Tweeters,
My first golf outing of the season: the Whispering Firs golf course (McChord Air Force Base, Pierce County) was alive with birdsong. And birdies - I had three for the day. (For those of you not familiar with this spot, the habitat is mixed woodland (Douglas-fir, oak, maple, etc.) bordering the open areas of the golf course. Marsh is present in some portions, as are both ephemeral (this time of year) and persistent ponds.)

The only real surprise to me: NO swallows. At least I didn't see or hear any. But what a gorgeous day--one that kept me from thinking about the master birder final exam that I, too, bombed (Connie Sidles wasn't the only one!). I didn't have time to count what I heard or saw (I was having enough trouble counting golf strokes), so that may be a disappointment to some.

Count for the day: 38 species.

Canada Goose (many more than I've seen in previous years)
Mallard
Bufflehead
Double-crested Cormorant (flyover)
Great Blue Heron (flyover)
Cooper's Hawk (being mobbed by crows when I saw it first; then flew and soared above the trees - spotted three "piles" of feathers during the golf round, all of which appeared to be from American Robins)
Red-tailed Hawk (possible pair; at least one pair has bred there before)
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon
Rufous Hummingbird (male, displaying; several others heard)
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler (singing in many areas of the course)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (ditto)
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

May all your birds be identified,

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