Hi Tweets:
Yesterday I was joined by two others as we did a full day of good birding in
our local areas. I was doing a birdathon, so we kept moving. Our most
productive areas were GRNRA (Kent Ponds), DesMoines Pier and DesMoines Creek
Trails, Lake Fenwick, and Soos Creek. But we had a surprise bird at the Old
Fishing Hole, a Bullock's Oriole. He was singing in the top of a small
cottonwood tree, totally ignoring the cars and people below.
At DesMoines Pier we had 2 pair of Harlequin Ducks, some Caspian Terns, and
several Pigeon Guillemots. At Lake Fenwick we heard Swainson's Thrush doing
its "whit" call. We saw Western Tanagers, and Wood Ducks. There were a
good number of bird species at GRNRA (Kent Ponds), but very few shorebirds;
just Western Sandpipers, and 2 Spotted Sandpipers. At Soos Creek we had
several very-vocal Virginia Rails, some Or-crowned Warblers, a Warbling
Vireo, and a Cedar Waxwing.
Some other warblers seen/heard on our trip were Black-throated Gray Warbler,
Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler (a few), and Wilson's Warbler (lots).
The Oriole in Kent at the old Fishing Hole at Meeker St. on the Green River
was our biggest surprise. They are not common in our area.
We had a good day, despite cooler, cloudy weather, w/ some misty drops in
the morning. We started at 6:30 AM and I ended at 7:00 at night. We saw or
heard 71 species. I guess I should have gone owling, but I ran out of
gas...... But I sure had fun.
See you out there birding.
Carol Schulz
DesMoines
linusq at worldnet.att.net