Tweeters,

Looked out the back window and had the following species (no particular
order) foraging along the blackberries where I scatter seed for the ground
feeders:

Brown-headed Cowbird (first for this year)

Red-winged Blackbird

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Spotted Towhee

Mourning Dove

California Quail

Purple Finch

House Finch

Pine Siskin

House Sparrow



A couple of Steller's Jays came in, which spooked a lot of the birds, and
then the local Cooper's Hawk did a fly-through, which spooked everything
except the overflying Tree Swallows.



Since mid-January, I've had EVENING GROSBEAKS coming to feeders and foraging
on the ground. In the past two weeks, up to ~35 of these loud (in coloration
and sound) birds have appeared every morning, with the majority departing
just after noon. They pretty much stay at the feeding stations out front,
although a few might feed out back occasionally.



WILSON'S SNIPES have been winnowing above the wetlands out back since a
couple of weeks ago, and are especially noticeable after dark when it's
quieter. One bird winnowed close over the house when I was checking on the
pair of Great Horned Owls that were calling across the wetlands.



Went through Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) yesterday to see to check on
early CHIPPING SPARROWS (found none). Did find WESTERN BLUEBIRDS in the
usual places, along with quite a few singing WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. With
the mowing of Scotch Broom, previously vast areas dominated by this species
are now quite open. Between the Muck Creek bridge and Brandenburg Marsh
(near Roy), I estimate over 150 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS were snapping up
insects just above the ground in the open area that in years past I'd only
seen much higher flyers. A few TREE SWALLOWS were mixed in with them, too. I
found WOOD DUCKS at Muck Creek and both this species and HOODED MERGANSERS
at Brandenburg Marsh. Heard a couple of WESTERN MEADOWLARKS singing north
and west of Muck Creek.



May all your birds be identified,



Denis DeSilvis

Roy, WA

Mailto: avnacrs4birds at q.com