Tweeters,

I took a solo run to the areas on JBLM that Rod Gilbert and I are visiting
with the WFO/WOS folks this coming Saturday and found more species (35) than
I figured on, especially since I started there at about 10:15. I stopped at
Observation Post (OP) 8, the Muck Creek bridge, Brandenburg Marsh, and
Chambers Lake. Noteworthy, at least to me, were the numbers of WESTERN
TANAGERS and the BARN SWALLOWS. At OP-8, I counted 11 tanagers. At Chambers
Lake, I estimated over 400 Barn Swallows, most of which were on the wires
over the disused buildings. Ten WOOD DUCKS were preening or snoozing on a
downed snag at Chambers Lake. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER at Brandenburg Marsh
seemed late. (Not seen or heard at these locations were some of the more
usual suspects: Song Sparrow, Killdeer, Northern Flicker, Western Bluebird,
Pine Siskin, and Purple Finch.)



The stop at OP-8, with its extensive blackberries on the hillside below the
graveled OP area, produced 20 species, including HOUSE WREN, WESTERN
TANAGER, EVENING GROSBEAK, CHIPPING SPARROW, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, BLACK-HEADED
GROSBEAK, and WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE. Several tanagers were feeding on the
ripened blackberries, as were the starlings and robins. I spotted a few
smaller birds, likely warblers from the coloration, but didn't get a good
enough look to ID them. I trust the WOS/WFO folks will have better luck this
Saturday with seeing them.



The Muck Creek bridge, with not much water in the creek, was a bit sparse (a
squad or two of soldiers were there doing some map work), but did have new
species for the day: BELTED KINGFISHER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, PURPLE MARTIN,
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, STELLER'S JAY, BARN SWALLOW, WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, and
CEDAR WAXWING. The many VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS were overhead, moving south.



I decided to make a quick stop at Brandenburg Marsh on the way to Chambers
Lake, and found a Purple Martin feeding what appeared to me to be a
close-to-fledging young bird at one of the boxes. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
announced its presence by repeating a long string of single "pip" notes from
a perch high atop a Douglas-fir. This wasn't a series of a three-peet
"pip-pip-pip" notes, but a continuous series of single notes.



Chambers Lake (south) had a PIED-BILLED GREBE feeding two young birds, and I
heard other young ones further north on the lake. A lone male WOOD DUCK was
at the shoreline about midway on the lake, and 10 more were on a downed snag
near the north end. A couple of VIRGINIA RAILS sounded off near the north
end. The number of BARN SWALLOWS (400+) at the training site alongside the
lake was astounding to me, especially considering that last year at this
time I found only a few. Too, the site was in light use by trainees then,
and not at all used this year. A few Violet-green Swallows were among the
Barn Swallows, but I didn't see any Tree or Cliff Swallows.



Here's the complete list for today:

Wood Duck

Mallard

Pied-billed Grebe

Red-tailed Hawk

Virginia Rail

Mourning Dove

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Western Wood-Pewee

Willow Flycatcher

Steller's Jay

Western Scrub-Jay

Common Raven

Purple Martin

Violet-green Swallow

Barn Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick's Wren

House Wren

Marsh Wren

American Robin

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Common Yellowthroat

Western Tanager

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Black-headed Grosbeak

American Goldfinch

Evening Grosbeak



May all your birds be identified,



Denis DeSilvis

Roy, WA

Mailto: avnacrs4birds at outlook.com