Hello Tweets,

Ken Knittle and I birded 3 counties today(Pierce-Mason Co.), starting at
the Hylebos Waterway in E.Tacoma, where good numbers on nesting PURPLE
MARTINS were observed near the tidal flats. a single drake GREEN-WINGED
TEAL was observed at the Gog-le-hi-te Wetland along Lincoln Ave. near the
Puyallup River, a rare summer occurance for this species in W WA. A
stakeout W.SCRUB JAY and W.SCRUB X STELLER'S JAY were seen near Spanaway
Lake. In Ft.Lewis including Johnson's Marsh, prairies east of S.R.507,
Chamber's Lake, and an extensive marsh/wetland at the west end of 176th St.
off of Pacific Hwy., several notables included a SORA, a nesting pair of
BALD EAGLE, WOOD DUCK, 1 calling NORTHERN BOBWHITE,1 VESPER SPARROW, 5-6
HORNED LARKS, WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, 2 HOUSE WRENS, BROWN CREEPER,
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, 8-9 pair of PURPLE MARTINS at Johnson's Marsh,
HUTTON'S VIREO, 1 LAZULI BUNTING, CHIPPING SPARROW, EVENING GROSBEAK, RED
CROSSBILL, and other common nesting species, but remarkably NO WESTERN
BLUEBIRDS, until we got to the Weir Prairie near the town of Rainier in
Thurston Co., where 6 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS were noted, along with 4 VESPER
SPARROWS, several HOUSE WRENS, 2 AM.KESTRELS, 6 PURPLE MARTINS, 1 TURKEY
VULTURE, CHIPPING SPARROW, among as at the Ft.Lewis areas other common
nesting species in appropriate habitat. In Mason Co. at Kennedy Creek, our
best bird of the day was a single HEERMANN'S GULL in a flock of Ring-billed
Gulls and Caspian Terns at approaching high tide, which was a new county
bird for Ken and I. Other notables included returning shorebirds with 1
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 12 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and 7
LEAST SANDPIPERS. 6 PURPLE MARTINS were also seen to the north of the
estuary on pilings, presumably nesting, as well as birds flying over.

Good Birding!

Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net