Subject: [Tweeters] migrant morning in Fircrest
Date: May 6 10:41:42 2007
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com


Hello Tweets,

This morning between 6:30am-10am we experienced a very nice assortment of migrants from our Pierce Co. yard,specifically passerines. The conditions began very calm with a cloudy overcast skies with partial clearing before clouding up again. Although we had a few nice passerines none of the birds stayed for long and just seemed to move through. Most noteworthy sightings for the morning included the following:

1 bright NASHVILLE WARBLER briefly observed in our large Paper Birch tree in our front yard at 6:45am followed by a singing and calling DUSKY FLYCATCHER, then a OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER perched high stop an evergreen tree across the street from our home. The Dusky Flycatcher was never seen,but heard well as it first sang it's 3-syllabled song,then gave its distinctive "whit" or "twip" call note quite often until at least 9:30am in our neighbor's yard. Additionally, a single HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER was heard then seen briefly in our backyard before flying off to another location in our neighborhood. At 7:30am a very unexpected adult BONAPARTE'S GULL flew over heading westward followed by a Caspian Tern. The Bonaparte's Gull was new yard species and proves that anything can show up in migration!

A few other species of interest from our yard this morning included a single male Wilson's and Townsend's Warbler followed by 6 flyover Vaux's Swifts,then a flyover COMMON RAVEN that was being harassed by 2 smaller Am.Crows. Raptors of note included a single soaring Red-tailed Hawk followed by 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks. For the last week and half we have been having small numbers of Evening Grosbeaks in our area,but so far they haven't found our feeders. We also have Red Crossbills and Purple Finches in our area too that most often get tallied as flyovers with an occasional perched bird. The Purple Finches are also heard singing too,as well as a few Yellow-rumped Warblers. Nesting species that we are aware of from our immediate area include 1-2 pairs of Red-breasted Nuthatches, Anna's Hummingbird, single pairs of Downy Woodpeckers,Oregon Juncos, and Bushtits along with a pair of Violet-green Swallows that are checking out a birdhouse on the upper side of our rooftop.

We still have 12+ Pine Siskins and a few Band-tailed Pigeons coming on a daily basis to our seed feeders,which add to some activity when the rest of our yard is dead.


Good yard birding,

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