Tweets,
Monday was the Day of Reckoning: my wife returned after 2 weeks in Utah
learning to be a grandmother--turns out she's a natural! I managed to get
the house cleaned, dishes & laundry done, treats set out, etc, AND pack in
8+ hours of birding several areas of s. Thurston & n. Lewis Counties, 60+
species. Notables:
- 40 CANVASBACK, mostly in large pond e. of "Centralia" Steamplant, Big
Hanaford Rd, a reliable spot.
- CACKLING GOOSE, one with other small Canadas e. of the above pond, and
perhaps more in fields further east.
- EUR. WIGEON drake with 2 or 3 other Americans at pond at end of Goodrich
(off Old 99 n. between Grand Mound and Centralia). PINTAIL was the
predominant duck here, with lots of GR-W TEAL, a swarm of DUNLIN and a dozen
BLK-B PLOVER.
- WOOD DUCK (3 drakes) in the slough en route, the only ones for the day.
- HERRING GULL and possible THAYER'S GULL with a mixed flock around Goodrich
Rd. pond.
- SHORT-EARED OWL, 3-4 present in large field between Gibson Rd & Marsh St,
n. of Old Hwy 99 & S. Sound Speedway between Grand Mound exit 88 & Tenino. I
watched one in display flight fairly high overhead in the dim twilight,
clapping his wingtips together rapidly in succession what looked like 3-5
times. The "rush hour" highway noise was too much to hear distinctly
whatever sound this produced. Totally fascinating!
- Owling (10-11:30pm) on Vantine Rd (e. and n. of Tenino) produced 3 singing
GREAT HORNED OWL sites and 3 SAW-WHET OWL. Little if any use of tapes was
needed. Played W Screech Owl at several locations but no certain response
(just one "bark" that I'm thinking was Saw-whet).
I even made it to SeaTac without keeping my wife waiting (barely!) after her
20+ hour day flying standby.
"Missing" were W BLUEBIRD (Weir Prairie/Waldrick Rd sites), WHITE-T KITE
(Gibson & Big Hanaford Rd sites), siskin & grosbeak. Another "missed"
sighting: GYRFALCON observed by Roger Orness on Sunday at the Steam Plant
(see separate post). A "bonus" sighting: 18 elk appreciating the newly
seeded grass on the mined hillside at the end of Big Hanaford Rd. Plus,
robins were singing in my yard Monday. So far this year I've seen 4 species
missed in '08, plus some great birds in desert SW Utah. Good birding!
-- Paul Hicks / Tenino, s. Thurston Co / phicks AT accessgrace.org