The Edmonds Fishing Pier is a bustling place this time of year. The circus has arrived in town. The winter migrants have come to play. We’re here for it. The circus performers included Surf Scoters, Rhinoceros Auklets, Red-necked Grebes, gulls, and a supporting cast of other birds. The star of the show was a lone Bonaparte’s Gull.
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I was down at the Edmonds Fishing Pier about a week ago. I spent a short time there, not even an hour, but was rewarded with an active cast of birds. The map showing the location of the Edmonds Fishing Pier and the surrounding area is found by clicking this link: Edmonds Fishing Pier. It’s close to home and I’m there often. Each visit brings something special.
Bonaparte's Gull
There was a single Bonaparte's Gull flying near the pier. I can’t describe the flight better than this excerpt from Birds of the World (subscription):
It is an unusually graceful gull, dove-like in appearance with a light, buoyant, tern-like flight.
The gull was also dropping to the water’s surface and feeding much as described here:
Feeds by plunge-diving from air to water, aerial dipping (taking food from surface in flight), surface-seizing (sitting on water and taking food from surface), surface-dipping (swimming and then dipping to pick up items below the surface), jump-plunging (swimming, then jumping upward and diving under water), and by picking up food while walking.
Another interesting factoid:
It is the only gull that regularly, indeed almost always, nests in trees.
Let’s see this bird as I saw it.
Isn’t this about the most delicately beautiful gull? I’m really enamored with this bird. For further reading: All About Birds — Bonaparte's Gull (freebie)
Surf Scoter
Clowns are part of every circus. Surf Scoters fill that role with the clownish bill of the male birds. Surf Scoters show up in winter on the Edmonds waterfront in large numbers. The pier offers a close-up perspective of their behavior. Swimming, chasing, and diving to feed.
Excerpts from Birds of the World (subscription):
Food is captured mainly underwater, and consumed whole (i.e., with shells).
Shelled foods (including mainly bivalves) are clearly an important food in many cases.
Send in the clowns.
More on the Surf Scoter can be found here: All About Birds — Surf Scoter (freebie)
Rhinoceros Auklet
The circus includes circus animals. The Rhinoceros Auklet fills that role. The Rhino Auklet derives its name from the horn on top of its bill, which in nonbreeding winter plumage is not readily visible. Interesting factoid about this horn feature:
All About Birds — Rhinoceros Auklet (freebie)
The purpose of the Rhinoceros Auklet's horn (technically part of the bill) has always been something of a mystery. But in 2019, research revealed that it's fluorescent. Although it looks grayish to us, the horn is brightly colored for animals that can see ultraviolet (as Rhinoceros Auklets can). This feature might help Rhinoceros Auklets see each other underwater when foraging or at night at their breeding colonies.
Ready
Set
Go
I’ve never seen one with its mouth agape.
Red-necked Grebe
The Red-necked Grebe is another common winter visitor and circus participant at the pier. I see them often at the pier with a squirming gunnel fish held in their bill that they’ve snagged underwater.
Birds of the World — Red-necked Grebe (subscription)
Visual predator. Pursues fish and other swimming prey underwater and plucks items off bottom and off vegetation. Captures prey by grasping with quick snap of mandibles. Sometimes peers underwater with eyes submerged, presumably looking for prey, but usually dives without apparent preliminary searching. Usually swallows prey underwater, but brings larger items or items that are difficult to handle to the surface.
Red-necked Grebe
Gulls
Gull are like the circus audience, they’re always here, always watching, looking for opportunities. The majority of the gulls we see at the Edmonds waterfront are Glaucous-winged Gulls or a hybrid gull between the Glaucous-winged Gull and the Western Gull. The hybrid is locally known as the Olympic Gull or Puget Sound Gull. The hybrids exhibit traits of both gull species in varying degrees. Most of the gulls I see are closer to the Glaucous-winged Gull, if not totally Glaucous-winged Gull. The juveniles raise more complex identification challenges.
Likely a juvenile Olympic Gull
Here’s a gull in the following photos leaning strongly to Glaucous-winged Gull.
Small Birds
The Edmonds Pier and waterfront have a circus sideshow. There is a small park on the south side of the ferry dock called Brackett’s Landing South Park. It has a grass area and some dense shrubbery and small trees, mainly northwest natives. The shrubbery attracts the small birds (passerines). In winter you can find Golden-crowned Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, House Finches, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and likely others. The map showing the location of the Brackett’s Landing South Park and the surrounding area is found by clicking this link: Brackett’s Landing South Park
On this quick visit, I spotted only House Finches. Had I lingered, I could have seen more variety.
House Finch
Well that’s it until the next time I go to the Edmonds Fishing Pier circus.
Comment on your latest observations or anything in your natural world. How’s winter going for you?.
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