Ho Ho Tweeters,

We won't be having a white Christmas but I saw some
white birds today in Kent Valley. Actually I think
Smith Brothers dairy land is actually unincorporated
King County but...

One juvenile Snow Goose mixed in with Canada Geese, in
the Smith Brothers dairy area and 4 adult Trumpeter
Swans and 5 juvenile swans (Trumpeter). Around the
bend on Frager Rd off of W Valley was a huge flock of
Killdeer I stopped counting at 150 and there may have
been at least twice as many if not more. I couldn't
find any odd shorebirds with them but there was a
decent sized flock of about 75 American Pipits
associated with them. At the monument further down
Frager across the street in the big apple tree that
nearly bends over the road was 2 Western Scrub Jays.
Also a nearly mystery bird eating an apple. The
lighting could have been better and it was facing me,
plain grayish breast and white undertail coverts,
plain face with possible slight eyeline, bill could be
finchy but what kind of finch has a plain breast?
Mystery was solved when the bird tipped it's head
down, a Golden-crowned Sparrow eating on apple that
was nearly bigger than it. Surpised me.

Other locations, at Emerald Downs area in Auburn
valley saw two Eurasian Wigeon, about 100 Dunlin and
an attendant Peregrine Falcon.

Boeing Ponds had a very vocal Eurasian Wigeon but not
much else of great interest, the ponds are very full
of water right now.

I kept driving by the King County Animal Shelter area
of Kent Ponds hoping to see the Red-shouldered Hawk.
No luck today. I see it maybe every 4th or 5th time I
am in the area so it is a toughie. I drove behind the
shelter on the north side behind a company called
Anixter. I saw a Red-tailed Hawk trying to perch like
a Rough-legged Hawk on some small branches. The first
time I was almost fooled because of the lighting but
the second pass through it was clearly an adult
Red-tail with some sort of different hunting strategy
I suppose. It is kind of fun having the birds
surprise me though with odd behavior, keeps me on my
toes.

Cheers and the best for everyone's holidays if I don't
post again before then. May 2008 be a birdy year for all.

Kathy
Roosting in Kent, near Lake Meridian
(chukarbird at yahoo dot com)


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