Hello Tweets,

This afternoon my mother and I ventured back down to Capitol Lake in Olympia between 1pm-3:30pm,mainly to attempt better photographs of the Clark's/Western Grebe hybrid,as lighting conditions continued quite variable from partial sun to cloudy conditions. We immediately observed the bird at the same location as reported previously at the western portion of Capitol lake(just west of the Marathon Park parking lot),in which the bird stayed closet to the center of the lake during our entire visit. The bird occasionally came closer to shore,but quickly swam back towards the center of the lake offering great scoping views,but very minimal opportunities for photographs. During the varying light conditions the bill color appeared from nearly greenish-yellow to pale yellow to a slight orange-yellow,but never the distinct,obvious orange-yellow tone of a true Clarks Grebe. We mostly watched the bird directly from the south shore of the lake along the paved walking/jogging trail,which seemed to offer the best viewing. During one observation the bird briefly flew for a very short distance showing the white wing stripe,which both Western and Clarks' Grebes show(with the white area being more extensive in a true Clark's Grebe).The bird in general seems very comfortable and may hopefully remain at this location as others may look for it,despite the bird being a hybrid

Other highlights from Capitol lake during our visit included the following:

1 male Redhead(amongst a mixed scaup flock at the western portion of Capitol Lake)
15 Buffleheads
7 Ruddy Ducks
14 Pied-billed Grebes
1 Horned Grebe
1 Eared Grebe
1 Red-tailed Hawk
20 Bonaparte's Gulls


On our way home we stopped by the Nisqually NWR between 3:45pm-4:45pm,where conditions were slightly slower than yesterday's visit within the same route,but a few notable species were encountered:

1 Greater White-fronted Goose(amongst a large "Cackling"Canada Goose flock just south of the Twin Barns)
450+ "Cackling"Canada Geese
8 Ring-necked Ducks
2 Greater Scaups
2 Lesser Scaup
2 Buffleheads
1 Pied-billed Grebe
3 Northern Harriers
5 Red-tailed Hawks
1 adult Peregrine Falcon
5 Am.Coots
1 Wilson's Snipe
1 Red-breasted Sapsucker
5 Yellow-rumped Warbler
3 Dark-eyed"Oregon"Juncos


Good birding,

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