Laura and I took a short walk through the cheese factory clearcut in Lacey
this morning, soaking up the sun along with the alligator lizards along the
paths. The Clay-colored Sparrow is still singing in the northeast corner.
We saw two brilliant Lazuli Buntings singing, one along the center road,
one closer to the eastern edge. Each year, their song pattern seems to
change; this year, the song of choice seems shorter and buzzier than last
year's more liquid warbles.

Other birds of interest: Lots of White-crowned Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows
and yellowthroats, a singing yellow-rump, and a very small adult
Sharp-shinned Hawk hunting over the open cut.

On our return home, we found that the neighbors down the street had picked
up a newly-fledged Saw-whet Owl in the street late last night. They had
called Olympic Wildlife Rescue and were ready to take the little guy in.
It seemed unhurt, amd given the tame nature of these birds, I think I would
have been inclined to place it back in a fir clump and hope that the
parents were around, but they were insistent on taking it in. We'll see.

Eric Kraig
Olympia, WA
kraig at wln.com