Hi Tweeters,

Did some very relaxed birding today and got to see that the Red-shouldered Hawk is still around. It was perched on a short fir tree near the south end of the animal shelter when I first saw it and the lighting was perfect but by the time I tried to get my scope out to go for a digiscope it flew off to the osprey platform. It seemed to be actively looking for a meal and flew down not to be relocated. The animal shelter is off of 212th on 64th (I think it is 64th...) It might stick around longer this year since the Redtails are not nesting so close to his/her area this year. We did not see the Red-shouldered at the census last Sunday.

I also stopped at the mouth of the Cedar River and walked the trail a ways hoping for the Palm Warbler. I did not see it but it could still be around. Both Myrtle and Audubon's Yellow-rumped were busy flycatching. One Common Goldeneye drake had a harem of 9 females which he might have been defending since there were a few single males around. The Spotted Sandpiper is still hanging out at the mouth but it was shear luck I saw it. There is so much stuff out there from the flooding it could have been anywhere. Overall birdwise the mouth was fairly quiet, not many ducks really or gulls around.

Kathy

Roosting in Kent, near Lake Meridian
(chukarbird at yahoo dot com)
Any driving directions contained within this message are given as a courtesy, beware, author is directionally challenged and will not vouch for them.