Hello Tweets,

Yesterday(December 31st)we ended 2006 on our last CBC of the year by participating on the Vashon CBC,which we covered areas in and around the Fragaria and Banner Forest area in extreme southeast Kitsap Co. The day started out foggy,but soon turned to a great sun day with calm conditions. We encountered a total of 76 species in our area along with the help from Jim Pruske,who helped us tally many of the species. It was an area we have all never been to for birding,so it was a unique experience to us,especially since we did not do any prior scouting before the actual CBC. We were pleased to help out this year and we plan on doing this CBC next year since it is a somewhat less birded area. We did not go to the final compilation held on Vashon Island so we don't know what good birds were found in other areas.

We started out the day with a great assortment of species in the southern end of our area north of Olalla. Here,highlights been with a nice immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK that offered good,but much too brief views before flying off down a dense ravine. This is a very good Kitsap Co. bird and not one you can at all except to encounter at anytime! Our only other Kitsap Co. experience with Northern Goshawk was an adult observed while looking for dragonflies many years ago at Wicks Lake. A few other species of interest besides the immature Northern Goshawk were an immature Anna's Hummingbird attracted to "pishing" near a small housing area surrounded by dense trees. WE also encountered our only Pine Siskin of the day near this location,which seemed surprising! We did have a 3 accipiter day,which was nice along with a 5 woodpecker day too,including 5 Red-breasted Sapsuckers.

As we strolled on exploring our area through the morning we encountered good numbers of sparrows,especially Fox Sparrows and Spotted Towhees and it seemed these two species were the dominant species of the day. We also noticed that all the Spotted Towhees sounded way different than any other Spotted Towhees we have observed in the field away from Kitsap Co. It was really interesting and all the birds gave the same type of call,which sounded like a raspy meow call. Of course we did have plenty of bramble patches in our area,which may have resulted in the relatively high count of most sparrow-type birds. Much of our area was dominated by relatively forested areas with much of it being on private property,but we did have some open water areas along Colvos Passage,including from the community of Fragaria.

We had the opportunity to check a few areas of the Banner Forest by hiking on only a portion of it's many trails. Here,we located 2 GRAY JAYS as well as our only Pileated Woodpecker of the day. The extreme north end of our area encompassed more open areas near Long Lake,which held both Red-winged and Brewer's Blackbirds along with a lone Brown-headed Cowbird and our only House Sparrows of the day! Altogether,it was a nice day even if it seems this area may become more developed with new homes,etc.

A few other species we tallied for the day of note included the following:

Red-throated Loon
6 birds along Colvos Passage between Driftwood Cove and Fragaria

Eurasian Wigeon
1 pair at a private pond near Driftwood Cove along with a male Am./Eurasian Wigeon intergrade and a male Wood Duck,male Gadwall,and female Northern Shoveler

Spotted Sandpiper
1 bird at Fragaria

Common Murre
1 bird off Driftwood Cove

Marbled Murrelet
1 bird flying south off of Fragaria

Rhinoceros Auklet
1 bird off Driftwood Cove

Lincoln's Sparrow
1 bird north of Driftwood Cove

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
1 adult bird in a bramble patch near Driftwood Cove



Happy New Year and Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at msn.com