Subject: [Tweeters] Ft. Simcoe SP Lewis's
Date: Aug 17 21:02:47 2005
From: judyrowetaylor at comcast.net - judyrowetaylor at comcast.net


Greetings Tweeters,

Now that I am back home and stuffed with delicious tree-ripened peaches and fresh vegies from the markets along Lateral A south of Yakima I am ready to post my day's birding adventure....

Thanks to Stefan Schlick's recent message about Ft. Simcoe State Park I was able to make my lifer Lewis's Woodpecker sighting today. I saw not only one, but four! It was almost 2 pm when I arrived at the park and though I would probably have to wait a couple of hours before there would be much bird activity, but shortly after alighting from my vehicle a Lewis's flew up to the utility pole near where I had parked! By three pm I had wandered around most of the campus and arrived at Mool Mool Bubbling Spring; nearby there were three Lewis's playing musical branches in the oak trees!

Apples on a small tree near the spring were an attraction for several other birds including a female Summer Tanager and what I finally concluded must be an immature Western Bluebird. Always a delight, there were also White-breasted Nuthatches foraging in the oaks and a couple of flickers and Am. Robins searching in the grass for food.

While walking around the grounds I heard a sudden flurry of peeping and cheeping and looked up to see a beautiful male American Kestrel circling about; he finally perched in a big old oak tree. The lawn was being watered and I counted 10 Killdeer near the parking area.

En route, about a mile from the park entrance I met an old friend from my days in the Southwest, Raven; there were two near the road, though they may have come down from Alaska for all I know. Smiles!

The next is only a whif birdy, but may be of interest to fans of fine art photography and / or Mexico and it is something to do during the hot part of the day if you are over there birding. I had timed my trip over the mountains to arrive in Yakima about noon so I could visit Yakima Cellers to see the photography show (prints by 4 members of Group f/5.6) titled Colonial Mexico; I was particularly interested in seeing the platinum/palladium prints as I just learned how to do this printing process myself. Two of the images did feature a bird - a very photogenic domestic hen nestled in a flower pot! The show is up until the middle of September.

Cheers and thanks again Stefan for your earlier post about Ft. Simcoe State Park!

Judy

--
Judy Rowe Taylor
Mukilteo, WA
Art is a voice of the heart, a song of the soul.
judyrowetaylor at comcast.net
www.enduringibis.com