It’s been a couple of weeks since I updated my online journal as like most of the world I’ve been engrossed in following this Covid-19 pandemic, have hunkered down staying close to home, and so have really been out less overall.
I did take a great trip to the coast last week with Bruce LaBar and Bill Tweit. I get out with Bruce pretty often, but far less with Bill. Bill is a long-time close friend of Bruce, and it was really fun to spend some time with him on a trip to the Westport area birding on March 4th. This was before recommendations to completely socially isolate came into effect, and we lucked out with a sunny calm and overall spectacular day. Highlights re birds were multiple Black-legged Kittiwakes, seen especially around Westport harbor, but really in many areas. One especially cooperative bird was perched on the railing of the marina floating walkway.
We also had two Glaucous Gulls at the same time at Grayland Beach while looking unsuccessfully for Snowy Plovers, lots of the usual Willets at Tokeland, the flock of Marbled Godwits in the corner of the marina near the start of the walk onto the docks, an unusual place we thought, Black Phoebe, American Bittern and both swan species on Brady Loop on the way home.
After a day of rest I joined Ken Brown for a day of Kitsap County birding, mostly a trip to Point-no-Point and places nearby. It was a windy but clear day, and highlights were many Boneparte’s Gulls, a pair of Black Turnstones seen at two different places, and a nice day with Ken.
Since then I’ve mostly birded Pierce County near home. On Feb 29th Marian and I cruised some of the Ft. Lewis Prairie and the highlight was FOY Western Bluebirds in a large returning flock, along with FOY Tree and Violet-green Swallows near Muck Creek.
Other places have included around Tacoma and then a trip to the base of Mt. Rainier with Marian yielded Canada Jay at feeders in Ashford, a pair of American Dippers under the Dashel River Bridge with one singing, and a fly-over of two Wilson’s Snipe over Hwy 7 on March 15.
Yesterday I birded at Chamber’s Creek, Farrell Marsh in Steilacom, and the Mountain View Cemetery in Lakewood, adding Band-tailed Pigeon, Purple Finch, Greater Yellowlegs and Red-breasted Sapsucker to my Pierce 2020 list.
Today Bruce LaBar and I got into the same car, not sure if this is social distancing compliant, and birded a couple of hours at Ft. Lewis, adding California Quail to my county year list.
Overall birding has helped get through the social distancing feeling of isolation. Come on migration!