Birding at Brightwater

Brightwater Sewage Treatment Plant, photo from nbcnews.com

Male Gadwall

Today I led a hike for adults at Brightwater Sewage Treatment Plant off of WA State Route 9.  This site has gone through a lot of changes, having once housed multiple businesses and a baseball field, it is now home to a state of the art sewage treatment plant and environmental facility.  Wetlands were constructed as mitigation for the plant when it was built.  After 10 years, it has become a beautiful site full of nature and of course, birds.  (All of the birds listed were species we saw or heard on the hike, only!)

American Shovelers (male in front) and Green-winged Teal (male)

I am going to do my usual bird count but I'm going to break up the birds seen by habitat.  This site offers easily accessed trails so they are great for people with all sorts of mobility.  You may also see a lot of leashed dogs here, too, which can scare away the birds, so come early.  On our bird walk today we are going to start at the ponds.  There are a number of stormwater retention ponds and natural ponds throughout the site.  The pond directly in front of the environmental center (pictured above) is a fantastic place to view waterfowl.  Birds you may see in winter include:
(All waterfowl pictures were taken at Brightwater by the author!)

Male Ring-necked Duck

Mallard, American Wigeon, American Shoveler, Hooded Merganser, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Canada Goose, Red-winged Blackbird, Killdeer.

Pine Siskin (winter plumage/immature)

The pond below is much larger and is not fed by stormwater and has a fish population and until recently, beaver activity.  You will see some of the same ducks down here as well but you may also see the Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorant and one of my favorites, the Belted Kingfisher.

Once we cross the bridge and head into the alders and wetlands, the species of birds shifts.  There are a few ponds scattered throughout the forested loops, but for the most part, you will be seeing more passerines, finches and woodpeckers. Make sure to look up, as well, because Red-tailed Hawks frequently visit.

The alder wetlands by the bridge are a great place to see the following in winter:

Spotted Towhee (male)

Spotted Towhee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Pine Siskin and American Goldfinch.  You will also see various waterfowl in the ponds.  This is a great spot to see warblers and other migrants in the spring and summer!!

The Brightwater site is so great because of the variety of habitats.  As you walk further into the forested trails, you will  notice some shrub habitat, forest habitat and open meadow habitat.  In the shrub and forested habitat be on the lookout for:

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow, Anna's Hummingbird, Red-breasted Sapsucker, American Crow, Bewick's Wren, Northern Flicker, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pileated Woodpecker.  

We also saw a dark-morph Red-Tailed Hawk and Bald Eagle circling.  The dark-morph is rather uncommon but it looks almost exactly like a regular red-tailed hawk but with a darker tint.

On my way out I did see a Meadow Lark in the tree!  I was so stunned.  Even though they are a year-round resident here, it is not a bird you commonly see, especially at a site like Brightwater, which is lacking the tall, open grassland this bird prefers.  It was a very unusual sighting.  However, probably not as unusual as the Red-breasted Sapsucker banging away on a metal street light just like a Northern Flicker on a metal chimney.  It was likely doing it for the same purpose, to establish a territory and to ring in the ladies.  It was rather humorous watching him peck away a melody and look around with clear hopefulness, waiting for someone to join him.

Bewick's Wren

Killdeer at Brightwater

And of course I had to throw in a picture I took of one of the resident Killdeer!  They are very entertaining to watch, running around like they own the place (they may...we should probably check the deed...)

Happy Birding!!