Subject: [Tweeters] Spring Migrants, Calling Owls and Saw Whets
Date: Apr 7 17:53:53 2009
From: bill shelmerdine - georn1 at hotmail.com



Greetings Tweeters,
Thought I would just add to the burst of activity noted in the past couple of days. Sunday 4/5 we noted a couple of Orange-Crowned Warblers at Capitol Lake, the day before an American Pipit was overhead, and Monday, 4/6 a Common Yellowthroat was at Black Lake Meadows. Today (4/7) there was a Rough-winged Swallow at Black Lake Meadows. All were first of season sightings for me.

The past two days there has been a Northern Pygmy Owl calling from the treeline near the house just before dawn. A Barred Owl joined in for just a couple of cycles before silencing yesterday. As the dawn approached the local Robins pretty muched drowned everything else out. Pretty busy these days.

And speaking of Northern Saw-Whet Owls calling in migration,and Jim Danzenbakers question from the other day... I don't really know cause I'm never really sure if the Owls that show up in Thurston County lowlands in early February and March are migrants or just moving around trying prospective territories on for size. What I do know is that in late winter - early spring we get what I have always assumed to be Saw Whets moving through. The habitat here does not seem to hold them, and a couple of days is about it. So the assumption is they are moving through and calling, but I have always wondered whether they represent true migrants or birds that have wintered locally and have begun wandering in search of a suitable breeding territory or a mate. At any rate they pass through pretty fast but do so every year, and conspicuous calling is very brief.

Cheers and good birding...



Bill Shelmerdine

Olympia

mailto: georn1 at hotmail.com


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