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I ran into two of our regular local bird photographers at the marsh. The avian action there was slow, so we drove up to Yost Park so I could show them the territory of the resident barred owl pair. We failed to see the barred owls (it was a sunny afternoon and they were probably still sleeping in spots well-hidden from us and the crows), but we did see some other birds. Photographing in the shade under the tree canopy was challenging. Once again the ability of the 5D Mk III to handle an insane auto ISO setting of 12800 saved the day.
A duckling was swimming in the retention pond at the end of the walkway. Ducklings have proved to be very challenging for me to photograph in focus with the right exposure.
A male and female mallard relax at the edge of the pond.
A ducking does the same out of the water and hidden in the grass. With red-tailed hawks, eagles, coyotes, and river otters as neighbors, it is a very dangerous 'hood for a young duck.
For the second time this week I have seen a female belted kingfisher perched on the old light tower above the retention pond.
In past years I have photographed kingfishers diving for tadpoles or bathing in the retention pond, but this one just flew west towards the marina.
A few great blue herons are trying to nest at the rookery on the south side of the marsh. Perhaps the Pt. Edwards pair of bald eagles will leave them alone this year since they have a baby of their own to tend.
A western wood peewee perched on a bush beside the #3 viewing platform. It might be the same one I saw last week off the #2 platform.
The red-winged black birds are very aggressive about chasing birds away from their nesting areas. Two are chasing a great blue heron which landed in the marsh.
Now that they are nesting, the crows are even more aggressive than usual about going after raptors. One strafed a juvie bald for quite some time as the eagle circled over town.
One of our local birders pointed out a Wilson's phalarope at the south side of the marsh. They are not usually seen in the area. This one was probably passing through during migration.
American goldfinch, the state bird of Washington.
Violet-green swallow. The air was thick swallows, but they are very difficult to photograph in flight.
Up on Pt. Edwards a noisy flock of starlings has been feeding in a bramble of salmon berry bushes on a vacant lot alongside Pine St. I caught one eating a berry while perched on the branch of a dead tree. The starlings are quite colorful, but according to one website it is the #1 agricultural pest bird in the state.
A male flicker landed fairly close to me while I was walking along tree-shaded Willow Creek below the fish hatchery.
A marsh wren was gathering cattail fuzz for a nest at the marsh. I missed getting shots of it with some really big clumps of fuzz in its bill. I know about where the nest is, so I can return for more shots.
A mid-day trip to Yost Park failed to find the barred owls, but a Swainson's thrush posed for us and sang a nice solo.
We took a side path which passed directly under the tree where I had seen the owls the night before. I'm sure this Steller's jay would have let us know if the owls were still nearby.
You did a great job on these, Bill. I didn't get anything worth posting, so I relied on your talent and you came through!
BTW, PNW came to a screeching halt last nite. Glad it came back to life
It was too early to go home after I finished photographing the Pt. Edwards eaglets. I wanted to stay away from the marsh and waterfront during Edmonds Waterfront Days, so I went to Yost Park, where I saw Young Dave's car in the parking lot. Dave had just finished a tour of the park when I got out of my pickup, but he was amenable for a second lap. Terry and I like birding with Dave because he is an excellent bird spotter. He likes birding with us old guys because we call him "Young Dave."
Dave spotted a Swainson's thrush, a black-headed grosbeak, a Wilson's warbler, and a Douglas's squirrel, our native species. I got good photos of three of the four.
Swainson's thrush
Black-headed grosbeak
Douglas's squirrel
After the park, I drove down to Sunset Ave. and got some grab shots out the window of my pickup of a Caspian tern hunting for fish.
One of my favorite birds is the Caspian tern. Wednesday evening (6/5) about six of them were patroling Puget Sound off Sunset Ave. Their dive sequences are very difficult to photograph as it is hard for the camera's auto focus to lock on to their thin cross section plus they seem to only show up in the evening when the light begins to fail. I suppose that is related more to the time of high tide rather than the sunlight.
I took a number of photos. These are not necessarily the same dive. Unlike the osprey and eagles, terns have no talons and must dive head first in order to catch the fish with their bills.
An American goldfinch, the state bird of Washington, near the retention pond at the end of the Pt. Edwards walkway.
A red-shafted northern flicker checking out a hole in a stump at the fish hatchery. I'll have to monitor the hole to see if it is a nest burrow with babies inside.
While the mother eagle was watching the nest at Pt. Edwards, the father was at the usual perch off the Senior Center near the ferry dock.
. Your spotting is half the fun!
