Category: Blog

Chamber’s Bay Beach Access

Yesterday Bruce found a Ruddy turnstone at Chamber’s Bay beach access so this morning I waited until low tide in late AM and headed over. From the bridge area I scanned north, and saw what looked like a pale below dowitcher. I headed straight that way, and in the first larger cove-like area with green seaweed like stuff I first found Richard S. and Mary Pearce, then found a Baird’s sandpiper. Shortly after I found the wierd-acting dowicher. At first I questioned if it was a dowitcher at all, as it was walking around the rocky area, daintily picking at the surface and not probing at all. After analysis I became convinced it was a dowitcher, and also convinced it was a Short-billed dowicher. It was very light below, has spots not bars on the sides of the breast, the bill seemed quite short, although on photos this is less noticeable. No RUTU, but still 2 FOYI Pierce birds.

SBDO and BASA



I quick dash to the Breakwater Marina near Pt. Defiance Ferry Terminal did not yield the Wandering tattler seen yesterday, so I want back to Brett’s to pick up Norm’s trailer and headed home.

Merlin Finally

So far this year a Pierce County Merlin had avoided me until today. I started at the Chamber’s Bay beach access where yesterday Bruce had seen 2 Baird’s sandpipers, but today I had just WESA and LESA for peeps, but did manage a distant Cassin’s aucklet. Best bird for me though was a perched Merlin on a snag which just after I got binos on it was chased off by a Cooper’s hawk, over the tracks and away.
On the way in the afternoon after working with Brett for the rest of the morning I stopped at the new Freeman Rd. mitigation in hopes of a new shorebird. Nothing new and I couldn’t relocate the Semipalmated sandpipers that have been hanging out there either, but shortly after I arrived a Merlin bombed in and there was a long aerial chase as the Merlin worked the flock before disappearing after several passes.

Back in Pierce

This morning I got out birding in Pierce County for the first time since April 16, and so Pierce FOY birds were pretty available. That said I missed the real target of the morning when I could not find the Brewer’s Sparrow at the 56th St Stormwater Ponds. I met Bruce Labar an Peter Wimberger there though and did manage to get lots of American Pipits and a Greater Yellowlegs.
Next stop was at 178th Ave in Orting to look for what has become the annual Western Kingbird there. Bruse and Peter were there too and Bruce located the bird on a fence post.

Shortly after 6 Band-tailed Pigeons flew into a cottonwood nearby for my 4th FOY Pierce species this morning.

This afternoon there was a Western Tanager calling and singing in the back yard while I weeded.

Say’s Phoebe in Pierce Today

Yesterday a Say’s Phoebe was sighted at the Brown’s Point Lighthouse Park, but Bruce tried for it with no luck. Today it was relocated, I think by Marcus about 11:30 and I got a text from Marcus. I couldn’t go until after Rotary at noon-1:30 because I had invited the speaker, but right after watching the League of Women’s Voters program Kan and I headed for the bird. Heavy rain, cold, and no luck on the park property itself. Kay retreated to the car while I searched the neighborhood. I walked around, and finally went down the dead-end road beside the park to the beach. Sure enough, I noted a small bird sally flycatcher-like over the beach, and Voila.



Overall a great opportunity for a first Pierce bird.

BIrding in Sunshine, Pierce County in January with a Good Buddy

Birding locally does not get much better than getting out with a good birding buddy, on a sunny day, and finding most of the birds you are looking for. That was today for me. Ken texted last night to see if I was interested in getting out in Pierce County to look for several FOY WA state birds for him and several FOY Pierce and/or state birds for me. Sounded great and we met and headed for American Lake to get Canvasbacks for Ken, easy at the Ft. Lewis boat ramp, then south to Easterday Road where the White-crowned Sparrow was at the feeders as expected. In addition a Wilson’s Snipe flew up just as I clapped my hands to startle it at a wet area after I told Ken this was an area they had been seen by others, but not by me Pretty cool experience. Not much was at Mount’s Road, and we headed back to see if we could find the Clark’s Grebe at the N. American Lake Park.
It was fairly easily found once we found a not too back-lit viewing area, and Marv Breese and we found it almost simultaneously. Pretty good though distant views. The bright yellow-orange bill, eye in the white of the face, and slightly paler gray color were noted and as we gave high-fives all around we headed to Gog-li-hi-ti for the Black Phoebe that has eluded me yesterday.
On arrival there a King Co. birder nabbed us on the walk in and told us just were to find the bird. Pretty much where we expected from my discussion yesterday with Bruce Labar and earlier with Marv. It posed pretty nicely for a photo and we felt like we couldn’t miss today.

The next stop for Slaty-backed gull at the 11th St Bridge proved us wrong, as almost no gulls were around, so we decided to see if we could find the Least Sandpipers reported a few days ago by Bruce at Alexander St. We got there and immediately were drawn to looking at a hybrid American x Eurasian Wigeon It was pretty cool, but eluded good photos. I soon noted a few Least Sandpipers near the right edge of the water and as we scoped the area we realized we has 26 individuals working the rocky beach.

Overall a great day together. I had 5 FOY Pierce birds, including two tough ones, the WTSP and BLPH. Sunny days birding in the Pacific NW rock!

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.

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.
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Also had a Lincoln’s sparrow further down the beach in the trees by the RR tracks. 2 FOY birds there for me today.

Great Day, Great Birds, Bad Photos at Lake Eleanor Trail

Kay, Ken and I headed to the Grand Park Trail shortcut from FS 73 (exactly 10 miles from Hwy 410 to the trailhead) and had a terrific day. On the walk up the trail was moderately wet in places, but an overall easy hike. Nothing too special until after Lake Eleanor. We did get to hear many singing Hermit thrush, several Brown creepers, lots of Mountain chickadees, and at the lake has Vaux’s swifts. Not too far up from the lake while scanning through a flock of chickadees and nuthatches Ken spotted a perched larger bird that we managed to get good enough looks at for a positive ID of Pine Grosbeak. This was a first ever Pierce County bird for Kay and me, second for Ken (last one maybe 30 years ago though). Photos were terrible as the bird was perched fairly high up in a bright sky window in the trees, making it very backlit and dark overall. We did see the size, shape, all gray underparts, little white spot on the face, and greenish head and nape coloration through scope and binos looks. Here are the best of lots of terrible photos.
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We had ta pair, male and female later on up the trail as well as another single bird. Each time we hoped for a Black-backed woodpecker, but it wasn’t the day for that species for us. We turned back just before the climb to Grand Park primarily because of starting thunder claps and dark clouds rolling in. We came across a family of Gray Jays just before we headed back.
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We kept trying for Black-backed as well as N Pygmy Owl on the way down, without success, and got back to the car just as the thunder storm struck with heavy hail and one close loud thunder clap. A great day.
On the way home I took Ken out to get the Red-eyed Vireos I heard the day prior on a bike ride on the Orting Trail, FOY birds for Ken and a nice way to end the day.

A Morning at Upper Swan Creek

Today Kay and I took Dan and Patty Anderson to the upper Swan Creek area to see some of the early arriving passerines.  It was cool but dry and as is often the case at this location birding by ear was great.  Purple finches, Pacific wrens, Spotted towhees, and RB Nuthatches were incessant, and we were able to pick out lots more.  I heard my FOY Cassin’s vireo singing by the canyon wall, lots of Pacific-slope flycatchers, and FOY Black-throated gray warblers were very vocal.  This one came right down to show off for us.

Chipping sparrows were in the area of the burn.

We made quick stops at the 56th St Stormwater ponds (locked again), Levy Pond and then walked around the mitigation by the RR tracks off 70th in Fife.