Subject: Thurston Co. highlights
Date: Mar 14 19:02:03 1999
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded E.Thurston Co., mainly the Tenino-Rainier area
with a few quality highlights including:

3 WHITE-TAILED KITES(2 adults and 1 immature)
1 SHORT-EARED OWL
1 female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD
4 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS
1 N.SHRIKE
1 white-striped WHITE-THROATED SPARROW

We started at the end of Mima Acres Rd. near Tenino, where 1 W.T.KITE was
present at 1pm on private property, where we learned that kites have been
present in the area for 3 years, according to local residents, which we
visited, so this species should be closely watched for possible breeding in
this area. We travelled ENE to the Weir Prairie near Rainier, where 4
W.BLUEBIRDS were encountered during an hour visit of the area, then we
headed back to Tenino, where several W.SCRUB JAYS were present throughout
the town. At the end of Mima Acres Rd., we checked again for any kites,
during a brief shower, but NO kites, but 1 W.T.SPARROW was observed at a
resident feeder along with overhead TREE and V.G.SWALLOWS and 1 adult
COOPER'S HAWK. At 4pm we observed 3 W.T.KITES near the gravel pit, west of
Tenino flying briefly together, then splitting up in sperate directions,
with only one bird staying nearby for a few photographes. We also observed
and photographed a female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD feeding and foraging along a
fenceline near the gravel pit. Other birds in the general area during our
visit included: 1 S.E.OWL, 1 T.VULTURE, 8 R.N.PHEASANTS, 1 N.SHRIKE, and
relatively good numbers of W.MEADOWLARKS.

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net