Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I enjoyed rewarding day birding and weather wise on the Tacoma CBC(with a total of 85 of the 127 species encountered this year for the entire count). Our main highlight was a Common Redpoll observed and heard in flight only near our home in Fircrest,as the bird continued north by itself(not with Pine Siskins)actively calling in flight. It was truly an unexpected species,although there have been a few Common Redpolls reported this fall in western WA. This appears to be the second Pierce Co. record and a first for the Tacoma CBC. Perhaps it will show up at a Tacoma area feeder or mix with Pine Siskin flocks. Overall our count went quite well except for waterbird numbers,which were extremely down from past years,as noted from other areas today that had water areas. Our specific area encompasses 3 separate groups/parties from the Day Island-Titlow area to the southern portion of the Tacoma waterfront. Other highlights of note in our area included the following along with added high counts for certain listed species:

1 Eurasian Wigeon
2 Peregrine Falcons
4 California Quail
3 Virginia Rails
1 Northern Saw-whet Owl(new species for our area)
20 Anna's Hummingbirds(a high count for our area with all birds noted away from feeders,including one pair of birds in breeding courtship)
4 Red-breasted Sapsuckers(high count)
1 Hairy Woodpecker(a new species for our area)
1 Northern"Yellow-shafted"Flicker
6 Western Scrub Jays
142 Black-capped Chickadees(high count)
102 Bushtits(high count)
44 Bewick's Wren(high count)
3 Marsh Wrens
4 Hermit Thrushes
12 Cedar Waxwings
4 Hutton's Vireos
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
2 Yellow-rumped Warblers
12 Townsend's Warblers
238 Brewer's Blackbirds
3 Lincoln's Sparrows
3 Purple Finches(low count)


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net