Tweeters,
A gorgeous Saturday at Ft. Lewis, with a slight breeze, mid-70s temp, and mostly clear skies, interrupted only by the whistles of the bird-dog trainers and the sight of dozens of "kay-dets" (as a first sergeant I talked with called them) dressed in their boonie outfits. Bike-on-the-roof-rack and I headed to the area near a marsh that I'd birded in the past (don't know the name, but it's just south of Johnson Marsh--home of the now-abandoned Vietnam Village--but across the road and just west, near the railroad track). Unfortunately, much of the area I wanted to bike was closed to some exercise, and part of the marsh was being used by some folks trying to train a rather dim Labrador retriever. Nonetheless, it's a great place to either walk or bike, with willows and oaks immediately around the marsh, and mixed Garry oak/Ponderosa Pine/Douglas-fir out from that.

I also tried to bird Johnson Marsh, but the kay-dets were in abundance, and the first sergeant suggested that unless I wanted to get ambushed, it wasn't a good place to bike. (I ran into several dozen very tired kids in one area that I biked.) That eliminated chances at some species (Great Blue Heron, poss Western Bluebird) that I was hoping to see. I did bike the forested area immediately to the west of Johnson Marsh, picking up a few species missed at the other area. Total seen: 43 species. All in all a very pleasant outing.

Highlights included hearing many SORA and VIRGINIA RAILS at the north end of the marsh; OSPREY and COMMON RAVEN--both firsts for me at Ft Lewis; and PURPLE MARTIN with a large dragonfly in its beak. Birds expected but not seen at this site included American Coot, European Starling (!), and Brown-headed Cowbird.

Birds seen or heard (H) at Ft Lewis 7/12/2003:

Pied-billed Grebe (H)
Canada Goose
Mallard
Osprey
Bald Eagle (imm)
Red-tailed Hawk
Virginia Rail (H)
Sora (H)
Killdeer
Belted Kingfisher
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (H)
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee (many)
Warbling Vireo
Common Raven
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren (H)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler (many)
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow (many)
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (over 20 were feeding in one area)
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin

May all your birds be identified,

Denis DeSilvis
Seattle, WA
denis.j.desilvis at boeing.com