Subject: [Tweeters] Christmas Day birding and photos
Date: Dec 25 19:42:02 2006
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com


Hello Tweets,

Today we enjoyed a nice Christmas Day by visiting a few local spots near our home,as well as birds in our yard too. Our main highlight of the day was a SWAMP SPARROW observed and heard calling at a wetland area adjacent to a recent subdivision in University Place about 2 miles from our home. This is most likely the same individual bird that we noted at this very same location during the Tacoma CBC,but unlike that observation we finally heard the bird calling today. 1 Wilson's Snipe, 2 Lincoln's Sparrows and 3 Marsh Wrens were also noted from the same location. The Swamp Sparrow was only present during a morning visit,but not located later in the day during the mid afternoon. Other notable species from the general area included 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk,1 Mourning Dove,1 male Anna's Hummingbird,1 Common Raven, and 1 Pileated Woodpecker(photographed).

Another location we visited was the Adriana Hess Nature Center in University Place,where a Virginia Rail was seen at close range after being attracted to a tape recording. A single adult female Cooper's Hawk was also observed from this location,as well as 2 Anna's Hummingbirds.

On a side note we have placed several updated photos of a few very recent sightings onto our website. These sightings include the Black-headed Gull from Bainbridge Island, a very pale American Robin at Hoquiam during the Grays Harbor CBC and a Pileated Woodpecker photographed near our home in University Place. These photos can all be accessed from the following link: http://www.pbase.com/godwit/recent_photos/


Season's Greetings,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at msn.com