“Now that we’ve had that spring tease for a few days there, we’ll recollect these past winter weeks, which began with hot cider and goodies at Freeland Park back on Christmas Day! A surprising turnout of birders and birds—up in the park and along the shore that morning we saw and/or heard over 30 species.

Since then, from the East and West dikes at Deer Lagoon we’ve observed the season and tides turn….” Read about the species spotted in Cathi Bower’s report.

“On January 19, uncharacteristically flat water and clear skies brought fewer birds than normal to the Keystone Harbor with seven humans and only a few Glaucous-winged hybridgulls attending the sit.…On the first day of February, a dozen people came by the Coupeville Wharf small sit…The highlight of the sit for the field trip leader was helping an enthusiastic new birder from the mainland identify their mystery birds they saw from the ferry….”

Trip leader Madrone Ruggerio shares his report.

“We started our field trip at Libbey Beach Park, taking advantage of the high tide that brought seabirds close to shore. The water was choppy, but the birding was great with the morning sun highlighting the seabirds…We moved on to Hastie Lake Park. The tide was pushing waves against the breakwater, but the sun was warm and the wind had settled. The birding was equally good…”

Learn about the species the group spotted in Nancy’s Luenn’s article.

On January 14, the view from Windjammer Park resembled a watercolor painting. Smooth silvery water below and thick fog above. The still water made it easy to find seabirds. Species identified included Surf Scoters, a White-winged Scoter, Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads and scaup. Close to shore we saw…

Read Nancy Luenn’s full report.

The last few shortest days of the year found us at Sunlight Beach once, Deer Lagoon West side most often, and once to Lone Lake looking for a Canvasback Duck which had been hanging out there. Though we missed the Canvasback, it is just Duck Season now and everywhere you go there are at least eight or ten different types of water fowl….

Read Cathi Bower’s full report.

Steve and Martha Ellis describe a day spent exploring areas of Fort Casey State Park, the Keystone Boat Launch, and Crockett’s Lake. The 13 attendees found a total of 45 bird species!

November and December trips to Deception Pass State Park and Keystone Harbor provided excellent winter birding. Calm conditions at Deception Pass revealed seabirds, forest birds, and shorebirds, with memorable sightings of a Great Blue Heron against the Olympic Mountains and…

Read Nancy Luenn’s full report.

During some of those final glorious fall days, at Sunlight Beach, in spite of the bouncy surf, we did find some loons, grebes, geese and cormorants out there. We watched a crow watching an Osprey while he ate something on the shore…

Read Cathi Bower’s full report.

Cloudy skies greeted us as we gathered at Dugualla Bay on October 8, but the tide was perfect. A strip of beach brought seabirds close to shore. We successfully identified three species of gulls: California, Glaucous-winged and Ring-billed. The salt marsh featured exposed mud, channels of water and close-up views of…

Read Nancy Luenn’s full report.

Thank you to trip leader Dave Parent for sharing reports from expeditions to Malheur Wildlife Refuge and Westport, WA.

September Birding in Neighborhoods South meetups were spent at Deer Lagoon–the shifting seasons bring on something interesting everywhere we turn.

We observed a little of everything–at least 40 species during one morning early in the month–about eight different shorebirds, including…

Read Cathi Bower’s full report.

Thick fog greeted eleven birders as we gathered at the West Beach/Swan Lake Overlook on September 10. Only the birds closest to shore were visible. Among Ring-billed and California Gulls, we spotted Heerman’s Gulls in a full range of plumage, from juveniles to adults. The most dramatic sighting was…