Subject: [Tweeters] RE: Kent/Green River Valley Birding
Date: Nov 9 15:43:52 2009
From: Randy - randimal at comcast.net


Thanks to Kathy for the message about birds in Kent. Both Northern Shrike
and Trumpeter Swans are lifers for me, so I took an early lunch break to go
birding.



On the way to Boeing Ponds the flock of Cackling Geese was still in the
field north of 212th. There was also one whitish splotch in the flock. I
didn't stop to check, but I believe it was the same juvenile SNOW GOOSE I
had seen there a couple weeks ago.



I parked on the southwest corner of Boeing Ponds and walked the trail along
the south end. There were not a lot of ducks, but I saw some AMERICAN
COOTS, GADWALL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL and MALLARD. I finally saw an adult
NORTHERN SHRIKE in the field past the cul-de-sac. I spent some time taking
pictures including a few of an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER also in that area.



Walking back to my truck I spotted a small bird, likely a BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEE, coming toward me being chased by another NORTHERN SHRIKE. It was
soon joined by one more shrike and they proceeded to noisily chase the
chickadee around the pond several times. They eventually flew off to the
north and I did not see if the hunt was successful. I assume the final
Shrike was my third seen since the first Shrike would have had to sneak
around me to join the hunt, but I'm not sure.



Out at Smith Brothers Dairy the 7 TRUMPETER SWANS were in the field north of
the Dairy and nearby were 4 more to bring the total to 11. 5 of the 11 were
juveniles.



So I managed to have a 2-lifer lunch. Thanks again to Kathy for the report.



It was also a good weekend for yard birds. I had a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
dining in the backyard on Saturday and a PILEATED WOODPECKER in the front
yard on Sunday.



Randy Bjorklund

Federal Way, WA