[Tweeters] Edmonds Roundup - April 2022

[Carol Riddell]

Hi Tweets,

We added 9 species in April and ended the month with a year list of 135. The new species, in taxonomic order, are:


Eurasian Wigeon (code 3), 1 male at the marsh, 4-21 to 4-30-22, and also seen on the Sound from Water Street 4-25 and 4-30-22. (A nice find since we missed this species in 2021.)

Greater Scaup (code 2), 1 at the waterfront, 4-9-22.

Long-billed Dowitcher (code 3), 1 at the marsh, 4-27-22.

Caspian Tern (code 2), at the waterfront and other sites, 4-8-22.

Osprey (code 2), Hwy 99 cell tower nest, 4-2-22.

Chipping Sparrow (code 4), 2 at the marsh, 4-27-22.

Nashville Warbler (code 4), 1 in the Edmonds Lake Ballinger neighborhood.

Common Yellowthroat (code 3), 1 at the marsh, 4-27-22.

Black-throated Gray Warbler (code 2), Yost Park, 4-16-22.


There are three species reported in eBird that we decided not to add to our year list at this time. We are reluctant to add species that lack checklist details when we do not know the birder, do not know the birding skills, and have no way to contact the reporter for specifics of the observation. Northern Shoveler (code 1) has been a perplexing miss so far this year. One report at the marsh, with no details, in late April was not  confirmed by local birders who were also there that day.

California Quail has become a difficult code 3 find in Edmonds. It was once much more common. There were several April reports of the species as heard only birds in unusual locations from eBirders who are unknown to us. We are thus not going to add it to our year list at this time. It always warrants a description, photo, or recording to document it here. This is so helpful when we don’t know the birding skills of the reporter or the specifics of the observation.

Brewer’s Blackbird has also become a difficult code 3 in Edmonds. The species was represented here for a number of years with one adult pair that alternated between the former Senior Center at Olympic Beach and the marsh. The male disappeared and the female continued up until December 2021, most often being seen at Brackett’s Landing North. There have been no sightings of the female in 2022. In preparing this roundup I found a report of an eye-popping 4 Brewer’s Blackbirds on the waterfront by visiting birders who are unknown to us. No regular waterfront birder has reported any of this species this year. We have decided not to add the species to our year list as the report is only a tick on a checklist with no details of the observation.

As always, I appreciate it when birders get in touch with me to share sightings, photos, or audio. It helps us build our collective year list. If you would like a copy of our 2022 city checklist, please request it from checklistedmonds at gmail dot com. The 2022 checklist is posted in the bird information box at the Visitor Station at the base of the public pier and is up to date through April.

Good birding,

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