Subject: Yard Birds and SE Arizona (GOS in yard!!)
Date: Apr 13 23:11:13 2000
From: Birdking88 at aol.com - Birdking88 at aol.com


Hi everyone, for those who are interested I have updated my webpage and have
a new journal entry for my SE Arizona Birding Trip. We had a great time and I
got 52 lifers! The address for the trip report is:
http://hometown.aol.com/birdking88/arizona-trip.html

Since we've been gone in Arizona it seems spring has sprung around here! I
saw the first RUFOUS HUMMER in the yard on April 4th. It was a female and now
there are about 3 of them, all females. All the trees are leafing out and the
flowers are blooming! VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS are abundant now in our yard but
haven't found our nestboxes that they have used the last few years. On April
10 I saw the first AMERICAN GOLDFINCH in our yard this year, flying really
high. For Diane: on April 2nd there were 3 TURKEY VULTURES flying due north
over our yard, on April 13 I saw one TV soaring low. On April 6 an OSPREY
flew over for a year bird. There are still a few winter birds sticking
around; on April 5th I saw 5 RED CROSSBILLS fly over, which isn't many
compared to the 100 that were here in January! Also hanging around are 40 or
more PINE SISKENS (sometimes a few stick around our yard well into summer)
and 4 VARIED THRUSHES. I have seen some mating CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES in
the yard so it seems that they will be using our nestbox again this year! Dad
saw an adult BALD EAGLE soaring over the Safeway in Bonney Lake. There are
still a few RAVENS flying over sometimes. I occasionally see our PILEATED
WOODPECKER flying over the yard. Yesterday at 7:37 PM I saw a lifer in my own
yard! An adult female NORTHERN GOSHAWK flew low over our yard! I got
beautiful views of the bird through binocs. It was all dark blue-gray with
fine barring on underparts, and huge! Way too big for a Cooper's and it was
definitely an accipiter! How good can it get? Good Birding!

Visit my birding website at:
http://hometown.aol.com/birdking88/index.html

Birdking88 at aol.com
Charlie W. Wright
Sumner, WA
Age 11