Tweeters,

Saturday, May 10th, eight of us sallied forth under cloudy skies and
sometimes windy conditions to Fort Lewis for a Seattle Audubon Society
Birdathon trip. Compared with the trip of April 26th, we not surprisingly
had many more numbers of warblers, a couple of flycatchers, oriole,
tanagers, and sparrows. Total number of species: 73



Highlights for Jamie Ingle, Sharon Aagaard, Bob and Terry Farris, Russ
Taylor, Tim Keller, Susan Eggers, and I include the following:



American Lake: BULLOCK'S ORIOLE at the top of a tree that got displaced by a
pair of Northern Flickers, which then copulated several times. Many VAUX'S
SWIFTS passed overhead (here and gone in 60 seconds) while about 30 COMMON
MERGANSERs flew by in low formation over the lake. We watched an interesting
interaction between a very territorial Red-winged Blackbird and a
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER with the woodpecker coming out on the short end of
the duke-out.



Second Division Range Road: A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH feeding a fledgling.
While this seemed early for fledgling status, the fact that the adult was
sallying for insects stood out as a highlight. Other sightings included a
nest-material-gathering HOUSE WREN, a nice view of a BROWN CREEPER, and the
views we had of a male and female RED CROSSBILL drinking at a very small bit
of muddy water, which was to us one of the "plays of the day" to use a
sports metaphor. In addition, we had our first views of an Empid here, a
PACIFIC-SLOPED FLYCATCHER. It appears that the west side of Second Division
Road (about 47deg 02min 54sec N, 122deg 37min, 0sec W) can be very
productive for a variety of birds at this time of year. Definitely worth
spending more time here if you happen to get this way.



Nisqually Lake: 10 PURPLE MARTINS, about the same number of RED CROSSBILLS,
and the first CEDAR WAXWING most of us have seen this year. Looked for but
didn't see the Eurasian Collared-Dove that was spotted on the trip here
4/26.



Muck Creek Bridge: All five swallows we expected to see were readily
visible: BARN, VIOLET-GREEN, TREE, CLIFF, and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED. In
addition we had very nice views of several YELLOW WARBLERS, which had come
in to FT Lewis in typical Spring numbers - lots of them. We looked for
(listened for) Northern Bobwhite at the southeast corner of 91st Division
Prairie (north of Lewis Lake) but were typically skunked for this species.



Brandenburg Marsh: AMERICAN KESTREL; MARSH WREN; a pip-pip-pipping and
cooperative OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER; VIRGINIA RAIL vocalizing; STELLER'S JAY;
and the best view of a CASSIN'S VIREO I've ever had. Later that evening, my
wife and I revisited this area and the kestrel was in the same area, and
vocalizing a lot. Could be nesting in the large snag there.



Chambers Lake: BALD EAGLE; exceptional view of two male WOOD DUCKS and a
RING-NECKED DUCK on a log (none of us had seen a RNDU other than in the
water or in flight before); BELTED KINGFISHER, the only CANADA GOOSE on the
trip; HOODED MERGANSER; GREEN-WINGED TEAL; BUFFLEHEAD; and a nice size
comparison of a PURPLE MARTIN and a TREE SWALLOW. A HERMIT THRUSH was a
fly-through while we were scoping the ducks.



Roy: The first HAIRY WOODPECKER at my home there; COOPER'S HAWK; TURKEY
VULTURE; and EVENING GROSBEAK. Although rails are around, both Sora and
Virginia Rails were silent.



Species we missed but should have gotten: Bewick's Wren and Common Raven.
We could have easily gotten Brewer's Blackbird at the parking lots of the
commissary or post exchange.



Here's the complete list for the day:



Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Ring-necked Duck

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

California Quail (I)

Pied-billed Grebe

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel

Virginia Rail

Killdeer

Glaucous-winged Gull

Band-tailed Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Vaux's Swift

Rufous Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Cassin's Vireo

Steller's Jay

American Crow

Purple Martin

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

N. Rough-winged Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Barn Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

House Wren

Marsh Wren

Western Bluebird

Hermit Thrush

American Robin

European Starling (I)

Cedar Waxwing

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Wilson's Warbler

Western Tanager

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Western Meadowlark

Brown-headed Cowbird

Bullock's Oriole

Purple Finch

House Finch

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch

Evening Grosbeak

House Sparrow (I)



May all your birds be identified,



Denis DeSilvis

Roy, WA

Mailto: avnacrs4birds at q.com