Common Merganser

The pale sides and white behind the upper mandible suggest this image is of a female Common Merganser. Erika and I found it on 19 February 2022 at the Tumwater Historical Park next to Olympia. I have tried recently to capture the serrations on merganser bills, and finally I am just about successful. These structures assist the duck in capturing prey but are not a type of tooth.

Red-breasted Merganser

On 9 February 2022 at the Billy Frank Jr National Wildlife Refuge, Erika and I watched a preening Red-breasted Merganser. For once the merganser’s serrated bill edges are visible in these photos, especially if you enlarge the images. These serrations make mergansers among the most specialized ducks. Red-breasted Mergansers are most closely related to Common or Chinese mergansers, and all are probably descended from smaller mergansers in South America (Craik et al. 2020).

American Dipper

I think dippers are found all year along Tumwater Falls near Olympia. We check the falls and rapids about once a month, but seeing these bird is difficult. We only find them on about two-thirds of our searches. This image is our first for 2022, having missed them in December. This photo was taken on 8 February 2022.

American Dippers are wonderful, robin-sized birds that feed in and around tumbling mountain streams. Often they feed under the water, but usually they work the stream edges and rocks. Their feathers are remarkably waterproof. We are a bit perplexed by the white edged wing feathers, usually a sign of an immature bird. Perhaps, then, this individual is a second-year bird, since breeding in Washington does not start before March.

Spotted Sandpiper

This image is of our first Spotted Sandpiper if the year, 10 February 2022, at the Woodard Bay Natural Area just east of Olympia. We quickly made our identification by the bird’s habit of bobbing its tail up and down. We had our eyes out for this species, as we read a few reports of other Spotted Sandpipers in the vicinity. A common migrant and summer resident in most of Washington, this species is uncommon and irregular in the winter.

Common Goldeneye

Here is an image of a drake Common Goldeneye on 9 February 2022 at the Billy Frank Jr National Wildlife Refuge. Erika wishes that all birds were named for their field marks. Indeed, the national  ornithological community is currently in the throws of considering renaminng birds. Oldsquaw are now offically called Long-tailed Ducks. McCown’s Longspurs, originally named after a Confederate general, are now known as Thick-billed Longspurs. I trust my readers appreciate why some people find the original name to be offensive. Other ornithologists think that no bird should be named after any person. I just hope that folks don’t go hunting for people commemorated in scientific names, like poor little Pipreola riefferi tallmanorum, named after two ornithologists, outstanding in their field. For more information on this debate, see https://www.audubon.org/news/the-mccowns-longspur-no-more-debate-over-bird-names-continues.

California Scrub-Jay

The second jay on our 20 January 2022 two-jay day was this California Scrub-Jay. This species is common along the Pacific Coast of North America. I have written before about how these jays are spreading north. They are now increasingly found in British Columbia, eastern Washington, Idaho and western Montana. Adults tend to be extremely territorial, forcing young birds to “float,” sometimes for several years as they search for mates and unoccupied territory. Populations can get disrupted and mixed during poor acorn years (Curry et al. 2020).

Steller’s Jay

20 January 2022 was a two-jay day. The first was a Steller’s Jays, common in forests across Washington, western North America, Mexico and northern Central America. They are present here all year, but there may also be north/south migration or movement in and out of higher elevations. Steller’s Jays vary across their range. Our birds have blue face markings, west of us they have white on the face, and southern birds are even whiter and have white around the eyes. Birds between these populations are intermediate in color. The second jay image is from 19 February 2022 at Capitol Lake in Olympia

Pileated Woodpecker

Erika and I found Pileated Woodpeckers on 8 February 2022 at the McLane Creek Nature Trail and on10 February 2022 at the Woodard Bay Natural Area, both close to Olympia. Although we also occasionally see these crow-sized woodpeckers in our home woods and they are considered to be fairly common across most of Washington, they do not seem to be as abundant here as they were in Minnesota. These two birds were the first for this species for our 2022 bird list. 

Great Blue Heron

This Great Blue Heron has been stranded in my blog queue since 21 January 2022, when I took this image of a heron stalking amongst the reflections of overhead tree branches—and I was trying to cut back on heron photos. This bird hunted at the Billy Frank Jr National Wildlife Refuge.

Bufflehead

This image is of a drake Bufflehead, alseep on a log in Olympia’s Capitol Lake on 3 February 2022. Gauthier (2020) writes that Buffleheads only occasionally rest on logs or on shore. Usually they sleep on the water, without a specified roosting site.

Hutton’s Vireo

Hutton’s Vireos can be confused with Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Note the dark line interrupting the white eye-ring and the stubby, hooked bill. Overall the vireo is chunkier, not as sleek, as a kinglet. Erika and I banded this Hutton’s Vireo on 8 February 2022 in our Olympia backyard. Although I think of vireos as being migratory birds, this species is an exception. We have scattered records across the year. Wahl et al. (2005) describe Hutton’s Vireos as uncommon residents in western Washington. The species ranges south along the West Coast and through Mexico into Central America. The range of the coastal birds does not overlap with birds in the southwestern US, Mexico, or Central America. Genetic research suggests that birds along the Pacific Coast should be considered to be separate species (Davis 2002).

Peregrine Falcon

On a visit to the Billy Frank Jr National Wildlife Refuge on 7 February 2022, Erika and I spied a Peregrine Falcon dismembering a duck (perhaps a hen wigeon). Although they employ a variety of hunting strategies, these falcons are famous for their high-speed stoops, knocking their prey out of the air. In previous years, Peregrine Falcons surveyed the refuge from perches high atop a tall, dead tree. But last fall the tree either blew over or was removed by refuge rangers. Since the tree’s demise, we have seen fewer falcons. This bird enjoyed its prey while perched low on a distant bush.

Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Ducks are abundant at Olympia’s Capitol Lake. This duck slept near the shore on 23 January 2022. Note the white stripe at the front of the flanks—a good field mark for drakes of this species. Previously I posted about how birds can sleep with one eye open and half the brain awake. That condition apparently at play with this duck. The second is a hen, maybe also asleep, at the Billy Frank Jr National Wildlife Refuge on 21 September 2022.

Western Grebe

Although Western Grebes are considered to be common or locally abundant winter birds in western Washington, Erika and I have only encountered them five times during our first three winters in the Olympia area. We found this one on 10 February 2022 off KGY Point just north of the city.

Raccoon

Erika and I walked the Yelm-Tenino Bike Trail near Rainier on 12 February 2022. Eagle-eyed Erika spotted this Raccoon as it slept high in a tree at the edge of the forest. Erika was disappointed, since she kind of hoped that the lump in the tree was an owl. Raccoons are not our favorite beast. These highly adaptable creatures have moved out of North American woodlands into a variety of habitats, including urban areas. Escaped and introduced Raccoons are also found across Europe and in Japan where they are considered to be pests. Raccoons will eat almost anything. They also transmit rabies. A Raccoon seen foraging in the daytime does not necessarily mean that it is ill, but probably should be avoided. Raccoons also carry trichinosis. If you enjoy roadkill, be sure your Raccoons are well done.

Red-breasted Sapsucker

On our most recent visit to the Kennedy Flats logging road on 1 February 2022 in nearby Mason County, Erika and I listed several Red-breasted Sapsuckers. One obligingly flew up to us and perched on a nearby bush branch. Perhaps we were new for the bird’s People List. These woodpeckers are common enough in the summer, but are uncommon in the winter. As I have previously written, these birds feed on tree sap, so their winter distribution depends on flowing sap. Unsurprisingly, eBird indicated that Red-breasted Sapsuckers are infrequently reported in early February in Mason County.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglets are common summer residents that are augmented by migrants in the winter. They flit around so much that taking photos can be challenging. Almost all my images are of birds that I am banding. Thus I was delighted to capture this wild bird on 3 February 2022 along the shore of Capitol Lake. I suspect that this individual is a female because there does not appear to be any bright orange color in the crown. A male’s orange crown, however, can be difficult to see, even when the bird is in hand.

Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Ducks are fairly common migrants and winter residents along the Washington coast and in Puget Sound. I don’t see them very often. They prefer relatively deep, open water. When I retired, I took the time to enter my birding records into eBird. My early records tend to include only birds that were new for me. More recently, eBird includes almost all the birds I see. I checked my Long-tailed Duck records and was surprised to learn that I have only seen this species on seven occasions. The first time was in Maryland on 16 April 1965. The most recent was on 1 February 2022, after reading in eBird that Long-tailed Ducks were being reported at nearby Tolmie State Park. Three birds floated far away, but I found them relatively easily with my new scope. Switching over to my telephoto lens proved somewhat more challenging. Just for the record, the other bird in this image is probably a Pelagic Cormorant.

American Bittern

Sometimes you can stand right in front of an American Bittern and not see it. On 26 January 2022, a fellow birder at the Nisqually national wildlife refuge told us that a bittern was hanging around along the edge of a creek. I looked where he pointed and, only then did I saw something move. The bird is even hard to see in my photos. Bitterns are common, but so elusive that comparatively little is known about bittern biology. Bittern populations are declining as wetlands are destroyed or degraded across North America.

Surf Scoter

A Surf Scoter wished us adieu as we left the Ocean Shore beach on 29 January 2022. Wintering Surf Scoters consume bottom-dwelling invertebrates, including crustaceans, polychaetes, bivalves, herring spawn and gastropods (Anderson et al. 2929). This sea duck is also abundant in our home waters of Puget Sound.

Western Gull

Eagles were not the only crab-eaters along the Ocean Shores Beach on 29 January 2022. As with the eagles, gulls are opportunistic eaters, consuming almost anything edible that they encounter. My guess is that this bird is a Western Gull. Note the relatively dark back, robust bill, and black, white-tipped flight feathers. Beware, however, that in western Washington, Western and Glaucous-winged Gulls hybridize, thus few genetically pure individuals inhabit the region.

Bald Eagle

As Erika and I strolled down the Ocean Shores beach on 29 January 2022, a Bald Eagle walked by us from the opposite direction. Patrolling by foot seems to be a relatively unreported behavior. Eagles are opportunistic feeders—they will take whatever they can find—dead or alive. In this case, the eagle enjoyed a crab dinner.

Purple Shore Crab

Near the jetty at Ocean Shores, Washigton, on 29 January 2022, Erika found a Purple Shore Crab (Hemigrapsus nudus). These carbs are often found under rocks along North America’s west coast. These creatures consume sea lettuce, green algae and dead animals. This crab mates during midwinter—large females may lay more that 30,000 eggs at one time (Slater Museum). Fish, gulls, and scoters all feast on Purple Shore Crabs.

Sanderling

Sanderlings were common sandpiper on our 29 January 2022 beach stroll. These sandpipers are cosmopolitan—although breeding in the Arctic, they can be seen “on almost any sandy beach, anywhere on the planet” (Macwhirter et al. 2020). I enjoyed trying to photograph these little birds as they ran back and forth with the waves and across tidal pools. The problem was that the Sanderlings seldom stood still.

Dunlin

On our 29 January 2022, after the whale, Erika and I continued for another mile. We were disappointed that we did not find many species of birds, but greatly enjoyed our hike. Along the way, we did encounter a few large flocks of Dunlin. We were near high tide, and the birds appeared to be resting. Seeing them bunched together seemed a bit strange. Elsewhere along the Pacific Coast, Dunlin are most often taken by falcons (Peregrines and Merlins) and Short-eared Owls. Each year about 20% of the wintering population are killed (Warnock and Gill 2020). 

You might suppose that gathering in such tight pods would make the Dunlins easier for their predators to find them. Perhaps there is an advantage for there being more eyes to look out for incoming falcons or owls. Another advantage to being in a flock is that, for any given bird, the odds of being captured are much greater if you are the only Dunlin on the beach. In a flock, your odds become far less, like one out of 200 or so. Finally, predators may find it harder to aim at an individual bird in a flock, but may find it easier to pick off a single bird on the beach.

Gray Whale Barnacles

On 29 January 2022, while examining the dead Gray Whale we found at Ocean Shores, Washington,  we sort of got a two for one deal when we found Whale Barnacles on a whale corpse. Cryptolepas rhachianecti is a barnacle often associated with Gray Whales, so these barnacles may belong to that species. Light barnacle infestations probably do whales little or no harm. Whales may use the barnacles as weapons as the cetaceans fight and rub against each other; or they may use the barnacles to fight off attacks by orcas. On the other hand, Gray Whales have been observed trying to dislodge barnacles by rubbing against the sea floor. When Gray Whales have heavy barnacle infestations, the whales often also host Whale Lice, a parsitic crustacean (Wikipedia). 

Gray Whale

On 29 January 2022, Erika and I strolled at Ocean Shores, about 90 minutes west of Olympia. This attempt at a beach walk was our second, the first scuttled two weeks ago by tsunami warnings. This Saturday was perfect, with light overcast and gentle winds. As we arrived at the beach, we spied cars and people. We almost turned and headed the opposite direction. The hubbub turned out to be over a dead Gray Whale, which was in fairly rough condition. Erika paced the length, and counted about 47 feet. In western North America, these whales feed in the summer in the arctic and breed off Baja California. Some are found all year in waters off northern Washington.

Gray Whales feed using baleen, a series of fringed plates that hang from their upper jaws. Usually the whale dives to the sea bed, rolls, and sucks sediments and water into its mouth. As it closes its mouth, water and sediments are spelled through the baleen, trapping various crustaceans and other small marine animals.