I spent some time on the front porch here at my North Tacoma home
tonight, and under the clear, star-filled skies I heard the unmistakable
sounds of migrating shorebirds. It's another sure sign that summer is
winding down to a close, and my favorite season of fall is coming on.

On the local birding front, I did a solo walk through Point Defiance
Park this morning - part of the monthly third Sunday nature walks that I
do for Tahoma Audubon starting at 8 a.m. in the zoo parking lot. The
highlights among the 33 species I observed included seeing young
Olive-sided Flycatchers sitting on a nest alongside the parking lot for
the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, as well as the first Black-throated
Gray Warblers I have seen in the park so far this year. The most vocal
birds of the day were four Purple Martins that kept feeding above the
treetops.

Bring on the fall! And happy birding.

Rob McNair-Huff
Author of Washington Disasters, available now
Tacoma, Washington