We got to Finca Tres Rios, the name Jean and Alan have given their farm near Tinamaste, Costa Rica late in the day yesterday, and got settled into delightful accommodations by their neighbor who has two cabins for rent just across the road from their place. It is just a short walk to the farm, and the cabins have two bedrooms, a small kitchen, shower and outdoor seating as well as a great SWIMMING POOL. The pool was the hit today, as it was quite warm, maybe 90 degrees with little breeze middaiy. The evenings and nights are delightful so far as the breeze picks up, and it cools to about 70.
Today Marian and I woke early and started to find our way around as it got light. Sunrise here seems about 5:50- AM, sunset about 5:30 PM. We managed a few birds seen well enough to ID, a few others seen but not identified, and seemingly dozens heard and not IDed. Out eBird list has just a pitiful 9 species in over 2 hours, as it was really hard to get onto much in the very thick foliage. Still great to see Yellow-throated Toucan and nesting Firey-billed Aracari, Masked Tityra, Montezuma Oropendula, Roadside Hawk, and Yellow and Chestnut-sided Warblers. Probably 8-10 others seen but not IDed including a Treecreeper, flycatcher and more.
Later in the day Brett and I drove to Uvita, famous for Invision the huge festival held annually, and enroute I saw a King Vulture among huge numbers of Black Vultures, and back at Dominical got lifer Costa Rican Swift, and a few more species at the river mouth.
Back home this afternoon we took a family walk, and Alan spotted a Collared Forest Falcon, and we got on a Trogon from behind, left unidentified.
Overall a really nice day to catch up with Jean, Brett Alan and Valle, get acclimated a bit and relax.
Tomorrow, who knows what’s out there.
Category: Ed’s Birding Notes
This is where I post my personal birding notes.
Two Days in San Jose, Costa Rica with Minimal Birding
Marian and I flew from Seattle via San Francisco and Houston arriving in San Jose, Costa Rica about 11:45 PM on Thursday Feb 25th We had a room at the Courtyard by Mariott right near the airport for the night. The flights and shuttle were uneventful. We met Jean at 11 AM the next morning, with time for a 39 minute birding walk at the hotspot right beside the hotel. Believe it or not called the Walmart Woods, a scraggly patch of riparian wooods and stream between the airport and the Walmart. The list was feeble, with 9 species and 3 more left unidentified. Best ID’ed birds were Baltimore Oriole and Yellow Warbler, though I added 6 birds to my CR life list including Great Blue Heron and Great Egret. The rest of the day was taken up largely with getting to the Hotel Aranjuez, some errands, and resting up, but I posted an eBird list of the hotel grounds, actually an eBird Hotspot. Nothing special seen.
This morning I did wake at 6 AM and got out by about 6:15. I birded the hotel grounds quickly and then wandered about, going down a long set of stairs to a small river, walking over to the organic market, and then back up on streets. Rufous-colared Sparrows were all around, calling and singing, and several Yellow Warblers and Blue-gray Tanagers were seen. A Red-billed Pigeon gave good close looks, and several Parrot and Parakeet flocks went unidentified. Tomorrow we head off to Jean and Alan’s place, with a stop at an organic farm, and likely stops along the way, so I’m hoping for much more exciting birding starting tomorrow.
Good birding.
Ed
With a Lot of Help From My Friends
I am leaveing for a 5 week journey next week, and won’t be back to Washington until April 1st. Every year I challenge myself to put together a year list of species of birds seen in my state of residence, Washington State, and I think of a nice round number of 300 species as a low end of a good year’s sample of WA birds. Using eBird reports, more or less 20 birders each year find 300+ species, so it is definately not extraordinarily difficult, but it does not happen without getting around the state quite a bit in a year. In 2020, 20 eBirders listedat least 300 species in WA, in 2019 = 18, in 2018 = 17, in 2017 = 17, in 2016 = 21) I managed in every year since 2017, with a high of 330, and a low in Covid -2020 or 304)
This year, with my upcoming trip I set a goal of 200 species before leaving, and today I got #200, Barn Swallow at Magnanun Park in Seattle. Marian and I managed this plus the Sora at Green Lake while missing an early Rufous Hummingbird on Queen Anne, while making time for takeout Chipoltle on her daughter’s deck with her two grandchildren.
Although many of these birds I managed birding alone, many were with Marian (her list YTD is 125, putting her in the top 100 in WA, and many of the tough birds were with good friends. Bruce LaBar, Ken Brown, Will Brooks and I birded the Okanogan Highlands and the Waterville Plateau with lots of winter specialties (GCRF, CORE, GRPA, CHUK, NOPY, SNBU, SNOW, and lots more). Ken and I have birded on the Vashon CBC, a good trip to the coast, and a few outings in Mason and Kitsap Counties to pad my list. Blair Bernson and I birded Kittitas County to add White-headed Woodpecker and Rock Wren to the list.
Part of the joy I find in this challenge is in getting to many of my favorite WA sites annually. Part is the joy of the hunt. Part is exploring new areas. That said, for me a huge part of the motivation, fun and joy is birding and sharing the joy of birding with good friends. Thanks to everyone I’ve birded with as well as to all the eBirders who posted many of the species finds that I got to chase and enjoy.
Good birding!
Point No Point and area with Ken
We started at a new place for me, the Hansville Greenway, hoping to see whatever the large white bird in a photo sent by Caroline Barry, but taken by someone else, was. Ken thought a Snow Goose, I guessed maybe Snow Goose but maybe Great Egret. Awful photo, but either a good bird for Kitsap. We saw no large white bird, but got in about a 4-mile walk in a wet woodland. Not very great birding.
From here we headed to Point No Point. Always a place with possibilities. We did get Ken’s FOY Kitsap Sanderling, a very close up and obliging single bird on the beach. Lots of Marbled Murrelets, Bonaparte’s Gulls, and a modest variety of other species, but nothing else really special.
We next birded Driftwood Key, where lots of Dunlin had 4 more sanderlings, lots of Brant, and visited briefly with Mike Barry, Caroline was laying low with minor Covid vaccine #2 side effects.
This was followed by a stop on a nearby beach where 2 FOY for me Black Oystercatchers gave good scope distant views. This was one of 2 FOY birds for me with a reasonable likelihood, so nice to get.
We then cruised the Driftwood Key neighborhoods hoping for a Ring-necked Pheasant, and while Ken was studying a female RWBL, hoping to see his FOY Brown-headed Cowbird, a cock pheasant called loudly and flew right in front of us. Ken somehow didn’t react, and by the time he did was facing 180 degrees the wrong direction as to where the bird was flying. I grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him to see the pheasant as it flew over a clearing and dropped into the tall vegetation. FOY for both of us and a good laugh to boot.
Our last stop was at Point Julia, a great place for Black Scoter, where we saw an incredible 13 individuals, along with 7 Long-tailed Ducks, the seemingly resident Western Gull, and finished the day strongly.
Coast Trip 1-29-2021
Marian and I got out of town today and headed for the coast. My primary goal was to see the Gyrfalcon at Westhaven State Park and to see how many FOY birds I could find. The CBC at Ocean Shores was so a battle with the weather that I got little on that day, so low hanging fruit for FOY birds was available. It seemed like except for no new rocky shorebirds we had great success.
We headed for Tokeland first, hoping for the tide to be low enough that Willet and Marbled Godwit would still be around. Willets were easy, as one flushed off the beach in front of the parking lot as I got out of the car, and a total of 16 were easy to see. Marbled Godwit not so much, but a single MAGO was at the end of Graveyard Spit at our next stop. Bright sunshine and no rain held all morning, and we were having great fun. The bonus of Tokeland was at least 12, maybe more Snowy Plovers at Graveyard Spit. They were running aroung sometimes near the water, often higher up on the sand, tiny, pale, shortbilled plovers with indistinct incomplete neck bands. I’d not seen them there before, but checked eBird bar charts, and it looks like the second half of Jan is the best chance for them there.
Greter White-fronted Geese were seen on a lawn in Tokeland too.
We tried the beach at Warrenton Cannery Road, but no SNPL there, so we were especially grateful for those at Tokeland.
As we got to Westport we picked up a nice flock of Semi-palmated Plover in the Coast Guard parking lot. Were they trying to get heat off the pavement? There were very close Least Sandpipers in the ditch beside the car. They shocked Marian with their tiny size, she thought they must be baby birds.
From there a dash for the Gyr. Found almost immediately after putting bins on a Bald Eagle, and then seeing the Gyr on the next more distant utility pole. It was very used to people as a steady stream of bike riders did not seem to faze it a bit. We looked from the road across the open field, then drove over to park by the large tower, where it was much closer. It posed for great views and photo ops, then flew to a stump for even better viewing. An awesome bird. Maybe the best looks I’ve ever had of a Gyrfalcon.
We tried for rocky shorebirds at the jetty, then at the marina rocks, but found only 3 or 6 (tyhe same 3 twice?) Black Turnstones.
Bottle Beach was fun, with a large flock of Marbled Godwits (est 450). along with Black-bellied Plover and Dunlin, but nothing different aI could find. As the tide receded more and more birds came in, and it rained harder and harder. We decided to call it a trip and head home as the weather report called for rain all night and most of tomorrow. We had considered an overnight and birding Ocean Shores tomorrow, but chose home cooking, staying drier and our own bed instead.
A great day though, and an in-our-face look at a Gyrfalcon is hard to beat.
Good birding and good day!
North Central Winter Trip 2021
What a wonderful break from hunkering down close to home. Bruce LaBar, Ken Brown, Will Brooks and I birded the north central WA areas that in the past has been one of the favorite ABC Birding Club trips. We lucked out in facing no fog, no snow until flurries on the third day, and had terrific days on both the Waterville Plateau Friday and in the Okanogan Highlands on Saturday. It was cold (8-25 much of the time) but not windy, sunny and overall very comfortable.
We started by birding the Confluence State Park in Wenachee briefly. On the drive in Will spotted a Say’s Phoebe foraging by the restroom. This was somewhat unexpectedly early for the phoebe to return north. A several Snow Geese and a Greater White-fronted Goose were a mixed flock of Canada and Cackling Geese on the lawns. A fair mix of ducks on the river provided nothing special, but we checked it quickly and headed for Waterville. Our first east-side specialties were 5 Gray Partridge that flushed from the side of the road outside Waterville. Usual common winter specialties like Horned Lark and Rough-legged Hawk were seen before our first major stop at the Lamoine Windbreak. We walked along the right side of the windbreak hoping for a Long-eared Owl. Ken and I saw a largish bird flush shortly after starting the walk, but it took a while before (I’ll cut and paste this phrase for frequent use) Will spotted a roosting LEOW fairly high in a pine tree, visible only silhouetted against a tiny gap of visible sky, and we all got to see it well.
We birded our way to Withrow, found nothing special there and then stopped by the area on D Rd NW where I had found American Tree Sparrows in December. Again Will found these first, and we all managed looks at these handsome sparrows. We picked up a Prairie Falcon on a pole at Road 14 NE. On Road F we drove up on a huge flock of Snow Buntings, with modest numbers of Horned Larks, and at least 4 Gray-crowned Rosy Finches.
Shortly after leaving the flock, still high from the excitement a Snowy Owl flushed just in front of Ken and Bruce in the lead car. We all got great looks at the big white owl in the bright sun as it flew away over the snowy wheat fields and disappeared over a low hill.
Since we had seen almost all of the hoped for Waterville Plateau specialties except Gyrfalcon, and these had not been reported in the area recently, we headed for the Bridgeport State Park to look for Northern Saw-whet Owls and Canyon Wren.
The owls were in the exact two trees as usual, and the wren responded to a recording with calls and showed on the cliffside just past the main park.
We called it a day and headed for the Omak Inn for the night. I ended the day with 16 FOW (first of the year) species for WA, and we all enjoyed homemade spaghetti and salad prepared by Marian, along with apple pie.
Saturday was another sunny perfect weather day. We managed calling but not seen Chukar at the Fancher Flats, missed Sharp-tailed Grouse on Siwash Creek Rd, but managed a spot with all three species of nuthatches along with lots of Mountain Chickadees. At the Highlands Sno Park a flock of about 35 White-winged Crossbills flew right overhead in the parking lot, calling loudly, as Will and Bruce shouted out the ID. I got decent but a quick look, but unfortunately Ken was in the outhouse and missed them altogether. No woodpeckers showed or were heard, and we headed off toward the higher elevations.
In the Highland Meadows area Ken and Bruce stopped us when they located a nice flock of 49 Snow Buntings perched up in a tree giving us a nice show. Will spotted a Northern Pygmy Owl perched on Nealey Road, and we added the first of a few Clark’s Nutcrackers.
Mary Ann Creek Road came through as is usual. Will spotted a distant flock of tiny finches out across the large cattail marsh, and I managed nice looks at a pair of perched Common Redpolls before a Northern Shrike terrorized the flock and they took flight. This did give great flight looks and a chance to estimate over 150 birds in the flock. We came across two more flocks of redpolls and conservatively entered an eBird count of 210 for the area. We stopped near Teal Lake for a look and listen, and Will heard a finch-like sound. On looking around he located a single Pine Grosbeak high in a tree, and we got scopes set up just as the other west-side group of Shep Thorpe, Scott Ramos and Jon Anderson coming from the opposite end of the road came by and we got them on the bird too. Throughout the trip our two groups shared sightings, helping each other get onto the great birds in the area.
The Chesaw area added little except a chance for Bruce to buy a 6-pack of beer we could enjoy back at the Omak Inn later. No Great-gray Owls or woodpeckers showed at the Sno Park as we watched darkness come, but we did hear distant Great-horned Owls hooting.
Dinner was vegan meatloaf, potato salad and peas again by Marian Burns, and we all sent thanks to her for the home cooking.
Sunday we had two really hoped for species, Sharp-tailed Grouse, and Bohemian Waxwing. We worked hard for them, but luck was not with us the last day. We managed Wild Turkey, Townsend’s Solitaire, and Ruffed Grouse at Conconully, and later great looks at a Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk, FOY Cedar Waxwings that had us hoping for a Bohemian, and lots more great scenery. I did add two Okanogan lifers on the river in Greater Scaup and Tundra Swan.
On the way home we stopped at Cashmere to pick up county lifer Lesser Goldfinch at a known feeder before breaking up for the trek home.
A good time had by all, and I added another 9 FOY bird Saturday and 4 FOY on Sunday. I ended the trip with a 2021 list of 171 species, really good for me for the date, and Will remained in 1st place for 2021 on eBird at 185 species. Getting home safely was of course good, and we all had a great time.
Until next time. Good birding and good day!
Day 3 with Ken and Bruce in The Valley
Too tired for a full report, but got west today, to Salaneña, Roma Bluffs, Falcon Dam State Park, and places near there. Tried in the AM without success for Morelet Seedeater but got great birds esp. a the feeders. Then off to Falcon Dam, then back for successful look for the seadeater. Bruce located it, I got to see it and at first Ken missed it. Ken was the only one of us who needed the MOSE for his ABA list, so bummer, but then he found it, a great look at a male, for his lifer. Other highlights were a soaring White-tailed Kite, and great looks at many great birds.
Hasta luego.
Target Birds Not Happening but Cool Photo Ops
Yesterday I went to Dupont looking in Edmond’s Marsh for a White-throated Sparrow, and though I had no luck I did get great light on these Mourning Doves.
Today I went to the 212th Street Marsh hoping for these Cinnamon Teal, but really mostly for Black Phoebe. No luck on the phoebe, but the teal showed closely and well in the morning light.
I love this tail-shot of this Spotted Towhee there too.
Next was a try for the out-of-place Black-billed Magpie. I thought this would be an easy “get” but it was not to be found. This juvenile Cooper’s Hawk drying its flight feathers was a nice consolation. This bird seemed gigantic, much larger than adjacent crows, so I’m supposing it is a first year female.
As my good friend Blair Bernson says, always have a consolation prize when you go on a chase.
Good birding and good day!
Jump Starting My 2021 Year List
A jump start to 2021 WA year list. Weather has been obstructive, but despite that I feel like I’ve had a pretty decent jump start to my WA species list in the3 new year.
Marian and I started the new year on New Year’s Day, after a quiet stay-at-home New Year’s Eve virtual dance party. We started at Garfield Gulch, the area immediately east of our condo, where at the walking trail beside the park a Barred Owl swooped right over Marian’s head as I was looking the other way, so she had the first bird of the year and I missed it. Not to fear, a pair of BAOWs responded to a recording at the lower end of Puget Park immediately to follow, though my first species of the year was a calling Pacific Wren before the owls.
We tried for Northern Saw-whet Owl at the Rhododendron Park area of Pt. Defiance, where one was calling a few weeks ago, but no luck as the sun started to rise about 7:45. We did see 54 Varied Thrush flush from the roadsides as we drove out through the park along with a few juncos.
Maybe the birding highlight of the day was a pair of Long-tailed Ducks bobbing in the waves at DeMolay Spit, right after we had Wood Ducks hiding in the wooded wetlands of Adam Tallman Park in Gig Harbor on the way to Fox Island. All 3 loons, and all 3 cormorants, and a decent variety of water birds were present, but we missed Common Murre and Harlequin Duck there. The Harlequin Ducks were easily seen though at Purdy Spit along with Barrow’s Goldeneye.
There were 4 male Eurasian Wigeon at Titlow lagoon on the lawn, and we headed east to get some inland birds. Ruddy Ducks, Pied-billed Grebes, Lesser Scaup and American Coots were at 56th Street where a nice neighbor showed us that the lock on the gate is for looks, it is really open. Remote Control miniature boat operators ruled Levee Pond, but Golden-crowned Sparrows were in the brambles along with an Orange-crowned Warbler.
Both swans, two blackbird species and the expected American Kestrels along with hoped for but not expected Northern Harrier and 3 calling Virginia Rails wrapped up the day as the skies opened and we quit a out 3 PM.
Saturday was my day to help on the Gray’s Harbor CBC with Bruce LaBar, Will Brooks, and Laurel Parshall. The weather was impossible, and we made a brief try anyway, birding only from 8:20 to about 11 AM before we all except Will bailed. Western Gull, Sanderling, Peregrine Falcon, Herring and Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls were the primary FOY birds for me.
Sunday Ken and I did our usual Kitsap side of the Vashon CBC. The wind was high and it was raining early, so I didn’t go to try help with owling and met Ken at the Purdy Park & Ride at 7:45. We birded the usual course all day, ending at Black-jack valley area about 4:45 PM as the sun set. We did pretty well considering rain all morning. Highlights for me were 15 calling Tundra Swans as a fly-over, Purple Finch and Mourning Doves at Burley at feeders, Greater Scaup in good numbers on Long Lake, along with pair of Red-breasted Sapsuckers at a homeowners pond just off Hwy 16. I finished the day with 96 species YTD.
Today it was really rainy in the AM, but Marian and I decided to go to the American Lake Camp Murray Boat Ramp hoping for Redhead and Canvasback. As we drove in Marian exclaimed that maybe we were lucky as a huge flock of ducks was right in front of the boat ramp, and not hiding in the cove out of sight. She was right, and we easily had 5 Redheads, 4 males and a female, along with at least 28 Canvasback and a big flock of Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, and a few mixed Common Goldeneye and Bufflehead. This was a really big Pierce count of Redhead. Back at home I added Dunlin and Black Turnstone along with Yellow-rumped Warbler to bring the year list to 103. It is always startling to see how easy the first 100 species goes, and then how relatively slow it gets until spring migration after that.
Well, maybe if the weather and my energy holds up I’ll try a drive to SW WA tomorrow hoping to put together a relatively big week to start the year.
A Mid December Day on the Waterville Plateau
Today Marian and I spent most of the day birding the Waterville Plateau in Douglas County, WA. This is a great winter birding place in eastern WA, known for its raptors, flocks of winter birds-of-open-country and, when it’s not foggy or snowing, beautiful days. Today met the latter criteria nicely. We are staying in Marian’s time share condo in Manson near Chelan, and so it a 35-40 minute drive up McNeil Canyon to the plateau. Most of the time when I get to bird this area it is after a drive from Pierce County, usually with our ABCbirding group, so getting their bu 8:30 AM and not getting up early was a treat. The morning was clear and overcast, really perfect visibility conditions. On the drive up onto the plateau we had a great look at a juvenile Golden Eagle who flew right overhead, at lots of Rough-legged Hawks, and got excited about a clear fog-free day ahead.
We did a more-or-less loop around much of the plateau, starting with a drive south to Mansfield, with stops at the Lamoine Windbreak for a walk all the way around the line of trees. ALmost no birds were found there, no owls, no raptors, and no sparrows so a nice walk and stretch to start the day, but fun to show Marian the area, and the snow levels were perfect. Deep enough to cover the ground, but not to make walking difficult.
Mansfield yielded little, with no partridge or falcons at the grain elevators, and I decided to explore some new roads. I drive up onto Rd. D NW northwest of Mansfield, yielded our only American Tree Sparrows of the day near a farmhouse there. I dropped the eBird pin at the spot for relocation purposes.
The rest of the day was really driving around looking for birds. We came across many 20-600 bird flocks of Horned Larks with a good mix of Snow Buntings in most of them. My guess was 3-5% of all the birds overall in these flocks were SNBU. It was fun to refamiliarize myself with their calls, and know the buntings were there before starting to look.
The Heritage Road area for LEOW was burned badly from last summer’s fires, and it does not look like a great stop going forward. We ended the day as fog rolled in near Atkin’s Lake where we found one of the two Snowy Owls Shep Thorpe had found last week. It was Marian’s first SNOW in what she thought was the wild, the Seattle bird last week seeming like a city bird to her.
We quit about 3 PM as fog started to roll in which along with loss of light made viewing really poor.
A really pretty day, with a few winter specialties but overall slow birding.
Good birding and good day!