New Year County Birding

American Robin Turdus migratorius. Today I tried to get photos of some common county birds.

Today I got out to start the new year by birding a few locations in Pierce County. I started out hoping to find several "left over" 2018 birds, i.e. birds located in the last few days of 2018 that I might find for the new year list. First up was Black Scoter, and I managed to find 2 females at the Purdy Spit in the BUrley Lagoon. It took a bit of looking, as on the first look at the scoters it was not present, but while looking at the main water by the spit, when a group of scoters flew back into the Burley Lagoon. On a second try I found the Black Scoters.

American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos (Some experts feel all of our Puget Sound area crows are hybrids between Northwest Crows and American Crows)

Next I hoped to find Wood Ducks at the Adam Tallman Park in Gig Harbor without luck, but there was a male Pileated Woodpecker posing for photos, as well as the molting Northern Pintail shown below.

Northern Pintail Anas acuta in heavy molt.

At the DeMolay Sand Spit Preserve and the bridge at Fox Island were the expected birds on the Puget Sound, and at Titlow Park was the hoped for Eurasian Wigeon.

Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope

From here I brought Marian back to her car and she headed home, and since the weather was so beautiful I decided to keep on birding. I made several more stops, including American Lake, Mount's Road, Easterday Road, Edmund's Marsh, Sunnyside Beach, Lake Steilacom and the Mountain View Cemetery. Here are a few more photos.

Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus.

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis.

Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca.

California Scrub Jay Aphelocoma californica.

Overall a really nice day, with 72 species to finish the day.

Good birding. Steem on! Happy New Year.