Tweets,

Eight of us enjoyed a non-rainy, but chilly, day in Thurston County
visiting Scatter Creek, Mima Mounds, McLane Creek and Nisqually NWR
today on a SAS field trip. A few notables follow.

We started the morning at Mima Mounds and, thankfully, the gun club was
quiet. We were entertained the entire time there by a cruising male
Northern Harrier. Western Meadowlarks were singing, invisible to us, in
the prairie, as was a Purple Finch behind the woods. A pair of Hairy
Woodpeckers put on a show, plus we had fly-overs of Band-tailed Pigeon
and Evening Grosbeak, and an elusive Savannah Sparrow.

At Scatter Creek Wildlife Area, Red-breasted Sapsuckers were busy in
several locations, probing and calling, and we saw Downy and more Hairy
Woodpeckers. A Purple Finch was singing constantly near the parking
area. We had fly-overs of Band-tailed Pigeon and a small flock of
Evening Grosbeak. Both Western Scrub-jay and Steller's Jay were calling.
On the outskirts of the wildlife area we had American Kestrel and a
Western Bluebird. (A Black Mink seen last Sunday was a no-show today.)

The McLane Creek Trail offered great views of 2 pair of Wood Duck and a
nice look at a Varied Thrush. Another fly-over of Evening Grosbeak and a
very vocal Pileated Woodpecker, plus another very active Hairy Woodpecker.

We had a little extra time on our way home so stopped at Nisqually. A
good move, it turns out. Of the several hundred swallows, around 95%
were Violet-green, 5% were Tree, plus at least 3 or 4 Northern
Rough-winged (FOY for all of us). Two of us were able to observe a
Rufous Hummingbird feeding on the salmonberry, from a vantage point
inside the visitor center. We were able to see the Great-horned Owl
chicks, still ensconced in the tree fork and still quite downy. The 2
dozen Yellow-rumped Warbler were split about equally between Myrtle and
Audubon's.

The rain held off until we got back on the road. Which made a nice
finish to a great outing with a great group of birders.

Scott Ramos
Seattle