[Tweeters] Edmonds 2020 Roundup

[Carol Riddell]

Hi Tweets,

We added Canvasback (code 4) and Ancient Murrelet (code 3) to our year list in November. There were no new year birds in December.

We reached a 2020 year total of 185 species, a number that is pretty consistent from year to year since we have been tracking year birds. All of the expected species (codes 1-3) were reported with the exception of three code 3 species: Long-tailed Duck, Ruddy Duck, and Bullock’s Oriole. There were two eBird reports of single Ruddy Ducks on the waterfront, with no photos and no details. It is possible that one might be seen in the protected waters of the marina, but it is an unlikely sighting on our exposed waterfront. Ruddy Duck can be seen in the marsh or on the Edmonds portion of Lake Ballinger from time to time when it is present in Edmonds. It is one of the more difficult code 3 birds to find here. Waterfront reports of this would require further information to be added to our year lists. This also applies to Iceland, Western, and Herring Gulls. All three are code 4 species in Edmonds that would require documentation, such as a good description of critical field marks or preferably a good photo, before we would add them to the city year list.

If you would like a copy of our 2021 Edmonds city checklist, please request it at checklistedmonds at gmail dot com. We will send you a pdf copy that you can print out for field use or just keep on your computer for reference.

Good birding in 2021,

Carol Riddell
Edmonds, WA

Abundance codes: (1) common, (2) uncommon, (3) harder to find, usually seen annually, (4) rare, 5+ records, (5) fewer than 5 records