Hello Tweeters,
Yesterday i took a short trip to Olympia to the Black Lake Meadows
preserve.This is the place Patrick and i and view other birder watched the
City of Olympia turn this in verry positive way.One serves as a detention
pond and the other creating habitat for wildlife From May 1997 to spring
1998 we couted 110 Species of birds. This place was on the Birdbox and
Washington,s Hot-line for the most SOLITARY SANDPIPERS as many as 5 was
sighted. It,s been a while since i visit this place, and was surprised to
see most all the Scotch Broom pulled out. I know is bad to have Scotch
Broom, but here we had lots of Sparrow using it. This the same way as in
Lacy at the Clear Cut. Where we found the Clay-colores Sparrow,Lazuli
Bunting and large amount of Shipping Sparrows I know the city of Olympia
planted hundred of plants to enhance this preserve around 20000 trees and
shrubs i believe.
I found my 111 species yesterday,a Mourning Dove. I also noticed right
when you come and enter there was high water the grass all lays flat and is
realy water soaked. I walked the whole Dike around the ponds where i
observed large groups of Ducks, including:
Mallards 13
Gadwall 2
Green-winged Teals 6
American Wigeon 4
Northern Shoveler 8
Common Goldeneye 1 male
Buffelhead 16
Canada Goose 5
American Coot 10
And 6 Ring-necked Ducks
I started out whith good wether but half way going around the dike it start
to pouring down, and you would not believe there was Swallows every where,
i was scared there was hitting me.I never experience this before so many i
dont know where there all came from, there was in the hundred. All








where Tree Swallows and Viole-green Swallows. Than after
the rain stopped it was wonderfull, the little birds all comming out. I
watched 2 Flickers try to attract each either bobbing there head sideways
not beeing desturbed by my pesent. I had one Spotted Sandpiper with a
Killdeer on the edge of the pond. There both breed there, last year we
counted 14 Spotted Sandpiper at on time.lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers 6
"Audubon" and Ruby-crowned Kinglets.The Best i safe for the end. On
Percival Creek i saw a verry smal MUSKRAT swimming, he was so rusty with a
smal black tail. Patrick said he had this Muskrat last year in the pond. I
dont recall i ever see a Muskrat before ever.So i was quite thrilled over
this finding.
Ruth Sullivan
Tacoma