Kay and I drove the Orting Farm Loop, across the Puyallup River on Calistoga, today and enjoyed sunny skies and the ride but only a likely juvenile Am. Kestrel was of any note for birds. This was on our way to the Bellevue Arts Museum where the shows were excellent and we visited with Stephanie and Dave Allgood. Lunch at Araya’s Vegan Thai Restaurant was extraordinary.
Category: Ed’s Birding Notes
This is where I post my personal birding notes.
A Fellowship of Birders at Gig Harbor Viewpoint – 5-Mile Drive
Today was a midday to gather with fellow birders at the recent Pierce County hotspot, the Gig Harbor Viewpoint off 5-Mile Drive at Point Defiance. I got there about 10:45 (the drive is closed to traffic until 10 AM) just as Ken Brown was bringing Sophie (his dog) through the hole in the fence. Already there were Bruce Labar (the reason everyone was coming, to try to find the vagrants he has found over the last 2 days at this spot) and Michael Hobbs were already watching the Parasitic Jaegers harass the few gulls present. Marv Breese showed up shortly thereafter and we all had a great time looking at several Cassin’s aucklets, Parasitic Jaegers, various gulls, Rhionceros aucklets, Bald Eagles, cormorants, and scoters. Overall the jaegers and Cassin’s aucklets were the highlights, and the fellowship with great birders was a huge bonus. I stayed until about 2 PM when I started get cold. See checklist.
What Storm?
This morning I got out to look at the Sound, at Brown’s Point Lighthouse and Dash Point, hoping maybe the wind had blown something in from the ocean, but it was very quiet, and despite fair viewing conditions, not much wind or rain, nothing much there. Then I checked out American Lake, at the Camp Murray Boat Launch and the Harry Todd Park, and again nothing much at all. Good to get some fresh air, but not birdy at all.
Pierce First Lapland Longspur
Today Kay and I headed back to Gog-li-hi-ti to look for the Lapland Longspurs seen yesterday by Michael Charest. We got there about 8:30 and started to walk back and forth in the mowed central meadow hoping to see or more likely flush the longspurs. After several transects walked, I was starting to be discouraged, when on the next to the last area, getting closer to the river, I flushed three birds from the grass which called the classic LALO rattle call, and got good looks at the face pattern, unmarked underparts, and face pattern as they flew overhead, made several large circles of the whole area, calling often, before they settled back down just about 50 yards back where we had previously walked. We slowly crept up to where they landed, and Kay first saw one about 10 feet from her. I tried to get in position to see it but it flushed, calling, and set down about 30 feet away in clear sight. Nice views, no photos as i didn’t bring the camera today, but we watched two birds sneak around the grass for a half hour or so. Later as we walked the loop 18 LALO’s took flight, circled a bit, flew across the river before at least 2 returned to the meadow. It is remarkable that we must have walked right by that many without flushing them earlier. Anyway Pierce first for both of us.
Today in Pierce
This morning after a workout at the “Y” I headed for the trail at the end of McNeil in Dupont to see if the Northern Harrier or BBPL seen from there recently might still be around. A bit drizzly but not too wet, but nothing but distant gulls, cormorants, a couple of Common Loons, and small flocks of robins and waxwings seen.
Several more stops at Mount’s Road, Easterday Road, Gog-li-hi-ti, the 11th Street Bridge gull spot, and on the way home the 56th St Stormwater area in Puyallup yielded little of note. Good to be back home birding though.
Pectoral Sandpiper at Levy Pond
Bruce and others have had a Pectoral Sandpiper at Levy Pond for several days, and so when I got home from ME today I headed there after unpacking and getting lunch. Sure enough, it hung around and was in good light at pretty close range for photos.
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Six Long-billed Dowichers were there too.
A nice quick stop to feel back at home.
Cassin’s Aucklet Today
About 11:30 AM today Bruce texted to let me know he had a Cassin’s Aucklet off Dash point. I had to work the Rotary Lot 1-5 today so was not able to dash over. I thought it was unlikely the bird would remain long, but after dinner Kay and I went over to check it out and watch the sunset. Nothing at all at Dash Point, but at Brown’s Point Lighthouse sure enough the CAAU was in flat water, just about 200-250 M off shore. We had nice if distant looks, and are confident of the ID. Digiscope attempts in waning light were useless, but the small size, round head, very pointy bill, grayish color overall with whiter below just at the water without a sharp demarcation line, lack of white wing patch and no strong head pattern exclude most other options, and the general shape especially head shape exclude MAMU. A Pierce first for us.
Out with Kay this Morning
This morning Kay and I intended to first bird several areas at Point Defiance, but after checking Owen’s Beach were unable to do the 5-mile drive as it was closed until 10AM. We then went to the Chamber’s Bay beach access where two sanderlings remained, and enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air, but not much else for birds of note.
Sanderlings Stuck Around for Me Today
Bruce and many others have been seeing a small flock of Sanderling’s at the Chamber’s Bay Beach Access area for the last week or so, and I thought I’d likely miss them, but my first chance after getting back today I went and tried. I was thinking maybe they had vamooshed but no, after a modest walk north from the steps there they were, roosting and foraging in the driftwood and debris near the back of the beach. They flushed to the water as I walked up on them. I believe this is second time in Pierce for Sanderling for me, prior in the same place, but I didn’t have them on eBird, so as far as record keeping it’s a Pierce County first for me.
Also had a Lincoln’s sparrow further down the beach in the trees by the RR tracks. 2 FOY birds there for me today.
Shorebirding in Pierce Heating Up
Mid August is here and the juvenile vagrants are starting to show up in Pierce County. Yesterday I got out intending to do the usual Levy Pond, Fife Saddle Creek Oxbow, and 56th St. Stormwater Ponds loop, but got stalled at Levy Pond where I found a Solitary Sandpiper, and wanted to take plenty of time to assure myself of the ID and get photos good enough to convince eBird.
Today I took Kay back to Levy Pond to see the SOLS without success but instead we found a Baird’s Sandpiper, another really good Pierce Co. bird. This was a Pierce lifer for me. I contacted Bruce and he got there just after I left, and he had the Solitary. After success finding the Black Phoebe at the Fife Saddle Creek area Kay and I headed back to spend a while visiting with Bruce and Peter W. but the SOLS seemed to have gone back into hiding.
From there we headed for Brown’s Point to look for alcids, Common Tern, Parasitic Jaeger, and have a sit in the sun, but on our way Bruce called to tell us about a Semi-palmated Plover at Middle Waterway. We pulled a u-turn, headed there and found that FOY Pierce species. Overall a great 2-day, low effort shorebirding time.
