Greetings Tweeters,
This is my first posting. I've enjoyed reading Tweeters for about a month now, and was excited to read about the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD in Olympia because I live in Olympia. Today I set out to find it, and it took three trips to the location...but the third time was a charm.
First, I was there (behind the Olympia Transcription Office) on State Street between McCormick and Fir around 9:30 am. Met Ruth Sullivan. Did not see the mockingbird. Went for a jog around Capitol Lake and returned. I stayed from 10:15 until 11:00am with no luck.
At 4pm, I returned, just as the rain let up. I looked and looked...and spotted a SCRUB JAY in the thicket of blackberry bushes. Just then, I heard a "sneezing" sound as described in the first report. My ears drew me to another, smaller bird also in the thicket of blackberry bushes. It was the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD!!! It is quite a bit smaller than the scrub jay, which surprised me. The two of them perched in the bushes just a couple of feet from each other. The thicket is behind the house. The mockingbird sat for quite a while, wiping its bill on branches and sneezing....is it a "sneeze" or some kind of normal noise for a mocking bird? Then it went to the ground on the East side of the thicket, sat on a moss covered rock, then ate from a discarded apple core..and returned to the thicket...and "sneezed" a lot.
I watched it for maybe 20 minutes, then left (I was getting cold).
Having seen this bird, it looks very much like a "mystery bird" I couldn't quite identify in my yard about three weeks ago...but that bird was making a loud calling sound I didn't recognize...it flew away before I could get a good enough look at it.
I live just outside of city limits on the west side of town, next to a small creek and pond. Birds I see daily from my house include: RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, CHESTNUT BACKED CHICKADEES AND BLACKCAPPED CHICKADEES, DOWNY WOODPECKERS, OREGON JUNCOS, HOUSE FINCHES, PINE SISKINS, FLICKERS, STELLERS JAYS, ROBINS, CROWS, STARLINGS, RED BREASTED NUTHATCHES, SPOTTED TOWHEES, SONG SPARROWS, GOLDEN CROWNED SPARROWS. Often, a sharp shinned hawk, great blue heron, little green heron (summer), bald eagles, red tailed hawks and osprey(summer). Great horned owls and screech owls. Once, a northern pygmy owl eating a small bird!
The pond affords daily viewing of BUFFLEHEADS, RING NECK DUCKS, HOODED MERGANSERS, AMERICAN WIGEONS, CANADA GEESE, MALLARDS, and sometimes PIED BILLED GREBES and one COMMON GOLDEN EYE.
I probably forgot some, and these are just the winter birds. I love living here and I love seeing new birds.
Thankyou so much for the continuous conversations and sharings of birds!

Valerie Anderson
Olympia, Washington
mailto: valerie62266 at earthlink.net