Monthly Archive for February, 2010

Olympia – Part II

Published on February 23, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Birders Scott and Penny are back at it in Olympia, Washington. Here’s how their long day of birding in Washington’s capital turned out:

We had enough time after lunch to walk to the capitol building along the shores of Capital Lake, a dammed body of water adjacent to Budd Inlet, resting below the capitol itself.  The lake is a perfectly circular reflecting pool bordered by extensively manicured lawns and a few individual ornamental trees.  But do not underestimate the power of water.  The lake was littered with Ring-billed, California, and Glaucous-winged Gulls; Lesser Scaup; Bufflehead; American Widgeon; Gadwall; and at least two lovely male Wood Ducks.  As we made our way around the lake, I spied a Peregrine flying around the dome of the capitol high on hill above.  Excitedly, I binned the bird, grabbed my compact binoculars and began reporting (loudly) to Scott its every move.

“He’s diving, left, right, up, now to the left THERE’S the FEMALE!  He’s DISPLAYING! They are FLYING TOGETHER!”

I felt a gentle tap on my arm and looked at Scott’s chagrined face.  Oh right, we are in a very public park with hundreds of people walking, jogging, and otherwise not bird watching.  Never mind. My enthusiasm doesn’t dampen easily.  I’m just sorry all these folks are missing this amazing display of wildlife right above their heads.

Finally we arrived at the capitol under the watchful eye of a male Anna’s guarding his territory and were properly shushed and awed by the magnificence of the architecture.  We gazed with respect at the marble columns and gold chandeliers, checked the House and Senate seating arrangement, and drank in the significance of it all.  But not for long – soon the inner child begins to squirm and we are off on a true exploration.

Feeling more like 5th graders escaping from a required field trip than Washington State citizens getting in touch with the seat of government, we explored every stairwell and hallway available to our enquiring feet and eyes.  We soon found ourselves in the bowels of the capitol where lengthy marble hallways led us past congressional offices to a remote outer doorway.  Sneaking out (for no apparent reason since it is open to the public), we discovered the courtyard between the capitol building and the governor’s mansion.  We rewarded ourselves with a wave to the state patrol officer guarding the mansion, then stood about, a bit lost with our “nerve.”

Suddenly, the same back door we had just exited swung open – I was swept with guilt, expecting a teacher to emerge at any moment and discipline us back to the tour.  Better yet, it was Governor Gregoire herself, leaving work on a Saturday afternoon and heading home to the mansion.  We giggled sillily for a few moments while we speculated on whether the governor was aware of the Song Sparrow singing in her garden or the Peregrines nesting on the capitol.  Before we could decide if she truly had time to keep a yard list (after all, she was working on a Saturday), she suddenly reemerged from the mansion with her family and dog Trooper in tow for an early evening walk around Capital Lake.  We took this as our cue to return to Capitol Lake as well.

The fruitful and lovely day was topped off with a complete circuit of the lake with the distant clouds turning pink on the horizon.  We stopped often to enjoy the view and scan the lake for any additional new birds.  Our scanning was rewarded with an adult Bald Eagle careening after a first year Glaucous-winged gull, obviously carrying a prize coveted by the Bald Eagle.  The gull easily out maneuvered the eagle but the chase was exciting nonetheless.  A last memory for our Olympia adventure.  The day was an excellent birthday outing with 44 species, one peregrine nest, and a double sighting of Washington State’s governor.

Olympia – Part I

Published on February 5, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Birders Scott and Penny set out for a two-part birding adventure. Check out what they saw in colorful detail…

Bored with the normal weekend pursuit of new yard birds, Scott and I went looking for a novel local area in which to bird.  After all it was Scott’s birthday weekend and we needed something completely different in order to celebrate.  After much head scratching, hemming and hawing, we lit upon an idea.  How about Olympia?  Washington’s state capital lies at the southern end of Puget Sound, ideally placed for winter birding along saltwater shores.  Tragically, neither of us had ever visited our state capital, but now we had a perfect reason to go.

We headed out into the dark gray rainy January morning, our mood reflecting the weather.  By the time we reached Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, a perfect rest stop on the trip, the sun had broken through and the clouds had lifted, taking our spirits upward with them.  It was just a few moments later down I-5 that we easily located Priest Point Park on the northern border of Olympia.  An old park in Western city terms, it was founded in 1905 on land formerly controlled by a missionary, hence the name of Priest Point. The park’s forested hills and slopes border Budd Inlet, a southern arm of Puget Sound.  Ellis Creek flows into Ellis Cove and Budd Inlet.  Many of the parks’ lengthy trails explore the ravines around the creek, cove, and inlet.

As a naturalist with the City of Seattle it was a bit like taking a busman’s holiday.  I cast a sad, disapproving eye on the tremendous amounts of English Ivy quickly engulfing the understory.  Everywhere it seemed trees were snugly wrapped in the death grip of this invasive.  But despite the threat of non-natives, large tracks of very old conifers tower over a relatively healthy understory.  Due to the park’s age and the steepness of the slopes, many very large and old conifers dominated the forest and skyscape.  Grand firs of immense height were circled by Bald Eagles- an unforgettable sight when viewed through binoculars or a spotting scope. The view was complemented by their sharp cries, which rang throughout the forest.  Could they be defending territories?  A good possibility, as the firs were the perfect shape, size and location for Bald Eagle nests.

We meandered for miles, enjoying the sun and joy of bumping into mixed feeding flocks of Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and yanking Red-breasted Nuthatches.  A quiet tapping alerted us to the presence of a Red-breasted Sapsucker.  Surely he was not alone as countless Western Red-cedar showed the neat lines of sapsucker wells from base to heavenly heights.  Every ancient, uprooted tree had a winter wren scolding and defending the new territory that winter winds had created.  Glimpses of the inlet and beach access were all used as opportunities to scan the water.  By far the most common bird on the water were Buffleheads, the males’ bright white and black heads glowing in the sunshine.  Lesser Scaup abounded and Common Goldeneye were peppered amongst the Buffleheads.

Eventually hunger drove us out of the woods. We took our picnic lunch to Percival Landing. Resting on boardwalk benches over the saltwater, we delighted in the birds of the inlet feasting on their lunch as well.  A Belted Kingfisher perched nearby making a catch of small fry every third try.  Double-crested Cormorants joined the feast in droves.  First, one was diving, then five then ten more traded places under the water.  Most beautiful of all were the Red-breasted Merganser males in spectacular breeding plumage joined by less showy females for a lunch of fish.

Follow Scott and Penny in the next installment of their Olympia birding adventure. If you thought their morning was filled with a variety of species, just wait to see what the afternoon had in store…