Hi Tweets,

On December 14, in the Skookumchuck River Valley south of Olympia, Washington, my eye caught a
hovering raptor and I pulled over to look at it. A White-tailed Kite. Very nice. Through my
binoculars I watched it drop to the ground in a pasture and lift off and fly with a rodent
in its talons. As I tracked it, it passed a tree that had another White-tailed Kite perched in it.

Today, December 22, as I walked across my yard on the south side of Olympia, I heard the sound
of Grosbeaks. In the top of a maple in my neighbor's yard, there were two Evening Grosbeaks perched.
I can't recall if anyone saw this species on the Olympia Christmas Bird Count. I know I didn't see
any.

A little later, just west of the Capitol dome, I was watching Ruby-crowned Kinglets, when I
picked up an Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler. Not long thereafter, I noticed a Townsend's Warbler
in the same area. I watched the two warblers for quite awhile, often very close to one another.
A nice splash of color on a drizzly day. I was almost immediately underneath the Capitol Lake
Bald Eagle nest at the time and the male came and went. Big raft of Lesser Scaup has assembled
on Capitol Lake. At least there are some waterfowl around. I suspect my waterfowl counts in
January will be a little slim this year.

Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Olympia, Washington