Hi Tweeters,

I hope everyone is getting as excited by the recent rush of spring migrants as I am. I thought I would mention a couple of birds I haven't seen mentioned yet. While checking some new areas (for me at least) around Gig Harbor, I found a Spotted Sandpiper. Although on the end of a tidal arm of Puget Sound, the tide was half out. Also, the end is fed by three small freshwater streams. It was in breeding (read spotted here) plummage, just bobbing along the shore. I thought it was pretty amazing considering we hadn't "spotted" one at the "Nisqually Shorebird Festival" our name for the great shorebirds we've had at the last 2 wednesday bird walks at Nisqually NWR.

Across the street I heard my FOY Hutton's Vireos, and later found (heard) 4 more. South Kitsap has been consistently the best place for me to find these guys.

Afterwards, I went to check on a Killdeer I found a few days ago. It was on the side of a driveway at the other end of the same inlet. I only took a couple of photos of it doing the broken wing display while giving it's alarm call, before backing away. I was photographing a Red-bellied Sapsucker working on a phone pole when I heard a screech from the Killdeer. I turned in time to see a Sharpie (or possibly Merlin) dive on the Killdeer. It missed and kept going. Yesterday when I went back, I couldn't find a nest and have been wondering if the raptor got the Killdeer. Coincidently, I have found a single Mourning Dove twice in the same place on the lawn.



Jeff Cohen

Gig Harbor

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