Tweeters,

Thanks to Jim Flynn for joining in on the Olympia Christmas Bird
Count. As always, it was a learning experience for me.

A *Peregrine Falcon* perched on a prominant tree top and provided us
with as much viewing opportunity as we wanted. The agricultural
fields around this bird are full of gulls, waterfowl, blackbirds,
starlings, and more so it was a good place for a bird-eater to be.

Jim picked up the call of *American Pipits* and we had a total of
69 fly over us before it was over. They landed in a field that
still had pumpkins in portions of it. We were able to view them
bobbing about in the rutted soil.

The last true highlight for me was a *Lincoln's Sparrow* that sat quietly
on its perch in a brush pile, as though mimicking the quiet disposition
of the Golden-crowned sparrows and single White-crowned sparrow that shared
the pile.

Jim and I saw 65 species.

Boat folks on the Olympia count (Pruske, McNett, Kluh,???) laid claim
to seeing Red-necked Phalaropes out on the Sound. Haven't there been
some posts of Red Phalaropes lately? Who saw them? Where?

Oh, I was glad to hear that Brant were seen at the mouth of McAllister
Creek too.

Kelly McAllister