Today Ken and I birded Mason County, leaving his house about 8 AM. Ken had been there twice already this year, but for me it was my first trip of 2017, and only my 3rd trip since starting to use eBird regularly. This is a part of my goal to try to spend at least one day birding in every county in WA this year. Mason makes my 12th county so far in 2017, and today I managed to see 57 species bringing my Mason County life list to 61. That said the coolest bird of the day was not a listable species at all, but what Ken and I think is a hybrid Mallard x Northern Pintail duck. I noted it first, and actually managed to deduce it’s likely ID. It is a pretty cool looking duck, with a long curved tail, and a bit of a white stripe up the neck like pintails, but overall coloration more like a mallard.


We made 7 stops today, the longer stops at Gladwin Road and Belfair State Park. Lots of ducks, pretty good looks at birds on salt water, and a few nice passerines too were highlights. We had about 20 Red Crossbills at Belfair State Park. A peregrine zipped by off Gladwin Road. Wood Ducks, Ringed-neck Ducks, and Hooded Mergansers were a surprise on a wooded wedland area off Elfendahl Pass Road. Western Bluebirds, Brewer’s Blackbirds, and Cackling Geese were the finishing touches on a fine day on the road behind Theler Wetlands just as the rain started, and we headed for home a bit after 3 PM.