Hi Tweets -

Yesterday, Michael Hobbs, MaryFrances Mathis & I birded around Mason Co.
Highlights:

Northern Shrike - immature along the long trail at Theler Wetlands in Belfair.

American Kestrel - one along the Shelton-Matlock Road, near Matlock.

Barred Owl - one on the Dayton Airport Rd., sitting on the ground.
Aparently it had been hit by a car, but was doing relatively ok. Some
locals had called for Fish & Wildlife help.

Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlin -- the winter flock at the Kennedy
Creek mouth was our only flock of shorebirds all day.


Perhaps the biggest surprise was a lack of geese. Until 4:00pm, we
hadnt seen a single goose of any sort. Only then did our one flock of
geese -- Canadas -- fly overhead.



Two other notes for Mason Co visitors --- the road alongside
Sanderson Airport , the one that runs out to the Mason Co
fairgrounds, is closed off with a big gate. No access to the area
where things like Horned Larks, Chipping Sparrows, American Pipits
and such have hung out this year. One person leaving the area said
the closure was to last 'indefinitely' -- hope that means just a very
short time.

Also, there's apparently a debate going on about breeching the dikes
& flooding the wetlands at Theler for Salmon access (ala
Nisqually/Skagit/etc] -- the last 2 times I've visited,locals have
mentioned that there might be a compromise option in the works where
smaller dike breaks + bridges maintains the trails but allows the
water to flow. I dont know more than that, but if any locals know
more about this it might be helpful to receive periodic updates on
Tweeters -- it would be a shame to lose Theler Wetlands w/o even
knowing it.



Good birding,

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA