Hi Tweets:
Today at Nisqually NWR I walked the road out to McAllister Creek at mid-day. In the
big pond to the right of the gravel road there were 2 SNOW GEESE. At the first
bushes and trees, a NORTHERN SHRIKE called a few times. It was making the call that
sounds like a Bewick's Wren going beent, beent. I couldn't see the bird. In a
little while, a juv NORTHERN SHRIKE flew into the tree by the road, and then down to
the gravel. It did this a couple of times. It was the perfect tan color to blend in
with the bushes. It had no mask. It did flash white patches when it flew.
Just past the new dike that crosses across the road to McAllister Creek, I stopped
for a bit to watch 26 Crowned Sparrows come out on the road to pick around in the
grass clump in the road. Most were WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, a few adults, and a lot
of juveniles. In the group, there were a few GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, dusky, no
golden, and looking a lot like Wht-crowns. Out in the fields there were several
brown NORTHERN HARRIERS, and a few RED-TAILED HAWKS. As I doubled back from
McAllister Creek, a juvenile DARK-MORPH ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK flew over. Wow. It headed
out toward the sound. Eventually I relocated it clumsily perched on a very-tiny
branch on a bush. It was a very-distant scope view. It looked like it was all the
way out near the outer dike.
The weather was nice today, and the light was great for viewing.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines, WA
linusq at att.net