Hi Tweets:
Many thanks to all the folks that helped a group of us see the REDWING
this morning near the mansion on Cushing Rd, just north of 4th Ave SW
in Olympia. I think Ruth and Patrick Sullivan will probably write
about this
beautiful (and cold) day. Patrick helped a lot of us by frequently
broadcasting sightings of the bird on the FRS radio. The bird was
first seen by birders from San Diego at 7:40am in a tall
bare tree that is east of the mansion. Later it was relocated in the
mansion yard, and disappeared in the large holly tree there which is
back near an alley. After awhile it popped out briefly, but long
enough for us all to see it. Wow, this bird is spectacular. I saw it
on the holly at 9:45, and it was seen some more in the area of the
alley north of 4th Ave, between Cushing and Divixion (Black Lk Blvd)
until about 11am.
After lunch I went searching for gulls. I drove west on Harrison as
it became Mud Bay Rd about 6 miles down to Mud Bay. It was high tide
and there were some gulls, ducks, and one Greater Yellowlegs there. I
continued on Mud B Rd past hwy 101, and turned right on Old Hwy 410,
traveling about 1/4 mile to Perry Creek. There were many gulls eating
fish and bathing in the melting shallow waters to the left of the
bridge. One of the birds was a very-white 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL.
It surprised me because it didn't seem a lot larger than nearby hybrid
gulls. But it's primaries were slightly longer. It had a small dark
eye, w/
faint smudging behind it, and a straight, bi-colored bill.
Nice-looking gull.
Then I traveled north on I-5 exiting at the Portland Ave Exit to visit
Gog-Le-Hi-Te wetland in Tacoma. (I gave the directions to this area in
another msg about Thayer's Gulls.) At the wetland, there were about
12-15 Thayer's Gulls on a metal bldg across Lincoln Ave. There were a
few Thayer's in the Gog pond, and there were several Western Gulls in
the vicinity. I went a block east to Marc Ave and turned down that
street to the rendering plant. A few Thayer's were there, along w/
many Gl-w and Gl-w X Western hybrids. A motley bunch of gulls (wierd
hybrids?) were splashing in melting mud puddles in a mill yard which
is also on Marc Blvd. I couldn't quite tell what they were, so I went
home. The day was still clear, and a lot warmer. It had been a great
birding day.
Thanks again to the many people who have helped us birders see the
great-looking REDWING this winter!
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines, WA
mailto:linusq at att.net