OBOLTWEETS -

I worked extensively out of doors between showers and torrential rain over the weekend. I have a home in Camas and I purchased it from people who really loved birds and have quite a collection coming to the 5 feeders (+2 hummingbird feeders) on the 3/4 acre property. This weekend was great for birds and I had a great showing of multiple species of birds including Mountain, Chestnut Backed, and Black Capped Chickadees, Mourning Dove, and EC Dove, Rock Pigeon and a suprising flock of 8 Band Tailed pigeons who came right onto the deck to eat, Song, Fox, White Throated, Golden Crowned, and House sparrows, and Northern Flicker, Hairy, Downy, Pileated, and a spectacular Red Breasted Sapsucker visiting the multiple dead snags that are all around the property. I also have many many Steller's Jays and a few Scrub Jays and had a surreal moment of a dozen or more bushtits landing on me, on the suet cage I was putting up and in my hanging planters - seemingly unconcerned for their own safety. I have 6-8 Annas Hummingbirds zooming around the yard. I've only had one owl calling at night here - Great Horned from the tone - but expect I'll hear many more later in the season. I have a small stream and waterfall in the back yard that attracted both Red Crossbills and a single Evening Grossbeak.

I now have 3 day weekends every week (Fridays off) so if anyone is interested in birding together or taking a field trip to a relatively close location I'd love to join you. I explored the Washougal River Wetlands for an hour or so on Saturday morning and had great fun watching the ducks, herons and egrets hunting all along the flooded banks and low lying meadows.

Cheers and good birding

Rob

Rob Conway
New Residence
Camas, WA

robin_birder at hotmail.com