In the spirit of staying out of the Christmas rush today I rode out to the Satsop Valley for some drive by birding.? My first observation is that there is no standing water in the farm fields so the numbers of birds isn't great so far this year but birds are there and the farm land is beautiful at anytime of the year.? A plus for some of us is that there is hardly any walking in that you basically bird from your car.?


On Brady Loop Rd. the biggest thrill of the afternoon was a very low flyover by 22 TRUMPETER SWANS voraciously calling in active demonstration of exactly why they are called Trumpeters. The little flock is a healthy mix of adults and kids.? I heard, then saw, them coming across a huge field to my left so I stopped where I estimated that they would cross and got out for a good view and what a view it was.? They flew over about 10 ft. overhead crossing the road and landed in a field closer to the river.? From 10 ft. you really get a feel for how big they are and believe me they are big and loud.? My instinct was to duck with them headed right at me but I didn't.? I did do a little dance and waved as they flew over.? No scope need and I'll take 22 Swans a fly'en as an early X'mas present any day. ??

I had previously seen a COOPERS HAWK sitting on a power line and two BALD EAGLES perched by the river in a tall fir.? There were blackbirds by the hundreds and MORNING DOVES by the dozens and various unidentified LBJs flew across the road too quickly for ID.? Another COOPERS HAWK or a second view of the previous one flushed from another wire down by the empty Osprey nest platform. ? MORNING DOVES flushed from a field soon after the turn back toward the freeway.?


Not much on Wenzel Slough except more flocks of hundreds if not a thousand blackbirds.? I heard the RED WING call but can't say that there weren't others mixed in with them.? A STELLAR JAY crossed the road by the river but without standing water this area wasn't birdy.?


The western most lake at Vance Creek Park produced two COMMON LOONS.? Three LESSER SCAUPS and a PIED BILLED grebe swam in the eastern most pond.? Back to the freeway a RED TAILED HAWK patrolled overhead.

On the way back I made a quick run up to McClaine Creek to see what was going on at dusk.? MALLARDS, A. WIGEONS, and one PIED BILLED GREBE were swimming and lots of CROW calls were heard to the west.? It sounded like a large flock was settling in to roost for the night but with the cloud cover it was getting dark too quickly to try and track them down. ??


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Ray Holden
Olympia, WA

Life is for the birds.