a jay

Still having internet problems here! It won’t let me add photographs!!! I’ll catch up with that in Westport. First, I forgot to add Harlequin Duck (505) yesterday seen just feet off the beach at Fort Flagler. I got a good picture of one today at Ediz Hook here in Port Angeles. This morning I added Northwestern Crow (507) from the hotel parking lot and there were more on the waterfront. Supposedly out here, these are countable. I can always go to La Push and get some indisputable pure ones.

Then it was up the mountain to Olympic National Park. I am told the scenery up there is spectacular but I will have to take their word for it. Hurricane Ridge live up to its namesake with howling wind, rain, and fog combining for poor birding conditions. I only needed two species up there: Sooty Grouse and Canada Jay. I parked in picnic area B past the Hurricane Ridge Visitor’s Center and walked around then waited an hour in the car. On my second walk I heard a jay. It flew out across the road and landed at the top of a spruce tree. Canada Jay! (508). It took searching in four states to find one but at last it is now on the list. I walked some other trails up there and drove the road slowly, but no grouse. I think I’ll give it another try tomorrow. In the Heart O’ the Hills Campground I looked for Pacific Wren and Varied Thrush but no luck.

In the afternoon I covered Ediz Hook, a long sand spit in Port Angeles. I somewhat unexpectedly found a Lapland Longspur (509), there isn’t much grassy habitat. In the bay, I plucked out a Horned Grebe (510) to bring the list to a nice round number. Tomorrow I have more waterbirds to round up, but most can be found elsewhere so not much pressure.