WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: 12 views of our winged neighbors, plus an ID request

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Thanks to everyone who’s sent bird photos this month! We have enough for one of our periodic weekend galleries – starting with seabirds: Above, Steve Bender‘s photo of American Wigeons at Jack Block Park; below, Mark MacDonald photographed Harlequin Ducks at Lincoln Park:

Also at Lincoln Park, a Common Goldeneye, by Erin B. Jackson:

At Duwamish Head, Robin Sinner photographed this Black Turnstone:

Moving inland a bit, a Yellow-rumped Warbler from Jerry Simmons:

Two more from Mark MacDonald, both at Lincoln Park – a Varied Thrush:

And a Cooper’s Hawk:

They were popular to photograph in recent weeks – we’ve received other Cooper’s Hawk photos, including this one from Andrew Kronen in Belvidere:

And a closeup from Steve Bender:

Here are two owl photos – first a Great Horned Owl seen at Lincoln Park by Rob Christian:

And William Wright sent this photo last Tuesday, explaining: “The students at Fairmount Park Elementary have had a great view of a Barred Owl perched just outside one of the third-floor classroom windows; just about the whole school has made a visit to room 303 for a look at the owl who has been perched there all day.”

Now the request for ID help – Juli wondered if you can identify this bird seen at her feeder:

Thanks again for all the bird images – we also publish some with our every-morning event-preview lists (and also appreciate the other West Seattle scenes sent in for those) – westseattleblog@gmail.com is the best way to reach us, unless it’s urgent, in which case please text or call 206-293-6302!

Lily davenport January 21, 2024 (3:28 pm)

The Vashon Island school district also provides a school bus to and from the ferry dock.

Mellow Kitty January 21, 2024 (3:38 pm)

Maybe this little guy? Someone’s pet escaped?

Cindy Roberts January 21, 2024 (3:49 pm)

Possibly an Orange-crowned Warbler.

WET January 21, 2024 (4:06 pm)

I love these photos so much. Thank you to all who submit them. It is a great to see the detail in the birds feathers. Yeah for West Seattle photographers.

Insertname January 21, 2024 (4:11 pm)

Beautiful photos as always. Thanks for sharing 👍👍

Julie January 21, 2024 (4:21 pm)

I wish I could see an owl 🦉, my son did one evening. I have had eagles 🦅 fly right by and they were flying lower than the height of a telephone pole. The other week I saw a possum as I looked out the window one evening.

hd January 21, 2024 (4:43 pm)

The bared owl at Fairmont Park used to wake me up in the middle of the night! Haven’t heard them in a bit. But man! The first few times scared the living crap out of me!

VariedThrushAdmirer January 21, 2024 (4:58 pm)

Was the Varied Thrush near the proposed pickleball area? If so, I’ve seem them there also. They are one of my favorites – just beautiful and elegant birds! Thank you, WSB, for the bird photos. I never tire of them! Wondering where the Horned Owl was in Lincoln Park as I’ve never seen one but hate to ‘out’ this beautiful bird – may it be undisturbed and happy in the park – maybe bring some friends to live here!

Kersti Muul January 21, 2024 (6:46 pm)

The GHOW has been in the park over a year now
Dennis Cheasebro January 22, 2024 (9:28 am)

in the photo, the great horned owl is in a coast redwood. There’s a large grove just north of the main parking lot on the west side of the path (barred owls have nested there) and a few more trees scattered west of there.

anonyme January 21, 2024 (5:14 pm)

I saw a Great Horned Owl in what used to be the wild area behind the Chinese Garden. As for the mystery bird, can’t be sure, but I’m guessing a Cedar Waxwing. Hard to tell from the photo.

Rocky Bullwinkle January 21, 2024 (5:20 pm)

I appreciate the blog, but its these readers’ bird pics that make the blog special.

Love all the bird photos January 21, 2024 (5:29 pm)

I couldn’t agree more with you, Rocky Bullwinkle. These are all great photographs and I can’t get enough of them. The close ups of the Cooper’s Hawk and Barred Owl are just gorgeous.

Al King January 21, 2024 (5:43 pm)

WSB. Speaking of photos’……PLEASE bring back your flashback Thursdays with historical WS photo’s.

WSB January 21, 2024 (5:51 pm)

If I had someone to dig up history to help, I’d love to. No spare time at the moment – a lot of routine things (like court documents et al) have become a lot more time-consuming in recent years (even the Municipal Archives photo files are tougher to search than they used to be) … TR

Karen January 21, 2024 (5:59 pm)

Thank you!!

WSCurmudgeon January 21, 2024 (8:19 pm)

Mystery bird: Orange-crowned Warbler and Cedar Waxwing are both possible. Bird’s head is so shaded that enlarging and brightening the pic doesn’t show it’s beak and eye clearly. A more experienced birder might make something of the engagement.

OCW fan January 21, 2024 (10:34 pm)

We had a Orange-crowned warbler in Sunrise Heights this past week and it was a first at our feeder. Agree that the picture makes it hard, but wanted to add recent location IDs if it helps.

DD January 22, 2024 (1:10 pm)

Possibly a flycatcher…..hard to tell with this lighting and from this angle..but coloring is suggestive of that family.

Semi-experienced WS Birder January 22, 2024 (5:25 pm)

I wonder whether it might be an immature or female goldfinch. The light might be throwing off the ID. Hard to see any crest of a waxwing. Orange warbler rare this time of year, I think. And totally agree that this is a wonderful feature of the WSB!

Scarlett January 22, 2024 (6:12 pm)

Hard to tell, but the first photo of a juvenile Cooper’s looks an awful lot like a juvenile Sharp-shinned. The are almost identical appearing raptors that are difficult to tell apart. Glorious pics, though.