I am not a county lister although I have lists for counties where I have birded – thanks to Ebird.  Ann Marie Wood and Steve Pink are definitely county birders and the opportunity to see a Burrowing Owl that had been reported at American Camp on San Juan Island was a major draw from them.  Any owl is special and I had not birded in San Juan County for a long while, so I was happy to join them to look for the Burrowing Owl.

We had good weather and good directions and headed directly to Pickett Lane where the bird had been reported.  At least we thought we had good directions, but when we spoke to the couple that had last reported the owl, we got conflicting details from each of them, so we were not so sure.  As we arrived at the first most likely spot, in the field off to the east, we saw dozens of the rabbits for which San Juan Island is well known and which provided the burrows that probably attracted this very out of place owl.  But our information was that the Burrowing Owl was in the field to the west and although we saw no rabbits there, we did see two foxes, one red and one black, another species for which the Island was known.  We worried that the owl could have been a meal for one of them or at least that their presence may have caused it to bury itself deep in a burrow.

One of Many Rabbits

Pair of Foxes

We spent almost an hour looking at the grassy fields which seemed to correlate to the directions we had received – but we could not find an owl.  We went to the end of the road where it provided a great view of the water and watched for whatever we could find.  There were many loons, grebes, sea ducks including a single Long Tailed Duck, but the highlight was undoubtedly the small groups of Ancient Murrelets that flew by.

Ancient Murrelets

Long Tailed Duck

We returned to the fields where we hoped to find the Burrowing Owl.  Another birder had been there for some time and she too could not find the bird.  Then another car with two birders arrived and they finally found the owl and helped us get onto it as well.  It was barely visible in the clumps of grass, but unmistakable.  Steve and Ann Marie had another species for the county – so did I but that wasn’t saying much since at the start of the day, my list for San Juan County was a pathetic 28 species.

Burrowing Owl

Time to move on and see what else we could find and enjoy the spectacular scenery that waited around every bend as is evidenced by the two photos below.

Scenery

Scenery 

Land birds were few and far between and nothing exciting.  We found good waterfowl at many stops including one spot with 50+ Pacific Loons and continuing Ancient Murrelet groups.  Three Harlequin Ducks were nice additions at one overlook.

Harlequin Duck

At one spot we saw a gorgeous Red Fox on a pullout off the road.  As we approached not only did it not run off, it actually came closer to us – as if it was looking for a handout.  This provided the opportunity to take close up photos – some of my best ever.

Red Fox

Red Fox

We surveyed a number of salt water lookouts and many fresh water ponds and lakes.  Not a great diversity but at the end of the day we had something over 65 species.  There were a number of Trumpeter Swans on various ponds.  Again nice photo ops.

Trumpeter Swan

We searched hard for a Canvasback that would have been a new San Juan County bird for Ann Marie and Steve, but just could not find it at Sportsmen’s Pond where it had been reported.  One stop provided a non-birding photo that I am calling “The Old Man in the Woods” – a very gnarly tree trunk with lots of character.

The Old Man in the Woods

With a fairly late start (took the 8:15 ferry from Anacortes) and darkness by 4:30, there was not a lot of birding time.  The Burrowing Owl had been found and was terrific but to me it was the foxes that were the highlight.

Black Fox

In unexpectedly good weather on Friday this week, Jon Houghton, Jean Olson and I took advantage of the lighter traffic on Veterans Day and ventured south to Clark County.  Most of our time was spent at Ridgefield Refuge where we were most interested in finding a Red Shouldered Hawk that had been reported there consistently this month.  Jon was also interested in his first of year Sandhill Crane, getting him very close to his goal of seeing 9% of the world’s birds this calendar year.

Ridgefield and Steigerwald Refuges in Clark County have been regular spots for Red Shouldered Hawk in Washington, but I had not visited either yet.  The River “S” Unit at Ridgefield was our first visit.  At the check in point the whiteboard listed recent sightings and the Red Shouldered Hawk was reported from the previous day, so we were confident we would find one.  Also listed was a Cattle Egret.  Very rare in Washington, I had not seen one reported on Ebird or elsewhere so, if accurate, this was certainly great news and became our most sought after bird.

Our first sighting of note was a Nutria along one of the water areas.  These large rodents are non-native and unwelcome but still pretty striking.

Nutria

As we drove on, what was most impressive were the large number of American Wigeon, Coots and Northern Pintails seen at almost every stop along the loop road.  We also quickly saw raptors in some trees and checked carefully for the tell tale markings of a Red Shouldered Hawk.  The first several hawks were Red Tailed Hawks but about half way around the loop we saw what seemed to be a smaller hawk in one of the trees and got close enough for a positive ID as a Red Shouldered Hawk with vertical striping on the upper breast and horizontal striping below, a relatively small head and a definite reddish cast.  A few minutes earlier we had first heard and then seen some Sandhill Cranes, so we had covered the two main targets for the trip.

Red Shouldered Hawk – First View

Sandhill Crane

We scrutinized every white form that we saw hoping for a Cattle Egret.  Some turned out to be distant signs, some were gulls and some were partial views of upturned Pintails or Shovelers.  Some were indeed egrets but all were Great Egrets.  Can’t ever complain about seeing a Great Egret in Washington, even though unlike when I first started birding here in the 1970’s, they are now quite common at least in Clark County and a few other spots in the state.  One Great Egret was particularly photogenic.

Great Egret

We saw a second Nutria on our tour but far better was a pair of Raccoons that were feeding in the grass along one of the waterways.  Being safe across the water from us, they were often out in the open and made for some good views and photos.

Raccoon

We completed our loop drive and decided to give it another go – hoping that a Cattle Egret would magically appear or that we would have a better view of a Red Shouldered Hawk.  Pretty close to the start of the second circumnavigation we saw a smallish hawk perched high in a tree that was partially blocked by branches.  The small head, reddish cast and small orange feet suggested it might be a second Red Shouldered Hawk, a juvenile.  I got a couple of not so hot photos which upon closer examination revealed it to be a Northern Harrier, one of many seen.  Not too much further along, however, we refound the Red Shouldered Hawk that we had that seen on our first loop – now out in the open. The splayed tail feathers and hints of red on the shoulders visible from what was now a back view were pretty cool.

Red Shouldered Hawk – Round Two

No Cattle Egret or new birds on the second loop.  The last photo I took was of some Teasel plants (the place was thick with Teasel everywhere) that at first we thought had moss on it.  Closer examination of the photos showed some kind of green growth but we were not sure what – a parasite or a mutually symbiotic relationship somehow?  Whatever – quite striking.

Teasel

It was now about 11:00 a.m.  What next?  An Acorn Woodpecker had been seen about a half hour north and we wanted to give that a try, but since we were already this far south we elected first to go to Steigerwald NWR hoping for an appearance by a White Tailed Kite – something I had seen there last year but had not been reported in 2016.  Steigerwald proved to be pretty birdless.  We had great views of a couple of hovering American Kestrels and both male and female Northern Harriers and not much else.

Northern Harrier

American Kestrel Hovering

Time to start home with a stop at the feeders where the Acorn Woodpecker had been reported for a couple of days previously.  Although not far from I-5, the route to the private residence was circuitous, but the excellent directions provided on Tweeters brought us to the home of Larry and Joanne Turner who had graciously opened their bird friendly home to visitors.  With numerous hummingbird and seed feeders around, their grounds were a mecca for birds.  We spent almost two hours there (joined by Mary Frances Mathis) and unfortunately never saw the out of habitat Acorn Woodpecker.  Larry, who was a fascinating host, said it had not been seen that day earlier either.  We were treated to an amazing show by maybe as many as 10 or 12 Anna’s Hummingbirds and a visit by a California Scrub-Jay and numerous Ruby and Golden Crowned Kinglets among others.  One of the latter was really worked up and displayed as much red in the cap as I have ever seen.  The photo is OK but would have been really special if the focus was a bit better.

Anna’s Hummingbird on a Quince Plant

California Scrub-Jay

Golden Crowned Kinglet

So no go on the Acorn Woodpecker.  Hopefully it will return.  How strange that it was there at all as there are no oak trees for miles.  We encountered less than expected traffic on our return and had no rain either.  The Hawk with Red Shoulders was the highlight of the trip but lots of other fun birds as well.  An excellent day to be out with friends…

Football fans are very familiar with it – those last two minutes of the game when no matter what has happened in the preceding 58 minutes, these minutes can make all the difference.  Something changes.  Maybe it’s the focus.  Maybe it is the intensity.  Often it seems to be the approach. Whatever it is, those last two minutes can seem like an eternity or they can just fly by.  Lots of excitement can be crammed into those two minutes.  Maybe the entirety of the rest of the time had been boring and inconsequential.  Without something big in those last two minutes, the fans will go home disappointed and the players will wonder what they might have done earlier to have changed the outcome of the day – to make it a win – a success – instead of a loss – a failure.

It was 1:35 P.M. on Sunday November 6th.  We had spent the past 6 hours traveling yet again to Neah Bay and once there, joining with others in the effort, we had scoured every bramble, bush and tree within 1/8 mile of the area where the Prothonotary Warbler had been seen and photographed the day before.  An extraordinary bird with only two other records in Washington – EVER.  It had been found by Mike Resch, a birder from Massachusetts on his own crazy quest – adding some new birds to his Washington list so he could add yet another state to his long list of states where over his life, he had seen at least one-half of the species that had been reported for that state.  He was familiar with this bird from his past and when he called me on Saturday morning, it just did not seem fair that some outsider had found this bird in my state.  But why not, an outsider finding an outsider bird.  How cool!  If I had not had commitments for that day I would have raced off to the ferry and made the trek.  Those plans were too important, so I deferred until the next day and contacted others so that Ann Marie Wood, Steve Pink and Brian Pendleton were the explorers leaving Sunday morning.

Prothonotary Warbler – Neah Bay November 5, 2016 – first found by Mike Resch – Photo by Brad Waggoner

Our search for the warbler was futile – no sound, no glimpse, no record.  Disappointed of course, but we had hopes for a consolation prize and our attention had turned to other birds and other areas.  We all wanted first and foremost to find an Orchard Oriole – a rare bird for Washington that had eluded Brian and me on our earlier visits; and Steve and Ann Marie had not been to Neah Bay since it had first been seen and thus wanted it as well.  Steve and Ann Marie were also hopeful of finding a Tropical Kingbird, or a Palm Warbler or a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, all of which are really good and uncommon birds which Brian and I had seen on our Neah Bay visit earlier in the week.

As of 1:35, we had frankly not seen very much.  Not only no Prothonotary Warbler – no warbler at all and not much of anything else of note.  Probably the Northern Fulmars seen off shore and numerous Black Oystercatchers on the rocks being the best birds.  We had none of the consolation birds and we wondered if the long trip was going to go unrewarded.  We were pretty low.  And “low” turned out to be the correct word in another way.  Somehow from the back of the car, Ann Marie had seen something that looked – different. “What is that there low on the ground?” she asked.  We got on the bird quickly and Eureka!!  Ann Marie had spied the Orchard Oriole.  It had been seen earlier in the day in this area (Lincoln and 3rd) but until that moment we had missed it.  We had been told it was very active and so it was.  We got out of the car.  I snapped a couple of photos and we followed it as it flew from building to building, yard to yard, branch to branch for two blocks.

Orchard Oriole

And now there was more.  A Tropical Kingbird flew onto a wire just above us as we were watching the Oriole.  A second consolation prize – just seconds after the first.  Wow! Another photo.  Our spirits were definitely improved.  But there was more to come.  The Orchard Oriole had brought us to the location where the Harris’s Sparrow had been seen earlier in the week.  We had been there before and seen nothing, but Steve noticed that there were now a number of Golden Crowned Sparrows on the ground and in the bushes so we searched for the Harris’s Sparrow.

Golden Crowned Sparrow

No go but in a bramble behind the building, I saw a small grayish bird flit about.  I was able to get a good view and screamed out that we had a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher.  Brian and I had had one six days earlier in the area by the Seawatch where the Prothonotary had been found.  John Gatchet had one or possibly two there earlier in the day.  This was almost a mile away.  There had to be more than one in Neah Bay.  It flitted about but gave us super looks including one as it perched on a red railing with more red in the background making for a cool photo.

Tropical Kingbird

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher

In just under two minutes, we had gone from nothing exciting to three really good birds; this was a rally of note.  And just as the two minute clock was running out, we had another big play.  Steve asked “What’s this?” as a little bird flew in on the ground next to the sparrows just as the Gnatcatcher flew off.  It was a Palm Warbler.  It fed on the ground, flew briefly up onto the building where Brian and I had seen the Harris’s Sparrow on Monday; posed briefly, and then returned to the ground for a few more looks before disappearing.  This had been a memorable two minutes.  We agreed that it had been the most exciting and surprise-packed two minutes we had every had in our many, many years of birding.

Palm Warbler

We felt like we had now definitely won the game.  High fives all around.  This had been one heck of a two minute drill.  We would have traded all of it for a single Prothonotary Warbler but not for much else.  And now we were re-energized and went off looking for more.  This took us to the bay itself, west of the Warmhouse restaurant and near the creek outfall where there were gulls to scan.  Something really rarer would be great, but the main hope was for a Black Legged Kittiwake – new for the year for Ann Marie and Steve.  We had Black Oystercatchers and some Dunlin, lots of ducks, loons and grebes in the water and dozens of gulls in close.

Black Oystercatcher

Fairly quickly, Steve found the hoped for Black Legged Kittiwake on a rock maybe 50 yards out.  We had great light and great looks.

Black Legged Kittiwake

With that success, we turned to sorting through the remaining gulls.  Most were pretty close and in good light, and we felt pretty confident concluding that we were watching the following gull species:  California Gull, Glaucous Winged Gull, Herring Gull, Heerman’s Gull, Western Gull, Mew Gull, and Thayer’s Gull.  Nothing really rare but together with the Kittiwake, we thus had 8 gull species close up for great comparisons.  Some photos:

California Gull

Herring Gull

Heerman’s Gull

Mew Gull

The Black Legged Kittiwake had disappeared and then just as we were about to leave, it returned.  At first it had been the bird that was furthest out.  Now it was the closest and we all got great parting photos.  Now if only somehow the bird that had returned had red legs instead of black.  Maybe someday…

Black Legged Kittiwake – our parting shot

We made one more try for the Prothonotary Warbler – again a no show.  But with our memorable Two Minute Drill behind us and to be always remembered we considered it a miss and not a failure.  Another great day in Neah Bay.

This is Part II of a post on the phenomenal birding that can be found at Neah Bay in October and November every year.  Part I described the fantastic experience of October and November in 2014 started by the observation of a Eurasian Hobby in the Wa’atch Valley on October 26, 2014 which brought more than 100 birders to this remote town on the far northwest corner of our state.  Part I also talks about the numerous other great birds in October and November that year – a list for a single location and only two months that would make most birders happy if found over many years of birding.  That year was special but not unique as will be evident from the rest of this blog which portrays more great Neah Bay birding in October and November in 2015 and 2016 – the Phenomenon continues.

At the end there is a summary of observations in Neah Bay in the two months of October and November 2012-2016.  The numbers in general are impressive, the diversity and rarities even moreso.

After a trip to Neah Bay for a pelagic trip in April 2015 I was only able to make it to Neah Bay once in October 2015 and had nothing exceptional to report from that visit.  the best bird from that April visit was a Glaucous Gull.  Probably the two best birds in October were a Golden Eagle and a Lapland Longspur on the 24th.  Not bad and others had reported Yellow Billed Loon and a Western Screech Owl earlier in that month but not pretty tame compared to the previous year.  But November was a different story.  I headed off alone to Neah Bay on November 3rd.  Repeating the good fortune of “finding Brad Waggoner” in November 2014, I ran into a birding group on my way that included Brad and also Paul Lehman and Barbara Carlson. The first benefit of that good fortune was a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher on Kalawa Street in Clallam Bay – my first ever in the state.

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher – Clallam Bay November 3, 2015

I continued on with them and another great bird resulted.  Brad and Paul are expert “pishers” – the sound technique that can magically draw birds in similarly to using playback, except it is more universal/generic.  Brad and Paul would stop at “likely” spots – mostly scraggly brambles and thickets along the road – and “pish”.  They stopped on Highway 112 midway between Sekiu and Neah Bay and used their technique.  Somehow they managed to spot a small unobtrusive bird in a large agglomeration of Fuschia bushes across from a lawn on private property that responded but it was very distant and hard to identify but they thought it might be a rare warbler.  They had produced the bird and I wanted to contribute so I hiked up a long driveway and knocked on the door to see if we could get permission to come onto the property for a closer look.  The owner was a disabled grandfather who gave the permission and then his granddaughter asked if she could come see it.  “Terrific”, I said.  However when she learned it was just some small bird and not something cool like an eagle, her eagerness left and she stayed with her grandfather.  Long enough story short, the bird they had found was a Tennessee Warbler – very rare in Washington and certainly my first observation in the state.

Tennessee Warbler – Highway 112 near Neah Bay

We continued on and then went separate ways in Neah Bay itself.  Nothing extraordinary that day but good birds I saw included a Northern Goshawk flyby, Peregrine Falcons, a Palm Warbler and a Snow Bunting.

Snow Bunting – November 3, 2015

I had been counting on finding and photographing a Tropical Kingbird in Neah Bay, but it had proved elusive. I spent the night at Butler’s Motel and continued the search for it and other birds the next day including some time up on Bahokas Peak that produced a Hutton’s Vireo but nothing exceptional and at Hobuck Beach.  About midday I ran into Randy Hill who was also looking for a Tropical Kingbird.  After walking the area around Blue Jay and Lincoln streets, we finally found our bird and I was able to get a decent photo of it perched in a small tree.  Pleased and wanting to get home early, I said goodbye to Paul and Brad who I saw again and headed off around noon.

Tropical Kingbird – November 3, 2015

Birding often is about choices.  Where do I go?  What route should I take?  Which opportunity is best?  As I was heading home I had to make a choice:  Bruce Labar very kindly called me to say he had a King Eider in Tacoma.  A great bird and even though it would add another 75 miles to my journey and more hours to my day – I HAD to go for it.  But wait…about 5 minutes later I got a call from Paul Lehman who said there was a Summer Tanager in Neah Bay – in the exact tree where we had the Tropical Kingbird about 90 minutes earlier.  These were both great birds – but I had seen both in Washington before.  Going back to Neah Bay would add at least 3 hours to the trip.  I decided to go for the King Eider. Good choice/bad choice…

It was a good choice because the King Eider was easily found near the ferry on Ruston Way.  Got a great photo and watched it eat an unbelievable number of crabs.  Bad news because the Eider stayed for about a month and in fact I took two others down to see it four days later.  The Summer Tanager of course was a one day wonder and was gone the next day.

King Eider (Female) – Ruston Way, Tacoma – November 4, 2015

Summer Tanager  (sadly not the Neah Bay one) University District December 9, 2012

Now back to Neah Bay.  Including the birds seen on the way, the trip to Neah Bay had paled compared to the previous year but that was hardly a fair comparison and it had indeed been an excellent visit.  Then it got better.  A Hooded Warbler was found near the Seawatch spot at the East end of town.  Three of us headed off to Neah Bay on November 11th to look for it and anything else that we could find.  It took some time but with the help of Matt Bartels, we found the Hooded Warbler and it cooperated by leaving its dense thicket and making a photo-helping jaunt out over the green grass.

Hooded Warbler

Later we added some more excellent birds including another Blue Gray Gnatcatcher and another Palm Warbler.

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher

Palm Warbler

That was it for 2015.  Thus great birds during the October/November Phenomenon for me were:  Golden Eagle, Lapland Longspur, Snow Bunting, Tropical Kingbird, Tennessee Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Palm Warbler and Northern Goshawk. Once again, a good Washington rarities list for a full year let alone for just over a month.

To paraphrase a popular question:  OK, Neah Bay, that’s all fine and dandy, but what have you done for me lately?  As I already chronicled in my earlier Blog Post “I Still Know the Way to Neah Bay”,  a trip to Neah Bay on October 18th with Steve Pink and Brian Pendleton had already produced what was for me a super bird – finally a Rose Breasted Grosbeak – the only non-review committee bird I had not seen in Washington.  We also had a Tropical Kingbird, Swamp Sparrow and a strangely plumaged Oriole that was either a rare for the time Bullock’s Oriole or an extremely rare Baltimore Oriole.  My distant photo was too poor to make a positive ID.  A great day but as outlined in that earlier blogpost, we missed some birds that had been seen by others lately – again a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Palm Warblers and most importantly the Dickcissel.  The Grosbeak sealed it for me and absent something new and exciting, I was probably done with Neah Bay for the year.

Then something new and exciting happened.  On October 29th the first ever Washington record or of Field Sparrow was reported.  The Dickcissel was gone, but there were Palm Warblers everywhere, a couple of Buller’s Shearwaters seen from land and at least one and maybe two Orchard Orioles. The next day a Harris’s Sparrow was found and the Blue Gray Gnatcatcher was found in a new location.  Commitments precluded me from going the next day but discussing options with Steve and Brian again, we decided that IF the Field Sparrow was reported again on Sunday we would go on Monday.  Alas, it was not reported – to go or not to go – that was the question.  The weather looked marginally better on Monday than for the rest of the week  and if somehow the Field Sparrow was still around each passing day decreased that possibility.  Brian and I opted to go and Steve opted out.

So we again boarded the 6:20 Edmonds ferry on Monday morning and headed west.  We had light rain in the darkness.  The skies lightened but by the time we reached Sekiu, the rain had increased and it was pouring.  Our optimism was challenged but we were soon rewarded because as soon as we reached Neah Bay, the rain stopped and we had no rain at all the rest of the day until we returned home.  We first went to the waterfront area where the Field Sparrow had been seen two days earlier.  We searched diligently …and unsuccessfully…our best bird a Eurasian Wigeon in the harbor.  Now our priorities changed.  We headed to Raven’s Corner and then Butler’s checking the thickets and brambles for the Blue Gray Gnatcatcher.  Again no luck.

Eurasian Wigeon

Field Sparrow from my Trip to Maine in June 2015 Where it Is Common 

Plan A and Plan B had failed, now it was off to the area where the Harris’s Sparrow had been reported.  On the way we first ran into three Tropical Kingbirds and then we ran into John Gatchet.  We had birded with John on our trip the previous week and he knows Neah Bay as well as anyone and had seen some of the special birds there recently.  In fact he had just seen the Harris’s Sparrow around the block from where it had been seen earlier and he took us to the spot – a tumble of brambles and a dilapidated building.  Quickly we got a glimpse of the Harris’s Sparrow but it was only in the open for a few seconds before it flew off and never returned.  No picture this time, so I include one from last year.

Harris’s Sparrow (Denny Van Horn’s Feeders in Sequim – March 31, 2014)

There were lots of sparrows there – Fox Sparrow, Lincoln’s, Golden Crowned mostly.  The Lincoln’s Sparrow was particularly appealing. We continued to see more Tropical Kingbirds – the count now up to four.

Lincoln’s Sparrow

At least the Harris’s Sparrow was a new year bird for me, but Brian had seen one earlier.  We decided to move on to Hobuck Beach where a number of Palm Warblers had been reported by many.  I love that area and we enjoyed walking the beach and the dunes and especially enjoyed finding at least four and possibly as many as six Palm Warblers – again new for the year for me but seen previously by Brian.  We had two more Tropical Kingbirds bringing our total to six for the day.  We also had a beautiful Western Meadowlark and our third Wilson’s Snipe of the day.

View from Hobuck Beach

Palm Warbler

Tropical Kingbird

Brian and Blair at Hobuck

We went back to the sparrow spot but no sign of either a Field Sparrow or the Harris’s Sparrow.  We again searched again the brambles on both sides of the Warmhouse Restaurant and the Mini Mart and found no orioles. A last stop at Butler’s before moving on did produce another Tropical Kingbird – number 7. It was getting late and options were disappearing.  John suggested we move out to the Loop Road and look for the Clay Colored Sparrow.  It had been seen in a scruffy area where a large tank had been removed.  When we got there we saw a small bird fly off and disappear.  It might have been a sparrow; it might have been something else.  We did not find a Clay Colored Sparrow there or in the nearby brambles along the water or near the dilapidated building.  We did have yet another Tropical Kingbird though.  Brian moved on to the west while John and I worked more to the east before returning to the area where the tank had been removed.  We  then heard shouts from Brian. He had found a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher – first hearing it and then finding it in a willow next to the building.  It hardly kept still but I was able to grab a nice photo.

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher

 

Finally Brian had a new bird for the year – in fact a new life state bird.  This was better and everyone was beyond satisfied.  There was maybe another hour or so of birdable light so we decided to head over to the jetty and look for pelagic species having been told by Bruce Paige that he had seen Northern Fulmars and Shearwaters far off shore.  First we checked the creek mouth where we had several Thayer’s Gulls and two Snow Geese.

Thayer’s Gull

Snow Goose

We clambered up onto the rocks at the jetty and searched.  John quickly announced that he was seeing many Fulmars and some shearwaters.  I saw some Fulmars but was not getting great looks.  Maybe 10 minutes later after trading off with Brian I got a pretty decent but very quick scope look at two shearwaters with distinctly white undersides and grayish backs/wings.  It was not a great look – not sufficient to make a positive ID but they could well have been Buller’s Shearwaters.

Maybe 10 minutes later, John got a good look at a Shearwater with white below and grayish wings with the critical “M” pattern readily seen.  I was on the other scope and was able to get on the same bird and track it going first left and then right and could also make out a pattern on the back.  But Brian was the one that really “needed” a Buller’s Shearwater as weather had canceled all of his Autumn pelagic trips and thus he had missed this species.  He took the scope and after very diligent searching he was able to find the bird as well. Ta da!!  Way too far out for a chance at a photo but we all were really sure of the observation.  All told we saw more than 100 Fulmars including at least one or two light phased birds, two Buller’s Shearwaters, a dozen or so Sooty Shearwaters and many ducks, loons, grebes and cormorants.  Shearwaters and Fulmars are exceptionally good observations from shore.

John Gatchet and Brian Pendleton at the Jetty – happy after the Buller’s Observation

We were very pleased with the continuation of the Neah Bay October/November Phenomenon.  We had seen perhaps 6 Palm Warblers, 8 Tropical Kingbirds, a Harris’s Sparrow, a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, 2 Buller’s Shearwaters, 100+ Nothern Fulmars and a Eurasian Widgeon.  That is a great list – and there is still November for more goodies.

The Phenomenon Summary – October/November   2012 – 2016

Just during October and November in the 5 years from 2012 to 2016, according to Ebird, a staggering 226 species have been reported from Neah Bay (including pelagic).  I don’t know how that compares to any other small area for any two months, but I expect it is pretty close to the best.

But it is not just the numbers, it is also the diversity and the rarities.  Consider for example these numbers of species in each group for the period:  33 geese, swans and ducks; 10 loons and grebes; 10 hawks, eagles and vultures; 23 shorebirds; 7 alcids; 17 gulls and terns; 5 doves; 7 owls; 4 falcons; 5 wrens; 12 warblers; 18 sparrows; and 10 finches.

Also consider the rarities (or species of note) in these tables.  (Species in bold and italic are ones I consider exceptional):

2012	2013	2014
Black-legged Kittiwake	American Golden-Plover	American Pipit
Clay-colored Sparrow	Black-legged Kittiwake	Black-legged Kittiwake
Glaucous Gull	House Wren	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Lapland Longspur	Iceland Gull	Brambling
Long-billed Curlew	Lapland Longspur	Bullock’s Oriole
Northern Mockingbird	Palm Warbler	Cattle Egret
Orchard Oriole	Red Shouldered Hawk	Chipping Sparrow
Palm Warbler	Rock Wren	Clark’s Grebe
Snow Bunting	Swamp Sparrow	Clay-colored Sparrow
Snowy Owl	Thayer’s Gull	Elegant Tern
Swamp Sparrow	Tropical Kingbird	Eurasian Hobby
Tennessee Warbler	White-throated Sparrow	Golden Eagle
Tropical Kingbird	Yellow-billed Loon	Grasshopper Sparrow
Tufted Puffin		Harris’s Sparrow
		Lapland Longspur
		Lucy’s Warbler
		Northern Pygmy-Owl
		Orchard Oriole
		Palm Warbler
		Pine Grosbeak
		Purple Martin
		Red Phalarope
		Rock Sandpiper
		Slaty-backed Gull
		Sora
		Swamp Sparrow
		Thayer’s Gull
		Tropical Kingbird
		Turkey Vulture
		Vesper Sparrow

2015	2016 (Through October Only)
American Tree Sparrow	American Pipit
Ancient Murrelet	Barn Owl
Barn Owl	Barred Owl
Black Phoebe	Black-legged Kittiwake
Black-legged Kittiwake	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	Blue-winged Teal
Cassin’s Finch	Brown Pelican
Clark’s Grebe	Buller’s Shearwater
Clay-colored Sparrow	Clark’s Grebe
Eurasian Wigeon	Clay-colored Sparrow
Golden Eagle	Dickcissel
Grasshopper Sparrow	Elegant Tern
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch	Eurasian Wigeon
Great Horned Owl	Field Sparrow
Hooded Warbler	Golden Eagle
House Wren	Harris’s Sparrow
Lapland Longspur	Lapland Longspur
Lark Sparrow	Long-tailed Duck
Leach’s Storm-Petrel	Marbled Murrelet
Long-tailed Duck	Northern Pygmy-Owl
Marbled Murrelet	Orchard Oriole
Northern Pygmy-Owl	Osprey
Northern Saw-whet Owl	Palm Warbler
Osprey	Parasitic Jaeger
Palm Warbler	Pink-footed Shearwater
Pink-footed Shearwater	Pomarine Jaeger
Ruffed Grouse	Red Knot
Sandhill Crane	Red Phalarope
Short-eared Owl	Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Short-tailed Shearwater	Ruff
Snow Bunting	Ruffed Grouse
Summer Tanager	Swamp Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow	Thayer’s Gull
Thayer’s Gull	Tropical Kingbird
Tropical Kingbird	Turkey Vulture
Tufted Duck	White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-winged Crossbill
Yellow-billed Loon

Since here again is another blog post on Neah Bay, it may seem like I am repeating myself or playing an old record over and over again or that there is an echo, but not so.  Neah Bay is simply that fantastic – especially in October and November and especially as it gets more and more attention from birders.  So here we go again – this was going to be a post about my visit on October 31, 2016 but as I recounted the great birds on that day and thought about my earlier visit this year, I also recalled the great birds in Neah Bay in previous Octobers and Novembers and that led to a two part post about what I have called the “Neah Bay Phenomenon – October/November“.  Part I goes back to the start of my focus on Neah Bay in these months – the Eurasian Hobby Frenzy of late October 2014.  Part II is about those months in 2015 and ends with the trip on October 31, 2016.  Who knows, maybe November 2016 will be exceptional as well and I will have to add a Part III.

On Sunday October 26, 2014 a Eurasian Hobby was reported on Ebird by Ryan Merrill, Brad Waggoner, Steve Mlodinow, Ryan Shaw and Charlie Wright in the Wa’atch River Valley in Neah Bay.  Some of these names will appear again (and again) in this post and the next as they are truly elite birders and responsible for many fantastic bird observations and reports in Washington.  hen there is an extremely rare bird in Washington  or anywhere else in North America, birders classify it as a “mega” – a sighting that gets everyone’s attention and is a “must see”.  The Eurasian Hobby was definitely such a bird – a true “Mega”.  Accordingly Steve Pink, Ann Marie Wood and I traveled to Neah Bay two days later on October 28 looking for the rarity.  Unfortunately even though it had been seen again the previous day and we saw many Peregrine Falcons (very similar) in the same area, one of which may have been the Hobby, poor light and poor views left us sufficiently unsure to be able to “count” the bird.  –  despite others reaching the opposite conclusion and counting it for their lists. We were pleased to find the Orchard Oriole, another very rare bird – coming to a feeder at 590 Bayview but very disappointed to not see the Hobby and we headed home.

Peregrine Falcon with Green Winged Teal in Talons from Wa’atch River

Orchard Oriole – October 28, 2014

When the Hobby was reported again the following day, Steve and I headed out again early on October 30 determined to not leave until we saw it.  We headed directly to the Wa’atch Valley where the Hobby was being seen and in the morning, we had no luck.  But our luck turned when Tom Mansfield came by describing a bird he saw but could not identify at the creek mouth on the beach west of the Senior Center.  Steve thought it might be a Brambling – another very rare bird – and we headed over to Tom’s spot immediately.  Sure enough there was a Brambling feeding in the open.  A great consolation prize but the Hobby was the real treasure so we all headed back up the Valley after passing by the feeder on Bayview and again seeing the Orchard Oriole.

Brambling – October 30, 2014

It took another hour of nervous watching but finally one of the falcons that flew by was smaller than a Peregrine and larger than a Merlin and with very pointed wings and rufous “leggings” confirming that we had the Eurasian Hobby.  It never perched and we were not able to get a photo but our two days of effort and many miles traveled were successful.  Neah Bay had delivered yet again.

The Hobby remained and on the following two days – now the weekend, seemingly every birder in the state appeared in the Wa’atch valley to see this remarkable bird.  Steve and I had departed but we heard that there were upwards of 100 birders who traveled to Neah Bay and they were successful – indeed moreso than we had been as the Hobby perched in an area which enabled some to get photos.  Doug Schurman – a terrific photographer and birder may have gotten the best and I include it here to show the fabulous and storied bird.

Eurasian Hobby – Photo by Doug Schurman – October 31, 2014

I had missed the spectacle and the photo op on October 31 – a picture I greatly wanted.  There were additional reports of the Hobby on November 1st together with reports of a Cattle Egret – a species I had not seen in Washington, so I wanted to return but could not for a couple of days at least.  Then a report of a Black Headed Gull in South Bend presented another rarity and I elected to try for it on November 4.  That was successful but the Hobby and Neah Bay were in my head and I wanted more.  There had been no reports after the 1st, but I figured that maybe everyone had already seen it and since it was now mid-week, maybe it would still be around.

I arrived in Neah Bay early on November 6th and immediately sought out and found the Cattle Egret at the Sewage Treatment Plant which was near the area where the Hobby had been seen.  It was very photo-friendly and I was very happy with that find.  I continued to hope for the return of the Hobby but had no luck and finally, as the weather was worsening, I gave up.  I had several good finds as I continued birding.  One was the Orchard Oriole yet again at the same feeder where now it was being joined by a Bullock’s Oriole – rare at this time of the year.  Another was a Palm Warbler – an uncommon but regular visitor in the Fall with Neah Bay being one of the best places to find one.  The best find of all, however, was Brad Waggoner.  I “found” Brad at Butler’s Motel.

Cattle Egret – Neah Bay STP – November 6, 2014

Brad consistently finds fantastic birds and had been one of the group that had first found the Hobby.  It was now pouring rain and very windy, not great for birding or birders.  Brad confirmed that there had been no reports of the Hobby since November 1st.  So that dream disappeared.  However, another quickly replaced it as Brad said he may have found a Lucy’s Warbler in the wood lot across from Raven’s Corner.  We trudged over and bushwhacked through the brush.  Earlier Brad had gotten fleeting views and had good audible responses but he had not been able to get a photo.  We had similar luck.  The bird was extremely secretive and all we could see was movement of some unidentifiable bird that responded clearly and well on at least three occasions to playback but never came out into the open.  Why was it there?  It breeds in the hot Sonoran desert and is relatively easy to find there but this was about as opposite of that habitat as one could get.  I had seen a Lucy’s at three locations in Arizona in late June 1977.

The Lucy’s Warbler was heard again by Brad and his brother Dan the next day but never showed itself.  On September 16 in 2015 (yes outside the October/November Phenomenon), Ryan Merrill found and photographed another Lucy’s Warbler in the Wa’atch Valley in Neah Bay – the second state record.  I include Ryan’s photo.

Lucy’s Warbler – Ryan Merrill Photo – September 16, 2015

I was very fortunate to have intersected with Brad and to have been taken to his prize find.  Maybe even better than a Hobby photograph.  I had many more great observations in November 2014, but that was my last trip to Neah Bay.  October and November had been – well, phenomenal.  Here is the recap of exceptional species seen there:  Tropical Kingbird, Orchard Oriole, Brambling., Clay Colored Sparrow, Palm Warbler, Eurasian Hobby, Cattle Egret, and Lucy’s Warbler.  This would be a fantastic list for the state for any year – maybe even for several years – yet all of these birds were found in magical Neah Bay in just over one week!!

Neah Bay had always been known as a great birding spot but the Eurasian Hobby frenzy and the increased use of listservs like Tweeters and reporting and ease of use of Ebird increased our consciousness and awareness of just how special a place it can be in the Fall.  Part II of this blog moves on to 2015 and 2016 and concludes with shared observations, experiences and photos from my visit there on October 31, 2016.

On Tuesday this week (October 25th), Ann Marie Wood, Jon Houghton and I planned an early morning trip to Ridgefield Refuge to look for a Red Shouldered Hawk (new in Washington for the year for all of us) plus some other new birds for Jon and Ann Marie.  Plans changed when a Common Eider was reported on Ebird – and pretty close – in the canal at Hayton Reserve on Fir Island.  So we headed north instead of south.  This was a rare bird worth chasing.

When I shared the story of our chase with a friend unfamiliar with birding, she astutely wondered how a bird called a “Common” Eider could be rare and queried whether it had to do with geography.  And so it does.  Common Eiders are anything but common in Washington.  They belong in the North Atlantic, where  they are very common indeed or in Alaska, where they are less so.  In fact since 1990, Ebird shows only three Common Eiders have visited our state.  There was a single observation near Tatoosh Island off Cape Flattery on April 26, 2005, another at Ediz Hook in Port Angeles on August 8, 2008 and then the very cooperative Common Eider female that was observed and photographed by many at Westport between October 19 and October 31 in 2012.  That was my first Common Eider observation in Washington – or anywhere else for that matter.

Westport Common Eider – October 28, 2012

Astute readers will note that all of the previous sightings were in saltwater and were coastal.  What was this Common Eider doing in a canal on Fir Island?  The Ebird report had great photos of a close in female Common Eider.  There was no mistaking the identification, so our only concern as we departed was whether it would still be there when we arrived.

As I have written before, one rule when chasing birds is to “Look first for the birders”.  As we approached Hayton Reserve, even though it was pretty early, we wondered how many birders would be there already – hopefully with cameras, binoculars or scopes trained on the rare duck.  Driving in towards the parking area, we saw only one other person, but his scope was pointed out towards the canal so we were hopeful.  It turned out that it was our friend, Jordan Gunn, who had been in the Seattle Audubon Master Birder’s Class with Jon and me in 2013.  (Ann Marie was a graduate of an earlier Master Birder’s Class.)  He gave the thumbs up so we figured we would “get our bird”.  But Jordan added that the bird had been much closer ten minutes earlier and when a Bald Eagle flew over, all the waterfowl had scattered and it was now at the far end of the canal – almost a half mile away.  My hoped for excellent photos were now unlikely.

Thanks to Jordan, with scopes, we were able to get a poor view of the Common Eider hiding behind some reeds.  Thankfully a Common Eider has a very distinctive head shape with a very long sloping bill, so even though the light was terrible and the wind was blowing hard and it was a drab female and it was so distant, we were satisfied that we had indeed seen this very rare bird.  A good chase.  We decided to head off to Wylie Slough to bird for an hour or so and then to return hoping the Eider would return to its earlier location close to the road.

There was far less wind at Wylie Slough and not very many birds.  A pair of Downy Woodpeckers posed nicely as did a Spotted Towhee.  There were some Black Capped Chickadees, lots of Robins, a Brown Creeper, some Kinglets and not much else.  Time to go back to Hayton Reserve.  Then some bad news.  Jon got a call from Jordan who had word from Ryan Merrill that our treasured rare Common Eider was an escapee from a local collection.  This explained its unlikely location but no longer a wild bird, it was now not recordable either.  There went a Washington year bird for all of us.  Rats (I think I may have used a different word…)

Downy Woodpecker

Spotted Towhee

It was now 10:30 a.m.  Was there still time to return to Plan A and go to Ridgefield?  We were an hour further away and it was 4 hours later than our previously planned hour of departure.  Despite our disappointment “losing” our record, we just could not justify a trip to Ridgefield.  Now what?  We decided to check out various areas in the Skagit and Samish Flats and just enjoy the local birding as we knew that swans and geese were returning as were Rough Legged Hawks and Short Eared Owls and maybe there would be a surprise.

We quickly found our first large flock of Snow Geese – 2000, 3000 or more – and found other flocks as we continued our birding.  We estimated between 5,000 and 10,000 seen altogether.

Snow Geese Photos

We did not see many swans but small groups of both Tundra and Trumpeter Swans flew overhead.  We completely struck out at Jon’s “Sparrow Spot” and then continued to look for owls at the East and West 90’s.  No owls but we had a spectacular view of a Rough Legged Hawk.  We also saw Red Tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles, an American Kestrel and earlier had a Sharp Shinned Hawk.  Photos of the Snow Geese and the Rough Legged Hawk made the trip worthwhile.

Rough Legged Hawk

Worthwhile but it sure would have been nice to have been able to keep that Common Eider record.  I had seen Eiders in their beautiful breeding plumage in Nome earlier this year and had great looks on my Maine trip last year.  I include those photos here because they are quite striking birds and also I guess to feel better about the lost record yesterday.

Common Eiders in Nome Alaska – June 2016

Common Eiders in Maine 2015

And now for the rest of the story…

Sorry I just can’t resist this one.  When the aforementioned Common Eider was at Westport in late October 2012, it was not the only rare bird in Westport.  Not more than a few hundred yards from the Eider there was another rarity from the north or maybe the northwest.  The other visitor was a Northern Wheatear.  Even rarer than the Common Eider, this visitor from Asia, was the only Ebird record for Washington at least from 1980.  Another was seen at Discovery Park on October 20, 2014.

Westport Wheatear – October 28, 2012

I did not see the Wheatear in 2014 but I saw a pair on my Nome trip earlier this year.

Northern Wheatear – Nome Alaska June 2016

Seeing both a Common Eider and a Northern Wheatear on the same day in Alaska would be very nice.  Seeing them on the same day in Washington – wow – an incredible day indeed. But I had a sighting in Westport that day that was almost as good and confirms just how special seeing those birds there was.  As mentioned above, I was a member of Dennis Paulson’s Master Birder Class of 2012-2013.  There may be nobody in Washington that knows as much as Dennis about birds and while he has certainly seen his share in Washington, in the U.S. and throughout the world, Dennis cannot be considered a lister.  He is a teacher, a student, an expert, a true ornithologist.  During our class, always in good humor, Dennis would chide those of us who chased birds for our “lists”.  The expertise he gave us helped in that effort but somehow our focus on “ticking” birds on our lists seemed a “lesser” pursuit.

The Westport birds attracted many listers/birders from all over the state and there was a virtual parade of birders – moving either from the Wheatear to the Eider or the Eider to the Wheatear.  I had chosen to look for the Wheatear first and was very happy to find it readily.  I then headed towards the water just off the jetty where the Common Eider was being seen.  As I reached the half way point, I saw a familiar face coming towards me.  It was Dennis Paulson.  Even he could not resist the draw of adding these two rarities to his Washington List.  Caught in the act, Dennis just shrugged his shoulders and gave a knowing smile.  So when I saw the Common Eider in a few moments, it was my third special sighting of the day.

Dennis Paulson

This is my third blog post about Neah Bay birding trips in just under 8 months.  Must be a good place to bird – well, yes it is!!  My entry on February 28th,“Bird and Memory of the Week – Red Legged Kittiwake – Well No But…”, was a trip to Neah Bay with Jon Houghton and Nathaniel Peters in an abortive search for a Red Legged Kittiwake – still a great trip and I finally found my “Lifer” Red Legged Kittiwake on my Adak Pelagic trip which was the subject of a later post on June 21, 2016: “Remote Alaska Part II – A Pelagic Trip out of Adak“.  My second entry was a post on May 27th with friend Linda Pruitt to join up with the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society trip led by Denny Van Horn.  that post was entitled “Do You Know the Way to… Neah Bay?”  – a shameful take off on the Dione Warwick song about the way to San Jose.  Well the directions are not difficult to get to Neah Bay, but it is a ways away and includes some tortuous driving but it sure is a birding treasure.

Earlier I had signed on for a pelagic trip out of Neah Bay scheduled for October 8th planning to bird there the day before as well.  That trip was cancelled and no boat was available for another trip until October 22nd, so I moved plans forward two weeks and planned the same routine.  BUT..on Monday, October 17th a report came from Neah Bay that a Rose Breasted Grosbeak was coming to a feeder at Butler’s Motel and a Dickcissel was also being seen.  I had a dilemma: I had an important commitment the next day so an immediate trip out to Neah Bay was not possible without a lot of collateral damage.  Furthermore I also had a commitment on Wednesday the 19th and after all I was planning to be out there on Friday – three days later anyhow. But c’mon it was a ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK!!!  

Rose Breasted Grosbeak (Male – Internet Photo)

“So what?” you might reasonably ask.  Here’s what.  The Washington Bird Records Committee is the on-high arbiter/tribunal of bird gods (all said respectfully) which determines whether observations of rare/unusual birds in the state are accepted as real or not. Until there are 20 accepted observations of a species in Washington, that species remains on the “Review List” and the observer needs to appropriately support the observation with notes of fieldmarks, songs or calls heard, confirming observations by others and/or best of all photographs of the bird.  The Rose Breasted Grosbeak is NOT a review list bird and it was the ONLY non-reviewable bird species that I have not seen in the state.  Although there are more than 20 records in Washington, it is still quite a rare species and generally is seen at a feeder where it visits briefly and then vanishes.

A so-called one day-wonder, if you do not learn of the observation quickly and go immediately, the odds are not good that you will see a Rose Breasted Grosbeak in Washington.  I should know.  This has been a nemesis bird and I have missed out several times.  Right behind a Smew, it has been at the top of my state wish list.  Back to the dilemma.  This bird had already been around two days – whatever the odds that it would stay for one more day, those odds were much higher that it would stick around for still another two until I could get there on Friday.  Even though I had put on 270 miles on Tuesday and got home late from Ellensburg, I had to do it!!  I canceleled the conflicting engagement on Wednesday; invited Brian Pendleton and Steve Pink to join me; and committed to the 300+ mile round trip to Neah Bay the next day.

We caught the 6:20 a.m. ferry from Edmonds and one gas stop aside, headed straight to Neah Bay.  We arrived at Butler’s Motel at 9:45 a.m. and heard the good news:  “It has been seen this morning”.  We went to the porch behind the motel to view the feeders where we met another birder friend, Paul Baerny who gave us the maybe good/maybe bad news:  “You just missed it.  It was here 10 minutes ago”.  I was regretting the bathroom stop that had taken maybe 10 minutes.  Paul also said that the Dickcissel had not been seen since the day before.  A Dickcissel is a great bird for Washington and none of us had seen one yet this year.  But I had seen my first one in Washington last year in Hardy Canyon, so I was not heartbroken.  But I would be if that 10 minutes had meant no Rose Breasted Grosbeak.

 Dickcissel (from Hardy Canyon Outside Yakima on June 3, 2015)

The next 20 minutes was a nervous hell…Would it return?  Was it gone?  Would my nemesis get me again?  We were joined by John Gatchet – a terrific birder who now lives on the Olympic Peninsula and who had reported both the Grosbeak and the Dickcissel the day before.  He had stayed at Butler’s and would be heading home that day.  He told us of the Grosbeak’s routine – favoring one feeder but moving between them.  And sure enough – THERE IT WAS!! It came first to the favorite feeder just as John had said.  Not the brilliantly colored male with its eponymous red breast but a bright female that was frankly much better looking and easier to identify and distinguish from a female Black Headed Grosbeak than I expected from looking at guidebooks before arriving.

My First Look at Rose Breasted Grosbeak on Feeder

Success!!  We were no more than 15 feet from this bird and it could have cared less.  We watched it for the next 15 minutes gorging itself on the seed that Nancy so wonderfully provides at the Butler’s feeders.  It then flew off to some shrubs just behind the feeders and provided excellent views and then landed on the ground right below the feeders and us – no more than 10 feet away – and my camera was ready, willing and able.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak

Still no Dickcissel and we never would see one, but I was ecstatic and could have left then and counted it as a wonderful day.  But after all this was Neah Bay and there were other goodies that were likely and who knows what else might have been in the offing.  Our target list included Tropical Kingbird, Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Palm Warbler and Swamp Sparrow and hopefully a surprise.

Just as we were about to say goodbye to the Rose Breasted Grosbeak a small hummingbird made a brief appearance.  All five of us immediately thought it was “different” from a common and to be expected Anna’s Hummingbird.  A male Anna’s Hummingbird has a brilliant red head and throat and generally appears fairly robust – for a hummingbird at least.  This bird had a limited amount of red – only on the throat – and seemed relatively small and delicate.  None of us had seen an Anna’s in this plumage and considered whether it might be a Ruby Throated Hummingbird – the common hummer of the East but extremely unlikely in Washington.  I was able to snap a single not so terrific photo before it flew off but it clearly shows the limited amount of red on the throat.  I have sent the photo off to others for expert advice and expect the declaration will be that it is a young Anna’s but it sure got us excited.  The first photo is of our mystery hummingbird and the second is of an Anna’s Hummingbird that came to a feeder that Nancy put up after we left and then watched it in action when we returned a couple of hours later.

What Hummingbird Is This?

Anna’s Hummingbird at Butler’s Feeder

Still high from the Rose Breasted Grosbeak and wondering about our hummingbird, we set off for … more.  We tried unsuccessfully for a Blue Grey Gnatcatcher in the “woods” between the Mini-Mart and Butler’s.  It had not been seen for a couple of days and we did not see it there or elsewhere this day either.  The photo below is from Neah Bay on November 11th last year.

Blue Grey Gnatcatcher – Neah Bay November 11, 2015

We continued on foot into town and not much later John Gatchet somehow spied a bird on a wire maybe 200 yards away that he identified as a Tropical Kingbird. I could barely see the bird from that distance and in fact initially got my binoculars and then my camera  on the wrong bird – and then the real Tropical Kingbird flew off.  We tracked it down and watched it fly from perch to perch – mostly one wire to another for many minutes.  Eventually it landed on a small tree that allowed for pretty good photos.  We even heard its distinctive call as it flew – which would have allowed us to distinguish it from the closely related Couch’s Kingbird but that species never visits Washington.  The Tropical Kingbird itself is quite mysterious.  Widespread in the tropics well into South America, it barely makes it into South Texas and Southern Arizona – except in the fall when it is a rare but regular visitor to usually coastal Washington before returning south to its normal haunts.

Tropical Kingbird

We returned to Butler’s but still no Dickcissel and in the 20+ minutes we were there, we did not again see the Rose Breasted Grosbeak.  I hope it remains for others to observe.

We all then headed out to the Wa’atch Valley on the Crown Z Haul Road to search for a Swamp Sparrow.  John Gatchet had heard one there the day before and he kindly served as guide in residence.  He took us to “the spot” and fairly soon we saw a small reddish brown sparrow fly up briefly and then bury itself in the dense grass.  We thought we heard its distinctive “chip” note and waited for more – nothing.  After a few silent minutes, I resorted to playback and played what is described as the “fast pulse rate” song on my IBirdPro program.  Nothing.  Waited.  Played the “slow pulse rate song”. Nothing.  Waited.  We thought we heard a “chip” note a couple of times but not sufficiently certain for an ID.  One more time:  I played the “fast pulse rate song” again and then stopped.  Almost immediately we heard an almost exact duplication of the song from the area where we had seen the aforementioned sparrow disappear.  Everyone heard the song, but Brian had not noticed that I was no longer playing and he thought it was from the playback.  I was good with the ID now.

We moved on to another spot that had similar habitat and Brian, who has extraordinary ears (and a good processor in his head as well), started hearing what seemed to be Swamp Sparrow chip notes.  The bird would not respond to the pulse rate playback but we heard the distinctive high pitched chip note several times.  We are pretty sure we had two Swamp Sparrows for the day.  No photo ops for these birds, so I include one I took at Eide Road last year.

Swamp Sparrow – Eide Road January 7, 2015

We found a large mixed flock of small passerines and checked it carefully hoping for something unusual, but it was mostly Golden and Ruby  Crowned Kinglets and  Black Capped Chickadees.  We also had a couple of small flocks of Cackling Geese, one of which had a prominent blue neck band. (I have learned this means it from the Aleutians.)

Golden Crowned Kinglet

Cackling Geese

It was getting cold and the rain that had held off most of the day was now with us so we decided to start back with a couple of scans of the Bay and then a return to Butler’s – just in case something new had come in.  The Bay had many Surf and White Winged Scoters, numerous gulls, Western and Horned Grebes, Greater Scaup, American Widgeon, Hooded Mergansers, various Cormorants and several Common Loons.

Common Loon

When we arrived at Butler’s there was a “larger than before” flock of sparrows feeding on the ground below the eastern most feeder.  The Dickcissel had been seen with such a flock previously so we hoped for a return.  No – a large number of Golden Crowned Sparrows, a White Crowned Sparrow and a House Sparrow.  As before lots of Steller’s Jays, Dark Eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Eurasian Collared Doves and some Robins.  A cool highlight was seeing a Cooper’s Hawk swoop through and take down a Eurasian Collared Dove with feathers flying from the force of the strike.  I was not able to get a photo of that but include other photos from the motel.

Golden Crowned Sparrow

Steller’s Jay (one of at least 15)

We said goodbye to Nancy and thanked her again for her helping us birders and then said goodbye to John.  Steve, Brian and I made quick stops at and near the seawatch spot on Ba’adeh Loop.  We found a gull that had us confused.  Probably a Western Gull but we are seeking ID help.  (Confirmed that it was.)  It was then back to Edmonds.  Along the way we found some Harlequin Ducks and one spot with a downed tree in the water that was a roosting spot for maybe 100 Black Turnstones – quite a congregation.

Once again Neah Bay delivered.  Three new birds for the year and my State Life Rose Breasted Grosbeak – finally!!  I do know the way and I will be back – maybe even soon.

{I have thought about this post many times, knowing it would be special, and knowing it would be shared but I have held back to wait for the “best time to post”.  It is not so much about birds although there are some birds involved.  It is about family and spirits and … magic.  Since it is also about the passing of my father in August 2007 and an incredible trip to Kenya and a very specific moment while there in November 2007, I thought about waiting until the 10th year anniversary of one of those times.  But I decided that it is time…now, today.  Why?

Maybe it is my own feeling of mortality and a discussion I had yesterday about “bucket lists” and doing today rather than waitng for a tomorrow that might not happen.  Maybe it is the deep sadness that I feel as the people and politics of 2016 play out so horribly before us.  Maybe it is the heavy rain and heavy winds that are with us and may significantly increase.  Maybe it is something that I can only feel but not understand.  In any event, I want and need to revisit and repeat and share something I wrote a long time ago about the Circle of Life…me, my father, my children, all of us.  Here it is…}

Prior to his coming to Seattle, my father had always had a “quiet” appreciation of wildlife but other than on television or at the cinema, it had never been a part of his life in any active way.  When he retired and switched coasts and moved to Seattle, in part as a way to become active in the community, he became a docent at the Seattle Zoo with his favorite animals being the leopards.  Much later, his health no longer allowed him to continue as a docent but the fifteen year service pin from the Zoo was a prized possession.

My Father and Mother on their Wedding Day – Julian and Evelyn Bernson

In late July 2007 I learned of a cancellation by one traveler in a bird/animal safari to Kenya for late October/November and I was able to arrange my work schedule to allow me to take the newly vacant spot.  My father was very pleased when I told him of the opportunity – he had never been envious of my trips – just happy to hear the stories and see the pictures later – and that was his way with all of life – pleased for others without at least outwardly regretting any of his own limited experiences.

In early August I saw my father just before heading off to Portland for a two day business trip.  We shared details of the itinerary and hopes and expectations.  Mostly he wanted to know if we expected to see leopards on the journey.  My answer was “Very likely and I certainly hope so”, as the big cats are my favorites and I wanted very much to add leopard and cheetah and lion to the experience of seeing a jaguar in the Pantanal region during my Brazil trip in 2005.  Dad smiled and his last words were that I “say hello to the leopard for him.”

My Father in Early 2007 – Age 89

Two days later, as I was in the Portland office of the company with whom I was finally concluding a lease negotiation for a client, I got a call that my dad had been rushed to the hospital and that he had developed a fast moving infection that had led to pneumonia.  The drive back to Seattle was even more traffic delayed than usual and took “forever”.  When I got to the hospital my father was sedated, barely conscious and slipping.  His “communication” was completely non-verbal but he would respond with a squeeze of the hand to my words or touch.  I was told that the very strong likelihood was that this was a battle he was not going to win – indeed it was one he may have decided not to even fight – and that he could “go” at any time.

Adding to the drama was that purely coincidentally this was the day that my daughter was due to come home for her one week of vacation following her summer of research at NIH and before returning to Boston to start her second year of medical school.  She was very close to grandpa and it seemed important for her to “be there”.  And my son was heading to the hospital from his work and he too loved his grandfather very much and although he had been spared “death” so far, he knew the fate and he, too, had to be present.  My daughter’s plane fortunately arrived on schedule and she made it to the hospital in time to see her grandpa still “alive” and still responding to familiar touches and familiar voices with clearly felt changes in the pressure of his grip if not in any other ways.

As she sat by his bedside, I saw my child, his grandchild, as a doctor of the future, bedside manner already comfortable, an adult, a professional, a caring human being full of all of the gifts that she had received from each of us and enhanced and grown in her own ways.  And then my son moved over to the bed and held his hand.  Although I could not hear any of his words, I could see his own wonderful spirit and care and maturity as he held a “final” conversation with his grandfather and said his goodbyes and expressed his love.  And instead of an impending death, I felt only an ongoing life, the passing of one life into another – not a replacement but a continuation – indeed the circle of life from father to son to grandson or granddaughter and so on – as it has always been.

The Circle of Life

My father held on another day and then went as peacefully as anyone could ever want someone to go.  But no matter how easily a death may transpire, no matter how long and full the life that was lived, no matter how shared the goodbyes at the time, there is the unavoidable finality of the death itself.  Gone.  No longer.  Passed.

Or is that really so…?

Exactly two months after my final real words with my father – after his request to “say hello to the leopard”, I was in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya.  As it neared its end, the day had already been by far the best of any of the already marvelous days of my trip with many wonderful birds and mammals.  Our two vans were down by the river and all eyes were trained to the west looking for a Lilac Breasted Roller that had been spotted but lost moments ago.

Samburu Serena Lodge

Elephant in the Brush

Martial Eagle

Secretary Bird

Lilac Breasted Roller

All eyes searched for the beautiful bird, but for whatever reason, I suddenly had an urge to instead look out the opposite side of the vehicle and as I did so at first I “sensed” more than “saw” a movement in the brush and then I clearly “saw” the form of the movement as it bound out of the brush and ascended the acacia tree.  I instantly screamed “LEOPARD” and everyone turned in unison as I pointed to our first big cat of the trip perhaps 200 yards away.

The vans moved as close to the tree as we could and we were rewarded with not just a spectacular view of an even more spectacular creature but with a spectacular unity with that animal – it was SO REAL – and it was deeply felt by everyone in the group – but by none moreso than by me, as I clearly and strongly felt my father’s presence and guidance and participation.  This was HIS leopard, his gift to me.  Not gone…  And for the first time since his death, I broke down and sobbed helplessly and joyfully in the splendor of that African place under the eyes of one of its most beautiful and magical creations.

Leopard in Acacia Tree at Samburu N.P. Kenya

Again the circle of life – there at a place that may well have been where “human life” at least was first born and began its own trajectory.  But some gifts keep on giving, some circles continue their revolutions.

Christmas 2007 – my first without my father.  I am now the oldest of the family – there are none surviving from the preceding generation or the generations before that – at least none corporeally.  My daughter was there as was my son back from his second year of college.  We are not a religious family and if we were to follow our beliefs, there would be ideas and values of the Hebrews and the Buddhists and animists and Universalists as well.  So for us, Christmas is a “feeling” a celebration of values not of a life or a lord or any other such biblical revelation – true or not – but of LIFE in its goodness.

Presents under the tree and the ritual of giving and receiving are important – usually played out in highly personalized expressions of what each of us finds important – in ourselves and in each other.  The night before, my daughter had said she was particularly looking forward to the morning – not for what she would receive as a gift but because she so very much wanted to see how her gifts would be received as they were even more special this year.

When it became time for me to open her gift to me, she handed me a very large flat package that, if I were to guess, might have been a Japanese print from a favorite artist (another of my passions) – but given med school costs, that would have been an extravagance that I would have had trouble accepting.  Or perhaps it was one of her own art works as she has endless capacity for creation.  Instead what I found was a frame around a certificate and a picture – a certificate of adoption through an African wildlife organization of a leopard in Samburu National Reserve and a picture, MY picture, of MY Leopard – MY FATHER’S leopard.

My Father’s Leopard

And it all came back – ALL.  The sighting in the park, his last words to me before he died, the visits to the Zoo, the Disney films as a child, and baseball, and hotdogs and watermelon, and gin rummy and the basketball games and her birth and his holding her in his arms as I held her in mine and his reading to her and her reading to him, her good bye at the hospital and his joy at her graduation from high school and from college and acceptance to medical school and her awards and concerts and them just holding hands and her sitting on his lap as she had on mine…and the same smile on all of the faces …And the same with my son: Grandpa’s pride in the boy that was now a fine young man, the trips to science centers and zoos, and lacrosse games and his jobs with responsibilities and accomplishments way beyond his years, his kindness, just like grandpa.

NO, NOT GONE; just a circle and it rolls on and on … and always will as it always has.  The spirit of the leopard is in us all … as is its beauty.

Yes, Christmas is a “feeling” a celebration of values not of a life or a lord or any other such biblical revelation – true or not – but of LIFE in its goodness.  More tears – more joy.

Two Wonderful Kids – Two Wonderful Grandkids

I miss my father.  My kids are “back east” and I miss them.  I miss the decency of the world I grew up in.  Happy for the memories and hope that there will be many more…

This will be a relatively short post.  October 5th was my birthday.  A Lapland Longspur was reported at the Mouth of the Cedar River that day.  I had not seen one in Washington yet this year and contemplated going to try to find the bird. But I had plans for later that day and so decided against it.  However, when it was reported the next morning, I figured it would be a nice late birthday gift so why not.

The Longspur had been seen foraging in the grass between the path and the road at the park which is maybe a narrow half mile long from entrance to the river mouth itself.  It took only a little while to locate the bird.  Check.  Now for the photo.  Uh-oh.  I had the camera.  The batteries were recharged. But I had forgotten to replace the SD Card that I had removed earlier.  Not the end of the world especially since I had many good photos of Lapland Longspurs in Washington from previous years and also some breeding plumage photos from my Alaska Trip earlier this year.  But still it was disappointing.

Two days later Ann Marie Wood and Steve Pink went to look for the Longspur and did not find it.  But they did find a Sabine’s Gull – regular on pelagic trips, and seen by me on both May and August trips this year, but very rare inland.  I had seen them many times on such trips but never in King County.  I contemplated a return but had other things to do and since I have not yet caught the “County Lister” disease, I felt no compulsion.

Sabine’s Gull from Pelagic Trip on August 28, 2016

The saying is that it takes two to tango.  Well in this case it took two to bring on that compulsive feeling.  The next day, others again reported seeing the Sabine’s Gull and the Lapland Longspur was being seen again.  I had plans to join friends to see the Presidential Debate that night (I have to insert that it turned out to be neither “presidential” nor a “debate” and even for this very sad year of politics it was particularly disgusting.)  The timing was not perfect but I decided to return to the Mouth of the Cedar and give it a shot.  I made sure the SD card was in place this time though.

When I arrived at the park I met two birders who were leaving after having seen both the Longspur and the Gull and got specific directions as to the Longspur’s location.  I headed to that area and found another birder just leaving – a familiar face – Chazz Hesselein.  He had just seen the Longspur and kindly guided me to the spot.  At first we did not see the Longspur but then after almost stepping on it, we got fantastic views of the lovely bird.  Sharing the moment and visiting with Chazz made it extra nice.

Lapland Longspur at the Mouth of the Cedar Park

We said our goodbyes and then I returned to the northern end of the park to walk out to the actual river mouth and to search the logs and open water for the Sabines’s Gull.  Two birding friends were heading the other direction towards the Longspur having chosen to look for the Sabine’s Gull, which they had found, first.  Gregg Thompson and Dan Reiff gave me details of the Sabine’s location and I gave them details for the Longspur.

Gregg Thompson and Dan Reiff

They had said that the gull was hanging around on the furthest out logs. After a couple of moments I found what I thought was the gull quite far out on either a little gravel bar or a log.  I did not have my scope but the small size was consistent with that of a Sabine’s Gull.  I hoped for it to fly to reveal the distinctive wing pattern. Suddenly all of the hundred or so gulls took flight.  I watched carefully but did not see either a small gull nor that beautiful white and black pattern.  Worse yet, when they all returned I could no longer relocate the probable Sabine’s Gull at all.

Fortunately Dan and Gregg returned and the additional (and superior) eyes found the tiny gull sitting on the same gravel bar/log.  I think I had missed it because another gull had blocked it from my angle.  We watched it for quite a time including several flights where it would head even further out to a slick in the water before returning to the gravel.  The distance and lighting were not the best for good photos, but no mistaking the identification.

Sabine’s Gull on Gravel Bar

Sabine’s Gull in Flight

This visit had been very successful and when I called my hostess for the “Debate” Party, it was ok to come early so that worked out as well.

I could end the blog post here but then you rightly would be completely confused by the “Four Months and Two Thousand Miles” title. So on we go.  In earlier posts I wrote about the wonderful trip to Adak and Nome Alaska in June earlier this year.  That trip was Four Months Ago from the date of these observations and those locations are Two Thousand Miles from the Mouth of the Cedar River Park.  And on that trip I had fabulous views of many Lapland Longspurs and Sabine’s Gulls and unlike these two, those birds were adults in spectacular Alternate (breeding) plumage.  These photos show the extraordinary difference.

Lapland Longspur in Breeding Plumage – Adak, Alaska

Sabine’s Gulls in Breeding Plumage – Nome, Alaska

I doubt I will ever again see a Lapland Longspur and a Sabine’s Gull on the same day in King County.  Sure was nice to do so.  And I hope I never again see such a pathetic display of what has come to pass for politics in America again either.  Unfortunately I probably will…sigh.

Salmo Mountain is about as far away from my Edmonds home as you can get and still be in Washington.  Just under 400 miles away, it is in the extreme northeastern corner of the state and is approximately 3 miles from Canada and 3 miles from Idaho.  I first visited the area in 2012 on a wonderful Washington Ornithological Society trip led by Terry Little on October 5th, my birthday.  I have returned in late September or early October each year since.  The area is one of the best and most accessible boreal forest habitats in Washington and has some very special birds accordingly.

A clarification – “most accessible” does not mean you simply pull off the pavement and park.  My destinations this past weekend included Salmo Mountain, Bunchgrass Meadows, Sullivan Lake and Highline Road.  All told that meant almost 100 miles of driving on unpaved roads – mostly in good condition, but I had a flat tire there two years ago.  The nearest towns are Metaline Falls and Ione, Washington.  A couple of motels and not much in the way of food or other services.  We are talking remote – but also talking very beautiful.

Birders, like me,  come to this area with hopes of finding three boreal specialties and several other species that are also found elsewhere but can be fairly reliable here as well.  The three main targets are Boreal Owl, Boreal Chickadee and Spruce Grouse. The other goodies include Dusky and Ruffed Grouse, American Three Toed Woodpecker, Red and White Winged Crossbills, Gray Crowned Rosy Finch, Pine Grosbeak, Northern Pygmy Owl and Northern Goshawk.  I have found all of these species on one or another of my visits and my combined trip list for all visits is 51 species.  While I have been fortunate to have found Boreal Owls each year, they have been “heard only” and this rare owl remains one of only three non-review board species in Washington for which I have no photo.  So getting a visual and a photo was the prime objective for this visit.

Before heading off on my trip I had checked the weather and it looked pretty good with maybe a few sprinkles but in the mountains you never know.  I have been at Salmo in bright sunshine and with several inches of snow on the ground.  This time I had none of either – lots of clouds, a few spotty sunbreaks and sadly lots of wind, rain, thunderstorms and hail.  I arrived midday Friday and had only clouds and after checking in to the very basic but clean Circle Motel in Metaline Falls, I headed off to Bunchgrass Meadows.  Last year I had my first ever photo of a Spruce Grouse there and always had Boreal Chickadees there on previous trips.  Despite being the only car on the road up (Harvey Creek Road), this time I found no grouse and while I had several Boreal Chickadees, they remained camera shy high up in the trees.

Spruce Grouse from Bunchgrass Meadows in 2015

About 12 miles in I met a hunter on a serious off road vehicle who said that grouse “were everywhere” – better at dusk and dawn of course.  Failing to find any gallinaceous birds at all, I planned to return early the next day.  I found a couple of American Three Toed Woodpeckers and I had a flyover by a screaming Northern Goshawk but in general the birding was much slower than I remembered from earlier visit.

After a couple of hours, I headed off to Salmo Mountain planning to bird slowly on the 20+ miles of unpaved road and to arrive at the summit around 5, wait until dark and then seek the main quest – Boreal Owl. It rained lightly for a few moments on my climb but nothing too serious.  Still the birding was slow.  No grouse at all and again some uncooperative Chickadees – both Mountain and Boreal.  Last year we had found a spot where Boreal Chickadees had nested.  None were there this year but some serious tapping told me that some woodpeckers were.  I could not penetrate the thick woods to get to the sound but eventually was able to draw two American Three Toed Woodpeckers out and get a few pictures.  A third remained hidden deep in the woods.

American Three Toed Woodpecker

I continued up the road and met two hunters in more camouflage clothing than I have ever seen.  Not sure I would have noticed them if they had been standing in the woods rather than by their car.  They were talking to a Border Patrol officer – a local who was also a serious hunter.  They too said that grouse “were everywhere”.  Interestingly though they knew only about Ruffed Grouse and “Blue Grouse” and were unaware of Spruce Grouse even existing.  They were not bird hunters.  Of most interest to me were their stories of bear sightings including two grizzlies about a week ago and also of “many” cougars – also recently.  If push came to shove I would probably take a photo of a Cougar over a Boreal Owl, but it would be a tough decision as both are just below seeing a Smew on my bucket list.

Leaving them I made it to the end of the road at the Lookout Tower and was greeted by peals of thunder and lots of wind and then some very serious hail.  Not exactly good owling conditions.  I was exhausted from almost 12 hours of driving so I waited for a change in weather with a short nap – hoping that lightning would not accompany the thunderstorm and strike the mountaintop.

Salmo Lookout Just before the Storm

The pounding hail and then heavy rain did not allow for much sleep but I dozed off and on for about an hour.  Finally it cleared enough to enjoy part of the view.  The good news was that the wind was blowing away some of the clouds but it did not portend well for successful owling.  A photo as the sun was going down was a nice reward however.

Sunset from Salmo Mountain

I waited another hour and then set off to find an owl with spotlight and camera ready.  On previous visits we have had as many as three Boreal Owls within a half mile of the tower.  As said before, I have yet to actually see one – or at least see one clearly – my only “view” being of an even darker form flying over against the dark sky.  Sometimes owls have been heard within the first 20 minutes.  Other times it has taken many hours.  this night was to be in between.  Not a sound for over an hour so I moved further and further down the road.  Finally at about 8:45 I heard a few repeated hoots and then a “skiew” call.  It was not close and there was no response to playback despite many attempts over a quarter mile along the road. It was now somewhat clear but still windy and I think that contributed to the poor results.

A Representative “Photo” of My Typical Boreal Owl Experience

I went back to the car and began the 20 mile drive back to a paved road.  As I have done successfully with Flammulated Owls, I planned to stop and use playback – although instead of every 1/2 mile it would be every 1/8 mile.  After 5 unsuccessful stops I felt a few rain drops and sensed that more were coming so I gave up and set out for the motel.  On these roads at night there is no visibility except for headlights and even they are not very useful around some of the sharp turns.  There is also the constant awareness that some wildlife might suddenly appear and while I would have loved to have seen a Cougar or Grizzly, I certainly did not want to hit either one or the more likely deer or moose that I knew to be around.  That coupled with a strong desire to not hit any or rocks or worse yet slide off the road meant travel was slow.

Not more than another half mile down, two shadows appeared on the road.  When my headlights captured them, I saw two young Moose ambling along and then in the center of the road not more than 200 feet ahead of me.  I snapped a couple of photos through the windshield and then flashed my lights to encourage them to move off the road as I followed slowly.  In about 1/8 mile one got the message and bounded off to the right.  The other stayed on the road.  When I approached it trotted ahead.  When I stopped, it stopped.  I tried honking, shouting, and more flashing but this moose really like the road.  Our start and stop game continued for almost a mile – at least 10 minutes.  Finally it slowed enough and pulled off to the right enough that I felt safe getting close enough to try a pass.  It was literally five feet away from the passenger window when I could finally get by and continue.

Moose on Salmo Mountain

The Moose that Just Would Not Leave the Road

During much of my way down, there had been a light rain.  Just as I made it back to the motel around midnight, it started to pour!  I ran up to my room and within minutes of getting in I crashed hard.  Six hours later I was up and wondered what the weather was.  It was still dark and still raining although now just some sprinkles, but there were pools of water in the parking area and I was not optimistic for a good day.  I left shortly thereafter hoping to get back to the Harvey Creek Road to Bunchgrass Meadows at dawn to see those grouse that “were everywhere”.

As expected the Harvey Creek Road was very wet and muddy.  It was no longer raining but there was a constant drip of water from the trees.  Grouse were nowhere to be found and not much else was around either.  I went in over 12 miles and had barely a handful of birds.  The weather did not look like it was about to change, so I made the executive decision to cut the trip short and forego another trip up Salmo for the night. But I really wanted to at least find a grouse so watched carefully on the way back down to Sullivan Lake Road and then decided to try another road I had noticed earlier and which had been mentioned by the Border Patrol guy – Highline Road not far from the road up to Salmo which was north of Sullivan Lake (the road to Bunchgrass is just south of the lake).  I stopped for a photo of one of the many beautiful spots along the creek.

Harvey Creek

Last year there had been a flock of Gray Crowned Rosy Finches at the bridge just south of Sullivan Lake so I made the stop.  No Rosy Finches but in addition to the Common Mergansers, Mallards and Canada Geese in the lake, there was a pair of Red Crossbills, some Common Yellowthroats and an American Dipper.

Red Crossbill

American Dipper

Highline Road proved a good decision.  Less than a mile up the road I came around a bend and flushed a male Spruce Grouse.  It flew to a log still visible in the woods.  In the single most frustrating moment of the trip, I got my camera tangled up in my seatbelt strap.   I had forgotten to go to “birding mode” where I buckle the strap but have it behind my back.  By the time I got untangled the bird had scooted off and there would be no photo.  I hoped for more but felt I had blown my best chance and was NOT a happy camper.  There were no more grouse, but the road was more birdy than any of the others I had been on this trip.  One traveling flock included Boreal, Chestnut Backed and Mountain Chickadees, both Ruby and Golden Crowned Kinglets and Red Breasted Nuthatches with another American Three Toed Woodpecker flying by. Again the birds would not come down from the upper branches and the lighting was terrible in any event.  So still no good photo of a Boreal Chickadee.

Red Breasted Nuthatch

I went in about 7 miles on Highline and saw a single other vehicle on the trip.  On my next visit I think I will go even further to explore.  But not this day so it was back down and a return to the motel to check out early.  Pretty hard to call a trip that includes Moose, Boreal Owl, Boreal Chickadee, Spruce Grouse, Goshawk and American Three Toed Woodpecker a bust but the weather was a downer and the views were just not very good and the photos (the few that I took) even worse.  It was a VERY long drive back   But there was one very good “bird” bonus.  The original plan would have gotten me back late Sunday night.  Instead I was back late Saturday and thus could observe some Seahawks flying very high on Sunday morning.