California Quail, Yakima, 2016 (Jena Highkin photo)
Sooty Grouse, Hurricane Ridge Rd., 2017 (Roy Zimmerman photo)
Also see the PHOTO GALLERY
following the summaries of the 2018, 2017, and 2016 MBWeeks.
_________
WASHINGTON & BRITISH COLUMBIA MBWEEK
September 8 - 16, 2018
This was our tenth MBWeek in the Pacific Northwest – and once again it featured both gulls and crows that defy the ID skills of even the local experts. (My proposed name changes to the AOS/ABA: Sea Gull Larus lumpus, and Juan de Fuca Crow Corvus lumpus.) But at least there were 160 species we could identify, and that total is right around our average of 161. Our best-ever total for this MBW was 174 species in 2015, but note that year included two extra days for a Mt Rainier-Yakima loop; our lowest total was 153 in both 2011 and 2012, the first two years of this MBW. And we could have been forgiven if our total had been closer to 153, given all the rain we had. We figured it rained at least part of every day of the trip, and it's likely or at least possible the wet weather caused us to miss Red-breasted Sapsuckers (along the Hurricane Ridge road) and a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (at Midway Beach) on the days we tried to bird at these sites.
So our overall species count was respectable enough, even though land birds overall seemed especially elusive (it's always quiet in the woods there at this time of year). Besides the rain, this was probably the result of their smoky (from fires in B.C.), hot, and dry summer which impacted nesting success and resulted in a lackluster early fall migration. And the most obvious examples calling attention to this were the absence of Northern Pygmy-Owl and Red-breasted Sapsucker from our list – both sought-after specialties we had only missed once before. (Another unexpected miss was Yellow- rumped Warbler, a bird recorded on multiple days on all the previous MBWs here.)
On the other hand, we did well enough with a total of 26 shorebird species, which is a bit above our average: our best shorebird total was 28 in 2014, while our lowest was 21 in 2017. The highlights among this group included a side-by-side comparison of perhaps 15 Surfbirds and about 45 Black Turnstones standing in the rocks just a few feet away from us in Luna Park on our first day, our back-and-forth encounter and ultimately careful ID of a Pacific Golden-Plover at Ediz Hook, and the impressive flocks of about 500 Black-bellied Plovers at Grayland Beach and 800 Marbled Godwits in the Westport harbor. Though we had seen Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruff, and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper on some previous MBWeeks here, no Bar-taileds had been reported for a month, a couple of Ruffs had been seen but disappeared just a few days before we arrived in these areas, and the only Sharp-tailed we might have had a chance for was reported on the last morning while we were on our way back to the airport.
Always a highlight of this MBWeek is the Westport Seabirds pelagic trip. (Well, almost always – in 2011 it was canceled due to high seas.) And this time it was almost canceled by the rough conditions going out, but a change in itinerary soon found smoother sailing. Then, we just barely reached the edge of the continental shelf where the best birds are before we had to turn back due to some serious weather in the forecast. So we had nice looks at just a few albatross (though a few dozen is to be expected along the continental shelf), and none of us was able to see the South Polar Skua or Short-tailed Shearwater that others briefly had (we see one or both of these specialties on most trips). But we did better than usual with our views of some birds: Red Phalaropes, a Cassin's Auklet or two, Sabine's Gulls, an Arctic Tern, Buller's Shearwaters, and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels. Equally memorable was the presence of so many Humpback Whales (no fewer than 51 counted – at least one of these breeching near the boat!) and lots of handsome Pacific White-sided Dolphins (over 100 of them).
And there were still other highlights during this MBWeek, of the non-shorebird and non-pelagic variety. A cooperative group of 6 Sooty Grouse were along the road up to Hurricane Ridge (and 2 others were spotted by those at Capitol State Forest); those who were looking up at the right time saw both Vaux's Swifts and a Black Swift at Skagit Game Range; right on cue, a staked-out Barn Owl flew out that barn window north of Sedro-Woolley; a few Eurasian Skylarks still persisted (but probably not for long – the end of an era) in my traditional abandoned field near Victoria (now mostly planted with corn and private).
Plus dozens of other "non-Minnesota" birds (there were 46 species not on the MN Regular list): e.g., Band-tailed Pigeons at Hurricane Ridge, Anna's Hummingbirds, alcids (murres, guillemots, auklets), several gulls (especially Mew and Heermann's), Violet-green Swallows (mostly along Three Crabs Rd), Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Bushtits at Reifel, Pacific Wrens, American Dippers at Quilcene fish hatchery, Golden-crowned Sparrows (especially on Three Crabs Rd), and many more.
Itinerary
Sept 8 – Arrival by all on Sun Country around noon at SEA; afternoon at Luna Park (for Surfbirds and turnstones) and Everett sewage ponds/Spencer Island; dinner at Azteca, and night (in 4 rooms; 7 reserved) at Three Rivers Inn in Sedro-Woolley.
Sept 9 – Barn Owl barn near Acme, actual sit-down breakfast at Joy's Bakery (!), Skagit Game Range @Wylie Rd, Birch Bay, and Semiahmoo Spit; dinner at Ricky's, and first of 2 nights at Grandview Inn in White Rock B.C. (after their unsuccessful attempt to raise our confirmed rate).
Sept 10 – Boundary Bay @104th Stand 96th St, Iona sewage ponds and Regional Park, Brunswick Point, Reifel Bird Sanctuary, and return to Boundary Bay; dinner at Ricky's.
Sept 11 – 7:00 am Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay ferry, Eurasian Skylark seach (and swan song?) on Central Saanich Rd, Saanichton Park and Spit, Upland Park, and 3:00 pm Victoria-Port Angeles ferry; dinner at Kokopelli Grill, and first of 2 nights at Econolodge in Sequim (with no problems!).
Sept 12 – Hurricane Ridge Rd, actual sit-down lunch at Toga's Deli (!), Ediz Hook, Oyster House Rd, and Three Crabs Rd; dinner at Oasis Bar & Grill.
Sept 13 – Railroad Bridge Park, return to Three Crabs/Oyster House roads, Marlyn Nelson Park, Schmuck Rd (!), John Wayne Marina, Quilcene fish hatchery, Mt Walker, and drive to Ocean Shores; dinner at Mike's Seafood/Bennett's Fish Shack, and night at Quality Inn.
Sept 14 – Pt Prown jetty, Ocean Shores sewage ponds, Oyhut Game Range, Ocean City State Park, Hoquim sewage ponds, Bottle Beach, Westport harbor, and Grayland Rd beach; dinner and first of 2 nights at Tokelnad Hotel (with bathrooms down the hall and live jazz band at dinner – and after midnight).
Sept 15 – Westport Seabirds pelagic trip for most of us / others in Tokeland-Grayland area and Capitol State Forest; dinner at Tokeland Hotel.
Sept 16 – Return to SEA at 10:45 for 12:45 Sun Country flight home.
Bird List
• WA = seen in Washington
• BC = seen in British Columbia
• boldfaced species = "non-Minnesota" birds (Casual, Accidental, or absent on MN checklist)
Canada Goose WA, BC
Mute Swan BC
(Trumpeter Swan: of dubious provenance at Reifel)
Wood Duck WA, BC
Blue-winged/Cinnamon teal, sp. WA, BC
Northern Shoveler WA, BC
Gadwall WA, BC
American Wigeon WA, BC
Mallard WA, BC
Northern Pintail WA, BC
Green-winged Teal WA, BC
Harlequin Duck WA
Surf Scoter WA, BC
White-winged Scoter WA
Common/Barrow's goldeneye, sp. WA
Hooded Merganser WA, BC
Common Merganser WA
Red-breasted Merganser WA
Ruddy Duck WA
California Quail WA
Sooty Grouse WA
Pied-billed Grebe WA, BC
Horned Grebe WA
Red-necked Grebe WA, BC
Eared Grebe WA
Western Grebe WA, BC
Rock Pigeon WA, BC
Band-tailed Pigeon WA
Eurasian Collared-Dove WA, BC
Mourning Dove WA, BC
Common Nighthawk WA
Black Swift WA
Vaux’s Swift WA
Anna’s Hummingbird WA, BC
Virginia Rail WA
Sora WA, BC
American Coot WA, BC
Black Oystercatcher WA, BC
Black-bellied Plover WA, BC
American Golden-Plover BC
Pacific Golden-Plover WA
Semipalmated Plover BC
Killdeer WA, BC
Whimbrel WA
Marbled Godwit WA
Black Turnstone WA
Surfbird WA
Stilt Sandpiper BC
Sanderling WA, BC
Baird’s Sandpiper WA, BC
Least Sandpiper WA, BC
Pectoral Sandpiper BC
Western Sandpiper WA, BC
Short-billed Dowitcher WA, BC
Long-billed Dowitcher WA, BC
Wilson's Snipe WA, BC
Spotted Sandpiper WA
Wandering Tattler WA
Lesser Yellowlegs WA, BC
Willet WA, BC
Greater Yellowlegs WA, BC
Red-necked Phalarope WA
Red Phalarope WA
Pomarine Jaeger WA
Parasitic Jaeger WA, BC
Common Murre WA, BC
Pigeon Guillemot WA, BC
Cassin’s Auklet WA
Rhinoceros Auklet WA
Sabine’s Gull WA
Bonaparte’s Gull WA
Franklin's Gull BC
Heermann's Gull WA
Mew Gull WA
Ring-billed Gull WA, BC
Western Gull WA
California Gull WA, BC
Herring Gull WA
Glaucous-winged Gull WA, BC
Caspian Tern WA, BC
Common Tern WA
Arctic Tern WA
Red-throated Loon WA
Pacific Loon WA
Common Loon WA, BC
Black-footed Albatross WA
Northern Fulmar WA
Buller’s Shearwater WA
Sooty Shearwater WA
Pink-footed Shearwater WA
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel WA
Brandt’s Cormorant WA
Double-crested Cormorant WA, BC
Pelagic Cormorant WA, BC
Brown Pelican WA
Great Blue Heron WA, BC
Great Egret WA
Turkey Vulture WA, BC
Osprey WA, BC
Northern Harrier WA, BC
Sharp-shinned Hawk WA
Cooper’s Hawk WA, BC
Bald Eagle WA
Red-tailed Hawk WA, BC
Barn Owl WA
Belted Kingfisher WA, BC
Downy Woodpecker WA, BC
Hairy Woodpecker WA
Northern Flicker WA, BC
Pileated Woodpecker WA
American Kestrel WA
Merlin WA, BC
Peregrine Falcon WA, BC
Willow Flycatcher BC
Canada Jay WA
Steller’s Jay WA
American Crow WA, BC
Northwestern Crow WA, BC (best IDs in Victoria & vicinity)
Common Raven WA
Eurasian Skylark BC
Purple Martin WA, BC
Violet-green Swallow WA
Barn Swallow WA, BC
Black-capped Chickadee WA, BC
Chestnut-backed Chickadee WA, BC
Bushtit BC
Red-breasted Nuthatch WA
Brown Creeper WA
Pacific Wren WA
Marsh Wren WA
Bewick’s Wren WA, BC
American Dipper WA
Golden-crowned Kinglet WA
Ruby-crowned Kinglet WA
Swainson’s Thrush WA
American Robin WA, BC
Varied Thrush WA (Bill, Scott, Chris @Capitol State Forest)
European Starling WA, BC
Cedar Waxwing WA
House Sparrow WA, BC
American Pipit BC
House Finch WA, BC
Purple Finch BC
American Goldfinch WA, BC
Spotted Towhee WA, BC
Savannah Sparrow WA, BC
Fox Sparrow WA
Song Sparrow WA, BC
Lincoln’s Sparrow WA, BC
White-crowned Sparrow WA, BC
Golden-crowned Sparrow WA
Dark-eyed Junco WA
Red-winged Blackbird WA, BC
Brown-headed Cowbird WA
Brewer’s Blackbird WA, BC
Orange-crowned Warbler WA, BC
Common Yellowthroat WA, BC
Yellow Warbler WA, BC
Black-throated Gray Warbler WA
Wilson’s Warbler WA
Black-headed Grosbeak WA
Significant Others:
• Mule Deer
• Hoary Marmot (Hurricane Ridge)
• Eastern Cottontail
• Douglas's Squirrel
• Eastern Gray Sguirrel
• Townsend's Chipmunk
• Northern Fur Seal (Westport Seabirds: offshore)
• Harbor Seal (closer to shore)
• Steller's Sea Lion (Westport Seabirds: offshore buoys)
• California Sea Lion (closer to shore)
• Harbor Porpoise
• Pacific White-sided Dolphin (Westport Seabirds: total of 112)
• Humpback Whale (Westport Seabirds: total of 51!)
• Gray Whale (closer to shore)
* * *
WASHINGTON - BRITISH COLUMBIA MBWEEK
September 8 - 17, 2017
This ninth MBWeek to Washington State and a bit of British Columbia actually started off in the same way as our first MBW here in 2011. Our first stop that year after leaving the airport was for a stray Black-tailed Gull on the docks in Tacoma, and this year we headed directly from the airport to the Edmonds waterfront to see that Swallow-tailed Gull – a first for Washington and only the third ever in the U.S.! Nothing we could see after that would be as rare, of course, but there were still lots of other highlights (plus a few disappointments) to follow.
One of those highlights, as it is every year, was the Westport Seabirds pelagic trip two days later. Not only did we see plenty of Black-footed Albatross around the boat, but in addition they were joined by two close Laysans – a rarity not seen on most of these trips. Equally rare and usually absent on this pelagic trip was the juvenile Tufted Puffin which floated by the boat. We also had better views than usual of two Cassin's Auklets which did the same, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels were much more plentiful and visible than usual...and we almost had a South Polar Skua sighting. After the bird was originally called a skua, it was then relabeled as a Pomarine Jaeger, and then some Spineless Wishy-washy Tour Leader almost had everyone convinced it really was a skua...until someone's photo later showed it to be a Pomarine.
As for land birds, our morning up to Hurricane Ridge a few days later had to be the most memorable. It started with a Northern Pygmy-Owl calling at our first stop, and it even emerged into view for all to see. Then, just as we started to move on, a female Sooty Grouse was spotted just a few yards away as it posed for photos for several minutes. (Later a small flock of Sooty Grouse flew across the road in front of us on the way back down the hill.) A few miles farther up the road another pygmy-owl started calling, and this one remarkably posed as well for all to see and photograph. Though we normally hear a Northern Pygmy-Owl on most of these WA-BC MBWs, actually seeing one is perhaps a 50-50 chance. But this year we saw two of them on the same day and heard a total of three or four – some had briefly heard one elsewhere the day before, and we may have heard another back on Day 2. And while the Sooty Grouse is seen on most trips, it is often elusive and has been missed twice before.
There were several other sought-after land birds during this MBWeek, especially the dozen or so Eurasian Skylarks flying around that same field north of Victoria I had first visited nine years ago, and the next day we stopped to see a lost White-winged Dove (only the second Vancouver-area record). Vaux's Swifts (more plentiful than usual), Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Pacific Wrens (widespread and visible), an American Dipper, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Black-throated Gray Warblers (along with a few elusive Townsend's), and other "non-Minnesota" species were also of special note.
Waterfowl, alcids, gulls, and other birds characteristic of the coast were noteworthy as well – after all, there were a couple of places we went where Harlequin was actually the default species of duck. A count/estimate of 2,550 Surf Scoters at Kalaloch beach was impressive, Marbled Murrelets were seen from the ferry as we left Port Angeles, Rhinoceros Auklets were seen at several places (though guillemots were oddly scarce), and our visit to Blackie Spit produced our only Long-billed Curlew, a Parasitic Jaeger flew close by the tip, and we cheered on a baby Harbor Seal stranded by low tide as it struggled back to the water.
In the interest of full disclosure, though, the shorebirds were disappointing and frustrating. Besides the curlew, we did find Black Oystercatchers, Black Turnstones, and Surfbirds, but there were no Wandering Tattlers to be found (we had only missed it once before), and we finished with a total of only 21 shorebird species – our previous MBWs here had always recorded between 23 and 28 species. Especially unfortunate were those rarities we missed by just one day (or on the same day for two of these seen at a different time and tide). Some were gone by the next day when we visited, others were reported while we had to be elsewhere else, and a few were not found until the day after we had birded there. (If you're curious, these are included in brackets in the summary of our itinerary below.) But least your Spineless, Wishy-Washy Tour Leader did his best to make our list more respectable on our last full day by trying to turn that American Golden-Plover at Boundary Bay into a Pacific, after misremembering which one had the longer primary extension.
Itinerary
September 8 – Arrival at SEA by 11:00am, drive to Edmonds for the Swallow-tailed Seagull (!), and Nisqually NWR; dinner at Brewery Pizza and night at Quality Inn in Lacey.
September 9 – Capitol State Forest, Vance Creek Park lunch, and Westport Marina's godwit flock; dinner at Islander and first of 2 nights at Rhonda's in Westport. [Pacific Golden-Plover in Tulalip]
September 10 – Westport Seabirds pelagic trip, and godwit search at Wesport Marina; dinner at Bennett's. [Bar-tailed Godwit at Bottle Beach]
September 11 – Grayland Beach & Midway Beach roads, Tokeland, Bottle Beach, Steward Park lunch, Hoquiam sewage ponds, and Ocean Shores (Bill's Spit, Game Range, Pt Brown jetty); dinner at Mike's Seafood / Los Hermanos and night at Quality Inn in Ocean Shores.
September 12 – Ocean Shores (Pt Brown, sewage ponds, Damon Pt), Hoquiam sewage ponds, and Hwy 101 West drive to Sequim via Lake Quinault area, Ruby Beach, Hoh Oxbow Campground, Pillar Pt, and Salt Creek Park; "picnic" dinner and first of 2 nights at Econolodge in Sequim. [Pacific Golden-Plover in Ocean Shores]
September 13 – Hurricane Ridge Road & vicinity, Ediz Hook, Elwha Dike, Dungeness R Audubon Center, Oyster House Rd, and Three Crabs Rd; dinner at Sergio's. [Pacific Golden-Plover at Three Crabs Rd and Brunswick Pt; Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Brunswick Pt]
September 14 – Port Angeles-Victoria ferry, Clover Pt-Cattle Pt shorelines, Eur Skylark field, Saanichton Bay Park lunch, Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen ferry, and Boundary Bay @Beach Grove access; dinner at Ricky's and first of 2 nights at Breakaway Motel in White Rock. [Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Reifel; Pacific Golden-Plover at Iona]
September 15 – Brunswick Pt, Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Iona sewage ponds & beach, Terra Nova Park, Brunswick Pt, and Boundary Bay @72nd, 96th, and 104th; dinner at Kin's Thai Kitchen. [Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Channel Dr]
September 16 – Blackie Spit and Boundary Bay @104th and 96th, Blaine (WA), Semiahmoo Spit, Birch Bay, Skagit Flats @Channel Dr & Wylie Rd, and Tulalip; dinnner at Shawn O'Donnells and night at Days Inn in Kent. [Curlew Sandpiper at Pt Roberts]
September 17 – Stillwater Wildlife Area, and 10:30 return to SEA for flights home. [Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Channel Dr; Curlew Sandpiper at Boundary Bay]
Bird List
• WA = only found in Washington (September 8-14, 16-17)
• BC = only found in British Coumbia (September 14-16)
(species not annotated with WA or BC were found in both areas)
• pelagic = only seen on Westport Seabirds trip
• boldfaced species = "non-Minnesota" birds (absent, accidental, or casual in MN)
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Blue-winged/Cinnamon Teal, sp. (WA; unidentified juv at Hoquiam)
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter (2,550 at Kalaloch beach: counted by 10s)
White-winged Scoter
Common Goldeneye (WA)
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser (BC)
Sooty Grouse (WA; 2 sightings on Hurricane Ridge Rd)
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe (WA)
Western Grebe (WA)
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon (WA)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove (BC; Terra Nova Park – 2nd Vancouver-area record)
Mourning Dove
Vaux’s Swift (more sightings than usual)
Anna’s Hummingbird
Virginia Rail
American Coot
Sandhill Crane (BC; heard-only)
Black Oystercatcher (BC; best at Semiahmoo Spit)
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover (BC; well, at least I tried to make it a Pacific...)
Semipalmated Plover (WA)
Killdeer
Whimbrel (WA)
Long-billed Curlew (BC; Blackie Spit)
Marbled Godwit (WA; the usual 100s at Westport – but no Bar-taileds)
Black Turnstone
Surfbird (WA; best at Westport)
Stilt Sandpiper (BC)
Baird’s Sandpiper (BC)
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Lesser Yellowlegs
Willet (WA)
Greater Yellowlegs
Red-necked Phalarope (WA; pelagic)
Pomarine Jaeger (WA; pelagic – well, at least I tried to make it a skua...)
Parasitic Jaeger (best at Blackie Spit)
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot (why so few?)
Marbled Murrelet (WA; best view at Port Angeles from ferry)
Cassin’s Auklet (WA; pelagic – better views than usual)
Rhinoceros Auklet
Tufted Puffin (WA; pelagic – not seen most trips)
Swallow-tailed Gull (WA; only 3rd U.S. record)
Sabine’s Gull (WA; pelagic)
Bonaparte’s Gull
Heermann's Gull
Mew Gull (best at Semiahmoo Spit)
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull (WA)
California Gull
Herring Gull (WA)
Glaucous-winged Gull
Caspian Tern
Red-throated Loon (WA; fewer than usual)
Pacific Loon (WA; ditto)
Common Loon
Laysan Albatross (WA; pelagic – missed most trips)
Black-footed Albatross (WA; pelagic)
Northern Fulmar (WA; pelagic – more than usual)
Buller’s Shearwater (WA; pelagic)
Sooty Shearwater (WA; also seen at Pt Brown jetty)
Pink-footed Shearwater (WA; pelagic)
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel (WA; pelagic – more than usual)
Brandt’s Cormorant (WA)
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Brown Pelican (WA)
American Bittern (WA)
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron (WA)
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper’s Hawk
Northern Goshawk (WA; 2 over Hurricane Ridge)
Red-tailed Hawk
Great Horned Owl (BC)
Northern Pygmy-Owl (WA; 2 heard and seen along Hurricane Ridge Rd, plus another heard at Hoh Oxbow)
Belted Kingfisher
Red-breasted Sapsucker (WA)
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker (WA)
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker (WA)
American Kestrel
Merlin (WA)
Peregrine Falcon
Willow Flycatcher (WA)
Warbling Vireo
Gray Jay (WA)
Steller’s Jay
California Scrub-Jay (WA; Nisqually NWR)
American Crow
Northwestern Crow (best along Hwy 101 West)
Common Raven
Eurasian Skylark (BC; a dozen or so again at my World-Famous Secret Spot)
Horned Lark (WA)
Purple Martin
Violet-green Swallow (WA; best view at Tokeland)
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit (best on Sunday at Stillwater Wildlife Area)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper (WA)
Pacific Wren (WA)
Marsh Wren
Bewick’s Wren (WA)
American Dipper (WA; Quinault Rain Forest Trail)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Swainson’s Thrush (WA; heard-only)
American Robin
Varied Thrush (WA; mostly uncooperative)
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing (WA)
House Sparrow
American Pipit (BC)
House Finch
Purple Finch (WA)
Red Crossbill (WA; Type 3s at Ocean Shores, also Hurricane Ridge)
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow (BC; Brunswick Pt only)
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Yellow-headed Blackbird (BC; Brunswick Pt only)
Western Meadowlark (BC)
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer’s Blackbird (WA)
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler (BC)
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler (BC)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler (WA; uncooperative for most)
Wilson’s Warbler (WA)
Western Tanager (WA; Sunday at Stillwater Wildlife Area)
Black-headed Grosbeak (BC; Brunswick Pt only)
Significant Others:
Eastern Cottontail
Townsend's Chipmunk
Douglas's Squirrel
Coyote
Mink
Mule Deer
Sea Otter
Northern Fur Seal
Steller's Sea Lion
California Sea Lion
Harbor Seal
Humpback Whale
Harbor Porpoise
Dall's Porpoise
Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola)
* * *
WASHINGTON - BRITISH COLUMBIA MBWEEKS I and II
September 8 - 18, 2016 and September 18 - 26, 2016
Just like our six previous six trips here, the success of this MBW pretty much depends on how we do with shorebirds and with pelagic species on the Westport Seabirds trip. True, there are other highly-sought birds to look for since there are so many “non-Minnesota” species which occur in these parts, and we had mixed success with these, as we came up with a composite total of 183 species for these two MBWeeks. MBW I had 160 birds in all (147 plus 13 others only found on the Rainier portion), while MBW II came up with a total of 157.
These numbers are mostly in line with previous years, as the birding in September (along with the relatively mild, clear, and calm weather) seems to be generally consistent every year. Predictably, there were several highlights, with a few of the most notable birds found on both trips including alcids (i.e., murres, guillemots, and auklets), Red-breasted Sapsuckers downhill from Hurricane Ridge, Eurasian Skylarks in our usual field near Victoria, cooperative Pacific Wrens in a few places, and lone American Dippers in two different streams.
On the Rainier portion of MBW I, there was a group of California Quail in Yakima (one was seen briefly on MBW II), a Golden Eagle that nearly snatched a Bighorn Sheep from a hillside (!), a quite surprising and cooperative Northern Pygmy-Owl along the trail to the Mt Fremont Overlook (we heard three of them on MBW II), colorful Lewis’s Woodpeckers, brief views of a Hutton’s Vireo and California Scrub-Jays, and Violet-green Swallows posing nicely on a wire for scope views (only fly-overs seen on MBW II).
Elsewhere on MBW I a Black Swift was picked out among some Vaux’s flying over Aberdeen, and on MBW II we came up with a distant Eurasian Wigeon at Beach Grove and two closer ones at the Hoquiam sewage ponds. But, yes, there were a few disappointments, as there were no ptarmigan to be seen at Rainier, the burned trees along forest roads off Highway 12 failed to produce any hoped-for woodpeckers, Sooty Grouse was missed on MBW I and only glimpsed by a few on MBW II, there were only very brief views of storm-petrels on the boat trips, and no Marbled Murrelets were found anywhere.
As for the shorebirds, though, we did quite well with an impressive composite total of no fewer than 31 species: the first MBW with a total of 26, and 25 on the second. Both trips came up with that winter-plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit among the hundreds of Marbleds at the Westport Marina, although the views (and photographs) on MBW I were better. We also found our own Ruff at the Hoquiam sewage ponds on MBW I, while MBW II’s highlight (also not a stake-out) was the hard-earned Sharp-tailed Sandpiper we found on Three Crabs Road – two days after Minnesota’s first Sharp-tailed was discovered. The latter MBW recorded Pacific Golden-Plover, Snowy Plover, Long-billed Curlew, and Red Knot as well (all missed on MBW I). And both trips found all four “rockpipers” (i.e., oystercatcher, tattler, turnstone, surfbird), with certainly the best and most surprising showing of Surfbirds (60+ of them) at Luna Park in Seattle as dozens of persons strolled by just a few feet away.
And the pelagic birds were just as good as the shorebirds, although the first Westport Seabirds trip was postponed due to high seas. Luckily, our itinerary was flexible enough to join them a day later, and it resulted in the best bird of either pelagic trip as a Laysan Albatross circled the boat and offered everyone close views. Highlights of the second boat trip included good views of cooperative Flesh-footed Shearwaters, several Red Phalaropes, a South Polar Skua standing on a log drifting by the boat, and a most unexpected red-billed juvenile Tufted Puffin. Both pelagic trips provided better looks than usual at Buller’s Shearwaters, and hard-to-identify Short-tailed Shearwaters obligingly swam next to the boat for close study. Of course, there were those “routine” Black-footed Albatross, fulmars, other shearwaters, Sabine’s Gulls, jaegers, and Cassin’s Auklets that we saw as well.
Itineraries
MBWeek I:
Sept 8 - Meet at SEA in early afternoon and drive to Enumclaw via Black Diamond Open Area; night in Enumclaw.
Sept 9 - Mount Rainier National Park; late afternoon drive via Hwy 410 to Yakima; night in Yakima.
Sept 10 - Yakima Arboretum, Popoff Nature Trail, Old Naches Road, Oak Creek Wildlife Area, forest roads 1500 & 1304, White Pass area, and drive to Westport; first of 2 nights in Westport.
Sept 11 - Bottle Beach, Hoquiam sewage ponds, Tokeland, and Westport Marina.
Sept 12 - Westport Seabirds pelagic trip; late afternoon drive to Ocean Shores; night in Ocean Shores.
Sept 13 - Ocean Shores area; afternoon drive to Sequim via Quilcene fish hatchery, Gardiner Beach, Diamond Point, and Three Crabs Road; first of 2 nights in Sequim.
Sept 14 - Hurricane Ridge Road, Ediz Hook, Elwha Dike, Salt Creek Recr Area, Oyster House Road, and Three Crabs Road.
Sept 15 - Port Angeles-Victoria ferry, Clover & Cattle points, skylark field on Central Saanich Road, Saanichton Bay area, Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen ferry, and Boundary Bay @64th Street; first of 2 nights in White Rock.
Sept 16 - Boundary Bay @104th & 96 streets, Iona sewage ponds, Reifel Wildlife Sanctuary, and Boundary Bay @64th & 96th streets.
Sept 17 - Blackie Spit, Blaine & Semiahmoo Spit, Birch Bay, Skagit Wildlife Area, and Luna Park (!); final night in Sea-Tac.
Sept 18 - Departures for home.
MBWeek II:
Sept 18 - Meet at SEA in early afternoon, Luna Park, and Everett sewage ponds; night in Sedro-Woolley.
Sept 19 - Skagit Wildlife Area, Bayview State Park, Birch Bay, Semiahmoo Spit, and Boundary Bay @104th & 96 streets; first of 2 nights in White Rock.
Sept 20 - Boundary Bay @104th & 96 streets, Iona sewage Ponds, Reifel Wildlife Sanctuary, Boundary Bay @Beach Grove, and Blackie Spit.
Sept 21 - Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay ferry, skylark field on Central Saanich Road, Saanichton Bay area, Cattle & Cattle points, Beacon Hill Park, and Victoria-Port Angeles ferry; first of 2 nights in Port Angeles.
Sept 22 - Hurricane Ridge Road, Ediz Hook, Elwha Dike, Salt Creek Recr Area, and Three Crabs Road (!).
Sept 23 - Hurricane Ridge, Railroad Bridge Park, Marlyn Nelson Park, Diamond Point, Gardiner Beach, Mount Walker, and drive to Ocean Shores; night in Ocean Shores.
Sept 24 - Ocean Shores area, Hoquiam sewage ponds, Westport Marina, Grayland State Park, Midway Road, and Tokeland; first of 2 nights in Westport.
Sept 25 - Westport Seabirds pelagic trip (plus Capitol Forest by Howard); post-dinner option to Bottle Beach.
Sept 26 - Return to SEA via Capitol Forest and afternoon departures for home.
Bird List
• I = MBWeek I (Sept 8-17)
• I (RAINIER) = seen/heard only on Mt Rainier portion of MBW I (Sept 8-9-10)
• II = MBWeek II (Sept 18-26)
• WA = seen/heard only in Washington
• BC = seen/heard only in Br Columbia
• species not annotated WA or BC were found in both places
• boldfaced species = “non-MN” birds (i.e., casual, accidental, or absent in Minnesota)
Greater White-fronted Goose II BC
Cackling Goose II
Canada Goose I, II
Mute Swan I BC (in Victoria; wild?)
Wood Duck I, II
Gadwall I, II
Eurasian Wigeon II (1 at Beach Grove, 2 at Hoquiam)
American Wigeon I, II
Mallard I, II
Blue-winged Teal I, II WA
Northern Shoveler I, II
Northern Pintail I, II
Green-winged Teal I, II
Canvasback II WA
Ring-necked Duck I (RAINIER), II WA
Greater Scaup II WA
Harlequin Duck I, II
Surf Scoter I, II
White-winged Scoter I WA, II WA
Common Goldeneye I WA, II WA
Barrow’s Goldeneye I WA
Hooded Merganser I, II
Common Merganser I WA, II BC
Red-breasted Merganser I WA, II WA
Ruddy Duck I WA, II WA
California Quail I (RAINIER), II WA (briefly)
Sooty Grouse II WA (only briefly by a few; Capitol Forest sighting by Howard)
Red-throated Loon I WA, II WA
Pacific Loon I WA, II WA
Common Loon I, II
Pied-billed Grebe I WA, II WA
Horned Grebe I WA, II
Red-necked Grebe I WA, II
Eared Grebe I WA
Western Grebe I WA, II WA
Laysan Albatross I WA (!)
Black-footed Albatross I WA, II WA
Northern Fulmar I WA, II WA
Pink-footed Shearwater I WA, II WA
Flesh-footed Shearwater II WA (better views than normal!)
Buller’s Shearwater I WA, II WA (good looks on both MBWs)
Sooty Shearwater I, II WA
Short-tailed Shearwater I WA, II WA (ditto)
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel I WA, II WA (uncooperative on both MBWs)
Brandt’s Cormorant I, II
Double-crested Cormorant I WA, II WA
Pelagic Cormorant I, II
Brown Pelican I WA, II WA
Great Blue Heron I, II
Great Egret I WA
Turkey Vulture I, II WA
Osprey I, II
Bald Eagle I, II
Northern Harrier I, II
Sharp-shinned Hawk I (RAINIER), II WA
Cooper’s Hawk I WA, II
Red-tailed Hawk I, II
Golden Eagle I (RAINIER; 2 in pursuit of Bighorns!)
Virginia Rail I, II
Sora I BC, II
American Coot I BC, II
Sandhill Crane II WA
Black Oystercatcher I, II
Black-bellied Plover I, II
American Golden-Plover I BC
Pacific Golden-Plover II BC (!)
Snowy Plover II WA (Grayland State Park)
Semipalmated Plover I WA, II WA
Killdeer I, II
Spotted Sandpiper I BC
Wandering Tattler I WA, II WA
Greater Yellowlegs I, II BC
Willet I WA, II WA
Lesser Yellowlegs I WA
Long-billed Curlew II BC (Blackie Spit)
Bar-tailed Godwit I WA, II WA (Westport Marina!)
Marbled Godwit I, II
Black Turnstone I, II WA
Red Knot II BC
Surfbird I WA, II WA (especially at Luna Park on both MBWs!)
Ruff I WA (juvenile at Hoquiam!)
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper II WA (Three Crabs Rd!)
Sanderling I, II BC
Dunlin I BC, II
Baird’s Sandpiper I
Least Sandpiper I, II
Pectoral Sandpiper I, II
Western Sandpiper I, II
Short-billed Dowitcher I BC
Long-billed Dowitcher I, II
Wilson's Snipe I, II WA
Red-necked Phalarope I, II BC
Red Phalarope I WA, II WA (better looks on II)
South Polar Skua II WA (!)
Pomarine Jaeger I WA, II
Parasitic Jaeger II WA
Common Murre I, II
Pigeon Guillemot I WA, II
Cassin’s Auklet I WA, II WA
Rhinoceros Auklet I, II
Tufted Puffin II WA (juvenile!)
Sabine’s Gull I WA, II WA (more seen on I)
Bonaparte’s Gull I, II
Franklin's Gull II BC (rare here)
Heermann's Gull I WA, II
Mew Gull I WA, II
Ring-billed Gull I, II
Western Gull I, II
California Gull I, II
Herring Gull I WA, II WA
Glaucous-winged Gull I, II
Caspian Tern I, II
Rock Pigeon I, II
Band-tailed Pigeon I WA, II WA
Eurasian Collared-Dove I, II
Mourning Dove I, II WA
Northern Pygmy-Owl I (RAINIER; nice spotting, George!), II WA (total of 3 heard,
mainly in Capitol Forest; also seen by Howard)
Black Swift I WA (over Aberdeen’s Starbucks)
Vaux’s Swift I WA, II WA
Anna’s Hummingbird I, II
Belted Kingfisher I, II
Lewis's Woodpecker I (RAINIER)
Red-breasted Sapsucker I WA, II WA
Downy Woodpecker I, II
Hairy Woodpecker II WA
Northern Flicker I (also on pelagic trip!), II
American Kestrel I, II WA
Merlin I WA, II BC
Peregrine Falcon I, II
Pacific-slope Flycatcher II BC (seen by Howard)
Hutton’s Vireo - I (RAINIER; briefly)
Gray Jay I WA, II WA
Steller’s Jay I, II
California Scrub-Jay I (RAINIER; briefly in Enumclaw)
Clark's Nutcracker I (RAINIER)
American Crow I, II
Northwestern Crow I, II
Common Raven I, II
Eurasian Skylark I BC, II BC (in same field as past years on both MBWs)
Horned Lark I (RAINIER)
Violet-green Swallow I (RAINIER), II WA
Barn Swallow I, II
Black-capped Chickadee I, II
Mountain Chickadee I (RAINIER)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee I, II
Bushtit I WA, II WA
Red-breasted Nuthatch I WA, II
Brown Creeper II
Pacific Wren I WA, II WA (incl one standing on my speaker on I)
Marsh Wren I, II
Bewick’s Wren I, II
American Dipper I WA, II WA
Golden-crowned Kinglet I, II
Ruby-crowned Kinglet II WA
Townsend’s Solitaire I (RAINIER)
Hermit Thrush I WA, II WA (Capitol Forest sighting by Howard)
American Robin I, II
Varied Thrush II WA (ditto)
European Starling I, II
American Pipit I, II
Cedar Waxwing I, II
Orange-crowned Warbler I, II WA
Common Yellowthroat I, II BC
Yellow Warbler I
Yellow-rumped Warbler I, II
Black-throated Gray Warbler I (RAINIER)
Townsend’s Warbler I (RAINIER)
Spotted Towhee I, II
Savannah Sparrow I, II
Fox Sparrow I, II
Song Sparrow I, II
Lincoln’s Sparrow I BC
White-crowned Sparrow I, II
Golden-crowned Sparrow I, II BC
Dark-eyed Junco I, II
Western Tanager I (RAINIER)
Red-winged Blackbird I, II
Brewer’s Blackbird I WA, II WA
House Finch I, II BC
Purple Finch II WA (Capitol Forest sighting by Howard)
Pine Siskin I WA
American Goldfinch I, II
House Sparrow I, II
Significant Others (a partial list):
Eastern Cottontail I, II
Pika I (RAINIER)
Eastern Gray Squirrel I, II
Douglas's Squirrel I, II
Townsend’s Chipmunk I, II
Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel I (RAINIER)
Hoary Marmot I (RAINIER)
Raccoon I
River Otter II
Coyote I, II
Mule Deer I, II
Bighorn Sheep I (RAINIER; incl one attacked by a Golden Eagle)
Mountain Goat I (RAINIER; more than usual)
Steller’s Sea Lion I, II
California Sea Lion I, II
Northern Fur Seal I, II
Harbor Seal I, II
Dall’s Porpoise II
Harbor Porpoise I, II
Pacific White-sided Dolphin II
Humpback Whale II
Blue Shark II
Ocean Sunfish I, II
* * *
WASHINGTON - B.C. MBWEEKS PHOTO GALLERY
Laysan Albatross, Westport Seabirds, 2017 (KRE photo)
Black-footed Albatross, Westport Seabirds, 2013 (KRE photo)
Wandering Tattler, Westport, 2016 (Jena Highkin photo)
Bar-tailed Godwit, Westport, 2016 (Jena Highkin photo)
Surfbird and Black Turnstone, Luna Park, 2018 (Jeff Stephenson photo)
Short-tailed Shearwater, Westport Seabirds, 2016 (Jena Highkin photo)
Ruff (with Greater Yellowlegs), Iona sewage ponds, 2014 (KRE photo)
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Reifel Wildlife Sanctuary, 2014 (KRE photo)
South Polar Skua, Westport Seabirds, 2016 (Jeff Stephenson photo)
Black Oystercatchers, Semiahmoo Spit, 2017 (Roy Zimmerman photo)
Rhinoceros Auklet, Victoria harbour, 2016 (KRE photo)
Pacific Golden-Plover, Ediz Hook, 2018 (Bill Marengo photo)
Tufted Puffin, Westport Seabirds, 2017 (Roy Zimmerman photo)
Swallow-tailed Gull, Edmonds Marina, 2017 (KRE photo)
Northern Pygmy-Owl, Hurricane Ridge Rd., 2017 (KRE photo)
Red-breasted Sapsucker, Hurricane Ridge Rd., 2015 (Jerry Pruett photo)
Prairie Falcon, Mount Rainier, 2015 (Jerry Pruett photo)
Clark's Nutcracker, Mount Rainier, 2014 (KRE photo)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, 2015 (Jerry Pruett photo)
Bushtit, 2013 (Dennis Randall photo)
Northern Fulmar, Westport Seabirds, 2013 (KRE photo)
Pacific Wren, Ocean Shores, 2015 (Jerry Pruett photo)
American Dipper, 2015 (Jerry Pruett photo)
Black-throated Gray Warbler, Mount Rainier, 2016 (Jena Highkin photo)
Buller's Shearwater, Westport Seabirds, 2016 (Jena Highkin photo)
Lewis's Woodpecker, near Naches, 2016 (Jena Highkin photo)
Violet-green Swallow, near Naches, 2016 (Jena Highkin photo)
Hurricane Ridge, 2018 (KRE photo)
Band-tailed Pigeon, Kalaloch beach, 2017 (KRE photo)
Pika, Mount Rainier, 2016 (Jena Highkin photo)
Hoary Marmot, Hurricane Ridge, 2018 (KRE photo)
Victoria Harbour, 2018 (Bill Marengo photo)
Mew Gull, 2013 (KRE photo)
