With a Lot of Help From My Friends

Barn Swallows today at Magnunson Park were specise #200 for my 2021 Washington State year list.

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)

A nesting pair of Cooper’s Hawks gave great views in great light, and a chance to show them off to a few beginner birders too!

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.

Long-eared Own at the Lamoine Windbreak

This male Gadwall, one of my favorite ducks was at Green Lake where we found species #199, Sora.

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.

American Robins are really flocking in huge numbers this time of year.

Good birding!