Mindful Birding Missive: 17 February 2026
Dear Birders,
 
Despite a bitterly cold wind, seven birders met on Bayshore Drive to bird Fisherman Bay and San Juan Channel. The saltmarsh supported large numbers of elegant Northern Pintail, many huddled with heads tucked under wings. Smaller Green-winged Teal and a few Mallards scattered among the pools and mudflats. Beyond, in the open bay, two flocks of about 20 Common Goldeneyes each - mostly males - dove for crustaceans. Their smaller cousins, the Buffleheads ranged between bay and channel. The males of these two species are both black and white, but their patterning is different. Goldeneyes' heads are mostly black with a small white spot below the eye. Buffleheads sport a large white wedge from behind the eye to the back of the head.
 
              
      Common Goldeneye male                                      Bufflehead male
 
One adult Bald Eagle perched in their typical fir tree beyond the north end of the bay. In the channel we spotted 2 punk-headed female Common Mergansers and one punk-headed female Hooded Merganser (about half the size of its larger cousin). 
            
          Common Merganser female                             Hooded Merganser female
 
The birds were worth frozen fingers and toes!
 
The next walks will be on March 3 & 10 (please note that March 10 is the second Tuesday this month. There will not be a walk on March 17.) Outings are limited to 6 people for a quality experience, so please sign up early at the library or by emailing Beth@LopezLibrary.org
 
Thanks for coming out!
Beth

Recommended Resources
Cornell Lab's All About Birds

An amazing free resource from Cornell University. A field guide online plus articles, Live Cams, Courses, and more. Look up each bird we saw to see multiple photos of each species, including male/female/immature, perched/flying images, as well as food, nesting, behavior, and conservation information.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America by Jon L. Dunn
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America
by Jon L. Dunn

National Geographic's iconic, best-selling guide for birders and birding enthusiasts of all levels includes unique subspecies maps never before seen in a field guide; extensive migration information overlaid on species maps; field-mark labels on all artwork; text updates with new species; reorganization reflecting taxonomic changes in the bird community; organization, readability, and increased page count.
Peterson field guide to birds of western North America / : Includes Birds of Hawaii
by Roger Tory Peterson

"A new edition of the best-selling field guide, with 25 all-new plates covering the birds of Hawaii"
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America by David Allen Sibley
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America
by David Allen Sibley

Now completely revised and updated, the authoritative guide to over 700 birds of the American West from renowned birder, illustrator, and New York Times bestselling author David Sibley Compact and comprehensive, this guide features 715 bird species, plus regional populations, found west of the Rocky Mountains. Entries include stunningly accurate illustrations--more than 5,046 in total--with descriptive captions pointing out the most important field marks. Each entry also includes the most current information concerning frequency, nesting, behavior, food and feeding, voice description, and key identification features. This improved edition includes: - Updated habitat, description, behavior, and conservation text for each species account and all family pages.- New and revised illustrations of species and regional forms.- New design featuring species accounts in columns, allowing for better comparison and more illustrations and text.- Current taxonomic order and up-to-date common names.- All maps revised to reflect the most current range information.- More species and rarities included. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America contains more than 652 updated maps drawn from information contributed by 110 regional experts across the continent, and shows winter, summer, year-round, migration, and rare ranges.
Sibley's Birds of the Pacific Northwest Coast
by David Allen Sibley

53 waterbirds commonly found in the region; migratory birds and year-round residents; shorebirds, gulls and terns; wading birds; ducks. Waterproof, accordion-style.

 
Sibley's Backyard Birds of the Pacific Northwest
by David Allen Sibley

69 land birds commonly found in the region; migratory species and year-round residents; songbirds, hawks, woodpeckers and more. Waterproof, accordion-style.
 
A Guide to Birds of San Juan Island by Monika Wieland
A Guide to Birds of San Juan Island
by Monika Wieland

San Juan Island is a diverse place made up of a wide variety of habitats: shorelines, farmlands, forests, and prairies. As a result, over 300 bird species have been documented here. Whether a budding nature enthusiast, an advanced birder, or somewhere in between, A Guide to Birds of San Juan Island will give you details about all of the birds that can be seen here and where to find them. Part species guide and part site guide, Monika Wieland's book will help residents and visitors alike discover more about the bird life of San Juan Island.

Most of the birds in this guide are also on Lopez Island. This is a great reference (not a field identification guide) for specific information about birds in the islands.
Birding in the San Juan Islands
by Mark G. Lewis & Fred A. Sharpe

Places to bird and the birds of the islands. A bit out of date, but still a valuable resource. Out of print; keep an eye out for used copies.
Birding in the San Juan Islands by Mark G. Lewis & Fred A. Sharpe

Lopez Island Library
2225 Fisherman Bay Rd
Lopez Island, Washington 98261
360-468-2265
www.lopezlibrary.org