Thanks for all who verified my sighting of the Killdeer on the shore at Ruston Way. It's just another jewel in my walk along that route which includes an occasional Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfishers and many others. (Haven't seen the albino Yellow Billed Loon for a couple of months.)



Don't know why but have always associated Killdeer with remote fields, particularly in Eastern Washington where I have seen some and heard many. The walk along the water in that area gives one the opportunity to see the Killdeer from a slightly different perspective in that while it's in flight I get to see all those beautiful markings that I've not been able to see from either the side or at a distance. I love that bird.



Along in that same area Burlington Northern recently cleared out about a third of a mile of alder (?) on their right of way alongside Ruston Way, on both sides of their track. The trees were tightly clumped and many were 30 or more feet in height right close together providing good nesting habitat. In fact not long ago I saw two Crows chase what I guessed at the time to be a Juvenile Bald Eagle (black head, a little white on the underside of the bird) right into the trees that they left standing. The Tacoma mayor complained about the "unsightliness" of the BN clear cut. Yet nobody that I'm aware of has complained about the loss of bird habitat and the loss of potential nests during nesting season.



Thanks for the ID.



Jim Brewster
Tacoma
jaysontownsend at msn.com<mailto:jaysontownsend at msn.com>