By Nancy Luenn
Birding in Neighborhoods North (BIN North) outings are on the second Wednesday of the month. We meet at 9 am in the parking area of the trip’s location. To be added to — or removed from — the monthly outing reminders, email Nancy Luenn
October 14: Nine birders gathered at Dugualla Bay, hoping to see avocets. To our delight, the resident American Avocets were standing like royalty in shallow water near the road, surrounded by Greater Yellowlegs. All of them gleamed in the sunshine! We admired them for a long time, then turned our attention to other birds in the wetland. These included Lesser Yellowlegs, American Wigeons, Northern Pintails, a female Green-winged Teal, Short-billed Dowitchers, Killdeer and a pair of Northern Harriers. A highlight was a pair of Bald Eagles high in a tree across the bay, shining in the sunshine.
Our next stop was Cornet Bay, where we walked the trail to Hoypus Point. We had a close-up view of a Great Blue Heron fishing in the marina and heard the familiar call of a Belted Kingfisher. In the woods, there was a constant conversation among Red-breasted Nuthatches. In the ferns along the trail were excellent views of Pacific Wrens. We spotted a Varied Thrush near the top of a tree. Several of us enjoyed acrobatic antics of a Douglas Squirrel. Other forest-dwellers included Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos and Golden-crowned Kinglets. Looking out across the bay, we saw a flurry of gulls flying above an eddy line. Below them on the water was a group of Common Murres! Other sightings included a Common Loon and Double-crested Cormorants.
It was a gorgeous autumn day and much enjoyed by happy birders.
Total avian species: 30