Bird watching in late October

As we reach the end of October, cooler weather, shorter days and frequent rainfall have entirely changed bird watching. Waterfowl are now arriving to Thurston County in good numbers and, for reasons not fully understood, mild rainy weather (but not a downpour) provokes more activity and vocalization of the smaller birds, thus making it easier for we casual birders to spot them. 

The Wednesday Bird Walk at Nisqually yesterday reported 76 bird species. This number included the three shorebirds I described in last week’s column, American golden-plover, black-bellied plover and Hudsonian whimbrel. They also found many waterfowl species and a few trumpeter swans.

A trumpeter swan.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

If you decide to visit the refuge, you might also drive south along the Nisqually Cut-Off Road. Large flocks of cackling geese are feeding in the fields near the Schilter Pumpkin Patch. Next week the geese will have full access to the then-abandoned pumpkin fields. 

A male redhead.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

Another location to look for arriving waterfowl is the North Pool of Capitol Lake. Among the hundreds of ducks located there, one sharp-eyed birder found two redhead males. This species is a very common wintering duck in Eastern Washington, but rare here. The gray back, black upper breast, red head and gray bill are key identification markers. 

A canvasback.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

Other interesting ducks being seen in the north pool are canvasback, ring-necked duck, American wigeon (with at least one Eurasian wigeon in the flock), and greater white-fronted geese. Canvasback males have a color combination similar to the redhead, but the dark bill, lighter back and unusual sloping head profile distinguishes them.  

Eurasian wigeon.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

Eurasian wigeon males also sport a red head, but with a distinctive golden center stripe. Also, the wigeon flocks will be closer to their shoreline and their shallow feeding areas.   

Many birders will be using spotting scopes to check the waterfowl flocks toward the center of the lake. If your “spotting” is limited to binoculars, or just your eyes, don’t be discouraged. I feel confident that birders along the lake with telescopes will be happy to share with you what they are seeing — just ask. 

Brown pelicans

For months, up to five brown pelicans have been hanging out in and around the Olympia harbor area and the adjacent Capitol Lake. However, the last pelican observation was Oct. 25. They may be gone now, but they are not forgotten. 

Olympia Christmas Bird Count

The Olympia CBC this year is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 20. There is a new organizer and compiler this year, Tim Leque. For more information on joining the count, you can contact Tim by email at timleque@hotmail.com.  

There are several ways a new person can get involved. First, you can join one of the counting teams (there are many spread across the count circle), either for all day or just a part day. Or, assuming that you live inside the count circle, you could just do a count around your neighborhood. The local team leader, who Tim will put you in touch with, adds your numbers into the overall total.  

Finally, if you have bird feeder(s), including hummingbird feeders, you could watch carefully on the count day, document how many birds of what species are visiting. It’s an interesting exercise because, if done carefully, it turns that mass of avian visitors into multiple species, each behaving somewhat differently. At the end of your count, you send in your numbers, along with your location, for Tim to add to the overall totals. 

George Walter is environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department; he also has a 45+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com 

Photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, a talented 19-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.