Greetings All
Ryan Shaw and I birded the last two days in the local area. On Friday we
headed first to the Capitol Forest, where the weather was quite bleak and we
were too late in the morning for Mountain Quail. Hermit Warblers were
numerous, however, and a life bird for Ryan Merrill, whom we ran into. We
headed south to Mima Mounds around noon hoping for interesting butterflies,
but the wind never let up.

Today, we were rained out of a big day and so improvised and birded
Nisqually to the Kent Valley. There was very considerable precipitation in
Tacoma and southward, so Nisqually was a bit wet (and no shorebirds are
left). But we had a nice time later in the day with a Black Tern swooping
effortlessly over Boeing Ponds.

Friday, 21 May 2004 (9:00am-1:30pm).
Western Thurston County.
Heavy fog/mist in the Black Hills, otherwise cloudy; wind 5-10 mph.

CAPITOL FOREST (9:30-12:00):
Blue Grouse (1)-hooting fairly low on road.
Band-tailed Pigeon (10)
Red-breasted Sapsucker (1): flew across highway on our way out.
Olive-sided Flycatcher (2)
Willow Flycatcher (1)
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (15)
Cassin's Vireo (1)
Hutton's Vireo (2)
Warbling Vireo (6)
Western Bluebird (3): in a clearcut, first time I've seen them here.
Varied Thrush (10)
Black-throated Grey Warbler (1)
Hermit Warbler (15+): some very cooperative males.
MacGillivray's Warbler (3)
Wilson's Warbler (25+)
Western Tanager (10)
Red Crossbill (5)

MIMA MOUNDS (12:45-1:30):
Ring-necked Pheasant (1)
Northern Bobwhite (3): calling often in Scotch Broom.
Northern Harrier (1m.)
Hammond's Flycatcher (1)-calling.
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (3)
Vesper Sparrow (2): one singing; one in flight.
Western Meadowlark (10)
Purple Finch (2)
-----
Common Ringlet (1): the only butterfly, due to wind.

Saturday, 22 May 2004 (9:00am-1:00pm).
Thurston/King County.
Heavy rain S of Auburn, dry in Kent; wind 10mph.

NISQUALLY NWR (9:30-11:00); fairly heavy rain here:
Wood Duck (3)
Gadwall (2)
Blue-winged Teal (6)
Cinnamon Teal (3)
Hooded Merganser (1)
Common Merganser (1)
American Bittern (2): flew over road to McAllister.
Spotted Sandpiper (3): the only shorebird besides Killdeer.
Band-tailed Pigeon (2)
Willow Flycatcher (8+)
Yellow Warbler (20)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (1-Aud.)
Evening Grosbeak (2)

BOEING PONDS (11:45am-12:10):
Blue-winged Teal (2m.)
Cinnamon Teal (2m.)
Green-winged Teal (1)
Ruddy Duck (1)
Pied-billed Grebe (2)
Spotted Sandpiper (12+)
BLACK TERN (1): flying around in with the swallows.
Tree Swallow (50)
Violet-green Swallow (20)
Cliff Swallow (50)
Barn Swallow (30)

KENT PONDS/RUSSELL ROAD (12:30-12:45):
American Wigeon (1f.)
Osprey (1)
Virginia Rail (2): calling at grassy knoll.
Barn Owl (2-3): young in the nestbox along Russell Rd.
Willow Flycatcher (1)-singing.

Cheers and good birding,
--
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington