I was up well before dawn today to see what the New Year would bring for my Washington list, but alas, the day broke late, dark and still rainy, remnants of the night’s storm. The area around the backyard feeders remained still and quiet until nearly 8:40 and even then visitors were few, just enough so I could list a dark-eyed junco and a black-capped chick-a-dee before heading down to North Creek Park wetlands to see what I could find there. Even the wetlands seemed somber and quiet in response to the wind and rain, but I did spot a beautiful bittern flying low from one marshy area to another. The buffy color and streaky underside was hard to miss, still since I don’t think I’ve ever seen one fly before I had to take an extra long look to make sure I had a bittern in sight. Missing, however, were the American widgeons, belted kingfisher and even the Canada geese were absent from the north field.
After walking the wetland boardwalk, my husband and I drove north, stopped quickly at the Everett sewer ponds to include the cinnamon teal on my first day list and then continued on to Skagit Flats to see the swans and snow geese. The wind and rain assaulted us most of the day making the birding chilly and somewhat tiresome. Still, the day yielded 29 species. So the first day of my big year ends with 29 species listed and 211 still to go. I wonder what day two will offer?
After walking the wetland boardwalk, my husband and I drove north, stopped quickly at the Everett sewer ponds to include the cinnamon teal on my first day list and then continued on to Skagit Flats to see the swans and snow geese. The wind and rain assaulted us most of the day making the birding chilly and somewhat tiresome. Still, the day yielded 29 species. So the first day of my big year ends with 29 species listed and 211 still to go. I wonder what day two will offer?
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