Birder PapaRrazi
An Amateur Birdwatcher's tally
How do I know when summer starts in Washington? The daisies come up in Flaming Geyser park. They’re taller than both my dogs. As I watch for birds, the girls enjoy roaming through the “forest” of daisies. Of course, we always check them for ticks afterward. Swallows begin to congregate in the month of May. Starlings also gather. Gulls almost disappear, as do Canada geese. These are normal happenings in King County Washington at the beginning of summer. The month of May 2019 may have been they most exciting month bird wise this year. I enjoyed the local birding as usual. I got a good picture of 2 Eagles in a tree. Also, I got a good picture of a variety of water birds swimming on a marshy, country field. After I developed the picture, I discovered American pipits. This was a first for me. I was very excited. The picture isn't all that great, but I can identify the pipits. For about 4 weeks in a row, I watched a killdeer in a field. Frankly I think she must have had a nest. As far as I could tell she was alone, and she stayed in the same vicinity. Her lonely cry was haunting. Then, in a group of gulls my sister noticed 2 black headed shore birds. I snapped a good number of pictures of them. They turned out to me common terns. This is another new for me bird. I had a pair of renters this year. They forgot to leave their payment though. Maybe they figured that all the pictures I took filled their obligations. They were chipping sparrows. It was a pair, and they used my little rental house. I never got to see nestlings. I did try to leave them some privacy although they were in my driveway. They weren't shy. They delighted in the berries and bushes in my yard. So, I guess I was doing a bed and breakfast rather than just a simple motel. Next door, the neighbors attracted some house finches. I enjoyed getting pictures of them too. Both the neighbors and I had hummingbird feeders. We attracted at least 1 hummingbird, an Anna's hummingbird. So May turned out to be very well. Now I'm looking forward to finishing up June. Check out my birding gallery! American pippits swimming with ducks in a marshy field.
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In May 2019 I did a lot of local birdwatching. My favorite spot was in North Auburn, Washington, on a street near Emerald Downs. It has fields, tree stands, and marshy areas. In other words it is a bird area. This was an abundant early spring. We saw Mallards, Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, Green Wing Teals, Pintails, and common Mergansers all on the same block. Canada Geese strutted the fields and floated peacefully among them. It was a water bird bonanza. I especially delighted in the Green Wing Teals because I had only identified them once before in my birding career. I saw a common yellow throat, a group of robins, and tree swallows galore. This was birding at it’s best. Then I saw the Killdeer and the sanderlings. It was my first Killdeer sighting of the year and the first sanderlings ever. I snapped pics as though my life depended on it. Check out my birding gallery! |
AuthorI love birdwatching. It's relaxing and fun. Even though I've been birding for over 10 years I classify myself as an amateur birder. I plan to write a blog each month about my experiences. Hope you enjoy them! Categories |
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