Hi Tweets:
This morning in Des Moines the sunny weather and the birding was very nice. The Red
Crossbill and Purple Finch activity has died down, but I did hear a Purple Finch sing
once, and one crossbill flew overhead. Instead of all those finches, our
neighborhood and a neighborhood near the town of Des Moines is getting a few Evening
Grosbeaks. American Goldfinches are everywhere here in Des Moines and down in the
Kent Valley. It has been a wonderful finchy sort of spring.
On a short morning walk I saw and heard 3 Orange-crowned Warblers, 2 Wilson's
Warblers, a couple of Warbling Vireos, and I heard about 10 Blk-throated Gray
Warblers (but couldn't see those). I could hear two Pacific-slope Flycatchers in the
woods. I never see those either. I heard my FOS Western Wood-Pewee here today. Up
on 18th 3 Cedar Waxwings were fly-catching. Blk-headed Grosbeaks are singing and
calling everywhere. I still have not seen or heard a Swainson's Thrush like everyone
else has.
Late this afternoon after 5pm, I went down to the Kent Valley. At the 212th St pond
there were 2 Spotted Sandpipers, a Wood Duck, and a female Common Goldeneye. From
that area I could look north to a seasonal pond, and saw two shorebirds that in the
distance could have been Yellowlegs.
Over on 204th there were some very-interesting waterfowl. In the NE pond there were
2 male and 1 female CINNAMON TEAL, and 2 male BLUE-WINGED TEAL. Looking south into
the big pond I saw 1 Greater Yellowlegs. 2 Green-winged Teal still remain. The male
is beautiful.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines, WA
linusq at att.net