Subject: Nashville Warbler in Olympia and others
Date: May 5 14:43:01 2003
From: Jason Paulios - jpaulios at hotmail.com


Hey Tweeters,
These winds and threatening clouds are really knocking the migrants
down! I was salivating over this weekend's posts and prayed for the front
to stay putI was rewarded this morning with some good local birding.
Decided to check out Tolmie State Park, since I haven't really birded there
for quite a while. Also stopped at Luhr Beach and a real brief visit to
Nisqually, the rain and wind sent me packing early. The best bird of the
day came at Tolmie State Park, a singing NASHVILLE WARBLER in the Big Leaf
Maple and Alders just off the trail to the beach. I was just about to head
off when I heard an unfamiliar song (ok. so I need to spend more time in E.
WA), luckily the bird continued to sing until I could locate him quite high
up in a B/L Maple. I saw the yellow undertail coverts, then it moved into
view and I noticed the yellow throat and the gray head. It foraged and
sang, eventually giving me stellar views, saw the white in the belly (near
the legs). Tolmie was alive with song, heard many PAC/SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, a
couple WILSON'S WARBLERS, and timed one WINTER WREN song at 43 seconds.
This weather could keep the Nashville around, also a longer visit could
produce some good migrants (I didn't walk the trails)keep in mind that it
is a state park and therefore you owe them $5.00 to park.

Directions to Tolmie and the Nashville: Take Marvin RD exit, head north.
Go through the three roundabouts, staying on Marvin. At the corner of
Marvin and 56th take a right. Follow this through the neighborhood into the
park. Park in the lot, the main building has bathrooms, you want to take
the beach trail on the right side of the building. It is very steep
pavement, there is a newer handrail. The bird was singing in the deciduous
trees about halfway down to the beach.

Other birds (Tolmie=TSP, Luhr=LB, Nisqually=Nis)

8 Pacific Loon (most in alt. plumage, TSP)
4 R/N Grebe (TSP)
2 Eared Grebe (LB)
3 Western Grebe (TSP)
1 Pelagic Cormorant (TSP)
1 Cinnamon Teal (Nis)
3 Sora (Nis)
1 Vir. Rail (Nis)
5 Whimbrel (Nis, flew into the main pond north of the trail to Mc. Creek)
4 Western Sandpiper (Nis)
24 Least Sandpiper (Nis)
1 MEW GULL (TSP, haven't seen one for a while)
3 Common Murre (TSP)
2 Rhino Auklet (TSP)
7 Pacific-slope Flycatchers (TSP)
2 Purple Martin (LB)
1 Yellow Warbler (heard at Nis)
1 MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER (male, corner lot at 56th and Marvin, a good spot
for this species)
6 Wilson's Warbler (TSP, 1 at LB)
1 G/C Sparrow (Nis)
3 Purple Finch (heard, corner of 56th and Marvin)
2 Evening Grosbeak (Pine Ave, NE Oly, they've been around for about a week
now)

Also yesterday evening (May 04) I had a good "fallout" (as close as you can
get to one in Olympia) at the corner of Capitol and 4th in downtown Olympia.
I've been noticing lots of Y/Rumpeds along Capitol for a while, but
yesterday in the 15+ MPH winds there were 40+ Y/R Warblers in just three
trees. Also saw four WESTERN TANAGERS in one tree! I wonder if there are
aphids present here ala Mike Denny's posting, or if they just hit the water
and decided to wait it out? Good birding,

Jason Paulios
JPaulios at hotmail.com
Olympia, WA


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