The plan was to just relax and get organized for the trip to Arizona on Thursday, but I took a look at https://birddash.net/us/wa/ and saw the report of the Red-footed Booby. There was a report as late as 5:30 yesterday morning of the bird. This felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity. I only hesitated to discuss with Sandra in case she has other plans for the day. When she gave the go ahead I packed a sandwich and hit the road.
It was a 2.5 hour drive from where I live. In between watching the road, listening to various bird podcasts, and kept hoping the drive would be worth it. My anticipation grew with each mile.
When I got to Fort Worden, I wasn't sure what the parking situation would be around the Marine Center so I parked at the top of the hill. As I started to walk down my anxiety about missing the bird evaporated as I could see several people with cameras pointed toward the roof of the Marine center. There would be my bird!
What a thrill to be able to see such a bird so close. I watched for several minutes before making the 2.5 hour trip back home. This was the 3rd state record of this bird if it is accepted. According to Chatgpt:
As of recent records, there have been very few sightings of the Red-footed Booby in Washington State. The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a tropical seabird that is generally found in warmer climates, particularly around the islands of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.
However, due to rare vagrancy, there have been at least two documented instances of Red-footed Boobies being spotted in Washington:
August 2017 - A Red-footed Booby was observed at Cape Disappointment, a state park in the southwestern part of Washington. This sighting was significant because it was one of the first confirmed records of the species in the state.
September 2020 - Another Red-footed Booby was seen in the Seattle area, near Edmonds. This bird was noted as being exhausted and was later taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center.
These sightings are exceptionally rare given the species' usual range, and they often generate significant interest among birders. If you need more recent or detailed information, it might be necessary to check with local birding organizations or recent bird sighting reports.
This was a great surprise and well worth the trip. This makes my 8th Life Bird of the summer. I think it is unlikely I will hit my original goal of 100 birds for the summer, but with the trip to Arizona this weekend there is still a shot. Either way it is going to be fun trying.
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