I am blaming it on being busy traveling and definitely not on being lazy, but I am very behind on new posts. I should be writing the second post for the Brazil trip (see Brazil Part I at https://blairbirding.com/2026/02/14/back-to-brazil-week-i/) and I haven’t even started one for my trip to Vietnam in April/May this year, but I am in the mood to write and a really fun day yesterday provides the perfect content for doing so.

With recent non-birding trips to Arizona and then Colorado and then Massachusetts in addition to that so far undocumented trip to Vietnam that was for birding, I have not done nearly as much birding in Washington this year as normal. For example my county list for Grays Harbor, Pacific and Clallam Counties which covers the entire Pacific Ocean Coast in Washington stands at ZERO!! In fact I have not even crossed Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula and have also not been south of King County. To begin remedying this, I planned a trip yesterday (Thursday June 4th) to the Coast expecting to add at least 10 species for the year, and then I would go to several counties in Eastern Washington later to add maybe 20 or 25 more. That was the plan as of 8 o’clock on June 3rd.

Then there were loud repeated knocks on our door. A frantic condo neighbor needed some help. His wife had fallen, and he was not strong enough to get her up. Cindy and I went down the hall to help. Skipping many details, it was more than a fall. She seemed to have had a stroke and was immoveable on the floor. I got another neighbor who called 911. Three EMT’s arrived on a large fire truck. They confirmed it was a stroke and called for an aid car. They got her on a stretcher, and took her to a nearby hospital. She had a negative reaction to medication that was intended to clear the clot so they moved her to a hospital in Seattle where surgery cleared the clot and she is now facing a challenging recovery. Wanting to be available in case her husband needed help, I canceled the trip to the coast. He was going to be at the hospital with her so there was nothing to do immediately. The suddenness of the stroke reminded me that there were no guarantees for what any tomorrow would bring, so I decided to still do some birding but much closer to home, available to respond to any calls for assistance.

I had birded along C-Post Road off Highway 530 in my home County – Snohomish County – once in each of the past 4 years and found it a great place for two species that are uncommon in Washington – Red Eyed Vireo and American Redstart, neither of which I had seen in 2026. It was also a potentially good spot for several other species I “needed” for the year including especially Red Breasted Sapsucker. The exit off I-5 for Highway 530 is about 38 miles from my home and it’s another 10 miles or so to C-Post Road. As I was nearing the Highway 530 exit, I checked recent updates on a WhatsApp site that reports rarities in Snohomish County. A Hudsonian Godwit was being reported at Eide Road about 10 miles from the exit. Not only would it be my first of the year (a FOY) for this species, it was exceedingly rare for Washington and more so for Snohomish County. I had seen it in the state but not in Snohomish County, the one with my largest “county life list”. Instant change of plans and I headed for Eide Road.

I had birded Eide Road many times over the past 15+ years. It was significantly changed a few years ago to provide “better” salmon habitat. Before the change it was especially good for shorebirds and among the 24 shorebird species I had seen there were two great rarities for Washington and the County – Ruff and Sharp Tailed Sandpiper. After the change at this location, I got an ABA lifer Little Stint, so it wasn’t all bad, but every birder I know misses the old days. A Hudsonian Godwit would be a great addition to that shorebird list. When I arrived, I was surprised to see no other birders there and also to see very few birds. I hiked out along the dike road and maybe 200 yards down, decided to scope the area. I found a total of three birds: a Gadwall, a Killdeer and … unbelievably a very distant Hudsonian Godwit. The latter was several hundred yards away, barely discernible in the scope and definitely not a candidate for even a poor ID photo. A few minutes later several other birders arrived – people I knew. I showed them the bird through the scope and got a concurrence that it was the target bird. Wanting a photo and knowing I had to get closer, I continued out on the dike, followed its turn to the right and walked out to the end. It still wasn’t close, but I got a photo that at least was ok for confirmation of the identification. It was about an hour after I had passed the Highway 530 exit, but still not yet noon. I returned to my original plan to go to C-Post Road, buoyed by the new county bird (County Life List #277). On the way back to the parking area, I heard the familiar buzz of a Savannah Sparrow, a common species that I had not yet seen for the year. I grabbed a photo as the bird perched briefly. Several Barn Swallows were soaring around the area. I did not bother with a photo, but unbelievably it too was a FOY, so three at this stop.

I made the turnoff from Highway 530 onto C-Post Road at about 1 p.m. and immediately began hearing bird song as I drove slowly down the dirt road. I flushed several Turkey Vultures, crossed the bridge over the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, and parked. I began an E-Bird list and opened the Merlin App to listen for bird songs and calls. I was surrounded by bird songs and species names began flashing on the App including both top targets, Red Eyed Vireo and American Redstart both of which I was hearing to my left and also to my right. Other species were heard immediately as well, American Robin, Black Headed Grosbeak, Cedar Waxwing and Song Sparrow. The Waxwing and Grosbeak would also be FOY’s.

I spent the next hour plus walking back and forth along the road, picking up new bird songs, getting visuals and also getting some photos. The Red Eyed Vireos and American Redstarts seemed to be everywhere. I entered “4” on my Ebird Report for the Redstarts and that got a challenge as being an unusual number for the area. I had actually been conservative as I heard at least that many singing in different locations, almost certainly heard two more in different spots and never saw a female which must have been there as the males were staking out territories and singing constantly. I saw my first American Redstarts in Snohomish County on June 28, 2017 on Oso Loop Road – not far from C-Post Road and saw my first ones at C-Post Road in 2024. I had never seen more than 2 at any location. This expansion is encouraging.

It was a similar situation with the Red Eyed Vireos. My first Snohomish County records for them was also from 2017 on the Whitehorse Rail not too far from C-Post Road but most of my observations were from Pend Oreille County in far Eastern Washington. On my Ebird list Thursday I put down 5 as the number for this species – again there were probably more. It is one of the most common species in forest in the Eastern U.S. and in fact I had recently heard/seen several in Massachusetts on Monday this week just on a causal walk.

One of the first birds that I had heard when I got out of the car was a Band Tailed Pigeon. It seemed far away and I did not expect to see it, but a few minutes later I saw some movement of a medium sized bird at the top of a distant tree and thought it might be the pigeon. It was mostly hidden in the foliage, but one photo shows the neck band and black tipped yellow bill confirming the ID.

Another species that was heard very quickly and then almost constantly was the Black Headed Grosbeak. They are common migratory arrivals in Washington, but evidence again that I had not been out birding for a long time, this, too, would be my first of the year. It took awhile to see one in the open and get a photo, but I was pleased with the result. The same was true for my FOY Cedar Waxwing although the first photo I took was pretty awful. The one below does much better justice to this very handsome bird.

I went back and forth across the bridge more than once. I often heard Spotted Sandpipers, but since I had seen them earlier in the year, I did not try to find one for a photo. But some movement along the bank did catch my eye. It was dark, not a Spotted Sandpiper. It disappeared as it went under the bridge. I guessed and hoped that it would be an American Dipper. I had not seen one this year and actually had planned to go a little further east on Highway 530 to Fortson Mill Road, a place I had found Dippers on many occasions. After a few moments without the bird reappearing, I used playback for the Dipper’s song and it came out from under the bridge immediately and perched on a branch that was partially buried in the water. Photo time. Dipper’s commonly nest under bridges, so I expect it may be nesting here, although I never saw a second one.

Again I caught some movement along the riverbank and again heard the call of the Spotted Sandpiper, but this time there were several movements and several calls. Three Spotted Sandpipers landed one after another on a little bit of pebbly shore. One began displaying either as courtship behavior or to establish dominance. I had never seen this before.

I found at least 3 and possibly 4 flycatchers during my time on C-Post. A Western Pewee called repeatedly from atop a dead branch. The distant photo is not worth posting. A flycatcher never seen but distinctly heard several times was a FOY Willow Flycatcher – its familiar “fitz bew” call resonating on Merlin and quickly picked up by me. I did not try to lure it in for a photo even though they often come in to playback. Merlin and I also heard the calls/song of a Hammond’s Flycatcher. No visual and no photo. So I am sure of those three but Merlin also picked up the call of a Least Flycatcher. I did not hear its familiar “che bek” call and I did use playback without a response. There is a Least Flycatcher report on Ebird from this site this year, but there is no photo – maybe it was there but I did not report it. Somewhat similarly I had at least two vireos and maybe a third. In addition to the Red Eyed Vireos, there were several Western Warbling Vireos. Merlin “heard” a Hutton’s Vireo and I thought I heard it, too, but only once and I never got a look.

C-Post Road has been a good location for Red Breasted Sapsuckers. I heard the distinct drumming pattern of one in the distance early on the visit but there was no response to playback. Maybe 30 minutes later one flew right over my head and disappeared. This time there was a response when I used playback of one drumming and a male allowed a photo. It was then joined by a female and they flew back and forth together perching for a second, taking off together and repeating that behavior. Later I heard more tapping/drumming and found another sapsucker quite a distance from the first pair. Just as I readied the camera it flew off and a male Hairy Woodpecker landed where it had just been. And then a female landed on the tree trunk just above it and they flew off together and it looked like a repeat of the sapsucker behavior.

I was able to get a photo of one more new species for the year – a Bullock’s Oriole. I see them more often in Eastern Washington but they are common on both sides of the Cascades. I had missed it on my Eastern Washington visit last month – maybe just a little early. This one was perched in the open on a dead branch and I was not sure what it was. Processing and enlarging the photo yielded the good news that it was another FOY easy to ID even if not a great photo.

Neither of the last two photos were new species for the year but both are my first photos of the year for two species heard only or seen briefly in Eastern Washington in early may. I don’t know how many Swainson’s Thrushes I heard during my visit, but their ethereal songs were a constant companion. Not as plentiful as the Swainson’s Thrushes but definitely at least a few were the Western Tanagers, a colorful addition to any birding trip.

I was back on the road just after 3 o’clock. I made a quick trip down the Oso Loop Road hoping for a Townsend’s Solitaire – no luck. Merlin picked up the call of and Eastern Kingbird, a species that I thought I might find at C-Post Road. I never heard its distinctive call so chalked it up to Merlin’s ears being better than mine.

Before heading north I had made a quick stop at the Edmonds waterfront and in light drizzle had seen my first Purple Martins of the year. For the whole day, I had 45 species including 14 that were new for the year and of course that included the Hudsonian Godwit that I added to my Snohomish County life list. It was a great day of birding but as I returned home I got an update about my neighbor’s wife. She was stable and there had been no further complications and I had received no calls for assistance, but this would be a tough recovery and again there was the reminder to “do it now” – whatever that is – birding, loving family and friends, traveling or just laughing about little moments. I hope to have many more days like the one I just had – and I hope to always remember to cherish those times! There are no guarantees.