Tweeters,

It was a welcome spring sight to look out this morning at a number of swallows flitting and gliding between our pumphouse and Scatter Ck. This is an area where we have put up about a dozen swallow nest boxes. A closer look revealed 15-20 swallows in a loose flock, mostly Tree Swallows with a few Violet-green Swallows mixed in. And these are the first I've seen here this year.

I hung out a hummingbird feeder yesterday, looking forward to the first Rufous Hummers' arrival. My informal log of sightings in the yard shows that in '05 and '06 we saw our first Rufous Hummingbird males typically arrive about one week into March.

By the way, Feb. 8 was the first night the local Pacific Chorus Frogs were singing loudly at the nearby marsh, and they will now continue well into spring.

Good spring birding,
Bob

Bob Sundstrom
ixoreus at scattercreek.com
Tenino, Washington