Kitsap County Today

I liked the setting of this Great Blue Heron on a large rock off shore today at Point-no-Point.

Today Ken and I met at the Purdy Park & Ride at 7:30 to head to the Nature Conservancy at Foul Weather Bluff in hopes of finding the Snow Bunting that had been seen there yesterday by Debbie Sutherland. We had planned to go to explore the Noble Knob trail near Mt. Rainier, but the SNBU sighting prompted us to try for a new county species for Ken (and of course for me too). It was to no avail, as we tried for a couple of hours, but no bunting to be found. We did find a Yellow Jacket Hornet nest, and both got stung a few times. We managed a list of 42 species, a few with decent photos.

This first-winter plumage Bonaparte's Gull at Point-no-Point gave a close in fly-by for photos. I like these two angles best.

After there we decided to search appropriate habitat in the general area in hopes of relocating the Snow Bunting. This was also to no avail, with stops at Foul Weather Bluff proper, Point-no-Point, and Point Julia. The wind was cool and brisk all day, and the sun just finally broke through at just the end of the day's birding. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the day's birding.

This Black-bellied Plover was well camouflaged in the rocks in front of a flock of Heermann's Gulls at Point-no-Point.

Here are some gull photos showing how size differences though not terribly noticeable when birds are seen by themselves, can be dramatic when side-by-side.

Bonaparte's Gulls are our smallest common gull in this area. Here this BOGU looks tiny compared to the Heermann's Gulls, which themselves are a smallish gull.

California Gulls are a medium-to-large gull that dwarfs the same Heermann's Gulls that look large beside the Bonaparte's Gull.

This Glaucous-winged Gull, one of our "big guys", a typical sized large 4-year white-headed gull, seems really large beside the same Heermann's Gulls.

This California Scrub Jay was at Point-no-Point today.

No Snow Bunting but lots of other fun species today. Good birding. Steem on!