Subject: McLane Creek and Mima Mounds birding
Date: Apr 27 20:43:53 2003
From: Rob McNair-Huff - rob at whiterabbits.com


Natalie and I took advantage of the sunny weather to do some walking and
birding at the McLane Creek Nature Area and the Mima Mounds Nature Area
this afternoon. Although the number of bird species seen for the
afternoon was not huge at just 31 species, it was also a great day for
flower and plant observations and butterfly watching. We also managed to
see a few snakes, 11 turtles, numerous Rough-skinned Newts and chipmunks
at the two sites.

One of the oddest sights of the day were some kind of caterpillars that
were munching on Devil's Club in the forested area at McClane Creek, near
the creek. Is anyone familiar enough with caterpillars to know which
species might feed on such an unfriendly plant? I do have some photos of
the caterpillars and so I will be doing some research on this one...

McLane Creek, around 12 p.m.:

The trillium have just about finished their blooming and the bleeding
heart are fading and almost finished blooming as well, but the understory
is full of Wild Lily of the Valley that is just about to start blooming,
Yellow Violet, Skunk Cabbage and stunning Scoler's Corydalis along
sections of the boardwalk. Butterflies were everywhere, and in the beaver
ponds we found 11 turtles sunning on top of stumps and logs while just
below the water the Rough-skinned Newts are everywhere. We also startled
a pair of Common Garter Snakes with their distinct yellow stripe down the
back as we walked on a side trail.

- Red-winged Blackbird (numerous)
- Mallard (2)
- Canada Goose (2)
- Violet-green Swallow (8)
- American Robin (numerous)
- Ring-necked Duck (2, male and female pair)
- Common Yellowthroat (3)
- Fox Sparrow
- Song Sparrow
- Spotted Towhee
- Winter Wren
- Varied Thrush
- Chestnut-backed Chickadee
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Downy Woodpecker
- Marsh Wren
- Northern Flicker

Also seen were three butterfly species:
- Cabbage White were plentiful
- Margined White were everywhere
- Spring Azure seen just once near the beaver lodge just below the main
parking area

We moved on to the Mima Mounds area for extensive walking around 3:45 p.m.:

Birds were understandably staying out of harm's way as nearly constant
gunfire sounds from the nearby firing range drowned out their sounds.
Thankfully, gunfire had no effect on viewing the plentiful purple Camas
blooms that are everywhere along the mounds right now, nor the Shooting
Star, the pair of Death Camas, and the handful of Chocolate Lily, Desert
Parsley, Buttercup, strawberry, and Yellow and Blue Violets we found in
bloom. Still, there were birds to be seen and once the gunfire slowed
later in the day our visit was much more enjoyable and birds more plentiful.

- Hairy Woodpecker in the tree line near the parking area
- American Robin calling everywhere
- Savannah Sparrow in among the mounds on the northern trails
- Tree Swallow
- Cooper's Hawk flying along the western edge of the preserve in pursuit
of prey
- Merlin flying north into the trees
- Winter Wren
- American Crow
- Northern Harrier
- Swainson's Thrush heard but not seen
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Stellar's Jay
- kinglet sp. heard in the tree line as we left
- Killdeer

A highlight of the day for me though was finding more butterflies in one
of the larger patches of blooming Kinnickkinnick, including one stunning
butterfly that I haven't seen before today, a Two-banded Checkered
Skipper. We also found many Brown Elfin nectaring on the blooms, Cabbage
White and Spring Azure butterflies on the wing. We also saw another
skipper for a brief moment before it flew away, and after reviewing our
notes it may have been a Mardon Skipper, especially since they can be on
the wing right now and their main food plant, the Blue Violet, was in
bloom here and there among the mounds.

It was simply a glorious day to be out, especially compared to the rain
and wind and generally dark conditions we had yesterday while birding at
Brady Loop after selling our Olympic Peninsula book at the Grays Harbor
Shorebird Festival. We ended our half-day of birding this evening with
numerous Red-tailed Hawk sightings along I-5 all the way into Tacoma, a
single Turkey Vulture circling over I-5 near Nisqually, and a trio of
Bald Eagles, including one circling over Old Town while being harassed by
a crow in Tacoma.

Happy birding!

Rob

Rob McNair-Huff ---------- mailto:rob at whiterabbits.com
White Rabbit Publishing -- http://www.whiterabbits.com/
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