Seattle Part Deux

built to withstand winds of 200 mph and earthquakes 9.1; 25 lighting rods

Good morning west coast time 9!!! It's 6:30 am here, but 9:30 back home, up early to get to Discovery Park. There is a Seattle Audubon group bird hike this am. Great!! I need 2 life birds here. There is about 20 of us, and I meet another person from Ohio!! Shocker.  The group leaders Neil and Carleen where great, with their help, I did get 2 life birds. The first was right around the corner, like 50 yards in, Neil phishs up a Pacific Wren ABA #558 lifer. Great!! no photos, it's a wren, it's wrenning, but great binoc looks. This bird was split in 2010 from Winter Wren(east) and Pacific Wren(west). We walk up top of the parking lot up to the bluffs. We stop and see Band-tailed Pigeon, Anna's Hummingbird, Golden-crown Sparrow, Red-breasted Nuthatch and . . .

Band-tailed Pigeon FOY

Anna's FOY

iridescent reddish-pink feathers

Anna’s Hummingbirds are among the most common hummingbirds along the Pacific Coast, yet they're anything but common in appearance. With their iridescent emerald feathers and sparkling rose-pink throats, they are more like flying jewelry than birds. Though no larger than a ping-pong ball and no heavier than a nickel, Anna’s Hummingbirds make a strong impression. In their thrilling courtship displays, males climb up to 130 feet into the air and then swoop to the ground with a curious burst of noise that they produce through their tail feathers

Golden-Crown FOY

RB Nut FOY

At the bluffs, where Neil and Carleen did their Big Sit the week before, down at the shores, probably two miles, scooped out was lifer

Harlequin Ducks ABA #559

Thanks again Canon SX50 with 50x zoom

A bird of fast-moving water, the Harlequin Duck breeds on fast-flowing streams and winters along rocky coastlines in the crashing surf. Medium-sized diving duck. White patch in front of eyes. Round white ear spot.

Wow, the good ole H-Duck!!! What a great find. I'm sure I'll see one closer some time in the future. But like Lucky Gambill's motto "One bird One time", that's all she takes. With that, day two was done. Now it's on to dinner in downtown SEATAC, sushi roll, hot shrimp soup and another IPA later at tavern Amazon employees.

It's Sunday, and that means one thing, SuperBowl Champion Seattle Seahawks football in Edmunds! Though the team took a tough road loss that day, Brad got a FOY in the front yard, a Chestnut-Backed Chickadee. After football, off to the gym for Don, dropping off me back at Edmunds waterfront to scope for birds. While watching the ferry load, there is a great area just north. Brackett's Landing north. From there, I scoped out and photoed lifer

Pigeon Guillemot ABA #560

 A seabird of the northern Pacific, the Pigeon Guillemot is found along rocky coasts from Alaska to California. It spends more time close to shore than other members of the puffin family.

Mostly white with dusky back in winter

Mew Gull FOY

 

Spotted Towhee FOY

I was excited by the Spotted Towhee visit at Discovery Park, we heard some, but saw 3 in a bush/tree thingy. Picture right. I had seen this bird only once before, 3/3/12 as bird #508 in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas with my grandparents Red & Louise and Sam. Boy--I've come a long way . . . Retracing the Steps . . . since ABA #508

This puts my #BIGYEAR2014 number at #351 for the year!!

#343  Pacific Wren--10/18 #558 ABA Lifer  
#344  Banded-tailed Pigeon
#345  Golden-crowned Sparrow
#346  Red-breasted Nuthatch
#347  Harlequin Duck #559 ABA Lifer
#348  Spotted Towhee
#349  Chestnut-backed Chickadee--10/19
#350  Mew Gull
#351  Pigeon Guillemot #560 ABA Lifer

Next up:  Back to Ohio birding, can I get #360 this year?