Tweeters,
Very pleasant on Friday and Saturday, but a bit warm Sunday, with a
freshening wind (not breeze) from the west late Sunday afternoon at Roy,
just south of Fort Lewis. Lots of swallows (Barn, Cliff, Tree, and
Violet-green) working the area, with a drive-by of a couple of Purple
Martins Friday evening. Two re-nesting Tree Swallows are getting close
to having hatchlings, with another pair in one of the martin gourds
having young that are close to fledging.

Quite a few fledged Savannah Sparrows, Pine Siskins (almost had one land
on me on Friday as I was sipping some suds and looking at the mountain),
and juncos, etc., learning how to find food. The California Quail family
may have seven young, rather than six, still extant. They appear to have
our property as their primary focus, and do wander to the north to the
adjoining property at times, but not too far nor too long.

A Turkey Vulture circled overhead both on Friday and Sunday.

Lots of birds using the bath out back late Saturday afternoon, including
Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Purple Finch, House Finch, Song
Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Dark-eyed Junco, American Robin, Black-capped
and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, European Starling, House Sparrow,
Spotted Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, and
American Goldfinch.

The first Brewer's Blackbird this year (had several in December last) on
Saturday was a precurser of Sunday, when 6-8 passed through.

Bird of the weekend: Common Nighthawk. A single silent nighthawk coursed
around the area behind the house for almost 10 minutes on Friday evening
-- not that late (about 8pm). This was the first that I've seen or heard
on the property. I just wish my wife could have seen it -- the license
plate on her sleek, black Honda is "NITEHWK."

Birds seen during this weekend:
Mallard
California Quail
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Rufous Hummingbird
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

48 spp this weekend; 79 YTD; 89 site-to-date

May all your birds be identified,

Denis DeSilvis
Seattle, WA
mailto:denis.j.desilvis at boeing.com