Discovery Park, Seattle

The clouds looked fit to burst. Like an excited child wriggling on the edge of its seat, it was clear that soon it would be wet. Chancing my day to the meteorological equivalent of a weak bladder may have been risky, but what else would I do on an early Friday morning in Seattle?

I caught the bus out to Discovery Park to the north-west of the city and was dropped at the north car park, just beyond the military base at 08.30. Plenty of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a single Song Sparrow were feeding in and around the vegetation here.

The sparrow had rings which may be of interest to someone.

A pair of Bald Eagles flew over calling plaintively. On the grass, a flock of American Robins were feeding, but closer inspection revealed a couple of slightly smaller Varied Thrushes.

2 years ago I met up with Charlie from 10000 Birds in Vancouver where we went looking for Varied Thrush.

I wanted to submit a picture of Charlie with a chickadee to his website, but didn’t have a blog from which to link, so I committed Redgannet. If you are looking for someone to blame, then he’s your man.

In homage, this one is for Charlie.

Red shafted Flickers were also feeding in the very wet grass and close by. I remember coming here once before and it was so wet then that I wondered if it would ever dry out. Sure enough, 4 years later, it is still sodden. But moss does well here.

On the cliff edge beyond the Indian centre is a platform that commands a wonderful view of Shilshole Bay close in and Puget Sound beyond. Foolishly hoping to see Orcas, I had a good scan around, but had to make do with a Harbour Seal to open my mammals list for the day. The birds were better represented with Red-breasted Mergansers being the most abundant, closely followed by Common Goldeneye. Western and Horned Grebes were common too with a few Surf Scoters and Double-crested Cormorants further out.

A Winter Wren called from a dense bush and I managed to pish him out for a quick look. So this is the new Pacific (Western Winter) Wren, Troglodytes pacificus is it? This is a newly named species after a three-way split this year from Winter (Eastern Winter) Wren, Troglodytes hiemalis and Eurasian Wren which retains the original Troglodytes troglodytes. I have not had it writ in red as my software hasn't been updated yet, so I can't enter it on the list.

The eagles called again as they flew out over the bay. They gained height then slammed into one another, locked talons and spiralled down towards the water, breaking out of the hold at the last moment before flying off around the headland. I am assuming this to be a pair-bonding routine by the resident pair, though a territorial bird may engage a rival in this way too. The pair was perched atop a tree as I made my way towards the steps leading down to the shore. As a note, if you go down, you will have to climb back up again, one way or another. A Bewick's Wren responded to some more pishing in the damp woods by the last flight of steps.

The clouds were hanging on and even seemed to be thinning a little as I came out onto a tiny beach at the bottom of the steps. North Beach Trail runs along the water’s edge towards the charming lighthouse at the western most point of the park.

Gulls were over-flying, including this first winter Short-billed Gull, the American form of the Mew Gull.. Horned Grebe were plentiful and quite close to the rocky reinforced shoreline. Low bushes give a bit of cover and allowed me to hide from a Common Goldeneye until she got close enough for a photo. A small fresh water pond held some Mallard, American Wigeon, Gadwall and Northern Shoveler.

The beach is littered with huge timbers that would be a hazard to shipping if they hadn’t been washed up. As I sat on one for a while to take in the view, I was thrilled to notice three River Otters swim by. One had a flatfish and was swimming ahead of the other two. The lead otter kept checking behind to ensure that the others were following. 

 I am not too familiar with otter family dynamics, but I am guessing that it was a female with two youngsters. The younger ones had a moment of mischief when they chased a flock of scaup and put them to flight. Greater Scaup are the more expected bird here usually, but the white in the secondaries, not extending into the primaries, makes me think Lesser Scaup.

Two other birds on the flat calm waters of the bay were Pigeon Guillemot and Rhinoceros Auklet.

The clouds had thinned out now and the threat of rain had passed. It was reasonably mild and a Song Sparrow was limbering up for Spring.

Having come down the steps to the shore, I was condemned to climbing back up. The South Beach Trail ascends the bluff to the meadow. A platform halfway up gave a beautiful view of the lighthouse. The sun even peeked out for a moment. The meadow area was quiet today, but apparently it comes into its own during the summer and Barn Owls are said to patrol the rough grass here. A bird party was feeding in the conifers near the Emerson St entrance (Bus 24 stops here). Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees were joined by Gold-crowned Kinglets which seemed to have replaced the rubies in this habitat.

By now, I was back on the Loop Trail which, as the name suggests, runs in a loop on the high ground of the park, avoiding the steps (but also the otters). Eventually this led me to the Visitor Center at the east gate. Maps are available from dispensers at each car park and the centre. A couple of useful links with maps and bird list are given below;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_Park_(Seattle)

http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/Environment/DiscoveryParkBirds.pdf

A 10000 Birds post about Caspian Terns at the park is here;

http://10000birds.com/caspian-terns.htm

Other posts from Seattle can be found on the USA specific page as below;

 http://redgannet.blogspot.com/p/posts-from-usa-and-canada.html

Yellow-rumped Warbler

The bus no 33 to Discovery Park leaves from 3^rd St and Union, it stops at the North Parking Lot (Google Earth ref;  47°39'52.54"N 122°24'39.46"W) close to the Daybreak Indian Cultural Centre. No 24 also leaves from the same stop, but turns off just before the park entrance. At weekends, they run once an hour. During the week the service is more frequent, but less regular. You can pick up a timetable on the bus or look up route 33 at www.kingcounty.gov/tripplanner

Bird species; 35

Horned Grebe 25, Western Grebe 8, Double-crested Cormorant 10, American Wigeon 10, Gadwall 2, Mallard 10, Northern Shoveler 8, Lesser Scaup 10, Surf Scoter 15, Bufflehead 6, Common Goldeneye 35, Red-breasted Merganser 50, Bald Eagle 2, Short-billed Gull 15, Glaucous-winged Gull 8, Pigeon Guillemot 1, Rhinoceros Auklet 4, Anna’s Hummingbird 2, Northern Flicker 10, Pileated Woodpecker 3, Bewick’s Wren 2, Pacific Wren 1, American Robin 25, Varied Thrush 2, Golden-crowned Kinglet 6, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 15, Bushtit 25, Black-capped Chickadee 6, Chestnut-backed Chickadee 4, American Crow 150, Common Starling 15, Yellow-rumped Warbler 6, Spotted Towhee 6, Song Sparrow 4, Golden-crowned Sparrow 6.

Mammal species; 2

Harbour Seal 6, River Otter 3.

Discovery Park, Seattle

The Art of Flight

I have been working for an international airline for nearly 26 years now. In that time I have witnessed rolling out ceremonies for new aircraft and have been spoon-fed the propaganda that goes with each technological leap forward. Phrases such as “pinnacle of aeronautical design”, “unparalleled efficiency”, or “unsurpassed flying experience” are thoughtlessly repeated by manufacturers and airlines at the launch of each new model.

Recent claims to have “mastered the art of flight” are simply ridiculous.

 Have these people never seen a Turkey Vulture? The front end may not be pretty, but if you want to see flight efficiency, look no further than these artists of the air.

My companion for the day was Jerry, a former competitive glider pilot, who told me stories about sharing thermals with soaring birds and of the Turkey Vultures’ singular ability to gain vertical lift in horizontal turbulence (he lost me a bit there).

We were watching birds over Upper Newport Bay, south of Los Angeles. A few of the vultures glided (glid? glode?) low over our heads and we stopped to watch for a while. At first, they were low enough for us to see each tiny adjustment of tail and tertial as they used their innate skill to ride the currents of warm air rising from the maintenance yard. They gained height quickly and easily before sailing out across the estuary, leaving me with the feeling that powered flight is still a long way short of the organic original. For the vultures though, it was effortless.

I am resigned to working towards retirement in heavy metal. Not for me the freedom of wind and warm air to power my flight. But I can watch and marvel. To be able to dance on the wind so gracefully must be the most exhilarating of feelings. I don’t suppose them ol’ black buzzards chill in “Hang 8” t-shirts during their down time. I have never heard them whoop and holler, revelling as they ride the crest of a breeze either, but I jolly well would if I could master the art of flight like they have.

Long Beach, California.

Now, correct me if I am wrong (after my previous posts, I know with some confidence that you will), but does the sun not rise in the east and set in the west? Isn’t this one of the constants in the bedrock of assumed wisdom?

So why then, when I am standing on the coast of California, did I see the sun coming up out of the Pacific Ocean?

I had assumed that by being on the west coast of North America, I would be looking out across the water in a westerly direction, with the sun rising behind me in the east. This would have provided me with perfect conditions to sea-watch from Long Beach’s harbour wall, but instead I found myself looking straight into the sun and being blinded to any potential birds on the calm waters in front of me.

Of course the old rising sun adage only holds true for 2 days each year, at the equinoxes. For the other 360+ days, the sun’s rising point strays a little to the south during the northern winter and back to the north for the summer. Its furthest wanderings (to the tropic lines at 23.5° either side of the equator) are marked by the solstices in June and December, but the degree will vary slightly depending on the observer’s latitude. If you ever wondered what druids do at Stonehenge, they are celebrating Wiltshire’s most northerly sunrise point on June 21st (research suggesting that the site was originally built to observe the winter solstice (summer sunrise being diametrically opposite winter sunset means that the stones can be used for either purpose) is conveniently ignored by those who don’t want to get frost-bitten in a frock on a cold morning in late December).

And another thing; I had forgotten that the coastline at Long Beach was not strictly north to south. In fact, it is east to west and the marine path veers round to point almost north-east. So the water is to the south and I had arrived during the season when the sun was rising south of east and therefore appearing to come up out of the Pacific Ocean. Well, I am glad that’s settled.

I solved my dilemma by walking as far out along the harbour wall as I could, then began birdwatching on the return journey. On the rocks of the harbour wall a Black Turnstone stood quietly while Willets were taking advantage of the mussels revealed as the tide flowed out. Across the mouth of the LA River, Pelicans were plunge-feeding in front of the Queen Mary. Forster’s terns were feeding too, a little closer.

A noisy group of Western Gulls chased an Osprey which had a fish grasped tightly and arranged aerodynamically, facing the line of flight.

A Whimbrel, flushed by one of the many feral cats that live in the rocks, alighted just in front of me. These pictures are taken with my Nikon P100 today after the DSLR failed again yesterday.

It took rather a fetching picture of a Great Blue Heron without much input from me. The background should have been dirty water, but I rather like the way that the camera decided to up the contrast and go for black.

I followed the path around noting Western Grebes, Surf Scoters and BufflEheads on the river mouth. In the harbour amongst the boats were some Heerman’s Gulls, American Coots, and a Belted Kingfisher which sat watchfully at the prow of a boat.

Bird species; 32

Eared Grebe 4, Western Grebe 20, Brown Pelican 25, Double-crested Cormorant 50, Great Blue Heron 3, Snowy Egret 2, Black-crowned Night Heron 3, Mallard 1, Surf Scoter 25, Bufflehead 15, Osprey 2, Peregrine Falcon 1, American Coot 7, Black Oystercatcher 5, Marbled Godwit 12, Whimbrel 1, Spotted Sandpiper 4, Willet 40, Black Turnstone 1, Heerman’s Gull 8, Ring-billed Gull 4, California Gull 2, Western Gull 30, Caspian Tern 1, Forster’s Tern 15, Anna’s Hummingbird 2, Belted Kingfisher 1, American Crow 10, Common Starling 6, House Sparrow 4, Yellow-rumped Warbler 5, White-crowned Sparrow 6.


Long Beach, Los Angeles, LAX, California, USA

Upper Newport Bay

A tide was rising in Newport Back Bay. It would continue to do so until after midday when the heavenly effects would pass and the waters would flow back to the ocean.

Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve commands a view up and down the estuary from a raised position on the west side. At this time of day, the sun’s position and the reserve’s distance did not favour viewing of the incoming tide, however we stopped long enough to note someWestern Meadowlarks, Common Ravens and a hovering White-winged Kite.

Jerry, my generous companion for the day used to be a competitive glider pilot and we took a while to enjoy the Turkey Vultures which, most of all the soaring birds, make flight look effortless.

Back Bay Drive is a one way road, running from south to north with a 15mph speed limit. There is nothing much there except for the estuarine marsh, so most of the other road users had similar intent to us.

Proximity and sun position in the morning and early afternoon make for much better viewing than at the reserve. Since the road’s main purpose seems to be recreational marsh watching, there are plenty of pull offs along the route. From our first stop, at a raised position at the north end, we noted a few Redhead and Bufflehead amongst the more numerous Green-winged Teal and American Wigeon. On a distant sandbank, hundreds of waders were roosting in anticipation of high tide. American Avocets stood out as a pied patch, some bulky warm brown birds were probably Marbled Godwit, but distance denied us getting to know the other birds by name.

The northern end of Back Bay Road runs into East Bluff Road, which allowed us this little bit of back-to-fronty, but then we had to abide by the rules of the road and circle round to the southern end and start from there.

Once into the one-way section we noted Northern Pintail, Common Yellowthroat and a good number of Great and Snowy Egrets gathered in what must have been a productive spot.

At Big Canyon there is a car park and a short boardwalk. Sadly someone put up the birds that habitually roost close in and we watched hundreds of Willet and Marbled Godwit take to the air and disappear up the estuary. From across the road, a freshwater marsh and pond drain into the brackish water of the bay. Coots were gathered here to get a salt-free drink.

This was the most productive area along Back Bay Road and would warrant a little more time on a subsequent visit. A few of the waders had returned to a small beach and counted a Long-billed Curlew amongst their number.

While I was trying to get a picture of some American Wigeon, Jerry noticed a tightly packed flock of Snowy Egrets. The photographs here were enhanced when a latecomer arrived and tried to make a position for itself in the group.

I am beginning to think that it might be me. I have had to send off my Canon 50D for repairs twice already and it failed on me again today as we reached the top end of Back Bay Road. Currently, it refuses to take any pictures and it has been sent for repair for the third time in 14 months. This is in addition to my lens having been to the menders twice as well as my previous DSLR! Hopefully all will be better soon or the blog might go a bit quiet.

The Google Earth ref for the south end of Back Bay road is; 33* 36’ 55”N 117*  53’ 20”W . Arrival shortly before high tide would be most productive I would guess. Check tide times and heights at http://www.easytide.com/  Today’s tide was only 1.5m. A higher tide might force a few rails (potentially Sora, Virginia, Black and Light-footed Clapper) up and into view.

A last quick look over the fence at Shipley Nature Center accounted for the Townsend’s Warbler and Peregrine Falcon noted in the list below. Here, I had to say goodbye to Jerry who had been a great birdy buddy for the day and I would like to thank him very much for his company and his generosity.

Bird species; 34

Double-crested Cormorant 20, American Great Egret 4, Snowy Egret 15, American Wigeon 120, Green-winged Teal 80, Mallard 30, Northern Pintail 8, Blue-winged Teal 10, Cinnamon Teal 15, Northern Shoveler 150, Redhead 12, Bufflehead 12, Ruddy Duck 12, Turkey Vulture 12, White-tailed Kite 1, Red-tailed Hawk 3, American Kestrel 2, Peregrine Falcon 1, American Coot 40, American Avocet, 150, Marbled Godwit 40, Long-billed Curlew 5, Willet 40, Western Gull 1, Caspian Tern 1, Black Phoebe 4, Common Raven 2, Yellow-rumped Warbler 6, Townsend’s Warbler 1, Common Yellowthroat 2, Lesser Goldfinch 6, American Goldfinch 1, White-crowned Sparrow 4, Western Meadowlark 15.

Upper Newport Bay, Los Angeles, LAX, Orange County, California, USA

San Juaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, Los Angeles, California.

It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving and the mist lay heavily on the ponds, subduing the early morning light as we arrived.

Jerry Millet had generously given up precious time with his family and his in-laws who were staying for the holidays, to take me birding in Orange County, south of Los Angeles. Note that I do not write this with keyboard in cheek as he genuinely is lucky enough to enjoy spending time with his extended family. He is not a birder and my competence has been called into question as often as I have served hot dinners, but between us we managed to wrestle nearly 60 marks onto a checklist that we had gleaned from Sea and Sage Audubon House, the visitors’ centre for San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. While gleaning, I wish that we had picked up a map as we later found that we had barely covered a third of the sanctuary and had missed out on a boardwalk, open areas and an urban forest.

The section that we did cover, in the south-east corner of the reserve, included the square ponds, known evocatively as Ponds A, B, C, D and E and the larger, non-uniform lakes charmingly named Ponds 1 and 2. The catchy titles are possibly a throwback to their association with the on-site water treatment facility. Once beyond the bodies of water, track names such as Willow Path, Shady Lane and Lost Trail leave a sweeter taste in the mouth.

The Fledgling Trail starts at Pond E. Coincidentally, so did we as it was right beside the car park. Cedar Waxwings were up early and feeding in berry trees by the path. On the square, shallow pond, the mist had cleared quickly and waders and ducks awaited our inspection. Black-necked Stilts were numerous with a single American Avocet towards the edge of the flock. 2 Spotted Sandpipers bobbed along the edge. The dowitchers and a number of peeps on the far shore were put aside for a while until we had scanned the water. This photo of a Kildeer was taken at the end of our walk when the sun had cleared the dyke that casts an early morning shadow.

A good selection of duck was headed up by Northern Shoveler and Green-winged Teal with smaller numbers of Gadwall, Mallard, and Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal.

In a moment of excitement a hawk dashed across the pond. It came in low and fast, intent on a kill. A couple of stilts were slow to react and froze in the water, but the hawk mistimed its change of direction and lost speed in the bank, allowing the stilts to escape.

The predator was very small, certainly small enough to make me think that it might be a Sharp-shinned Hawk, but such a suggestion drew sharp intakes of breath from local birders, so we reserved our judgement until photographs could be properly examined and reveal the tell-tale tail, rounded at the end in the manner of a Cooper’s Hawk. Close inspection at high magnification also revealed a slightly pale nape which is again suggestive of Cooper’s.

Pond C must have been deeper. Eared Grebes and a female Bufflehead were diving amongst a flotilla of shovelers that had crammed themselves into a tightly packed wheel, rotating around a central axis. In between the planes taking off from nearby John Wayne Airport, it was quiet enough to hear the shmacky, shplatty noises of dozens of shovelers feeding together.

The margins of Ponds A, B, 1 and 2 are lined with tule rushes. Common Yellowthroats and Marsh Wrens called these home, while Blue-grey Gnatcatchers, Bushtits and Yellow-rumped Warblers enjoyed the scrubby bushes along the banks.

The 6 numbered ponds are much larger than the lettered ones and give the heavier birds such as American White Pelicans enough room for a run-up to get airborne. A flock of about 50 took off directly over our heads as we passed Pond 1.

Forster’s Terns plunged into the water behind us as we checked up on a small flock of Tree Swallows.

A triangular junction between Ponds 1, 2 and 3, might be dubbed ‘Flycatcher Corner’. Cassin’s Kingbird, and Black and Say’s Phoebes were taking it in turns to hawk from a well positioned snag here.

We found the pelicans again in Pond 2, crowded onto an island that they were sharing with Double-crested Cormorants, Great and Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Heron and some mixed ducks and waders.

We rounded this lake and began the last leg of our distorted circle approaching the visitors’ centre along the South Loop Trail, parallel to San Diego Creek. A Northern Mockingbird was keen to have its photograph taken, posing nicely as we both enjoyed its approachability. A small flock of exotic Nutmeg Manikin were less accommodating and stayed out of reach of our cameras.

As we closed the circle, Jerry spotted an Osprey flying over Pond 1. We watched as it was escorted past a distant building by a Peregrine Falcon.

Audobon House (Google Earth ref; 33⁰ 39’ 39”N 117⁰ 50’ 28”W ) is a charming visitors’ centre with as many US-centric bird books as I have ever seen outside of the Open Air Books and Maps shop in Toronto. There are rest rooms in the adjacent car park which is accessed from Riparian Way which runs beside San Diego Creek. Entry to the sanctuary is free and it is open from dawn ‘til dusk. Maps and checklists are available from dispensers for early arrivals. The checklist recognises 263 species, but is in the process of updating.

Bobcats are sometimes seen on the reserve and kittens have been recorded over the last few years. Reports of Mountain Lions are likely to have been a combination of Bobcats and a distorted sense of distance.

I wish that we had found the map dispenser earlier and used it to do justice to this delightful reserve. I would like to thank Jerry for his company and generosity and for seeking the suggestions of Steve Shinn who recommended San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Bird species; 59

Pied-billed Grebe 1, Eared Grebe 12, American White Pelican 50, Double-crested Cormorant 120, Great Blue Heron 4, American Great Egret 4, Snowy Egret 15, Green Heron 1, Black-crowned Night Heron 6, Canada Goose 35, American Wigeon 4, Gadwall 12, Green-winged Teal 200, Mallard 25, Blue-winged Teal 15, Cinnamon Teal 10, Northern Shoveler 300, Lesser Scaup 4, Bufflehead 3, Ruddy Duck 8, Turkey Vulture 6, Osprey 1, Northern Harrier 1, Cooper’s Hawk 3, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Peregrine Falcon 1, American Coot 4, Black-necked Stilt 35, American Avocet 1, Kildeer 2, Spotted Sandpiper 2, Least Sandpiper 1, Ring-billed Gull 4, Boneparte’s Gull 20, Forster’s Tern 25, Anna’s Hummingbird 6, Downy Woodpecker 1, Black Phoebe 15, Say’s Phoebe 6, Cassin’s Kingbird 1, Tree Swallow 15, Cedar Waxwing 25, Marsh Wren 2, Northern Mockingnird 2, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3, Bushtit 15, American Crow 6, Nutmeg Mannikin 3, House Finch 4, American Goldfinch 2, Orange-crowned Warbler 3, Yellow-rumped Warbler 35, Common Yellowthroat 10, Spotted Towhee 3, Song Sparrow 10, White-crowned Sparrow 4, Red-winged Blackbird 4, Great-tailed Grackle 20.

San Juaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, California, Los Angeles, Orange County, USA