Thanks to Eddie Vedder and the gang, I was given another reason, to travel the country . . . and hear live music, hang with friends, and of course see LIFE BIRDS!!!!
It is early August in the Pacific Northwest 2018. This is my seventh year coming to Seattle to see my best friends and getting a chance to bird. Since we won tickets to both nights for the Home Shows, there was no way I was not going. And since this will be my last annual trip to Washington, lets make it count!! Even thou this was a fun trip, I still managed causal birding at local hotspots, and managed to see many new First of Years(FOYs) and that included + 3 life birds. So here we go.
Wednesday 8th morning, I hung out in Edmunds, visited all my local spots, the Edmunds Marsh & Pier, Marina Beach, Brackets Landing & Ferry dock. Since it was August all the waterbirds are still up in Canada, so no Scooters or Cormorants.
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| Smile!! |
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| Pigeon Guillemot |
FOYs
Heermanns' Gull--pier
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Rhino Auklet
Black-capped Chickadee--marsh
Then that night was Pearl Jam Show #1 Section 220 Club
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| Long Road, opening song |
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| Center of the Universe |
After a day off Thursday for recovery, I wanted to make Friday 10th a great day. So with plans to catch the 6:20 am ferry over to Kingston, then 40 mins drive to Gardiner Beach on Discovery Bay. This is the place in lower 48 to see and count Northwestern Crow . . . and I did just that!!
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| Boats away |
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| Northwestern Crows lifer #609 |
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| Look, Birds!! |
A small crow of the northern Pacific Coast, the Northwestern Crow is becoming quite at home in urban areas as well as along the shore.
FOYs
Northwestern Crow #609
Western Sandpiper--marsh behind crow
Pelagic Cormorant--pier
Mew Gull--pier
Red-neck Phalarope--point no point
Brewer's blackbird--car trip back
Then that night was Pearl Jam Show #2 Section 241 Club
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| All the favorites, 34 songs last night |
Saturday was another off day. Hanging out in Edmunds, lunch in town, then watching pre-season Seahawks football, nice Italian dinner of sausages & peppers, onions, pasta.
Then last day, Sunday 12th. I'm flying out at 8pm at night, so lets make today count!! Through my years visiting Seattle, and doing guided walks at Discovery park, I've make FB friends with local bird guides/fun people, you know. And whom else to see life birds with? Thanks Niel & Caroline👏 for all you do. I owe you one.
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| Vaux's Swift, Life Bird #610 |
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| 2400 roosted that night/morning |
A bird of the Pacific Northwest, Vaux's Swift spends almost all of daylight hours in the air foraging for insects.Vaux's Swift is the smallest swift in North America. Swifts roost communally, by the hundreds or sometimes the thousands, presumably to conserve heat.
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| California-scrub Jay, #611 |
Vaux's Swift #610--Monroe, WA; known roosting sight
California Scrub-Jay #611--Upper Queen Anne park, Juvi's
Bushtit--Magneson Park
Chestnut-backed Chickadee--Niel's house
The “blue jay” of dry lowlands along the Pacific seaboard, the California Scrub-Jay combines deep azure blue, clean white underparts, and soft gray-brown. It looks very similar to the Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (they were considered the same species until 2016), but is brighter and more contrasting, with a bold blue breast band.
I saw the Woodhouse SJ in Vegas in March, on the mountain at Lee Canyon, an FOY.
With that, I came . . . I saw . . . I conquered!!!!
Trip stats:
56 birds
15 FOYs
3 LifeBirds
2 Pearl Jam shows(11 lifers now)
Thank you and good night from Seattle, a little Pearl Jam "Yellow Ledbetter"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP0GRxrIcYk
Glad you had a great trip. Following your Dad's footprints!
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