Hello Tweets and other birders,

The Redwing was again present today at Olympia beginning with a very brief sighting at 8:45am for 1 minute along Thomas Street just north of 4th Ave.,which was observed by up to 10 patient observers. The bird was first noted flying from a dense Holly tree along Thomas Street,then quickly moving to a fairly large deciduous tree in the morning warmth of the sunlight. The bird remained for all those present to get good looks at the bird,then the bird flew off with a few Am.Robins to the east towards Rogers Street and could not be relocated. Many of us remained patiently standing along Thomas Rd.,while other combed the side streets in the immediate area hoping to relocate the Redwing,but with NO luck with a fly-over Red-breasted Sapsucker observed as we stood in the cold temperatures. We personally remained on location until 10:30am,then returned at 3pm after a birding visit made at the Hoquiam STP/Bowerman Basin.

We returned on location along Thomas Street at 3pm and noted up to 5 birders and we only had to wait 15 minutes when the Redwing made a nice showing in the deciduous tree,as we all stood on the road. A few people obtained photos of the bird,but conditions were not the best due to the lighting conditions. The bird remained in the deciduous tree for several minutes occasionally flying to the Holly tree for some berries,then returning back to the tree to perch and rest. We left the bird in the deciduous tree at 3:45pm for the other people to keep watching and we figured that the bird may possibly return to the Holly tree to roost for the night. A Sharp-shinned Hawk was briefly noted shortly after we arrived,which seemed to scatter many nearby flocks of Am.Robins and Starlings,but we still managed to see the Redwing.This theory was brought up since the bird was initially observed flying from during the morning visit and could be a likely roosting location since the tree is very dense and offers ample cover.

We do not know if the Redwing was observed during the time we were away at the Hoquiam STP,as several birders that remained on location during the morning did not see the bird and could have seen it after we left. We wanted to keep up the updates on this bird to the best of our knowledge,as our visits will continue.

Our visit to the Hoquiam STP produced the immature Red-shouldered Hawk briefly observed at 1pm along the east edge of Paulson Rd. in a fairly dense alder greenbelt. The conditions were cold,but clear and quite windy at times and the bird seemed very elusive. Other birds of note from this location included the lingering injured immature Snow Goose and a raft of 57 Canvasbacks at the Hoquiam STP along with 10 Wilson's Snipes and a single Lincoln's Sparrow that were noted in a grassy,weedy field just west of Paulson Rd. Up to 5 Red-tailed Hawks were noted in the immediate area,including an adult dark-morph bird and up to 5 Northern Harriers actively hunting from suitable habitat.



Good Redwing searching,

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