Tweets,
Sat May 26 I enjoyed an early morning of birding around Tenino, mainly
westward at Rock Prairie and beyond. Found my two target species, Lazuli
Bunting along Melville St (no sign of last season's Clay-colored Sparrow)
and Bullock's Oriole further west at a bridge across Scatter Creek. The
first surprise was a VARIED THRUSH singing his fool head off. I initially
heard it from a quarter mile away (I measured it). It was located at Old Hwy
99 x Melville St. in one of those old fir grove "islands" found in and
around the prairies. Nearby I watched a Starling atop a utility pole do his
wing-flapping, "look-at-me-I'm-bad" thing as he mimicked (or tried) the
thrush, then Barn Swallow, then cowbird, then White-crowned Sparrow, back to
the thrush, and so on. The next surprise was a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT near the
north end of Melville in a wood pile under some scattered firs in
drier-than-expected habitat that hosted Chipping Sparrow, pewee and the
like. Oh, and the large firs and Scotch Broom at the "Clay-colored corner"
had a small group of Yellow Warblers apparently passing through (Friday
morning, too). I also got thoroughly stumped by a "mystery bird." (That's
for the next post.) What a great season to get to be out doing what we love!
Good birding!
--Paul Hicks, Tenino, s. Thurston Co
phicks AT accessgrace.org