This afternoon I broke free to get the winter specialties for Pierce at the Fox Island Bridge area, and managed all except for Common Murre, which should be pretty easy at other locations. A nice flock of WWSC was off to the left from the spit area. All three loons were present, 4 Long-tailed ducks Read More…
Quick Outing for Glaucous Gull and Peregrine Falcon
Abut noon, also low tide, I dashed over to the 11th St. Bridge to look for the Glaucous gull, but it was not with thei 60-70 bathing gulls. While there I did manage a distant look at the Tacoma resident Peregrine falcon high on a brown building to the right of where it is often Read More…
Tacoma Midday Birding Today
Today after a little more housekeepingI got out to catch some of the partly-sunny cool day birding. First stop was my third try for the Harris’s sparrow at the 11th Street Bridge, with success this time. Several birders were leaving as I arrived, and Bryan Hansen got there right after I parked. We got on Read More…
Cleaning Up 2017 Leftovers
Today I made time before and after Rotary to try for some uncommon Pierce birds left over from 2017. No luck at the 11th St Bridge area for Harris’s sparrow where Marv Breese and I looked without success in the morning. Then on the way to Puyallup I did manage a distant look at the Read More…
Ocean Shores with Kay Today
Today Kay and I took advantage of the great weather and headed to Ocean Shores after the traffic, about 9 AM. On arrival we went straight to the golf course targeting the Ross’s goose that has been seen there for the last few days. We spent about a half hour and on the first pass Read More…
Welcome 2018
Despite having to complete moving out of the back of the house today, I managed a bit of a start on Pierce County birding. I looked briefly for the Gyrfalcon at McChord AFB but no luck, and Heather Voboril had no luck yesterday either, so maybe it has moved on or met a jet collision. Read More…
Vashon CBC
Today I joined Ken, Heather, Richard and Mary for the Kitsap area of the Vashon CBC. I skipped owling, and met the group at 8:00 AM at the Burley church. Overall a sunny, at times breezy day without unexpected birds, but a pretty good variety of the expected species and numbers. Waterfowl disappointed with no Read More…
Gyrfalcon at McChord
Yesterday after working at SFM Hartland SDC 7-2, I stopped by the spot on Steele St where the Gyrfalcon has been seen. It was quite foggy, and I was not dressed for the cold or wet ground, but I set up my scope and scanned the power poles on the east side of the runway Read More…
CBC on the Sound
Today I met Bruce Labar and Will Brooks to try for owls before getting out on the Citizens for a Clean Sound boat to bird the salt water areas of the count circle. We managed to find just one Great-horned owl at Pt Defiance and missed Saw-whet owl there as well as missing Barred owl Read More…
Puget Creek Drainage Park
Today it was sunny, calm winds, and cold. A nice day for a walk, so I first headed to Gog-li-hi-ti and birded all the trails. Then after an early lunch I walked down Ruston Way to Puget Park. It is a well maintained trail up the creek drainage from Ruston Way to Proctor. Interestingly at Read More…