February Big Day, and finally some owls!

My year so far!  Key:  Black pen lines through the county are from Jan 10/11.  The thin blue lines at top are
from a day trip to Tahuya.  The green is from the post "Owling Weather" although I only added the little bits at Hamma Hamma and on the east side of Case Inlet.  I made a stop at Kennedy Creek (in pink at bottom), and the February 15/16 trips are all in thick blue.   I may have to get another map for new ones!

Big Day Number Two

January ended with my bird total at 85 for the year, and although I felt myself balking at the idea of another Big Day to start February, I rolled up the sleeves and dove in.  After a lovely Valentine's Day with Bre and the kids, I packed and fell asleep.  The internal alarm clock woke me up at 2 AM, and I hopped up, got out the door, made my regular stop at 7-11, and made my way to Mason County.

Why would I balk?  I think with the Big Year in the county going on, there was an internal Rational Tim who suggested that I don't need Western Scrub-Jay or Anna's Hummingbird, so why use the precious time to find them?  At a recent Christmas Bird Count, a birder was venting about the activities of "listers" - birders whose focus is on adding birds to their lists (as I am!), but sometimes at the cost of... enjoyment? science? ethics?   At any rate, after having watched listers out recently chasing a Yellow-billed Loon on Vashon, staying long enough to see the bird, and leaving (whether that was ten minutes or two hours), he asserted, "That's not citizen science!  That's just waving your..."  (I won't finish that sentence, but it was quite a colorful description of listing that would actually be a physical impossibility for women who keep lists.

Long story short:  I want to keep making sure that I have at least one day where I hit a wide range of habitat and work to understand how all of the birds change over the course of a year, not just the birds that I "need" on my year list.  I've been adding my observations to eBird online, and hopefully some of it will be put to good use!

Owls! 

The view up Elfendahl Pass Road - minus the stars

In January, I made a trip over specifically to see owls, with stops that had included some fairly reliable owls - a Barred Owl at Theler, and a Barn Owl at Hunter Farms - and some shots in the dark in an area that seemed like it should be rich with owls - the Hamma Hamma River valley.  I'd struck out on all counts, and this time instead followed a tip from Matt Bartels, who had some success on Elfendahl Pass with Great Horned and Northern Saw-whet Owls. 




I had another great break with weather, with stars above, and not much wind at all.  As I drove up the road, I think I may have mis-followed the directions I was given, but found a nice pull-off with a gated road on the opposite side.  I was expecting either of the two owls mentioned above, but after a little bit of walking got an awesome surprise.  In a copse of trees, I had two Western Screech-Owls (86) responding to the Great Horned Owl calls I was making.  I whispered a "sorry" to them, and listened to the bouncy ball calls, amazed at how soft they are relative to other owls.

Western Screech-owls used to be quite widespread in Puget Sound, but it seems that the appearance of Barred Owls (who eat the little dudes) has put them on a serious decline.  They are still hanging on in some areas (described in earlier posts), but this was not necessarily a place I was expecting them.  I had frankly put this code 3 bird into my "probably ain't gonna happen" list, which still includes Spotted Owls, but it would be equally good news if I encounter any of them during the year.

Continuing up the road, I tried a new spot for the two owls that Matt had suggested, finding Great Horned (87) at some nice "edge" habitat - forest that came right up to a clear cut - and Northern Saw-whet (88) calling from across a lake on the east side of the road.   Three in one night!  I was grinning at all of the owls I'd been able to enjoy and almost felt greedy heading down to Theler Wetlands, where I was sure I was going to get a Barred Owl.


Theler Wetlands, where I was sure I was going to get a Barred Owl



This is the idyllic setting where I heard the Barnshee

Birds are funny, aren't they?  On my third try for this owl, I got a surprise.  After calling for Barred Owl, I got a hair raising screech from a Barn Owl (89) Every hair on my body was on end (and.. that's a lot of hair).  I was a little ways down the path from the parking lot when it screeched, and... I mean, I know what a Barn Owl sounds like... but I had not completely ruled out confusion species, and was still considering the possibility that it was instead a Banshee or something worse coming to take my soul.  It's that kind of a sound. 

This was one of those times where there really should have been a film crew to catch my comical horror.  I walked quickly towards my car and the Barnshee screeched again... was it closer???  I walked faster, and suddenly I heard the twittering sound that seems to have inspired so many horror film soundtracks.  I don't think I ran?  Funny, it's difficult to remember getting there, but I made it to the car and gave myself a minute before laughing it off.   It's easier to laugh from inside the safety of a car. 


I grabbed a nap in the car, then breakfast at Starbucks in Belfair, and I was back to Theler.  I looked cautiously up into the trees as I walked the path.  I had it in my head that it would be good to walk the entire trail as it was just starting to get light, which would let me walk the whole thing once while it was light.  This worked out fairly well - I got a lot of ground covered fairly early, adding Brown Creeper (90) and Bushtit (91). 

Theler waking up

Buds and bushtits

The Bushtits were a nice surprise.   It seems like they are one of those code 1 birds that can be a little tricky, but the bridge south of the vault toilets is apparently a good enough place to find them when they want to show up.  The picture here is horrible, although I kept it because it shows how much the plants are starting to bud.  Spring's a-comin!

Hunter Farms

To be fair, I stopped to look at the salt water a few times on the way to Hunter Farms, including the mouth of the Skokomish  (where I did find a Thayers Gull (92)) and Twanoh State Park, but most of the birds were becoming very... very familiar.  After looking at my billionth Surf Scoter, I wondered in my head.  "How many Surf Scoters do I need to look at before I get a Black Scoter?  Why isn't this a number that is already known?"  I assume it's a big number, and I'd really appreciate it if I could just observe enough Surf Scoters to just roll a thousand of them over and have them count as a Black.  Or five thousand.  I'd do ten thousand maybe if this continues.  I found no rules on this with the ABA, so it may be that I actually have to find one, so I have a feeling I'm going to be peering at a lot of Surf Scoters in the year that remains.

While making some snack purchases at Hunter Farms, I happened across an employee that I had seen on my owling trip in January.  We discussed birds a little more, and I got permission to take a look at their fields.  A Sharp-shinned Hawk (93) sat in a tree above the parking lot.  I walked back behind the parking lot to the path that hunters use when it's allowed on the grounds.  I was excited to see some good sparrow patches, and found some White and Golden-crowned sparrows, but still no Lincoln's in sight.  I'm worried that will be a tough code 3 bird - we shall see. 

Snow Goose                                             Canada Goose

I finally made close enough to the flock of geese to see them take flight, and I found a Snow Goose (94) mixed in.  For the sake of story-telling and continuity, I will ignore the fact that I took a picture of seventeen Greater White-fronted Geese as well!   I didn't look at the picture until Tuesday, when I had seen the same flock a bit more directly. 

Purdy Cut-off

I made another stop through here, pretty specifically looking for Pied-billed Grebe (95), and I was able to find one.  The water was so glassy, and the reflections of the colorful grasses alongside the water turned the reflections beautiful shades for the pictures.  I added Ring-necked Ducks, and Lesser Scaup to the day list as well. 


Skokomish Valley Road

I made some of the same stops as I had in January, although I seemed to find fewer sparrows this time.  The big surprise was the discovery of four Tree Swallows (96) circling over the fields.  It was the first spring bird that I had found during the year, which added to the other signs - bird song, and budding plants - that spring was on the way.  I added a Ruby-crowned Kinglet to the day list, but am still waiting to hear one of them sing their complex song.

And yet... I have posted a worse picture of an American Dipper.  Wow.

I stopped at the Eells Springs Trout Hatchery once more, looking for one of the resident Green Herons.  That was intentionally plural; The same guy has been there every time I've visited (three times now for the year), and he confirmed that he has seen two of them at once.  He had seen them earlier in the day, but a walk of the grounds didn't turn them up for me.  They don't seem to leave, so it's just going to take persistence and/or patience to see one of them.  I voted for persistence, and simply vowed to come back. 

Potlatch State Park was pretty windy so  I looked at three thousand more Surf Scoters, and a gorgeous Harlequin Duck and eased on down the road to...

Shelton. 

I was pretty tired by the time I got to Shelton, and decided to celebrate my exhaustion with a lovely nap in the Taco Bell parking lot.  I woke up in my car, making sure to do that thing I do... you know the thing where I wake up in my car and believe I fell asleep driving.  I wrested the vehicle under my control and steered it back to the parking spot safely before peering around to see if anyone had been watching.  Lunch was lovely. 



Mount Rainier across Oakland Bay

I made it down to the Mountainview neighborhood again, picking up Western Scrub-Jay, House Sparrow and House Finch.  There also seemed to be a lot of  Pine Siskins in the neighborhood.  I drove down through town, and then up Highway 3 along Oakland Bay.  It was pretty enough - not terribly birdy, but I was able to see a few Buffleheads, and a Double-crested Cormorant on the water as I drove towards Latimer's Landing, at the Bridge to Harstine Island.


Harstine Island (also known simply as Harstine or Harstene)

Pickering Passage from Latimer's Landing

That's the name given by Wikipedia, which also goes on to explain how some guy on some boat named it after some other guy on his boat, not realizing that this guy was going to use a few variations on his own name before all was said and done.  So I feel like I've seen four or five different spellings and honestly will invent seven or eight more if I can remember to do it over the course of the blog. 

Most of the view whilst driving on Hawrstean Island

This island had my attention because A) I'd never been there, and islands seem romantic in general, and 2) it extends down south into Puget Sound, providing views of some species that are tougher up on Hood Canal.  I set up my scope on the "mainland" at Latimer's Landing, and scoped  the birds on the far side of the channel.  My attention was first drawn to black birds with obvious white slashes across their sides - Pigeon Guillemots! (97).  As I looked over the cormorants on the far side, I saw several Double-crested before I had a chance to watch what turned out to be a Brandt's Cormorant!! (98).  

Alcids like the Guillemot are one of the main reason I will be making it back to Hartsteine Island in the future, and the cormorants were gracious enough to float around in plain enough view for me - Brandt's is a species that I consider tricky because cormorants are so often in flight, or not always providing a view that allows the bill shape and color to be studied.   It's a code two bird, so not that unusual, but I was a bit relieved to have found one.

Always a good sign

Douglas Squirrel - Squaxin Road

Hahrsteene Island provided some beautiful scenery, even thought I didn't pick up any new birds, with a mix of thick forest and the occasional clear cut.  There were precious few views of the salt water, but I had it on good word that Squaxin Road at the very southern tip had a spur that ended with a view of the water. 




A view of Thurston County from Squaxin Road

I arrived at one of my favorite signs (Primitive Road:  No Warning Signs), and this was certainly the shortest such road I had ever been on.  I parked at the top of it and simply walked down, picking up Varied Thrush along the path, and Purple Finches as two flew overhead giving call notes.  I realized that I really should make this a morning trip.  This spur gives a view towards the west, so I mostly looked at backlit birds.  The numbers were excellent, however, and if I do find out the Surf/Black Scoter conversion factor, I'm sure that this spot will help me towards the 100,00 Surf Scoters I need to see to add Black Scoter to my list.

Crossing sails from Squaxin Road spur

I left the southern tip and drove back to the north end of the island where I made a stop at Jarrell Cove State Park.  I had spent a lot of time on the road and a lot of time staring at birds, and found myself just smacked across the face with the lazy beauty of this place.  I didn't have a tent, and I had a place to stay for the night, so I wasn't able to simply stay, but the place was telling me to.  It was probably around four, and the temperature was nearly perfect, especially for February.  I walked down to the ramp leading out into the little inlet with a view of Pickering Passage, and just enjoyed it.  A grebe floated by at a distance, and I kind of shrugged it off, happy with the birds I'd seen for the day.

Across Jarrell Cove

Haven't had time to look this one up.  What are these?

 

Evening plans

The Bisers at Still Waters Farm had offered me a bed in their barn for the night, and when I called, they were generous enough to add dinner to their offer.  It always feels rude to show up empty handed, so I swung by Grove Street Brewhouse to fill up the growler I had brought along on the trip.  They were technically closed, but had not closed the till, so I lucked out.  I tried two of their beers and settled on a rye ale.  The gal tending the bar filled it three quarters of the way when the tap simply ran out. 

"You could get  me a coupon for a free pint next time I'm in!"  I suggested.  She instead offered another smaller growler of the other beer I had tried.  Now... there was a beer I had tried here in January that was delicious, but a large growler of it would have been too much.  "How about your vanilla stout?".  "Well.. that one costs a bit more.  They use real Madagascar Vanilla in it."  "Well, just short me on that one too!"   This got a hearty laugh and 3/4 of a growler of a delicious beer.  I will definitely be back.

At the Bisers, I added my last bird of the day - Wood Duck, my 78th for the day, and enjoyed a lovely dinner.  The conversation topics mostly swirled around education.  Shelton schools are struggling by a couple different measures, and we had time over the course of the evening to talk about education from a lot of different angles:  The challenges that the kids face, the parents face, the teachers, and even the people paying property taxes, which (while not high compared to the other side of the sound) are a stretch for many in a struggling county.

A sign of hard work

One of the more exciting things that came up was Mark relating stories of field trips that schools took to his farm.  The Biser's had offered their time and property for groups to come through and learn about forest ecology, but there wasn't money to even get the kids bussed up.  The couple paid for the trip themselves and had a whole slew of activities for the students to enjoy the land and learn a little about how the different parts of the ecosystem interact with each other. 

This county seems like it really would benefit from as many science educated kids as it can get.  Between the forestry industry, shellfish farms, and the trout and salmon habitat, there are a lot of opportunities in the future for people to study and improve the water and the land.  From Mark's report, the family that owns the land at the mouth of the Hamma Hamma (and the shellfish company of course) has already been doing amazing work in that regard.  They've worked to improve the steelhead runs along the river, and have been pretty successful in improving the survival rate of the eggs laid there each year.

I finally hit the hay in the barn.  Not actual hay... but I had you for a second there.  They have a fully finished kitchen, living area, bathroom and bedroom that they call "the barn".   It was a very hard sleep at the end of a lovely day.

More to come soon,
-Tim