Hi Tweets:
It's a nice time to see the birds and hear them sing again. Spring is here in the lowlands near Seatac Airport. There are no leaves yet, so you can see the birds well. I went walking here in Des Moines on Tue, March 2, and on Wed March 3. It was mid-day on both days. Both days were cloudy, calm, and temp up to the low 50's.

Tue, March 2. Des Moines Beach Park. The beach. Tide was going out, and some of the beach showed. Lots of floating driftwood in the water, after a couple of quite-high tides. Two adult BALD EAGLES were perched up on the bluff over the creek. About 100 crows were on the beach and flying about, but for once they were tolerating the eagles. Glaucous-winged Gulls - 30. MEW GULLS - 2. Mod numbers of AMER. WIGEON. COMMON GOLDENEYE - about 25. BARROW'S GOLDENEYE - 4. BUFFLEHEAD - 6. HORNED GREBE - approx. 15. SURF SCOTER - 4. RED-NECKED GREBE - 1. In the creek there were several Mallard, 2 Gadwall, and 4 Amer. Wigeon.
About 11:20 I started walking up Des Moines Creek from Des Moines Beach Park. Here it's called Des Moines Creek Park. There is a sorta fence across the trail, but people walk up around it when there is no construction there. Eventually they will be paving the trail up to the water treatment plant. I walked up to the water treatment plant, about 1/3 mile. Along the creek there were about 8 - 10 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS flying about and singing. What a great song! Hearing their song reminds me of Thais Bock teaching me birding by ear about 9 years ago. What a concept, to just be quiet and listen! At that time I did not know about bird song. I will really miss Thais, who passed away recently. Up to a few weeks ago, she was hiking trails at age 92!
Along the creek, the salmon berries are blooming, but there are no Rufous Hummers yet. I saw one ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD. Some skunk cabbages were blooming.
A perched -up SPOTTED TOWHEE was singing, and it sounded like a Bewick's Wren. This is the time of year that towhee song changes from day to day, and keeps me guessing about whether it might be a Bewick's Wren, or a singing Dark-eyed Junco. I heard a couple of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS calling in a little flock of BUSHTITS, BC chickadees, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets.

Wed, Mar 3. Des Moines Creek Park, and 18th Ave S (off off S 216th St, just below the Des M post office).
I walked north to Des Moines Creek park woods, and on up to 18th Ave, which is an old road that now is closed to traffic, and is a trail-head to D M Creek Park. 18th Ave was alive w/ birds and bird song. 2 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS were along the route from my house, perched up and calling their insect-like hissing. I can not figure out where their nests are, but will keep looking. BROWN CREEPERS, WINTER WRENS, and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were singing. I could hear 1 or 2 HUTTON'S VIREO'S singing their repetitive song, and finally managed to see one briefly. AMERICAN ROBINS seemed to be very active, and they were singing. Several BUSHTITS were in a small flock.
Then I heard a PURPLE FINCH singing for a short time! 2 PINE SISKINS were flying about and chasing each other. I heard them do their ziippp call. An adult RED-TAILED HAWK flew through, and briefly perched.
After I saw the perched ANNA'S HUMMER in the 18th Ave field, I started doing its call which is a hiss w/ t's in it. A FOX SPARROW came in to my hiss-tuk sounds, and did a brief song! It perched up. The song was not a beautiful clear whistle yet, probably tuning up for the spring. 4 NORTHERN FLICKERS flew in doing their wicka, wicka calls, and all landed on the top of a pole by the field. Down in the field I did some more hiss-tuks, and 3 sooty FOX SPARROWS came in on the black berries doing their tuk calls all around me. I was wearing camo and was quiet. How cool to have Fox Sparrows within 4 feet of me. As I walked up out of the field to 18th, there were some finches in a willow by 18th. PURPLE FINCH - 2, one bright-red male singing, one silent gray one, 2 PINE SISKINS, and several AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, one of which was yellow w/ black on its forehead.
I never saw a gray PURPLE FINCH sing yesterday, but I did hear one sing here in mid January, my first Purple Finch of the season.
The last two years we had quite a few Purple Finches in the neighborhood in spring, singing and nesting. Very cool. They come in in late winter, especially when fruit trees bloom. I'm not sure when they leave, but have noted their singing into June. When they left last summer, the House Finches returned.

It was a great two days of birding and listening for bird song.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines
carol.schulz50 at gmail.com