Subject: [Tweeters] S King County, Thurs, 10-2
Date: Oct 3 07:02:04 2008
From: Lynn & Carol Schulz - linusq at worldnet.att.net


Hi Tweets:
Yesterday, in Des Moines on Thurs, 10-2-08 I struggled to view about 6 YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS rapidly moving in the tops of some poplar trees. I could hear them loudly
chiffing, but at first I couldn't see them. I learned a lesson. Don't try to view
dull brown warblers in the tops of tall trees. I was clutching the back of my neck.
Ouch! Finally got a view of one or two of them, and as usual in Des Moines they were
Audubon's subspecies.
In mid-afternoon, down in the Green River Valley, just south of 277th I stopped at
Thomas Pond along the frontage road east of I-167. When I first arrived there were
two PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. They appeared out of grass on the north side of the pond,
and were gone in about 1 minute! At first I saw one Gr Yellowlegs. As I continued
to watch, more shorebirds came in. Eventually there were 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and 9
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. These walked w/in about 100 feet of me. They would be good
picture subjects as they were close, and seemed unaffected by my watching. Other
birds in the area were a bright female Belted Kingfisher, 3 Hooded Mergansers,
several Killdeer, 10 Brewer's Blackbirds, several Red-winged Blackbirds, and several
fly-bys of AMERICAN PIPITS (heard only).
A fellow stopped by in a car and asked what I was seeing. I told him about migratory
shorebirds that would only be here for a while. He told me, "Someone is always
looking into that pond."
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines, WA
linusq at att.net