Tweeters,

Some interesting activity this week at Roy. Last Saturday seven BAND-TAILED
PIGEONs were here for about five minutes, then disappeared. One showed up
today for about 15 minutes. These aren't a usual species for around here,
except for some parts of Ft Lewis.



Two BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKs made their appearance today - the first for this
species this year. One stayed around and sang fairly often this afternoon.
YELLOW WARBLERs showed up yesterday, as did an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. More
CLIFF SWALLOWs are now evident, too. Sixteen EVENING GROSBEAKs, eight
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD males - three females, about a dozen MOURNING DOVEs,
and a pair of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERs are daily visitors. A lone AMERICAN
KESTREL showed up - several are on the farms to the south.



I checked a couple of nestboxes and found that House Sparrows had invaded
three of them - I cleaned those out and changed out the entrance door to one
with a different-shaped, smaller hole. Tree Swallows were checking those
out. I found two dead Tree Swallows in another nestbox, and changed that
entrance, also. Will be monitoring all the boxes to ensure no more House
Sparrows invade.



The WESTERN BLUEBIRDs still have occupancy of the nestbox nearest the road;
I haven't yet checked for eggs, but will in a day or so. The RED-TAILED HAWK
nest has two very large nestlings, which should fledge in three weeks or
less.



Both SORAs and VIRGINIA RAILs are still vocalizing down in the wetland, but
the persistency of their calls is much less than even last week. Several
AMERICAN WIGEON still remain and may be heard at night, with GREEN-WINGED
TEAL and MALLARDs also there.



Last Saturday, we had eight sparrows on the site: SAVANNAH, FOX, SONG,
GOLDEN-CROWNED, WHITE-CROWNED, and CHIPPING SPARROWS; DARK-EYED JUNCOs, and
SPOTTED TOWHEES. We only missed Lincoln's Sparrow to have all the annual
suspects in one day. All the usual swallows are now present: Tree, Barn,
Violet-green, and Cliff. Haven't seen or heard a Purple Martin here this
year.



A couple of notes from Ft Lewis: I talked with one of the biologists last
Friday, who indicated that Purple Martins may be using some snags to nest in
on the north side of Chambers Lake. (They are using nest boxes in a couple
of places on post.) He also said that the only NORTHERN BOBWHITE he's heard
of in recent years was in one of the impact areas south of the 91st Division
Prairie (south of Muck Creek). I'm going to head there either tomorrow or
Wednesday to give a listen. This area is off limits, but it's possible to
listen from the paved road. If I get lucky, or even if I don't, I'll let you
know.



Birds on the property this week include the following:



Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

California Quail

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel

Virginia Rail

Sora

Killdeer

Wilson's Snipe

Band-tailed Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Rufous Hummingbird

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Steller's Jay

American Crow

Common Raven

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Barn Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Bushtit

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick's Wren

Marsh Wren

Western Bluebird

American Robin

European Starling

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Black-headed Grosbeak

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Purple Finch

House Finch

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch

Evening Grosbeak

House Sparrow



56 spp this timeframe; 77 spp year to date; 101 spp site to date



May all your birds be identified,



Denis DeSilvis

Roy, WA

Mailto: avnacrs4birds at q.com