Misty Morning Bird Walk in the Snoqualmie Valley – Jan. 16th , 2022
Written by Kendall Wiggins
Kendall Wiggins, Master of Education
On a foggy winter morning, it’s easy to miss the nondescript turn into the Snoqualmie Wildlife Area at Stillwater, located between Carnation and Duvall in the Snoqualmie Valley. One by one, cars pull off the highway into a tiny dirt parking lot surrounded by ponds and grasses. Here, among the reeds and water-filled potholes, a group of eager birders has gathered. The group comprises members of all ages and from many places, with a wealth of experiences to share. Chilly and excited, we set out along the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, binoculars and scopes in hand.
Almost immediately, we are greeted by droves of vocal European starlings, red-winged blackbirds, and American robins perched at the tops of the bare winter trees. We spend time observing a mixed flock of ruby and golden-crowned kinglets, black-capped chickadees and brown creepers which seem to move with us down the trail. We wonder: Are we following them, or are they following us?
Throughout the walk, song sparrows, spotted towhees, and Pacific wrens keep us company as they forage in the brush and on islands of grasses in the ponds along the trail. Keen eyes spot chestnut-backed chickadees, Bewick’s wrens and a fox sparrow in the nearby shrubs. Intermittent Steller’s jays undulate between trees overhead and a common raven calls from behind the tall conifers. In the distance, double-crested cormorants fly above the Snoqualmie River as it winds its way through the valley.
Red-naped and Red-breasted Sapsucker Hybrid by Raghav Mehta
The trail is quiet for a while until we see a large flock of bushtits flitting through some low shrubs, accompanied by lone kinglets and chickadees. These adorable little birds lift our spirits as the fog begins to clear and we glimpse blue sky. Some group members continue ahead to spot the first waterfowl of the day, while others stick around and discover a sapsucker conundrum.
After many minutes of deliberation with many group members weighing in, we decide this bird is most likely a red-breasted and red-naped sapsucker hybrid, though its call was clearly that of a red-breasted sapsucker. A bald eagle watches the entire exchange from a tree across the field.
Cover photo credit by Mick Thompson.