Birds of the Seasons

Red-shafted Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus By Sharon L. Moore Who among us isn’t delighted by Northern Flickers? While the Red-shafted live year round in the West, the Yellow-shafted may be present here during the mating season, though they generally live in the Eastern U.S.  Since these birds thrive in nearly any habitat with trees, we often spot them locally in our deciduous woodlands and...

By Sharon L. Moore Lesser Snow Goose Anser caerulescens Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae We vividly recall a freezing, clear mid-November day in the farmlands of Fir Island, west of Mt Vernon, when we had an amazing birding experience. Shivering as we mucked along the icy country road, binoculars in hand, we wondered about the geese we hoped to see. If they were here, how would we find them? Our...

Photo credit: Maga-chan – COMMON GOLDENEYE (Bucephala clangula Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatida) By Sharon L. Moore “What’s that bird diving under those tied jet skis?” my partner asked.  As relatively new birders we were focusing our binoculars along the Salish Sea shoreline of Totten Inlet.  Lacking a spotting scope, we strained to see the bird through the low light of a wet November...

SWAINSON”S THRUSH SWAINSON’S THRUSH Catharus ustulatus By Sharon L. Moore As one of seven thrush species in North America, the Swainson’s has four subspecies, one of which is our regional Pacific Russet-backed Swainson’s Thrush.  An arboreal forager, it favors tall, thick, mixed conifer forests, hovering on the edges of the tree line as it feeds and protects its nesting territory. ...

CEDAR WAXWING Sharon L. Moore CEDAR WAXWING Bombycilla cedrorum Order: Passeriformes Family: Bombycillidae While we’ve been enjoying various migratory songbirds in our woods and gardens during spring, one particular passerine species appears later, often in June and July.  A major fruit eater, the Cedar Waxwing delays its arrival to mate, nest and raise its young when summer fruits and insects...

WOOD DUCK – Aix sponsa The Wood Duck is a forest-loving, cavity-nesting, dabbling duck.  It prefers habitats such as wooded wetlands and marshes, often constructed by beavers, as well as ponds and slow-moving rivers.  When large conifers with dense, overhanging boughs edge these watery habitats, the Wood Duck gains at least moderate protection from predators.  As the only duck...

Sharon L. Moore Order: Gaviformes Family: Gavidae Common Loons (Gavia immer) are historically beloved birds in North America and Canada.  Admired for their stunning fishing abilities and complex repertoire of calls, they have long been considered iconic symbols of pristine wilderness.  In fact, the Common Loon has been designated the provincial bird of Ontario and the state bird of Minnesota. ...

How delightful it is to anticipate the arrival of the diminutive Bufflehead as they migrate to our south Puget Sound waters after a long summer raising their young in Canada’s rich, vast boreal forest landscape.  The black and white-patterned Bufflehead is heavily reliant on the boreal for nesting sites and sufficient food sources; in fact, 80% of its population breeds there. 

It’s mid-May in a local, protected riparian habitat when we suddenly see a flash of red overhead followed by a quick landing at the edge of a small hole in a dead snag above us.

Have you ever seen a Brown Creeper? Chances are you’ll answer “no,” but you could be wrong.