What Birds Will I See Around Puget Sound?
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bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Jan-28-2005 at 6:43pm
Okay here is a list of birds I could see easily in Mi all the time or most of the time. (I will say I see Eagles here often and only saw them there one time in 18 years)
Junkos
Baltimore Oriole
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Evening Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Eastern Bluebird Is there a western Bluebird?
Common BlueJay
Red-winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch
Northern Cardinal
Mourning Dove
Black capped chickadee
Towhee
Turkey Vulture (I know ugly but wow what a site to see a flock of these)
American kestrel
Gray Catbird
Flicker
Cedar Waxwing
Tufted Titmouse
Killdeer
Nuthatch
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-headed Woodpecker
Gold fronted woodpecker
Purple finch
Tree Swallow
Verry
and a variety of Sparrows
and a variety of Hawks, some of which I do see here
and last but not least wild turkey
So there is the list I hope to see some of these or something in my yard soon! Oh and I left all flowers with seed heads up for the bird including cosmos which the junkos that were in the yard seemed to like.
~BakingBarb
Garden Spider
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Jan-28-2005 at 9:51pm
Baltimore Oriole--no. Rose-breasted Grosbeak--maybe. Indigo Bunting--probably not. Western Bluebird--extremely rare, now, thanks to the Starlings. Common Bluejay--not the one you're used to seeing; we have Stellar's Jays and Scrub Jays. Cardinal--no. Gray Catbird--only in the NE corner of the state. Tufted Titmouse--no. Those 3 woodpeckers you listed--no, but we have other species, including Pileated Woodpeckers. Veery--only in eastern part of state. Wild Turkey--mostly eastern part of state.
All the other birds, yes--in some cases, different species than what you've seen before, but yes, they are here. We have some Red-Shafted Flickers that come around the house now and then. I've seen a Peregrine Falcon stoop at the birds at the feeder. And twice now, I've seen a flock of crows harry a Bald Eagle away from their colony; the Eagle flew so low, I could see his eyes. There's a Kingfisher that lives under Pier 59 downtown. One night last week, my husband saw an owl catch something in the yard, probably a rat. We think it was a Barred Owl.
I've seen Harriers (Marsh Hawks) by the airport, and Great Horned Owls along Hwy 509. We have 2 red finches--the House Finch and the Purple Finch. We used to get both of those, and Pine Siskins, at the thistle feeder. Goldfinch also came to the thistle feeder, and ate dandelion fluff, too. I once got a whole flock of Red-Winged Blackbirds at the feeder, but only once.
I've seen a Townsend's Solitaire, but never at the feeder. Cowbirds came to the feeder, and so did a Nuthatch. We've gotten either an Acorn Woodpecker or a Lewis Woodpecker at the apple tree (must be lots of bugs there). The Flickers loved the suet--I used to get it from Wild Birds Unlimited, a type of suet that had a high melting point, so it didn't melt and drip in summer, and I'd get the kind with peanuts and with insects, and the Flickers loved both. Chickadees also went for the suet.
Happy Birding!
Barb
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Jan-28-2005 at 11:58pm
From Barb to Barb glad to know these birds are here.
btw
www.gardensalive.com has bird feeding foods!
I do not know why there are not more birds here though. I wonder if the neighborhood has just never done much to attract them before. It also does not have alot of wild areas around here for them to come from/go to. Do you think that affects it? It really bothers me, I miss seeing so many different types. My feeder was running out quickly but all of a sudden they lasted much to long.
hmmmmmm
~BakingBarb
GardenNut
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posted: Jan-29-2005 at 12:10am
If you want to see some BIG birds, drive down Hwy 9 by the fields south of Snohomish. There are trumpeter swans hanging out in the fields. Man, are they huge!
Chris Sunset 4 USDA 8a
Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Jan-29-2005 at 10:03am
Here's the list of birds I've spotted in my garden, according to my computer file. I'm sure my less-than-stellar birding skills have resulted in missing one or two species but I can live with that. ;-)
1. American Crow
2. American Goldfinch
3. American Robin
4. Anna’s Hummingbird
5. Black-capped Chickadee
6. Black-throated gray warbler (9/30/2004)
7. Bushtit
8. Cedar Waxwing
9. Chestnut-backed Chickadee
10. Dark-eyed Junco
11. European Starling
12. Evening Grosbeak
13. House Finch
14. Lesser Goldfinch
15. Mourning Dove
16. Northern Flicker
17. Orange-crowned Warbler
18. Purple Finch
19. Red-breasted Nuthatch
20. Red-breasted Sapsucker
21. Red-tailed Hawk
22. Rufous Hummingbird
23. Rufous Sided Towhee (aka Spotted Towhee?)
24. Song sparrow
25. Stellar’s Jay
26. Varied Thrush
27. Vaux’s Swift
28. Western Tanager
29. Western Scrub Jay
30. White Crowned Sparrow (4/14/03)
I don't see red-wing blackbirds or Western bluebirds here - we don't have the right type of habitat - but they can be found just a few miles away in fields around the Tualatin River and in neighboring wetland areas. Ditto for species of larger waterfowl.
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Jan-29-2005 at 11:53am
GardeNut I drive that way for work and omigod I SAW them. I was so suprised. I also drive hwy 2 and 203 almost everyday for work. I also do get to see all kinds of waterfowl and the eagles. ON hwy 2 when you cross the trestle I see 2 eagles there and then just a little farther down hwy 2 on the same day, just before the first exit for
Snohomish I saw 2 more eagles flying over a stream. The last pair I have not seen again but the pair by the trestle
I see at leat 3 times a week.
Ok Lisa I am very envious now. Is it even possible to get these birds to my yard if they have not been here before?
I mean are they even anywhere near my yard to come to it? I do not see birds even in this area hardly. When I go for walks in the summer I see no bird feeders and I do not see a variety of birds in the bushes or berries. ~BakingBarb
DebbieTT
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Jan-29-2005 at 12:43pm
Barb, Provide food, shelter and water and they will come!
If you go up to the Skagit Valley and drive around you will see gazillions of snow geese through the winter months. They are fantastic to watch and photograph.
I go to a cove over here on the Peninsula, that is close to where I live to write without distraction. What usually distracts me while there are all the shore birds. Wigeons in large flocks that come up out of the water, waddle over and feed on the grass, red-necked Grebes (not about an attitude, they really have a red neck actually more a reddish-tan color) that glide on the water and dive gracefully for their supper. Cormorants, I watch sitting on pilings spreading their wings out to dry making them look like a rising Phoenix. Pink-legged gulls attacking a Bufflehead as it comes up from a diving expedition, crows strutting their stuff on the sand and Great blue herons wading knee deep in search of small fish. The sandpipers and sanderlings skitter along the shore, probably eating little creatures we probably are not even aware exists. A bald eagle will occassionally bring its catch of the day out on the mud flats when the tide is low and eat.
When I run out of writing ideas I write about what I observe in the kingdom around me. Some of these birds I only see in the winter months. In the summer I watch the osprey circle the cove high in the air, then watch them fold their wings in and like a bullet they plummet to the water, plunging in then coming out with a fish in their claws they fly back to their nests.
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Feb-24-2005 at 7:15pm
Would anyone be able to id a bird for me? Water fowl actually. I do have the audbon bridie books too!
It is a water fowl and it is more eye ball shaped then duck shape. To me it does not seem to be the best swimmer out there and when walking it really looks funny because of the shape. The coloring appears to be black with light flecking and the bill is light.
I am normally a pretty good bird ider if I pay attention to it but I can't seem to id this from the books. thanks
~BakingBarb
Garden Spider
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Feb-24-2005 at 8:18pm
Does it have a long, pointed bill (not the usual duck shaped bill)? It might be a Loon. Loons, when they swim, appear to be sinking, as they ride very low in the water. Their feet are placed very far back under their bodies, making them very awkward on land. How large was it? If you have a field guide to birds, look at the pictures of the loons, and see if any seem to match the bird you saw. If it is a loon, it might be a Yellow-Billed Loon, which are rarely found here. The other possibility is a Pacific Loon, which I think is more common.
The other bird that comes to mind is a Pigeon Guillemot, which in winter plumage is gray mottled and black. However, they have a black bill, very red legs and feet, are good swimmers, and no more awkward on land than any other web-footed bird. Any other member of the Auk family would not be likely to be seen locally.
If it isn't a loon, can you give more identifying characteristics? (Size, wing color, head, neck, breast & belly color, length and color of tail, color of feet, any behaviors)
Barb
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Feb-24-2005 at 10:05pm
Barb it is smaller then mallard. I don't think it has red legs. I wondered about the loon but out of the water this one is for sure eyeball shaped. When they get out of the water they are the same allover I think. I have not seen underwing colors as I do not see them flying, Just floating and then on land. There is more then a few of them so must be more common then loon.
It is in Monroe btw.
I looked in the guide and just cannot figure it out.
~BakingBarb
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Feb-24-2005 at 10:11pm
Oh and for a waterfowl, I do not find them pleasant. I enjoy watching birds but these guys are a little different.
~BakingBarb
Garden Spider
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Feb-25-2005 at 9:28pm
What do you find unpleasant about them? Cormorants often strike people as unpleasant or nasty (I think it's the long neck and black plumage).
When you say 'eyeball' shaped, do you mean round, like the eyeball itself, or more elliptical (which is the shape of the eye itself). A very round bird, or a football-shaped bird?
Coot, Grebe, Merganser, and Cormaorant (though cormorants are much larger than mallards) are the other species that come to mind. When Cormorants come out of the water, they spread their wings to dry; have the birds you've seen ever done this? Grebes have long necks, very pointed bills; they sometimes dive, sometimes simply sink while swimming. I think they are a bit awkward on land. Coots don't have the mottling you've described (neither do grebes or cormorants), but they have very white or light colored bills. When they swim, they move their necks back and forth.
I can't find my Audubon bird guide right now. I've looked in my Peterson Guide, and in the Sibley guide. Keep in mind that many birds have different colors and markings in summer and in winter; most birds are in their winter plumage now.
The other possibility is that these are a domestic species of duck gone feral, or even hybridized with wild species.
I'm still leaning towards loons, though.
Barb
Garden Spider
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Feb-25-2005 at 9:52pm
Barb, another possibility is a Ruddy Duck. They are small, very round shaped (think of the rubber ducky in the bathtub). This time of year, the males are dull gray, with a white cheek patch, and a bluish-gray bill. The females are similar, but the cheek is crossed by a dark line. They are good swimmers (that rubber ducky shape), but so awkward on land, some field guides say they are unable to walk on land (they can).
The color you describe is not right for them, though.
Could you take a photo and post it? You've got me curious, now!
Barb
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Feb-26-2005 at 11:21am
Barb to Barb (ha ha could not pass that up), my digital camera can zoom but not very well. They do not walk well so I will have to check if that is them. I am going to have to take lunch at the pond next week and bring the camera. thanks again
~BakingBarb
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Mar-01-2005 at 5:44pm
I think it might be the common coot. I do not see a description though that matches the odd shape I think it has and they do not seem to be aggresive either. I read that somewhere so not really sure, the audubon does not describe behaviour really. Oh and the shape is elliptical. The head is darker then the body color and the beak is light. I took a look at them yesterday again but they were not close up enough for me to see any thing else. There is quite a few of them in this body of water which is the only reason I don't think they are loons. They are smaller then a mallard but not by too much.
thanks again
~BakingBarb
Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Mar-12-2005 at 10:55am
would it be cheating to add eagle to my list if i spottedhim flying over my house? hubby and i were very exciyted to see one recently. it was the same day i injured my hand so it kinda slipped my mind.
adding eagle to my list seems sorta cheating since ut really didn't visit my garden. maybe i can list him under the subtitle, 'fly-by.' lol
Garden Spider
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Mar-12-2005 at 2:39pm
Lisa, I list the Bald Eagle I saw being chased by crows as it flew over my yard! It was flying so low, I could see its eyes. I'd say that counts. I also count the Peregrine Falcon I saw stoop at the birds next to the fence in the back yard. I say, if it flies over your yard, you can count it. It doesn't need to stop for a snack or raise a family.
I saw a Nuthatch at the feeder today; it flew away too quickly for me to get a positive ID on species, but there was no mistaking that flattened Nuthatch shape.
Barb
Trish
Location: Washington, Southwestern
Posted: Mar-14-2005 at 2:07am
Hmm, I hadn't counted the golden eagle that circles above our place. We have a number of raptors that catch thermals overhead on warm days.
However, I do have a raptor that frequents the yard. I was gabbing on the phone when I saw feathers fly last week. A sharp-shinned hawk took down a male Evening Grosbeak from the seed feeder. Gave me a start. It was even more amazing when the hawk carried off his kill.
DebbieTT
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Mar-14-2005 at 10:53am
Sounds like a widgeon too me. We have them in our neck of the woods. One day I was blessed with a flock of them coming out of the water and feeding on the grass, or something in the grass. Wonderful birds!
bakingbarb
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Mar-16-2005 at 7:00am
I no longer go to Monroe but I can say I saw a group of these off of 520. When you are going west they are in the last visible area of water on the north side. You can't miss em. When they are in a body of water they mainly flock togethor. I am sorry to say I just cannot id them by any pics I have seen. Even whizzing by them on 520 I can see the odd shape!
~BakingBarb
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