Last summer Clarice and I were surveying a private property site for a short
plat, just east of the Pierce County fairgrounds in Graham. Although only a
half mile east of the mess that is south Meridian, it was at least still
unpaved. The new owner bought the ten acres hoping to put a couple of houses
on a large open grassy "meadow", but we figured out that it was wetlands
because of clay soil and a water table sometimes just below the surface. One
day we happened to notice a male western bluebird picking about in the grass,
so we got the owner's permission to nail a bluebird box to an old fence post.
Then, things going on as they do, we never got back out there, and since we
were marginally late in the year putting up the box we didn't figure any
thing happened.

Anyway, today we were back out on the site putting in wetland buffer signs (a
Pierce County requirement) and saw both a male and female bluebird. There
were also the remains of year old nest in the box. Nice to see an occasional
bluebird out there still in the world, and somewhere other than Fort Lewis or
McChord. Spring must really be springing.

By the way, thanks to the folks who sent me locations of birding spots in
Boise (didn't keep everyone's e-mail addresses, so I'm broadcasting this).
Found all the spots everyone mentioned, had a good time although the weather
was difficult (the kind of wind that shakes your car, followed by blowing
snow.) Between gales we saw redtails bringing prey to nests and generally
showing off in the wind, prairie falcons, ferruginous nesters, lots of
acrobatic ravens, peregrines on silos, and some more spring signs like Say's
phoebe and violet green swallows in the canyon (and a rock wren). Thanks all.
-------------------------------------
Name: Jerry Broadus
jbroadus at seanet.com
901-16th. St S.W.
Puyallup, Wa. 98371
206-845-3156
03/26/96
17:08:49