Tweeters,
This weekend in Roy yielded a couple of new species for the year (Cliff
Swallow, Yellow Warbler, and Black-headed Grosbeak) and one new bird for
the year and yard-list (Evening Grosbeak). The Cliff Swallows may be
nesting nearby; the Yellow Warbler sounded off from the maples out
front, and Saturday's male Black-headed Grosbeak was followed by a
female on Sunday, both at the feeders out back. The Evening Grosbeaks
were unmistakeable as they fed out front. Probably had two dozen
American Goldfinches were visiting.

By far the most unusual bird was a peacock that visited on Saturday
evening (we've been hearing a peacock sounding off several times during
the past couple of weeks -- we thought it was someone's farm bird that
escaped). We were looking at the bird activity in the back yard as we
ate dinner on Saturday -- looking for the tenants of one of our
nestboxes -- when a peacock strolled through. We jumped up for a better
look, which gave the peacock a better look at us, and it slowly ambled
away. But the story's not finished.

My wife and I usually scan for owls around the house after dark using a
flashlight. We were in the process of doing that out front about 9:30pm,
when I thought I saw something move. Surprise, surprise: the peacock was
roosting about 20-25ft up in the tallest of the Douglas-fir trees. (My
wife had asked earlier how the peacock could stay away from the local
coyotes at night. I told her that it would normally roost in trees in
the wild. The bird proved me right!) The story's still not finished.

We set our alarm clock to sleep-in on Sunday morning. The peacock had
it's own alarm clock: sunrise. We were treated to many wake-up calls as
the bird warmed up in the sun!

Birds seen this weekend:

Canada Goose
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
California Quail
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Virginia Rail (heard)
Sora (heard)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Rufous Hummingbird
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow (still around!)
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow

55 spp for the weekend; 65 YTD; 79 Roy total-to-date (not counting the
peacock)

May all your birds be identified,

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