[Tweeters] Edmonds Roundup - January 2023

[Carol Riddell]

Hi Tweets,

There were 110 species reported in Edmonds in January 2023. That is 20 species higher than in January 2022.

Most expected waterfowl were reported in January, including Trumpeter Swans (code 4). A few missed species were Cackling Goose (code 3), Tundra Swan (code 4), Wood Duck (code 3), Northern Shoveler (code 1), Eurasian Wigeon (code 3), and Long-tailed Duck (code 3).

The expected grebes were Pied-billed (seen in the marina), Red-necked, and Western.

Among the pigeons and doves, only Rock Pigeon and Band-tailed Pigeon were seen in January. Last year there had been a January Mourning Dove but not this year.

A Virginia Rail was seen in the marsh near the tennis court viewing platform on 1-1-23. American Coot was also seen in the marsh.

Shorebird sightings included Killdeer, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Sanderling and Dunlin. The expected winter alcids were reported: Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet, Ancient Murrelet, and Rhinoceros Auklet.

Along with the expected species gulls and hybrid gulls, there was one Iceland Gull (code 4) and one Western Gull (code 4) reported on the wharf roof at Haines Wharf Park. A ring-billed Gull (code 3) was on the Edmonds part of Lake Ballinger 1-21-23.

All three loon species (Red-throated, Pacific, Common) were reported at various sites along the Edmonds shoreline on the first two days of the year. All three cormorant species (Brandt’s, Pelagic, Double-crested) were reported 1-1-23.

Birds of prey included Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Bald Eagle, and Red-tailed Hawk. Two owl species were observed: Barred Owl (Pine Ridge Park) and Great Horned Owl (Seaview neighborhood). For the falcons, a Peregrine was reported at the marsh and Merlins were seen at a north Edmonds home and in Yost Park.

All of the expected woodpeckers were seen in January: Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, as well as Hairy, Downy, and Pileated Woodpeckers.

Hutton’s Vireo was heard several times during the month at the marsh and Pine Ridge Park. Northern Shrike (code 3) was reported 1-11-23 along the Edmonds portion of the Interurban Trail. Steller’s Jay, American Crow, and Common Raven (code 3) were all reported. The ravens are being heard at a number of locations. They seem to either be moving around more than in the past or their numbers are increasing. Ground Zero for the ravens appears to be Pine Ridge Park and its vicinity where they are frequently heard calling.

All of the expected smaller birds were reported: chickadees, kinglets, nuthatch, creeper, and wrens. Cedar Waxwing was reported 1-2-23 at the marsh. American Robin and Varied Thrush were the most frequently reported thrushes in January. Hermit Thrush was noted at the Willow Creek Hatchery 1-1-23. Surprisingly, the Townsend’s Solitaire (code 4), first reported in December, has been continuing in the Edmonds Lake Ballinger neighborhood throughout January. There were also sightings of single solitaires at Haines Wharf Park (1-1-23) and near Water Street (1-15-23).

January reports of finches included House Finch, one Pine Siskin at Seaview Park, and American Goldfinches. All of the expected sparrows appeared. The best were the continuing Swamp Sparrow (code 5) at the marsh, White-throated Sparrow (code 3) at the Willow Creek Hatchery, and a Lincoln’s Sparrow (code 3) at the marsh.

Red-winged Blackbirds have been reported at Pine Ridge Park, the marsh, and the Edmonds Lake Ballinger area. There were no reports of Brewer’s Blackbird or Brown-headed Cowbird.

Among the warblers there was one report of one Orange-crowned Warbler (code 1) 1-23-23 at 84th Ave SW & SW 238th St. Townsend’s Warblers (code 2) were seen in the Lake Ballinger neighborhood, Pine Ridge Park, and at a north Edmonds home. Yellow-rumped Warblers (code 1) were at multiple locations throughout the month.

Please be careful with gulls. There are pretty high numbers of Glaucous-winged Gulls being reported in eBird checklists. Most of these are probably the much more common Western x Glaucous-winged hybrids. Western, Herring, and Iceland Gulls are code 4 species, difficult to see in Edmonds. There are documented reports of one each of Western and Iceland Gulls. There are multiple undocumented reports of Herring and Western Gulls. These are rarely seen here. Ring-billed Gull is a challenging code 3 species in Edmonds, seen annually but sometimes only a single bird. This gull does not favor exposed shorelines such as Edmonds, particularly in winter. The most promising winter location is the Edmonds portion of Lake Ballinger where one was seen in January. Early cycle Short-billed Gulls get mistaken for Ring-billed Gulls in winter when a birder only notes a ring on the bill. We would not add any of these gulls to our year list without documentation of multiple field marks or a photo. We look for evidence-based sightings. Remember that just because a species is on a county basic checklist, it does not suggest even distribution throughout the county or even particularly high numbers.

As always, I appreciate it when birders get in touch with me to share sightings, photos, or recordings. It helps us build our collective year list. If you would like a copy of our 2023 city checklist, please request it from checklistedmonds at gmail dot com. I will post a checklist with the January sightings in the bird information box at the Olympic Beach Visitor Station at the base of the public pier.

Good birding,

Carol Riddell
Edmonds, WA

Abundance codes: (1) Common, (2) Uncommon, (3) Harder to find, usually seen annually, (4) Rare, 5+ records, (5) Fewer than 5 records