

It was a very pleasant day with many birds and good companions. We saw 82 species for the day.

Brian H. Bell

Woodinville WA

Trip Species List