Tweeters,

Yesterday, while driving north toward Littlerock along the Black River
in Thurston County Washington, I saw two animals running down the
oncoming traffic lane. I quickly discovered that it was a Snowshoe
Hare with a weasel in hot pursuit. Both of them seemed to realize
that my truck was a bigger concern than anything they had going
as they both turned and dashed off the road into the brush. This is
the second time I have observed a weasel chasing a rabbit. The first
time it was also in the road (Evergreen Parkway near The Evergreen
State College) though I think that might have been an Eastern Cottontail
rather than a native rabbit. I followed them into the forest and found
the weasel peering at me from a Montain Beaver burrow.

I encountered about half a dozen Yellow-rumped Warblers on Saturday between
Birds Unlimited and Toys R Us on the west side of Olympia. This seems to
be a productive spot for less common birds as I encountered a sizeable
winter flock of Cedar Waxwings here a few winters back feeding on hawthorn
berries.

Kelly McAllister