Seven of us ventured out for the four-plus mile walk through the woods
at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma's north end this morning, and it turned
out to be a good morning for birding. Highlights for today included:

- WHITE-THROATED SPARROW seen along the edge of a clearing near the
start of the walk. This is the first time I have seen this species in
the park in more than two years of doing these monthly third-Sunday walks.
- 40 RED CROSSBILLs that we heard throughout the walk and finally
observed in the treetops near one of the overlooks of the Tacoma Narrows

It was easy to note the clear passage into fall and winter birding at
the park today, as a number of species moved back onto the sighting list
for the first time in months. Among them, VARIED THRUSH were feeding on
Madrona berries along with large flocks of American Robins, WINTER WRENs
returned to singing, and a single RHINOCEROS AUKLET was seen feeding in
the Tacoma Narrows. We also saw a small flock of WESTERN GREBE in the
middle of the Narrows, marking their first time on the sighting list in
the park since last winter.

Here is the complete list from today's trip, in roughly the order seen:

- American Robin
- Red-breasted Nuthatch
- White-throated Sparrow
- American Crow
- Spotted Towhee
- Ring-billed Gull
- Bonaparte's Gull
- Glaucous-winged Gull
- Western Grebe
- Surf Scoter
- Pelagic Cormorant
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Bald Eagle (three birds, including one juvenile)
- Varied Thrush
- Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Northern Flicker
- Winter Wren
- Bewick's Wren
- Downy Woodpecker
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Chestnut-backed Chickadee
- Red Crossbill
- Rhinoceros Auklet
- Brown Creeper
- Cooper's Hawk
- Song Sparrow
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Mallard

Happy birding!

Rob McNair-Huff ---------- Tacoma, WA
Author of Washington Disasters (Globe Pequot, 2006), Birding Washington
(Falcon Publishing, 2004)
and Insider's Guide to the Olympic Peninsula (Globe Pequot, 2001)
Mac Net Journal ---------- http://www.macnetjournal.com

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