Tweets, Monday was a fabulous day to be out birding in Thurston Co! I spent
a couple hours around Tenino in the morning (39 spp) and the last couple
hours of daylight at Nisqually (38 spp). The highlight for the morning was
an "irregular" Dendroica warbler that needs more digging, but my initial
leaning is toward Hermit or hybrid. The Bobolink at Nisqually was apparently
not seen Monday -- Marv Breece was on the lookout from 7:30. But I was able
to see the other good birds he and others reported: glimpses of the GREAT
EGRET and SNOW GOOSE inside the new dike trail. After searching for maybe a
half-hour among the Black-bellieds and other shorebirds for the alleged AM.
GOLDEN PLOVER, my "one last try" in the waning daylight (6pm) yielded a
definitive though distant view: slightly smaller, proportionately more
slender across the "shoulders," darker overall and less patterned
breast/underparts, more black in the wingtips showing from behind, generally
more contrast between supercillium and cap, smaller bill, more active
foraging (at least when I saw it). Located outside the new dike, between
where the slough runs underneath and the new boardwalk (same location as the
Ruff a few weeks ago). I heard reports of up to three Peregrines. Good
birding!
-- Paul Hicks / Tenino, s. Thurston Co / phicks AT accessgrace.org