This is intended as a way to let us stay more in touch through this time with less opportunity to get together in person. I encourage everyone who wishes to share their best bird sighting/find of the past week in the comments section below. All you need to do is click on the little Talk bubble symbol beside the title, leave your comment, and I’ll review for spam and it will be live.
For me the best bird of the last week was a Sora. Will, Bruce, Peter and I did a Pierce County Big Day (also my birdathon) and while scoping for ducks and shorebirds at the Mountainview Cemetery Marsh a Sora called loudly and all four of us shouted “SORA” almost in unison. How about the rest of you ABCer’s?
Monday and today I’ve had the immense pleasure of three first species sightings. I’ve been hearing Red-eyed Vireos seemingly everywhere for weeks, and finally saw a couple while walking the Pend Oreille Bay Trail Monday and then came upon a bold Grey Catbird in a blooming Lilac singing his heart out. Very pretty! This morning an American Redstart was hunting up breakfast around the margins of a large marsh at the beginning of the trail system at Syringia and in the upper forest I had a superb, though not first of, view of a male Red-naped Sapsucker resting in the sun on the trunk of a larch.
Cool stuff. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the extreme NW WA area, can’t wait to get back.
Late in life I’m FINALLY, albeit slowly, getting to ID birds by ear. It certainly makes this time of year particularly interesting as there’s literally a cacaphony of bird songs/calls everywhere. Some species I’m getting down fairly well by sound and thus my #’s are up: Black-throated Gray Warblers are being found often where once they were a rarity. I’ve had 5 species of flycatchers: WIFL, OSFL, WWPE, PSFL, HAFL….but it’s the PSFL that I always enjoy finding (mostly hearing) and more recently the occasional Hammond’s. The last few days a neighborhood Western Tanager has been prrr-dicking relentlessly.
Empids are best by ear. Good stuff.
Turkey Vulture pair. Spends several days trying out the tall cedars that line our property at the edge of the forest.
Nice to have vultures near home.
Yellow-breasted Chat, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Western Tanager—all at West Rocky Prairie; Spotted Sandpiper dancing on a rock, several Wilson’s Warblers and Warbling and Hutton’s Vireo—in Puyallup; Black-bellied Plover, Great Blue Herons still building nests, American White Pelicans—at Leadbetter Point.
Nice birds. Thanks for the comment.
Nice. Grosbeaks rule the voting. EVGR 2 BHGR 2
My Best Birds this past week have been the Black-headed Grosbeaks! I love watching them when they (finally!) arrive to our yard. This past week I had the pleasure of even finding a nest with a female sitting on it. Such a treat as I have never seen a Grosbeak nest before. (This nest was at Sehmel Homestead Park in Gig Harbor, not in my yard. Sigh!)
For me, one and then a few nights later, two tooting Northern Saw-whet Owls in my neighborhood. Generally around 11:30 to midnight were the times when I would be on my computer and hear ‘something’ and then grab my phone to try to get an okay recording of owls. Previously, I have had Great Horned Owls and probably Barred (although the call series for them was really bizarre and mostly not particularly typical). The NSOWs started out pretty close and by the last night I heard them, they had moved farther and farther away. Trying to get the audio when you live right next to a highway (SR 302) can be very challenging and frustrating. Interestingly, I have also had a what must be a super-hormonally charged White-crowned Sparrow that will belt out a song a couple of times pretty darn late – 11, 11:30 and midnight. Not the same nights as the owls though.
NSWO is a great yard bird. Good stuff. Thanks.
Best backyard birds of last week: black headed grosbeak and two Wilson’s warblers.
Sweet. Thanks.
Last week had perfect view of palm warbler taking bath about 15-20’ outside kitchen window. He was as colorful as the eastern birds.
Nice. Thanks.
My favorite bird was an accidental shock on May 1 at the large pond at Chambers Bay Golf Course—a Black-Crowned Night Heron. ( I even got a photo, though not the best.)
Wow. You need to get the work out sooner. Nice bird.
Ridgefield, WA was my first birding trip outside home base since February. I saw a lot of amazing birds, but the Ruddy Duck was my favorite.
Love the males in breeding plumage.
Evening Grosbeaks. The past few days, numbers have been slowly rising. We are over 50 as of yesterday.
I think Evening Grosbeaks are going to win for most votes.
Reporting from Austin, Texas: Two beautiful flycatchers – life birds for me: Great Crested Flycatcher and Acadian Flycatcher. I also saw my first Cottonmouth snake, so now I’m a bit nervous to walk in tall grass next to water. Tall grass probably isn’t a good idea, anyway, due to chiggers.😒 Birding is potentially a lot more dangerous and/or uncomfortable down here! I never tire of seeing Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Painted Buntings, however.
Cool. Nice to hear from Texas. I was there in the winter, but this damn lock-down put the brakes on big spring migration trips.
Your trip to the Gulf Coast sounded wonderful. Some day, I’ll make it to the lower Coast. I had contemplated going to High Island for the first time, but of course couldn’t do so because of coronavirus. Nevertheless, I’ve enjoyed the birds, butterflies, and wildflowers in Austin.
Thanks for the comment. Keep birding!
Have had up to 12 Evening Grosbeaks in my yard for past two weeks with a pair of Black-headed Grosbeaks being harassed by the Evenings!
It’s been a great spring for Evening Grosbeaks it seems. Good stuff. Thanks Vera.
Last week was a really good week so the choice is tough. Most fun birds were the two Tom Turkeys strutting their stuff for a mostly disinterested Hen on Hanstad Road on Camano Island. Otherwise I have to go with a tie between a very photogenic and obliging (and noisy) Yellow Breasted Chat at Umtanum Creek in the Yakima River Canyon and a group of Wilson’s Phalaropes at the County Line Ponds in Grant County.
Migration is great isn’t it! Glad you got east.
My best birds of the past week on my property Western Tanagers and MacGillvary’s Warblers are back. Also have been hearing Sooty Grouse on my walks through Hubert’s Christmas Tree farm. Just happy the summer nesters are back.
You have to love spring. Thanks for leaving the comment.
Here in the Idaho Panhandle I saw my first Nashville Warbler last week. Also Mountain Bluebirds and the first Common Loon of the summer.
My best bird last week has to be the Mountain Quail. I have heard 2 singing and photographed a third one crossing the dirt road. The Great Horned owls have started hooting again. I have also been able to hear/see 4 species of flycatchers. Some just passing through some still here.
Thanks for pinning those down the last couple of years for us all.
My best bird last week has to be the Mountsin Quail. I have heard 2 singing and photographed a third one crossing the dirt road. The Great Horned owls have started hooting again. I have also been able to hear/see 4 species of flycatchers. Some just passing through some still here.
My best bird of the week was also my biggest disappointment. The swift counting crew at JBLM was finally able to get on base this past week, and I was finally able to see Vaux’s Swifts go into the big stack there! BUT – most of the migration had already happened, so the total numbers were disappointing, but I did use it for my Birdathon (which you can still pledge to!). Such joy to finally see the swifts. Thanks to the tiny band of birders with base privileges who kept it going while lockdown was on.
A SNOWY PLOVER in Walla Walla County has been present for 3 days now and my bird of the week. Very rare inland record and overshadowed the 58 white faced ibis also present!
Great county bird.
cool, sora is always a great county bird. since thursday, swainsons hawk, 7 western king, 9 laz buntings, whimbrel, blue-winged teal. Not bragging or anything. pnp means good birding.
Come on. Pick one! Just kidding.