Tweeters,
Highlights of the weekend at Roy (south of Ft Lewis) include a Western
Bluebird; Peregrine Falcon pursuing Mourning Doves; and sightings of
Evening Grosbeaks and a Great Horned Owl.

Saturday morning (2-17) I spotted a Western Bluebird atop a nestbox on
the east side of 8th Ave S about 3 mi south of the intersection with SR
507 (south of Rice-Kandle Road S on 8th Ave S -- 13th Div Prairie on Ft.
Lewis).

Saturday afternoon, at our home, the Red-Tailed Hawk pair that nests
just east of our property interacted with the female Northern Harrier
that's been hanging around our wetland. All three birds were several
hundered feet above the wetland.

That same evening my wife and I spotted a Great Horned Owl in one of our
maples out front -- this after I'd told my brother-in-law that we
haven't had that species of owl this year. The owl apparently had a prey
item.

Sunday morning, I spotted a Peregrine Falcon at the east end of the
wetland (about a quarter-mile away) flying against the wind directly
southwest. It flew from view, and as I started to sit down on my chair,
I saw a flock of Mourning Doves burst northward from the area on the
south side of the house with the falcon in hot pursuit. The doves
scattered among the noble firs, with the falcon accelerating after one
of them as the dove flew downslope toward the wetland. Later, my wife
and I tried to find any tell-tale feathers, but because it was on
adjacent property, didn't trek through the area too much. I thought the
doves were fast, but the falcon was much faster.

Four Evening Grosbeaks were feeding on the ground Sunday morning in
front of the house. One Evening Grosbeak has been feeding off-and-on
since late December.

Birds seen this weekend ("yard-birds" only) include the following:
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (feeding on the ground!)
American Robin
European Starling
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow

Count: 39 spp weekend // 49 spp YTD // 93 spp site-to-date

May all your birds be identified,

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