Hi Tweets -
I spent the day birding around Pierce County, seeing what was around.
Thanks to the weather largely agreeing, it was a moslty dry and good
day.

I started down around South Prairie on the Foothills Trail -- I
arrived just before dawn hoping for owls, but didn't get lucky. Best
birds in a couple hours of hiking on the trail were a half dozen
WESTERN MEADOWLARKS close to South Prairie, and a flock of EVENING
GROSBEAKS.

Next, i stopped at the corner of Riverside Road E. & 86th, south of
Sumner a couple miles, where Tom Mansfield reported seeing Eurasian
Collared-Dove[s] on October 31. After searching for a while without
luck , I spotted a dove on the power lines right at the corner as I
was driving away. I came back to confirm, and sure enough it was a
EUCD.

I headed down to Mounts Rd., the last exit north of Nisqually [and
still in Pierce Co]. Out in the fields were 2 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 1
PEREGRINE FALCON and a RED-TAILED HAWK.

Next, I checked out American Lake, where several CANVASBACK were
mixed in with a flock of LESSER SCAUP.

Moving on to the ferry dock in Steilacoom, I watched a large flock of
BONAPARTES GULLS feeding out in the Sound.Also present were Western,
Red-necked & Horned Grebes, as well as a small group of Surf Scoters.
Over the land, a pair of PEREGRINE FALCONS were chattering back &
forth as they flew around and spooked the ferry dock Rock Pigeons.

After getting lost more than once, I made it to Waughop Lake, on or
next to Fort Steilacoom. The small lake was full of ducks, including
CANVASBACK, both SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCKS, N.SHOVELLER, GADWALL,
MALLARD, HOODED & COMMON MERGANSER, & RUDDY DUCK. A BONAPARTES GULL
was hanging out with the RING-BILLED & MEW GULLS as well.

Final stop was along Commencement Bay north of Tacoma, where I found
my first big flock of wigeon of the day. Among the many AMERICAN
WIGEON was a single EURASIAN WIGEON male. A little further down along
the log booms, BLACK TURNSTONES were joined with by a couple LEAST
SANDPIPERS in running around the large collection of gulls [WESTERN,
GLAUCOUS-WINGED, CALIFORNIA, BONAPARTES, at least].

I'm still wondering where the big flocks of Cackling Geese might hang
out in Pierce County -- any one have suggestions? With so many just
north of Pierce Co in Auburn, and just south of Pierce Co at
Nisqually,there must be some flocks somewhere....

All in all, a good day off,

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA