Birdathon Report 2013- Ed Pullen & Ryan Wiese

3:05 PM May 3 until  2:40 PM May 4, 2013

Ryan and I had no one sign up for our TAS overnight birdathon trip this year, and we so enjoyed the time together and the ability to both move quickly and yet have plenty of time to enjoy the birding. We are contemplating just doing private birdathon’s in years to come. The weather was perfect, high 60’s on Friday afternoon and in the 70’s most of Saturday.  A strong offshore breeze kept it cool, and migration kept it fun.

We saw 119 species, with just the highlights mentioned, the full list to follow.  We started at Steilacoom Park and found mostly expected species, but no House wren this year.  The waters off Steilacoom were very quiet, and we missed most of the expected water birds there, but picked nearly all of them up at later times.  Not even  a Pigeon guillemot seen from the ferry terminal, but we did pick up Common merganser and Common Goldeneye in Chamber’s creek.

Nisqually NWR was beautiful, and two bright male Yellow-headed blackbirds that had been reported for a week or so were obliging and flew in on our walk back off the marsh to the base of the trail.  After a few minutes they flew back out toward the sound and disappeared. We did do well on ducks, and heard and saw both Dowicher species as well as both yellow-legs species there.  Not a single rail was heard or seen though. Across McAlister creek at Luir beach we got Purple martins, and as they sang away we found Brant (geese) and Caspian terns.

Then as it started to get dark we dashed to Elma, where at the new access off Wenzel Slough Rd we saw two Barn owls flying over the fields and heard American bittern calling as Wilson’s snipe winnowed overhead.

After a short sleep in Ocean Shores we were at the Jetty just after daybreak, and watched migration happening.  Highlights were 3 “rock birds”.   Ruddy and Black turnstones and Surfbirds were easily seen at the base of the jetty, and many Pacific loons flew north, mixed with some Common and Red-throated loons.  Boneparte’s gulls fed in the turbulent water off the “bar” and Sooty shearwaters used the offshore wind to swoop over the waves.  Later, just before the 9AM high tide at Bill’s spit were large numbers of shorebirds, and Ryan found one Red knot by sorting through an estimated 3-4000 other shorebirds.  We squinted to make out two distant Whimbrel before turning around and getting great looks at three on our walk back to the car.

At Ocean City State Park we had plenty of time to be sure the Black-throated gray warblers were were hearing were not the similar sounding Townsend’s warbler, and added Golden-crowned kinglets and Stellar’s jays.  On the ride back east we stopped at Burrow’s road, Hoquiam’s Bowerman basin, Brady Loop, Schouweiler marsh and ended our day enjoying being in tee-shirts and counting at least 100 Whimbrel in a freshly mowed field off the west end of Wenzel Slough Rd.   Overall we had a great trip.  Thanks to anyone who chooses to donate to the Tahoma Audubon Society.  You can donate at my First Giving site by clicking on this link.  Good birding.

See the trip list below:

Need a set of volunteers to count Vaux Swifts at JBLM by this weekend!!!

From: Burney.Huff@mindspring.com Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:09:12 -0700

Hello to all, Earlier today I was notified that permission to count Vaux Swifts at JBLM has been granted!

Now, I need to assemble a team of volunteer counters as quickly as possible. Small numbers of birds have been arriving at chimneys in Western WA on recent nights. If you may be interested in counting during this Spring migration, here are the basic facts you need to know. The observer needs to be on site at the chimney about an hour before sunset, in anticipation of birds actually entering the chimney up to an hour later. On May 1 (about the earliest we can possibly start) sunset will occur at about 8:15 PM. Birds might enter as late as about 9:15 PM. At the end of May, when the migration will probably be about over, sunset will occur about 9:00 PM, with the birds entering by approximately 10:00 PM. The point is that the observation periods in the Spring get to be fairly late in the evening, which is difficult for some people. But, a big compensating factor is that some evenings are really beautiful in the Spring. (Maybe we will be able to watch the Red-breasted Nuthatches feeding their young while we count swifts again this year?)

Volunteers will need transportation to get to the chimney, which is an easy driving distance from the JBLM Main Gate or the DuPont Gate. Volunteers that already have access to the base will NOT need to get a separate visitor’s pass this year. Volunteers who do not have access to the base will need to provide me with their full name. I will forward those to our contact on the base who will, in turn, send the list to Base Security. When that happens, volunteers will be able to go to the Visitor’s Center, at the Main Gate, and get a 30-day visitor’s pass. To get the pass, each volunteer will need to show: 1) a drivers license, 2) vehicle registration, and 3) proof of insurance (all the normal things you should have in the vehicle when driving, anyway). If your vehicle needs to have an emissions test, you will also need a copy of a current certificate of passing the emissions test. Emissions tests are required for vehicles more than five years old and less than 25 years old and registered in Pierce or King Counties.) If you don’t have a copy of your certificate, I can tell you how to get a copy online. The 30-day visitor’s pass will need to be obtained on your first visit to the base. I recommend being at the Visitor’s Center about 45 minutes before you hope to arrive at the chimney. The time required to actually get a pass varies, depending on how busy the office is. You need to be aware that when you show them your driver’s license, they will run a check on the license – similar to the check that a police officer might run if you are stopped on the highway. It’s not a big deal. They just need to make sure you are an upstanding citizen, and who you say you are, before they give you access to the base. I appreciate their efforts to keep the base secure, as I’m sure all of you do, too.

For those who have not counted Vaux’s Swifts before, I will accompany you on your first night at the chimney to help you get comfortable. I’ll follow up on subsequent nights, if you want. We won’t leave you wondering how to proceed.

This is a fantastic opportunity to do some birding of a very different sort. It’s also an opportunity to see something absolutely amazing when all the swifts decide to enter the chimney. It can get to be a jaw-dropping experience. If you are interested and have other questions, please fire away with your questions. I’ll get them answered promptly.

Please let me know by Sunday, 4/28, by email, if you will be able to count this spring. I sincerely apologize for the short notice; but, we’ve been waiting to find out if our request for access was going to be approved. I got the good news only a few hours ago.

If you know anyone else who might be interested in doing this, please forward this email to them.

When we get a team of volunteers identified, I’ll send more details about how to get the visitor’s pass, etc.

Burney Huff Burney.Huff@mindspring.com

CUBA! The April 2013 ABC meeting attendees enjoyed a fine Italian meal at Bella Nina’s Ristorante (thanks for setting that up, Rolan!) while being transported in word and picture to the tropical isle of Cuba. Thanks to Bill Hagens who reported on his cultural trip including an idiosyncratic view of the history of modern Cuba to explain the situation we are in today when we try to visit. We really enjoyed seeing his rental car, too! Then Carole Breedlove reported on her birding trip there with an Illinois birding group. Both of them had stories about transportation and other hassles, but both seemed to be very happy with their trips overall. Carole got to see all but 2 of the endemic birds and smoked a cigar! Her favorites were the tiny Tody and the world’s smallest bird, the Bee Hummingbird. Tourists do seem to pay high prices, it seems, but see more of the country than its denizens who are stuck due to fuel being hard to get. A birder’s paradise outside of the urban areas for sure!

UPCOMING ABC MEETINGS:

April 24, 2013 (a Wednesday) – ABC Dinner Meeting – 6:30 PM at Bella Nina’s Ristorante Italiano,

6218 6th Ave. Tacoma, WA, 98406: CUBA!! How to get in and bird there, featuring our own members who have done it! Also tips on spring/summer birds. Plus bring your ideas for field trips and gatherings. Come at 6:30 if you’re ordering dinner. We’ll start talking around 6:45 as usual.

May 20, 2013 (a Monday) – ABC Meeting at UPlace Library – 6:45. Program to be announced. Mark your calendar!

Westport Seabirds famous spotters, Bruce LaBar and Ryan Shaw, presented on pelagic birding, giving all the inside secrets of spotting, identifying, and staying alive on the boat, the Monte Carlo. One of the fascinating factoids was that Westport Seabirds has the longest set of records of any seabirding!! Researchers love them for this! Plus Pomerine Jaegers have “spoons” as opposed to the knives and forks of the other Jaegers.

A fascinating look at the 4% of Earth’s bird that live over the 70% of the Earth’s surface, illustrated by stunning photos by Ryan Shaw that are definitely prize winners.

Ryan Shaw (left) and Bruce LaBar at the ABC meeting, March 26, 2013 (Photo/Diane Yorgason-Quinn). Click to enlarge.

ABC Trip Report – Waterville Plateau, Okanogan Highlands, Conconully, Feb 16 -18, 2013.

Led by Ken Brown. reported by Ryan Wiese:

We usually do one trip a year to the North Central Washington Region but this year, we had enough folks and enough desire to make a second run in February. It turned out to be a great time to go. The temperatures were reasonable- lows in the 20’s, highs in the 30’s, the sun was out and the birds were still around.

Birding on the Waterville Plateau the first day yielded thousands of Horned Larks but little else. A beautiful, adult male Snowy Owl was spotted. In the sunlight, it actually glowed whiter than the surrounding snow. On the way down from the plateau we found a couple Sharp-tailed Grouse. The highlight of the day was the three Northern Saw-whet owls and two Great Horned owls found at Brewster State Park. Spring was apparently in the air when we witnessed the Great-horned owls mate just before dark.

Day two started off hot in Tonasket when we located a large flock of Bohemian Waxwings and a small group of Pine Grosebeaks. On the way up to the Okanogan Highlands found a large flock of 50+ Chukar, and a Golden Eagle. At the feeders on Nealey Road we found a sizeable group of Redpolls and several Grey-crowned Rosy Finches. Later in the day we found a Northern Pygmy Owl. We finished off the day trying for a Great Gray Owl at the snowpark, along with about 15 other birders but apparently all our good fortune had been used up in the morning’s haul.

Day three started off well, when we located the flock of White-winged Crossbills in Conconully. As we started the drive back to Tacoma, we made another detour to the Waterville Plateau. We were lucky to get tips from a couple other birders, who put us onto a nice group of Gray Partridge and an amazing flock of several hundred Snow Buntings. It was a great way to end the day as we contemplated all the great finds over the weekend on the drive back to Tacoma.

Our meeting on February 26th was lively. Ken gave a trip report on the 3 days to the Okanogan over Presidents’ Day Weekend illustrated with photographs from Pat Damron. Target birds galore, White-Winged Crossbills again, Pine Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls, Bohemian Waxwings, Hungarian Partridge, and many more! Then Jerry Broadus gave us more details on lodgings and food available at Malheur in preparation to the ABC trip there in May.

Finally Willettes Down Under: Faye McAdams Hands gave a great report of the trip to Borneo that she and Wade made in July including interesting reports of Leeches and edible Swiftlet nests! Then Carol Smith took us to the east coast of Australia and Papua-New Guinea, where she racked up an amazing number of lifers and obviously fell in love with Birds of Paradise! Melissa Sherwood then recounted the trip she and Dennis took to New Zealand where they hopped many a plane and boat including two Pelagic trips. Her stuffed Kiwi gave the proper call while we all learned about these weird birds among many others. Finally Diane Yorgason-Quinn recounted her trip with Adam Trent to eastern Australia, successfully finding the Red-Necked Avocet and thousands of Rainbow Lorikeets, as well as being jabbed by a Jabiru. The trip highlight was the total eclipse of the sun from the beach at Port Douglas looking out over the Great Barrier Reef.

Photos: Faye, Carol, Melissa, Diane (Click to enlarge):