Subject: [Tweeters] Foothills Trail and S Prairie
Date: Sep 20 23:10:40 2008
From: Lynn & Carol Schulz - linusq at worldnet.att.net


Hi Tweets:
We put up with lots of rain this morning (Sat, 9-20), on an RAS field trip to the
Foothills Trail in Pierce County. Started out w/ a big group, and for some reason it
eventually got smaller and smaller. ;-) In South Prairie back at the ball park it
was pretty quiet, but we saw two AMERICAN KESTRELS chasing a ball of starlings.
Driving down S Prairie Rd, we saw a COMMON RAVEN. On the trail near REI (now called
Forbes) Wetland we saw a WESTERN TANAGER, large numbers of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS,
some BARN SWALLOWS, and a few VAUX'S SWIFTS. Down S Prairie Creek a bit we saw
several Chinook Salmon splashing in the river, some dead salmon, and a close-in
AMERICAN DIPPER. CEDAR WAXWINGS were at every stop.
Back in South Prairie about noon, we pulled into a gravel short road on the far west
side of the town, that goes about 1/2 block north from the main highway. We wanted
to witness raptor migration along the ridge there, a phenomenon which happens down
there in the fall on nice days. But the low clouds and rain never let up. We saw 3
wet TURKEY VULTURES perched out beyond the field, and a raven flew through. Back in
there, there is a large gravel vacant lot, and we saw the bird of the day, a
nice-looking VESPER SPARROW.
Going home after the trip, some of us drove north on I-167, and exited at S 277th St
near Kent. We doubled back along the frontage road to Thomas Pond. There was one
PECTORAL SANDPIPER, 2 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 1 LEAST SANDPIPER, and a small flock of
AMERICAN PIPITS. There were also many KILLDEER.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines, WA
linusq at att.net