Hi Tweets:
Whee, migration is picking up down here in Des Moines and Kent. Today, up on 18th St (an old road which is now a trailhead trail) there were at least 6, maybe more singing ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS. Along a road about 4 or 5 blocks long! They may have just arrived, as they were singing from low perches, but not moving. I could not see a single one. It was about 9:30-10am. A loudly singing Hutton's Vireo did come in for good views. A number of Purple Finches were singing along the road.
Someone throws out seed on 18th and there were a bunch of birds feeding on the road. I saw 4 Fox Sparrows, two of which were lighter in color. Almost as light as the interior forms that have the gray head, with red-brown wings and tail. A couple of very dull Golden-crowned Sparrows were there. As usual this winter, and early spring there are Red Crossbills and Pine Siskins everywhere I go. All were heard only today in the warm, filtered sunshine. Heard my first (of many I'm sure) Purple Finches on Sun, Mar 31. They breed here. I think the House Finches on my street started singing about 1 month ago. Goldfinches still have not arrived.
On Sunday, down in the south part of old Kent, I was hearing and seeing Crossbills everywhere. The most I saw at one time was 7 as they flew over. Down south of Kent, in the big parking lot on S 277th (lot is north of 277th, and east of I-167), the first OSPREY had arrived the evening of Mar 31. It was perched on a light, which is fairly near last year's nest on another light in the parking lot. I'm so glad that that nest does not have the cone-shaped, wire "christmas tree" that I see covering various OSPR nests which are on cell phone towers down here in the south end. Two in the Burien area are covered and the big nest on I-405 and Rainier Ave south of Renton seems to be covered too. It looks like the OSPR nest on the cell tower at exit 5 on I-405 (Frye's parking lot in Renton) is uncovered at the moment. I wonder what our Ospreys down here are going to do this year? Bob 'n Bernie wrote about these cell tower covers over OSPR nests in our area. Pretty sad.
But the beautiful migration day today w/ sunshine and temp getting up to low 60's, made me very happy.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines