July 7: Today at Ellisport, 4 Common Loons in winter plumage were heading south through Tramp Harbor. It's a little early for returning migrants, these seem more probably wandering non-breeders. Vashon usually has one or two reports in late June and July.
The return shorebird migration has started with 4 Least Sandpipers at KVI. I also checked last week but didn't see any. Fern Cove is another good place to check right now at low tide. It's likely that Westerns and Leasts have been coming through for at least a few days if not a week or so already and just not reported.
California, Mew and Bonapartes Gulls should all be reported by now or soon but I haven't seen any or received any reports.
Jules Evens reported a Nighthawk near Pt. Robinson July 2 and I heard one July 1 at my house.
A Greater Yellowlegs heard by Alan Huggins by Dockton Park on July 5, Bonaparte's Gulls seen by Larry Huggins yesterday at Lisabeula and a Turkey Vulture seen by Joy Nelsen at Pt. Robinson on July 6th.
July 11: Approximately 10 Least (scoped), I was expecting Westerns, but searched and all were Least.
July 18: 8 peeps, Least and Western (adults)
July 25: 2 Least & 1 Western Sandpiper (adults)
July 26: 2 Bonaparte's at Tramp Harbor
Thursday morning (16 Jul) there were 4 California adults and 1 Bonaparte's on the shore W of the dock. Gary saw an adult on the ferry July 13, the earliest for this year, I think.
The Olivers also saw a banded Least Sandpiper along with their already reported Semipalmated.
Richard Rogers had 300 Bonapartes at Lisabeula on the 24th.
Sarah Driggs and Jim Diers have had a completely albino Robin with red eye at their place.
Rich Siegrist had a group of 6 Spotted Sandpipers on the beach in the Colvos area on the 21st.
Joy Nelsen saw a Horned Grebe in Quartermaster Harbor on the 17th, a day earlier than Gary's sighting above.
Jully 30: Today I saw a DC Cormorant in Tramp Harbor, the first returning one that I know of. If anyone has seen any, let me know, as well as Red-necked Grebes, Mew Gulls, C. Loons and any scoters. Red-necked Phalarope should be watched for in the drifting weed stuff along the ferry routes.
Also, Bob Hawkins saw Dall's Porpoises recently and I sent his sighting on to Orca Annie. She's doing some research on them and Harbor Porpoises and would appreciate any sightings you might have be emailed to her at vashonorcas@aol.com and photos if you get them. Ditto for any whale sightings, as usual.
Earlier this week Michael Elenko on the north end of the Island sent Alan Huggins a nice photo of a MacGillivray's Warbler. With expert comment from a number of sources it seems unlikely that the bird was hatched on the Island as was first thought at least a possibility from the photo. It would be nice to get proof of breeding on this species as well as Townsend's and Yellow-rumped Warblers which possibly nest along the gravel road portion of Old Mill Road. Something to watch for again next breeding season.
Also, there were 5 Least Sandpipers at KVI today at high tide.
August 4: At noon today there was a Short-billed Dowitcher at Fisher's Pond in the mud close to the Bank Road pullout just east of the patch of reeds and rushes that sticks from the shore. I called Sue and she very nicely came quickly with a scope so that we could see the tertials close enough to make the identification.
Sunday, about 10 Western Sandpipers were feeding at high tide in the one little patch of mud not covered in the logs by the pond at KVI. 5 Leasts were keeping to Sound shoreline there as well. John and Ellie Friars apparently saw the same birds but a little later in the evening when it was too dark to tell which species they were. They also heard pipits overhead recently.
For the last several days I've had a small group of Evening Grosbeaks around. Did anyone have them stick around during the summer. Now that I have seed back in my feeder, the young Black-headed Grosbeaks are showing up.
Fern Cove, Fisher's Pond and Mukai Pond would all be good places to check for shorebirds in general right now and Solitary Sandpiper in particular. Both Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitchers are possible at Fern Cove, Fisher's Pond and KVI Beach.
August 12: Fern Cove remains rather short on shorebirds with only Killdeer, a few Least peeps and a couple of Spotted Sandpipers. I saw a group of six Spotteds last week, perhaps the same group Rich Siegrist saw earlier in the summer.
At KVI, a single Semipalmated Plover stood isolated to one edge of the pond while about a dozen Leasts and 2 Westerns worked over the middle area. A Merlin, still a rare sighting for summer for Vashon, was chased off by a number of birds.
Tramp Harbor near Portage had a couple of small flocks farther out of Red-necked Grebe, a lot of guillemots and at least 3 Common Loons. Quartermaster Harbor near Shawnee had two Red-necked Grebes and a bunch of DC Cormorants sitting on pilings to the south of Shawnee.
Lisabeula had 3 Western and 3 Spotted Sandpipers and a Rhinocerous Auklet.
August 16: Richard Rogers found two Common Terns flying by Lisabeula this morning.
Rich Siegrist had a calling Mourning Dove at his place.
Gary Shugart had 125+ peeps at KVI, a 70/30 split of juv Westerns/Leasts, some Semiplamated Plovers and Goldfinches down on the mud there as well.
Adam Sedgely had a chance to visit Fern Cove which like KVI had good numbers of peeps. With the Westerns and Leasts were 2-3 juv Semipalmated Sandpipers. Also a Short-billed Dowitcher was present.
Michael Perrone visited KVI early this morning and saw Red-necked Phalarope just off shore and the large flock of peeps was still present with Semipalmated Plovers and a Spotted Sandpiper.
Yesterday I saw several Rhino Auklets off the Southworth Ferry.
August 18: Gary Shugart also found a Semipalmated Sandpiper and a bunch peeps on Sunday, this time at Fisher's Pond.
Sue Trevathan had a PS Flycatcher with young fledging yesterday from their nest in her open garage rafters, which seems quite late and may be a second brood by the pair that earlier nested at her porch.
Richard Rogers had a Mourning Dove at his place yesterday. Still no evidence of recent breeding for this species but they sure seem to pop up regularly if unpredictably around the Island. I wonder if they're flying over for visits from Pierce or Kitsap County?
August 24: Migration is getting going. Rich Siegrist had a flock of 60 Greater White-fronted Geese heading south over his place Sunday. Rich also had two Mourning Doves at his place Sunday morning. Thursday, Rich saw a Peregrine circling and moving around the trees above the ferry dock.
On Tuesday, Michael Perrone saw a Brandt's Cormorant fly alongside the north end ferry and Monday the 17th heard a Lesser Yellowlegs at the mouth of Judd Creek.
September1: Gary Shugart's been actively birding lately, here's some of the highlights with first reports of WW Scoters, wigeon and jaegers, I saw at least one Surf Scoter in Tramp Harbor earlier, anyone else seen scoters lately, if so where and when? Rich Siegrest had a dozen W. Grebes in Tramp Harbor on the 29th, I'm not sure if these are first of the season or not, is there an earlier sighting for them?
Gary's sightings:
Morning of 8.30 at 9-930am, low tide was bout 8:15am.
40 Western juvy, 10 Least juvy, 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper
1 Red-necked Grebe still in breeding plumage, feeding with Bonaparte's Gulls (50), scoped for a Phalarope, but none seen
A flock of juvy Cowbirds was over at Judd Creek at low tide for about 15 min, nothing there except crow
Went back at 6:30 pm looking for a phalarope, which I didn't find, but there were 6 Horned Grebes (2 in juvy plumage) at inner harbor about 100 ft offshore looking nervous. What are the big things moving along shore?. Saw them earlier at 4 pm on a bike ride without binos. Then, scattered from S of Portage to about 1/4 m S of KVI point were groups of Horned (100+), Red-necked (30+ many in close in breeding plumage) and about 1 mi out (east) a line of 20 Western Grebes. There was probably an Eared in there but most I could see clearly were Horned - too many heat waves. Also one Surf and one WW Scoter and a Common Loon.
The fishermen on the pier have been doing really well and there are small fish jumping all over so maybe birds are attracted to the fish.
8-31: At Tramp Harbor off Portage, the first Wigeon of the season, and Scoters, and Grebes.
At KVI 100+ Swallows (Barn and Rough-winged) catching ants or termites. Then two (dark phase and light phase). Parastic Jaegers worked together to chase down Bonaparte's. They were about .25 mi E of the point and then headed to Pt Robinson after about 10 min flying then a 5 min rest. Amazing to see them flying along lazily at gull speed then kick in the afterburners as they singled out a gull. They were close enough to here the gulls protesting at they twisted and turned to get away.
8-31: At Portage from 7-730am, light was dim, but fog had lifted.
Red-necked Grebes (25) scattered along shoreline out to about .25 mi over to KVI - many in close coming up with elongated fish,
Western Grebes (30) in one group of 20 about 1 mi E, then scattered individuals or pairs over to KVI.
Horned Grebes - 3 in inner harbor and a group of 6 near the float in shallows out from Portage, then a few scattered along shore for a total of only 15.
WW Scoters - flock of about 30 half way to Pt Robinson, they flew and I saw white on many, but could have been some Surf mixed in - hard to tell in the dim light.
Mew and Bonaparte's extremely numerous, no Loons. On ferry, 6 Rhinos.
9-1: On the Tahlequah ferry crossing about 1/3 of the way across saw 21 Red-necked Phalaropes in a line of drift vegetation. Very active calling, swimming and flying in small groups that coalesced into one flock as the boat passed. Also 4 rhinos.
September 9: Today I went looking for sparrows and didn't find any returning Lincoln, Fox or GC. There was a small flock of White-crowned and Savannah Sparrows and C. Yellowthroat at the monument at Monument Road. There were also Yellowthroat still at Mukai Pond and Paradise Valley.
A single Pipit and one Northern Pintail was at Fisher's Pond as well as a group of Wigeon.
Only a couple of Savannah Sparrows were along Wax Orchard Rd though Violet-Green Swallows and Barn Swallows were still there in numbers and along Old Mill Rd, but no pipits at the Old Mill Road field on 220th where flocks sometimes form. Old Mill Road also had some WC Sparrows near the pond.
Yesterday at KVI in the morning at high tide, the pond shore was covered so the shorebirds were along the beach shoreline. About ten each Western and Least Sandpiper and a single Semipalmated Plover and a single Pipit. A lot of swallows were feedings and landing on the tower and tower fence.
Gilbert Findlay had the first Scoters he's seen in the inner harbor by the Quartermaster Marina today, with both a White-winged and a Surf male.
Tanagers, Swainson's Thrush and PS Flycatchers seem to be still around and wide spread. Does anyone still have any vireos (except Hutton's), warblers (except yellowthroat) or Black-headed Grosbeak? Purple Martins? I haven't heard or seen any incoming Hermit or Varied Thrush.
It felt like a pleasant fall day where the winter birds should begin showing up but I saw and heard no newcomers.
September 17: Tuesday off the ferry by Pt. Defiance, Gary Shugart saw 5 Parasitic Jaegers working a flock of about 250 Bonapartes's Gulls. He also saw around 20 Rhino Auklets. Monday he saw a single Common Tern and another jaeger from the ferry.
Monday the 14th Steve Caldwell had Vaux's Swifts heading south at his place on the bluff above Tramp Harbor and some Evening Grosbeaks Tuesday.
Marcie Summers had Mourning Doves last Wednesday.
Joy Nelsen saw a Caspian Tern still around on the 7th.
Alan Huggins had a few Evening Grosbeaks on the 9th.
Several people responded that they still had BH Grosbeaks as of the 9th. I'm still hearing tanagers and Swainson's Thrush in the morning today. The derrick and barge in Tramp Harbor still seems to be keeping the scoters out. No reports of incoming sparrows and thrushes still.
September 18: Yesterday afternoon as I was looking for chicken eggs hidden in the yard, I scared up a Golden-crowned Sparrow, the first I've seen this season.
September 19: Mike Feinstein found a group of Harlequin Ducks at his place along Luanna Beach Road yesterday, the first of the fall.
Yesterday I found a single Lincoln Sparrow at the usual brush spot on the east side of Mukai Pond. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet at 216th and 103rd. A yellowthroat was at Ellisport, the wigeon flock is up to a dozen and a few Westerns and Least Sandpipers were at KVI.
The Findlays are counting as many as 60 scoters now in the inner harbor of Quartermaster, mostly Surf.
Adam Sedgley saw several dozen Surf and WW Scoters in Tramp Harbor and had Evening Grosbeaks overhead on Maury Island.
September 24: Monday on a bird tour I was guiding, I saw the first Fox Sparrow for me for the season at KVI Beach. The other interesting birds there were two Osprey hunting to no avail along the surf line. No shorebirds other than Killdeer. We also had a Townsend's Warbler above Shawnee and I heard a Yellow-rumped Warbler at Raab's Lagoon. I've heard a few other single Yellow-rumps around this week but no groups.
I heard a tanager yesterday around my place and a Black-throated Grey Warbler. In Tramp Harbor today, there still aren't any scoters close in, what scoters are there are closer to Pt. Robinson. I haven't had the usual mixed species warbler flock in the morning in the madrones at my house that I usually get this time of year.
Also on Monday, Amy Kitchener had a Varied Thrush singing in her yard, the first report for this season. It, like everything else, seems a bit late.
Gary Shugart saw more Bonaparte's Gulls harassed by jaegers off Pt. Defiance on Monday.
September 27: Bob Hawkins can hear Black Scoters at his place in Dockton today. On the 24th a Scrub Jay showed up at his place. Perhaps it's the same one that stayed the winter last year.
Yesterday, Adam Sedgely found three Black Turnstones and three Spotted Sandpipers on a floating dock at Fern Cove.
October 2: Emma Amiad had the first of season Hermit Thrush report from her property and two Semipalmated Plovers at Pt. Robinson.
Here's Rich Siegrist's "last seen" list:
Sept 7: Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western-wood Peewee, Pacific Slope Flycatcher and a female Rufous hummer.
Sept 8: Black-headed Grosbeak.
Sept 14: Swainsons Thrush.
Sept 16: Western Tanager.
Sept 20: There was a very small flycatcher here, it did not look like a Pacific Slope, the throat was a gray color. I did not hear it call. A week ago I went around the island in the boat and I counted less than 20 Surf Scoters, none at all on the west side of the island. I did not go into the inner harbor to check there. They appear to have not shown up yet in their usual numbers. Also saw very few other water birds, mostly Horned Grebes, about 30.
Many of the late fall birds reported only in small numbers seem have really come in late last weekend and are well spread throughout the Island now: Fox and GC Sparrows, Varied Thrush and RC Kinglet. On the 30th, amongst all of those species I found a YR and a BTG Warbler just south of KJO Farms on 111th. Also, there was a Mourning Dove perched on the tv antenna by Sue Trevathan's house on 111th.
On the waterfowl front, a single GW Teal, very late arrival, was at Ellisport. The wigeon flock is building to a couple of dozen there with no Eurasians as yet. A pretty good sized Mallard flock is there as well, also of about twenty or so birds. Yesterday, I saw the first flock of Surf Scoters at the north end ferry dock that I've noticed for this year.
At Fern Cove yesterday, there was quite a bit of activity. A movement of Hermit Thrush was apparent with at least half a dozen birds foraging along the brush on the immediate shoreline, sometimes fly-catching out into the mud. Varied Thrush were also present. At least a dozen each GW Teal and wigeon were present in the biggest puddle. An eclipse plumage pintail, looking very non-descript was there as well as a single shoveller, which is the first shoveller report.
Out in the muddy leaves and of about the same color, was a probable Pectoral Sandpiper foraging quickly walking around on the east end of the pond but far enough out that I couldn't quite make a positive ID.
Gary Shugart had this report from the 30th:
11 Surf Scoters at the Tahelquah dock this morning - the first I have seen in close, 8 males & 3 fems. Some of the males didn't have there nape patch grown in fully yet. Also about 200 Bonaparte's and 1 Jaeger, 5 Rhinos, 100 adult California Gulls on the beach and 30 DCCO on the dock and flying about. Last Sunday, there was a flock of 150 Scoters out from Portage - 120 surfs and 30 White-wings. Horned Grebes all over, Red-necks scattered in flocks, a few Western. The flock of 100 Westerns that were in Tramp Harbor for the past few weeks was gone.
October 6: Yesterday a Ring-necked Duck was in the middle of a Wigeon flock at the Old Mill Rd. pond and a male Hooded Merganser was perched on a log on the far shore. I forgot to mention the Common Mergansers I saw last Thursday at Ellisport actively herding fish into the shore.
October 19: Gary Shugart was out today and got the first of season Gr. Scaup and Barrow's Goldeneye.
I scoped Elisport, Outer Harbor, and the shore from Raab's to Portage from Jenson Point.
Highlights : Outer Harbor 200+ Western Grebes in one large flock + scattered groups, Horned Grebes all over, don't remember seeing so many, 10 Common Loons, 4 Barrow's Goldeneyes (2 male, 2 fem) at Shawnee by the raft.
From Jenson Point:
200 Surf Scoters, 50 White-winged, 5 Greater Scaups (3 male, 2 fem), 3 Black Scoters, scattered Horned, Western, and Red-necked Grebes.
I saw Gary's Western Grebe flock, which was stretched from Burton to Shawnee and counted 250+ also probably a dozen or so Pacific Loons, which Sue Trevathan reported yesterday.
Sue had a chance to bird late this afternoon and headed to Manzanita, one of my favorite spots on the island. Had good views of 10 or so Pacific Loons and lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers looking for insects in the beach debris. Also saw a male Townsend’s Warbler in the trees opposite the beach. Stopped by Tramp Harbor and saw several Pacific Loons there plus about 40 Western Grebes.
October 21: Karen Fevold found a Wilsons Snipe in the field north of Cemetary Road that stretches up behind K2.
October 23: Joy Nelsen saw 50 Snow Geese today over Pt. Robinson. A number of flocks have been seen heading south over the Puget Sound area over the last week.
Today I saw an adult Heermann's Gull at the Tahlequah Dock, nice bright red beak. There were some 2nd and 3rd winter gulls there that I wish I had scoped and checked out more, one or two might have been Thayer's.
October 28: This from Rich Siegriest: Around noon on the 26th, two very large flocks of Greater-White Fronted Geese passed over the house heading south. About three in the afternoon another smaller flock also passed over. The flocks at noon were some of the largest I ever remember seeing. Several hundred birds. This cold front passing thru must have got them moving.
November 3: Rich Siegrist had 50+ Snow Geese southbound over his house in the Colvos area this morning.
Saturday, I noticed several Bufflehead in Tramp Harbor. This morning there were Bufflehead and both Goldeneye species in the inner harbor at Portage and by the Burton marina.
November 20: Gilbert and Jean Findlay had the first White-throated Sparrow report for this fall on 11/14. That's about a month later than they usually show up. We usually have several reports by now.
Larry Huggins saw 300-500 Bonaparte's Gulls in Colvos Passage off Lisabeula on the 18th.
The first Eurasian Wigeon showed up on the Audubon field trip on the 14th at Ellisport, also somewhat late for a first of season sighting. Also on that trip a Peregrine was seen on the Quartermaster side of Portage. Gary Shugart later saw an Eared Grebe at Shawnee.
I saw 5 Eared Grebes at the Tramp Harbor pier on the 6th.
November 28: Karen Ripley has had a Western Scrub Jay at her place on the corner of 93rd and Gorsuch lately.
December 6: Joe Van Os had two Trumpeter Swans fly by his place on Luanna Beach Rd near Pt. Robinson on Thursday.
December 18: A female Black-headed Grosbeak has still been visiting a feeder on Maury Island. We're waiting for some more photos, there's a slight chance it's a Rosebreasted Grosbeak. While BH Grosbeaks are common in summer, they leave by mid Sept. and it's very rare for any to winter in Washington State. Rose-breasted Grosbeak are very rare at any time in Washington.
Last Saturday's field trip found 5 gulls at the Tramp Harbor pier: Glaucous-winged, Mew, Herring, Thayer's and Ring-billed. The last three are rare for Vashon, especially Ring-billed. They're all findable in the Puget Sound area in winter in particular locations, just not here.
Michael Perrone had another Herring Gull off of Pt. Robinson and a White-throated Sparrow and a Lincoln's Sparrow on Maury Island.
