Whidbey Island / North Cascades
July 2010
Bird/Species Trip List

BIRDS:
Canada Goose – Whidbey, several wetlands
Wood Duck – Beaver Ponds
Gadwall – one of the most common ducks on our trip, seen several locations with chicks
Mallard – Crockett Lake, Whidbey with chicks, then near Winthrop, Leavenworth
Ring-necked Duck – Beaver Ponds, Winthrop
Harlequin Duck – We found one female on our early morning optional trip our second day on Whidbey, and then Peg spotted a cluster of 10, male and female loafing on a rock off one of the beach access roads
Surf Scoter – good numbers and scope views from the Mussel Farms on Whidbey, another scope view of a bright male from West Beach road
White-winged Scoter – seen in marine waters off the Ebey Landing trail, in flight, also seen at distance previous day from a beach
Bufflehead – Whidbey, Crockett Lake and lake off West Beach road.
Barrow’s Goldeneye – a female with chicks was just too cute on the pond out our view from Freestone in Mazama. The second morning Woody and the early walkers walked around the pond and got close enough for some great photos.
Hooded Merganser – mudflats at Crockett Lake
Common Merganser – Beaver Ponds, Entiat River, Leavenworth
Dusky Grouse – This bird posed for us on the Sun Mountain Resort Road, first for the mini-van, then for our big van, showing all field marks so we could go through them slowly, making sure we had the correct species in this part of Washington where both former “Blue Grouse” species occur.
Sooty Grouse – another roadside attraction, this one with several chicks. Great to compare it to the Dusky, seen at lower elevation and different habitat the previous day, this is as close to an overlap area as one will find.
Wild Turkey – strutting about a residential area near Winthrop, en route to Sun Mountain Resort
California Quail – great views on Whidbey at Don and Jan’s and then again along the West Beach road, perched up and posing from a fence rail, heard at Entiat
Common Loon – Whidbey, several locations
Pied-billed Grebe – Beaver Ponds, loudly vocalizing
Western Grebe – two on early morning outing from Libby Rd overlook
Red-necked Grebe – a distant scope view from the western shore of Whidbey, gleaming neck…
Double-crested Cormorant - numerous
Pelagic Cormorant – on pilings at view near Crockett Lake and at sea
Great Blue Heron – Whidbey, very common, Leavenworth
Turkey Vulture – Whidbey, Skagit River
Osprey – very common
Bald Eagle – Whidbey, a pair calling and close range wonderful!
Northern Harrier – Whidbey Crockett Lake and Ebey’s Landing
Red-tailed Hawk – Whidbey and Beaver Ponds
American Kestrel – Beaver Ponds, Sun Mountain Resort
Black-bellied Plover – Crockett Lake
Killdeer – Ebey’s Landing, Freestone,
Black Oystercatcher – a memorable moment when a group came flying in as we parked at one of the beach access roads, Liz counted 16!  We spied some browner individuals so these were family groups. There was a lot of noise with normal oystercatcher calls and those of begging young. They coursed over the tide pool area like anis over a field…
Spotted Sandpiper – Skagit River and Whidbey
Western Sandpiper – huge numbers at Crockett Lake at distance
Heerman’s Gull – Whidbey, common
California Gull – Whidbey,
Ring-billed Gull – pier at Lake Chelan
Bonaparte’s Gull – seen by Jean on the ferry, likely enough at this location at this time
Glaucous-winged Gull – Whidbey, very common
Caspian Tern – Crockett Lake and Oceanside on Whidbey
Pigeon Guillemot – numerous on Whidbey, breeding in rock cliffs at Deception Pass and roosting on pier pilings for great scope views near ferry landing, Whidbey
Common Murre – seen from West Beach
Marbled Murrelet – several sightings off West Beach and pier across from Crockett Lake near ferry landing
Rhinocerous Auklet – Deception Pass
Rock Pigeon – numerous in urban areas
Band-tailed Pigeon – Deception Pass, good looks, Rainy Lake
Eurasian Collared Dove – Whidbey, near Fish Hatchery at Leavenworth
Mourning Dove – all locations
Great Horned Owl – Jan reported one at her home which
Common Nighthawk – Winthrop and Leavenworth
Black Swift – Freestone Inn, Mazama flying above cliffs, seen by Woody only…
Vaux’s Swift – Freestsone Inn, Mazama, Leavenworth
Calliope Hummingbird – Methow Valley, good looks at flower feeders
Rufous Hummingbird – throughout, at Whidbey and Cathy’s feeders in Methow Valley
Anna’s Hummingbird – Woody’s garden!
Belted Kingfisher – seen at all locations in proper habitat, great views at Fish Hatchery
Lewis’ Woodpecker – Winthrop and at Fire Interpretive Center near Entiat
Red-naped Sapsucker – Beaver Ponds
Downy Woodpecker – Jan and Don’s feeders and Fish Hatchery Leavenworth
Hairy Woodpecker - numerous locations including nest at Beaver Ponds
Northern Flicker - common
American (Northern) Three-toed Woodpecker – Washington Pass, heard first day, and then we returned and earned our great looks!
Pileated Woodpecker – heard only at Wilbert Trail
Olive-sided Flycatcher – heard on Whidbey and heard Washington Pass, both days
Western Wood Pewee – Skagit River and East side, several locations
Willow Flycatcher – Beaver Pond
Least Flycatcher – Leavenworth
Gray Flycatcher – Beaver Ponds, great tail action
Pacific Slope Flycatcher – Whidbey and Skagit , heard at Leavenworth
Western Kingbird – East side
Eastern Kingbird – Fire Interpretive Center near Entiat and other East side
Cassin’s Vireo – East side, Leavenworth
Warbling Vireo – Whidbey, Freestone Inn, Mazama
Gray Jay – Hart’s Pass
Steller’s Jay – Hart Pass, Fish Hatchery Leavenworth and heard on Whidbey
Clark’s Nutcracker – Meadows Campground of Hart’s Pass
Black-billed Magpie – lower Methow Valley
American Crow - everywhere
Common Raven – Whidbey and Skagit
Tree Swallow – numerous on Whidbey, Entiat, various wetlands 
Violet-green Swallow – numerous, varied locations
Northern Rough-winged Swallow – Whidbey and Entiat
Cliff Swallow – numerous, Deception Pass under the bridge, Chelan
Barn Swallow - everywhere
Black-capped Chickadee – Beaver Ponds, several other East side locations
Mountain Chickadee – Hart’s Pass and Rainy Lake
Chestnut-backed Chickadee – Whidbey, great views
Bushtit – Whidbey, seen by Liz and Bob
Red-breasted Nuthatch – all locations
White-breasted Nuthatch – Leavenworth
Pygmy Nuthatch – Beaver Ponds and Freestone, Mazama, Sleeping Lady Resort
House Wren – varied locations
Winter Wren – great views at Wilbert Trail, Rockport
Marsh Wren - Whidbey off West Beach Road
American Dipper – wonderful views of adult near a bridge at Fish Hatchery, Leavenworth
Golden-crowned Kinglet – Rainy Lake
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Methow Valley
Mountain Bluebird – Hart’s Pass, Sun Mountain Road
Townsend’s Solitaire – Washington Pass, Freestone, Mazama
Veery – Methow Valley and Leavenworth
Swainson’s Thrush – Widbey, Skagit and Leavenworth
Hermit Thrush – Rainy Lake, Entiat, Hart’s Pass
American Robin – ubiquitous
Varied Thrush – Rockport, Hart Pass
Catbird – Blackbird Island, Leavenworth
Gray Catbird – Leavenworth
European Starling – ubiquitous
Cedar Waxwing – abundant all locations
Nashville Warbler – Beaver Ponds and Hart Pass
Orange-crowned Warbler – Whidbey
Yellow Warbler – Beaver Pond
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Hart Pass, Fish Hatchery, Rainy Lake and other locations
Townsend’s Warbler – Rainy Lake, great views!
MacGillivray’s Warbler – Hart Pass and Fish Hatchery, Leavenworth
Common Yellowthroat – Whidbey, Methow Valley
Wilson’s Warbler – Beaver Ponds
Western Tanager – numerous locations, a favorite of many!
Spotted Towhee – all locations
Chipping Sparrow – all locations
Savannah Sparrow – prairies of Whidbey and atop Hart Pass
Fox Sparrow – heard only, Hart’s Pass
Song Sparrow – many locations
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Freestone Inn, Mazama
White-crowned Sparrow – very common and vocal
Golden-crowned Sparrow – seen and heard in Coupsville
Dark-eyed Junco - common
Red-winged Blackbird – common in appropriate habitat
Brewer’s Blackbird – ferry to Chelan
Brown-headed Cowbird – all too common
Black-headed Grosbeak – Whidbey and Leavenworth
House Finch – several locations
Cassin's Finch – picking up gravel near the cabins at Freestone and heard several other places
Red Crossbill – Whidbey, great looks at the ones on Jan’s feeders, several flocks high there and Hart Pass
Pine Grosbeak – seen on our second trip to the high pass of North Cascades Highway, great views as the descended from the trees to water from a spigot!
Pine Siskin – all locations, plentiful
American Goldfinch – all locations, plentiful
Evening Grosbeak  - great views at Freestone Inn, Mazama and also Icicle Creek
House Sparrow - common

Mammals
Coyote – Methow Valley
Columbian Ground Squirrel – Hart’s Pass
Townsend’s Chipmunk – West side and Whidbey
Yellow Pine Chipmunk - common
Mule Deer – Methow Valley
White-tailed Deer – east side
Black-tailed Deer – Whidbey and west side
Douglas Squirrel – all locations
Harbor Seal - Whidbey
Hoary Marmot – Hart’s Pass
Raccoon - Leavenworth

 

 

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