Hello Tweets and other birders,

Today my mother and I began the day looking for the Redwing at Olympia(Washington State)at 7:45am,where we joined a group of 10 birders standing along Thomas Street,as they all watched the bird resting in a Snow Bush. We soon set up a vantage point to watch the bird,as more birders arrived,as the bird remained in the same bush for a good period of time before moving to the Holly tree nearby. By 8:15am there were 40 birders,of which all saw the Redwing and soon went on their way north in search of the Baikal Teal at the Green River Natural Resource Area aka the Kent"ponds". The Redwing put a good showing for many out-of-state enthusiasts,as well as many Washington birders on yet another crisp and clear morning along Thomas Street,as the bird remained until 8:45am at the general location,then suddenly flew off to the southwest from a tall cherry tree. The bird was later and briefly relocated in the alleyway south of 4th Ave. between Cushing and Milroy Streets,as it flew towards Decatur Street only briefly landing in a backyard along Milroy Street. We left the location at 9:30am and continued our own way north to the Kent"ponds" with no other birders remaining to look for the Redwing.

We arrived to the Kent"ponds at 10:45am and quickly assembled with a nice gathering of 30-35 birders all in search of the Baikal Teal,as several "groups" of birders were spread out to cover the most ground from several vantage points. The largest groups of birders were lined along the paved trail along the southern border of the "ponds" with a few that checked thoroughly along the "grassy"knoll along 64th Ave. A few of us gathered at the southwest viewing tower and a few also checking from the tower to the north of that one. By 11:25am a Massachusetts birder called out "possible" Baikal Teal and the word quickly traveled due to the help of FRS radios. By 11:30am most of us assembled along the paved trail with our scopes aimed straight north looking up into the middle or center canal of the Kent"ponds". Since the Baikal Teal was initially only possibly seen additional glimpses of the bird were soon obtained by those close to the location,as it swam out into the water,then quickly flew a little further out,then quickly swam back into dense cover. Within a short time many of us had arrived to the exact location and searched for ourselves,as we all waited patiently for the bird to reappear.Within a few minutes the bird soon appeared from a thick portion of vegetation sticking in the way of a peninsula within the center canal and we all gained great scoping views of the bird,as it swam further out into the open water with Green-winged Teal,Gadwall and Am.Coots nearby. The bird swam slightly further to the right,then seemingly cutback to the left with the other waterfowl and then back into thick cover.The distance of the bird was somewhat far,but great in the spotting scopes and everyone enjoyed the less than 5 minute views of this distinctive duck. Several birders arrived that had not seen the duck and we waited and scoped the general location until 1:30pm and to that time the Baikal Teal never made another showing. We learned later in the day that the bird did reappear after 1:30pm after we left,so that is good for those that missed it earlier in the day. It was great bird to see and a life bird for many people!

Other species of note encountered during our visit to the Kent"ponds" included the following:

1 immature Snow Goose
The lingering male Gadwall/Falcated Duck hybrid,of which most everyone saw foraging in the "west"canal of the Kent"ponds". An interesting bird to see!
1 male Eurasian Wigeon
5 Canvasbacks
1 female Redhead
25+ Ruddy Ducks
2+ Northern Harriers
1 adult Cooper's Hawk
1 adult "Harlan's"Red-tailed Hawk
5+ Bald Eagles
1-3 Peregrine Falcons
1 Barn Owl(observed flying over and landing in thick cover towards Russell Rd.)
8+ Western Meadowlarks


For those that are interested and yet to have directions to the Kent"ponds" Carol Schultz has repeatedly posted excellent directions onto Tweeters in past weeks.


We arrived back along Thomas Street at Olympia at 2:30pm,where we joined 5 other birders in search of the Redwing. We soon learned that the bird made return appearances along Thomas Street at around 10am,then again at 12:30pm by other birders. No activity was noted when we arrived along Thomas Street and the entire area at 2:30pm,but we stood around,then finally at 4pm a group of Am.Robins flew overhead from the east with a few that landed along Decatur Street just south of 4th Ave. We all raced over to Decatur Street,then quickly scoped the Am.Robin flock from different vantage points. As temperatures became very cold and feeling we searched through the limited flocks well we began walking back towards Thomas Street. Within a few seconds the Redwing was spotted along Decatur Street flying in from the east high overhead with 2 Am.Robins then landing in the large Sequoia tree at the corner of Decatur Street and 4th Ave. Most of us caught onto the bird,as it soon dropped down into a deciduous tree,then into a Holly tree,then again back into another deciduous tree in a backyard viewed along 5th Ave. We all obtained minimal scoping views of the Redwing,as it remained in the tree until it finally flew off north to an unknown location at 4:20pm. It was the best sighting at all,but good enough for those that were there and hadn't even seen the bird!



Good Redwing and Baikal Teal searching,

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