Stormy weather made for good hunting for raptors like this bald eagle.

Stormy weather often brings in a rarity or two to the Long Beach Peninsula. The latest is a brambling. It was reported at Cape D on Ebird. It was a confirmed sighting so off the two of us went to find it. I received the email from Ebird at 2:30 p.m. and by 3 p.m. we were there. Several birders had seen it earlier. We looked until the darkness began to close in. Even so, Ebird reported one more sighting after we left. What to do? Go back the next day to see whether the brambling was still around? Of course, and that’s what we did.

It was chilly morning created by an east wind that was sending what felt like gale force gusts every once in a while. After several hours we decided to leave, but alas the heavy gusts had blown down a tree blocking the road out of Cape D. So back we went to the yurt area where it was first reported by a birder to Ebird. We weren’t there for more than ten minutes when a small flock of dark-eyed juncos landed on the grassy area next to yurt 66! Among them was the brambling! It was a life bird for the two of us.

The brambling is widespread in Eurasia from Scandinavia to the eastern side of Russia. According to migration data it is a regular migrant to the Aleutian and Pribilof islands and to western Alaska (Bird, 2019). It does appear on occasion in other parts of the U.S. and in Canada. Sibley (2014) calls it a very rare visitor from Eurasia. In Pacific County there are less than five observations on record as of 2023, which makes it a rarity. To my knowledge it has never been recorded before on the Long Beach Peninsula.

The brambling is about the size of dark-eyed junco. Its distinctive plumage made it stand out in the crowd. The bird sported an unstreaked, orange breast, orange shoulder and white rump. It is winter, so its head is gray, and the bill is yellow. The orange made for bright plumage that couldn’t be missed in a flock of juncos.

Another rare visitor from Eurasia, namely, the Eurasian wigeon, has appeared during the stormy weather. It is considered rare on the peninsula. If seen it is generally foraging with a flock of American wigeon that are common and widespread. There is usually only one Eurasian! The Oysterville field/wetland has attracted many species of waterfowl during these stormy days, but the most exciting find so far is the Eurasian wigeon. Its rufous coloring makes it stand out from the American wigeon. A breeding Eurasian has a dark rufous head and buffy forehead, while the nonbreeding bird is all rufous. Typically, I have been seeing the Eurasian wigeon in breeding plumage.

Some of our winter residents are relatively uncommon, which means they are here but may not be certain to be seen. The hermit thrush is one of these species. It is easily recognized by its rufous tail and thrush like appearance and habits. It can generally be seen at Cape D in the campsite and yurt areas or on the edges of the roadways foraging with varied thrush and robins.

The northern shoveller is also uncommon on the peninsula, and during most seasons. I have rarely seen shovellers in winter, but during the stormy weather I am seeing a small flock of nine regularly in one of the wetlands adjacent to the shore of Willapa Bay.

Lest I forget, the stormy weather has been good for our more common residents. The tide is high, the rain has been pouring down almost every minute of the day for a few days now, and the winds are fierce, so the nutrients are being stirred up just like they are when we have king tides. Thus, I am also seeing large flocks of dunlin in the wetlands. The smaller peeps like the least sandpiper are joining them for the feast. Red-winged blackbirds, European starlings, great blue herons, greater yellowlegs, and mallards are also constant visitors to the nutritious goodies in the wetlands along the bay. As we know, this brings out the raptors. Bald eagles sit high in a Sitka spruce and in another spruce sits a red-tailed hawk which I was lucky enough to see swoop in for the kill and miss!

Stormy weather like the type we have been having has been good for the birds. And to think of it, it has been good for me too. Happy birding!