Hello All
Yesterday Bruce LaBar and I led a troop of 9 birders
around Pierce County for the Tahoma Audubon Birdathon.
We ended up with an exceptional day, breaking the
Pierce County Big Day record with 130 species.

We began as always at Purdy Spit, where we succeeded
in picking up a good variety of waterbirds, including
many Common Murres, an Eared Grebe, Dunlin, Western
and Least Sandpipers, and migrating flocks of shovelers.

Next on the route was Titlow Beach Park, which along
with the reliable Purple Martins gave us five Marbled
Murrelets, quite a few Red Crossbills, Cedar Waxwings,
and a few migrant warblers. We then cruised some
residential streets in Tacoma for Anna's Hummingbirds
and Western Scrub-Jay, but became distracted by a
truly amazing sight overhead. Western Tanagers were
streaming north over the city in large numbers. Eight
or 9 of these beacons would be visible in the sky at
once, maybe 150-200 feet up, following a predictable
path. The movement was being funneled along the shore,
most obvious at our next stop, Point Defiance. There I
counted up to 20 tanagers in a single tree, and tallied
well over 100 in the park. The most notable birds in
Point Defiance Park were a Chipping Sparrow and a
NASHVILLE WARBLER. Other migrants present were plenty
of Warbling Vireos, and Wilson's and Black-throated Gray
Warblers.

We check Ruston Way, where we had late-lingering
Barrow's Goldeneyes, a Red-necked Grebe in crisp
breeding plumage, and a River Otter. At the 11th Street
Bridge we ticked the nesting Peregrine. Next was the
Marine View Drive and the Hylebos Waterway, where a
Gadwall on the saltwater was our only one for the day.
Gog-Le-Hi-Ti Wetlands had Marsh Wrens, Orange-crowned
Warblers, and Mourning Dove.

>From there we headed south. A momentary pause at McChord
AFB produced Western Bluebird and Tree Swallow. 176th
Street in Spanaway was hopping as usual. Many Yellow
Warblers and Purple Finches were the most vocal birds,
along with a couple invisible Cassin's Vireos. Our highlight
of the day occurred near the lake here, when a DUSKY
FLYCATCHER sallied out over the road and gave us good scope
views. The lake had Osprey, Purple Martin, Wood Duck,
Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, and Hooded Merganser.

We made an effort for some of the harder prairie species at
Fort Lewis, but came up with only Western Meadowlark and a
MacGillivray's Warbler that sang only once. A small flock of
Evening Grosbeaks flew over. Kreger Lake gave us Cinnamon Teal,
Northern Harrier, and Virginia Rail, but the bitterns and
Soras that nest there evaded us.

We decided from here we would make a run up to the upper
parking lot of Paradise. On the way, before entering the park
we lucked upon a hormone-driven Sooty Grouse that was trying
to attack passing vehicles on the highway. Smart one! Up top
at Paradise there were too many people around to see much bird
activity beyond the incorrigible Gray Jays. After getting our
views of the mountain we headed back to Longmire, where we
picked up American Pipit, a glowing pure male HERMIT WARBLER,
and Hammond's Flycatcher. We tallied up our list and came up
with 128 species, already beyond the previous Pierce County
record of 126!

On the way back we stopped at Mashel Creek and observed a
nesting pair of American Dippers. Our last bird of the day,
#130, was a Barred Owl distantly responding to our imitation
efforts at Puget Creek in Tacoma.

A fantastic day!
Cheers,
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington