OPAS -- bird sightings 2006 No 1

Bird Sightings -- Winter, 2005-2006
By Bob Boekelheide

In mid-February, I received two intriguing reports about a super-sized immature eagle at Dungeness Bay, first seen by Bob Germeaux near the Dungeness Schoolhouse on 2/10, then another seen by Mary Peck at Dungeness Spit on 2/20. One such report I usually file in the “Yeah, sure, who ya kidding!” category, but two completely independent reports make me sit up and take notice.

Both Bob and Mary said that the eagle was huge, dark, and mottled, clearly bigger than any Bald Eagle they had seen. I reminded them that immature Bald Eagles are larger than adults, with longer flight and tail feathers that give them a bigger look.   But both said that the bird was giant, clearly bigger than any immature Bald Eagle.

Your birding curiosity should tingle by these sightings, since there are two Sea Eagles found in Asia that are significantly larger than our Bald Eagle, the Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) and the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). In both, the immatures are dark and mottled. Unfortunately, as I write this, the bird has not been seen again, but perhaps we’ll know more before the next report.

Winter, 2005-06, will go down as one of the best recent Snowy Owl years, with several birds, possibly the same ones, spotted in our area since November. Following the five Snowy Owls on our Christmas Bird Count, I have received several reports, all from the Dungeness area, including one seen by Jean Petit at Blue Ribbin Farms near the north end of Kitchen-Dick Road on 1/19; one on Dungeness Spit in late January, seen by Dennis Paulson and others; and one seen and photographed by Lee Bowen and Sue Guilleland at 3 Crabs on 2/10 and 2/14.
Snowy Owls aren’t the only owls out and about this winter. On 1/30, Cathy Shoaf reported a Barred Owl hooting almost nightly in the Cassidy Creek area, uphill from Atterberry Road. Cathy also said they had seen the owl possibly eyeing the neighbor’s rabbits. Rick and Kathy Bush said a Northern Saw-whet Owl tooted near their home on the Miller Peninsula on 2/15.   The Owling in the Owlympics class from the River Center located one tooting Western Screech-Owl and two mildly annoyed Saw-whet Owls along Woods Road on 2/4.

Many wintering salt water birds are beginning to creep back to northern climes by now, but hopefully many will remain for the Olympic BirdFest. Elizabeth Noyes reported a group of three Pacific Loons and one Red-throated Loon on the ocean side of Ediz Hook on 1/19. The joint Admiralty/OPAS field trip on 1/21 spotted several Ancient Murrelets off Point Hudson, and Dave Jackson reported another 6 from the same location on 1/24.

Beth Oakes, at her home at 750 feet elevation west of Port Angeles, took photos of two Double-crested Cormorants feeding on fish at her pond for 4 to 5 hours on 1/9. One of the cormorants was shocked on 1/26 when two Bald Eagles flew in at the same time as the cormorant, causing the cormorant to take “evasive action” to avoid becoming eagle dinner. Beth also had a giant flock of 30 Chestnut-backed Chickadees invade her feeders on 1/18.

Gene Kridler and Jack and Pat Fletcher saw over 535 Brant at Oak Bay on 1/21, plus another 30 off Fort Flagler and 15 in the waters between Indian and Marrowstone Islands. More Brant will be arriving through March, as they travel north to their Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta breeding areas. Pat Fletcher also reported a Greater White-fronted Goose at the Gardiner boat launch on 2/14, hanging out with Canada Geese. Pat had the high count for shorebirds this winter, with 1000 Dunlin, 1000 Sanderlings, and 200 Black-bellied Plovers visible at the Dungeness River mouth from Dungeness Landing Park, also on 2/14.

Not a great year for Trumpeter Swans this year, with a high count of 10 reported from Schmuck Road on 2/16 by Julie Jackson.

This has been a low year for some finch species. Surprisingly, Evening Grosbeaks have sometimes been the most abundant finch species at Railroad Bridge Park this winter, even surpassing House Finches and Pine Siskins, which have been almost non-existent. Mary Tate says there are also very few finches in Port Angeles, where the seeds in her tube feeders have hardly been touched this winter.

Time to look up! Early spring migrants like Turkey Vultures and swallows will be here any moment. Who will win the first local swallow award this year? White-crowned Sparrows should arrive in the next few weeks, along with Savannah Sparrows in the last week of March.

Rufous Hummingbirds also arrive soon, so it’s time to wash out those feeders and hang them up when the little rascals knock at the window. Many people claim that the first hummers fly to the exact spot where their feeders hung last year, as if the same birds expect to find the feeder ready to go. Some wintering Anna’s Hummingbirds still remain, including two that visited Pat and Stu MacRobbie’s feeders from 1/8 to 1/18.

Early spring migrants will be here very soon, so now’s the time to get ready. Who will see the first Turkey Vultures, Savannah Sparrows, swallows, Orange-crowned Warblers, and Common Yellowthroats? Put out your hummingbird feeders. Clean our your bird boxes. Remember your bird songs. Take a spring bird class at the Dungeness River Audubon Center. Please call Bob Boekelheide at 681-4076 (w) (email at rivercenter@olympus.net) or Bob Norton at 928-3053 (email at norton36@olypen.com) when you see something interesting or unusual. Thank you very much for your sightings.


Copyright © Daniel Poleschook	Bird Sightings 2006 No1 Bird Sightings -- Winter, 2005-2006 By Bob Boekelheide In mid-February, I received two intriguing reports about a super-sized immature eagle at Dungeness Bay, first seen by Bob Germeaux near the Dungeness Schoolhouse on 2/10, then another seen by Mary Peck at Dungeness Spit on 2/20. One such report I usually file in the “Yeah, sure, who ya kidding!” category, but two completely independent reports make me sit up and take notice. Both Bob and Mary said that the eagle was huge, dark, and mottled, clearly bigger than any Bald Eagle they had seen. I reminded them that immature Bald Eagles are larger than adults, with longer flight and tail feathers that give them a bigger look. But both said that the bird was giant, clearly bigger than any immature Bald Eagle. Your birding curiosity should tingle by these sightings, since there are two Sea Eagles found in Asia that are significantly larger than our Bald Eagle, the Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) and the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). In both, the immatures are dark and mottled. Unfortunately, as I write this, the bird has not been seen again, but perhaps we’ll know more before the next report. Winter, 2005-06, will go down as one of the best recent Snowy Owl years, with several birds, possibly the same ones, spotted in our area since November. Following the five Snowy Owls on our Christmas Bird Count, I have received several reports, all from the Dungeness area, including one seen by Jean Petit at Blue Ribbin Farms near the north end of Kitchen-Dick Road on 1/19; one on Dungeness Spit in late January, seen by Dennis Paulson and others; and one seen and photographed by Lee Bowen and Sue Guilleland at 3 Crabs on 2/10 and 2/14. Snowy Owls aren’t the only owls out and about this winter. On 1/30, Cathy Shoaf reported a Barred Owl hooting almost nightly in the Cassidy Creek area, uphill from Atterberry Road. Cathy also said they had seen the owl possibly eyeing the neighbor’s rabbits. Rick and Kathy Bush said a Northern Saw-whet Owl tooted near their home on the Miller Peninsula on 2/15. The Owling in the Owlympics class from the River Center located one tooting Western Screech-Owl and two mildly annoyed Saw-whet Owls along Woods Road on 2/4. Many wintering salt water birds are beginning to creep back to northern climes by now, but hopefully many will remain for the Olympic BirdFest. Elizabeth Noyes reported a group of three Pacific Loons and one Red-throated Loon on the ocean side of Ediz Hook on 1/19. The joint Admiralty/OPAS field trip on 1/21 spotted several Ancient Murrelets off Point Hudson, and Dave Jackson reported another 6 from the same location on 1/24. Beth Oakes, at her home at 750 feet elevation west of Port Angeles, took photos of two Double-crested Cormorants feeding on fish at her pond for 4 to 5 hours on 1/9. One of the cormorants was shocked on 1/26 when two Bald Eagles flew in at the same time as the cormorant, causing the cormorant to take “evasive action” to avoid becoming eagle dinner. Beth also had a giant flock of 30 Chestnut-backed Chickadees invade her feeders on 1/18. Gene Kridler and Jack and Pat Fletcher saw over 535 Brant at Oak Bay on 1/21, plus another 30 off Fort Flagler and 15 in the waters between Indian and Marrowstone Islands. More Brant will be arriving through March, as they travel north to their Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta breeding areas. Pat Fletcher also reported a Greater White-fronted Goose at the Gardiner boat launch on 2/14, hanging out with Canada Geese. Pat had the high count for shorebirds this winter, with 1000 Dunlin, 1000 Sanderlings, and 200 Black-bellied Plovers visible at the Dungeness River mouth from Dungeness Landing Park, also on 2/14. Not a great year for Trumpeter Swans this year, with a high count of 10 reported from Schmuck Road on 2/16 by Julie Jackson. This has been a low year for some finch species. Surprisingly, Evening Grosbeaks have sometimes been the most abundant finch species at Railroad Bridge Park this winter, even surpassing House Finches and Pine Siskins, which have been almost non-existent. Mary Tate says there are also very few finches in Port Angeles, where the seeds in her tube feeders have hardly been touched this winter. Time to look up! Early spring migrants like Turkey Vultures and swallows will be here any moment. Who will win the first local swallow award this year? White-crowned Sparrows should arrive in the next few weeks, along with Savannah Sparrows in the last week of March. Rufous Hummingbirds also arrive soon, so it’s time to wash out those feeders and hang them up when the little rascals knock at the window. Many people claim that the first hummers fly to the exact spot where their feeders hung last year, as if the same birds expect to find the feeder ready to go. Some wintering Anna’s Hummingbirds still remain, including two that visited Pat and Stu MacRobbie’s feeders from 1/8 to 1/18. Early spring migrants will be here very soon, so now’s the time to get ready. Who will see the first Turkey Vultures, Savannah Sparrows, swallows, Orange-crowned Warblers, and Common Yellowthroats? Put out your hummingbird feeders. Clean our your bird boxes. Remember your bird songs. Take a spring bird class at the Dungeness River Audubon Center. Please call Bob Boekelheide at 681-4076 (w) (email at rivercenter@olympus.net) or Bob Norton at 928-3053 (email at norton36@olypen.com) when you see something interesting or unusual. Thank you very much for your sightings.