Subject: Spring is Coming
Date: Feb 25 13:31:32 2003
From: Lynn Schulz - linusq at worldnet.att.net


Hi Birders:
Spring may be coming soon. Twice in the last 4 days, in different places in
the lowland woods of DesMoines, WA I've heard the song of Hutton's Vireo.
That's the repetitive wheet, wheet, wheet rising at the end of each note and
repeated over and over. The first song was quite loud, the second time it
was almost a whisper like the bird was trying it out. I managed to pish in
this second bird.
Since it is freezing in the morning, the most bird activity around here
seems to be noon or later. I also heard Dk-eyed Juncos trying out their
warbling song.
But there is still lots of evidence that it's still
winter. Birds are still in flocks like the Bushtits, Blk-capped and
Chestnut-backed Chickadees. I even had a flock of Pine Siskins in the Kent
Valley yesterday, something in short supply this winter around here.
I'm also feeling proud of myself. I finally heard first!!! and then saw a
Townsend's Warbler in the alder catkins. Charlie Wright has been trying to
teach me how to hear these birds calling their short "Tik" for about 2
years. Of course this bird was pretty close... Charlie can hear them
several blocks away. But hey, I'm learning.
Here's to spring, and to fun with bird song, Mt. Quail, shorebirds, and
wonderful trips to E WA. I can hardly wait.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines, WA
linusq at att.net