Tweeters-



Fourteen of us enjoyed a morning that was low overcast until we hit the new dike and then the sun quickly broke through.? The cool temperature and clouds early on?must have put the birds in a?subdued mood.? There was little activity for the first part of the walk, and the total number of species was down from recent weeks.



Highlights at the visitor center included an immature Bald Eagle, Pied-billed Grebe and Hooded Merganser.? As we walked behind the parking lot and back to the board walk we sighted a male Common Yellow Throat, Great Blue Heron, Cedar Waxwing, and Goldfinch (we continued to see small flocks of?Goldfinch throughout the morning).?



As we came down the boardwalk, there were juvenile Wood Duck, Western Wood PeWee and Yellow Warbler.? A major highlight was spotting the two first year Great Horned Owls sitting close together in the interior of the boardwalk.? We have regularly seen?an adult or one juvenile, but have?not seen the two younger?owls together for quite a while.



>From the twin barns we watched an American Kestrel chase an immature Bald Eagle.? And then watched?two immature Bald Eagles land very close to a small flock of Canada Geese.? After the initial disruption, the geese did not seem all that concerned about the eagles.



On the way to the river overlook we got good looks at a juvenile Red-Breasted Sapsucker.? We had another sighting of a Sapsucker near the end of the walk.



As we started down the dike we saw a Northern Harrier and Spotted Sandpiper.? The pond on the inside?of the new dike is getting smaller each week.? We did see five Long-billed Dowitcher,?juvenile Cinnamon Teal,?and several Killdeer.? A large flock of Canada Geese was on the outside of the dike when we returned.



As we came back on the riverside of the?boardwalk we hit a fairly active spot and got to see a Mourning Dove, Brown Creeper, Downy Woodpecker and the second Red-breasted Sapsucker.



We had four of the five swallows for the day, with the exception being the Northern Rough-winged.? Numbers were very low, with the Barn Swallows being the most prevalent.?



Total?species for the day:? 36



Mammals:? Deer, Rabbit and Mink





Eric Slagle, Olympia

hannaslagle at comcast.net