After a week of being sick with some sort of flu like crud I was to my breaking point on Saturday morning...I needed outside and NOW!

While discussing our options with my husband, I looked out the dining room window to see bright colored warblers flitting about in the trees and shrubs. Binoculars were quickly in hand. The first warbler was an amazingly beautiful Wilson's Warbler. The second warbler perched on a branch and began to preen and in turn gave us great views. I was looking at a Nashville Warbler. What a very striking little bird. I was just giddy to have these birds show up in my yard! It's very rare to have a life bird come to me instead of vice-versa!

We spent a few hours out at Millersylvania SP on Saturday. Walking the outer loop of trails. There were many birds singing, many birds flitting high above in the trees. Highlights were Warbling Vireo singing and singing and singing. Winter Wrens were highly abundant. Two adult Bald Eagles were "talking", perched together at the top of a snag. A Great Horned Owl was calling from somewhere deeper in the woods. A pair of Canada Geese had three adorable fluffy goslings, keeping close to ma and pa.

On a jaunt through some of the roads in Capital Forest (a saga in itself, I'll spare ya!) highlights were a Common Raven and a close up view of a Coopers Hawk sitting ona branch over the road.

On Sunday we kayaked Woodard Bay up towards Cliff Point and then explored Chapman Bay on the way back to the put-in. A pair of Surf Scoters with a pair of White-winged Scoters a few feet behind flew over the front of my kayak, conveniantly showing the differences of these birds in flight. Several more Surf Scoters were swimming nearby. Purple Martins were everywhere, claiming nest boxes on the pilings. Violet-green and Tree Swallows were also flying overhead. Bufflehead and one lone female Common Goldeneye were the only "ducks" present. Gull species seen were Ring-billed, Glaucous-wing, and GWXW. We saw several GB Herons but never did see the rookery that is supposed to be in this area. We did see a bald eagle nest, no eagles though. The highlight for me a lone Pigeon Guillemot, that was perched on a float of some sort. As we drew nearer, it took flight and for the first time ever I got to see it's brilliant orange-red feet. And because I managed to forget my wide!
-brimmed
sunhat...my face now resembles that very color!

newsbreak....as I was about to sign this, I looked up to see a Western Tanager in the maple outside my dining room wiindow!!! I think I'll get a cup of tea, and sit staring out my dining room window for the rest of the morning! Who knows what will show up...


Maurie Kirschner
Olympia WA
outdoorchickerooatyahoo.com

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