Subject: [Tweeters] Eagles Pride Golf Course - JBLM - 6-20-2013
Date: Jun 20 21:13:40 2013
From: Denis DeSilvis - avnacrs4birds at outlook.com
Tweeters,
Today, nine of us dodged the predicted weather (80% chance of rain) and had
a good day on the monthly bird/wildlife walk at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord
(JBLM) Eagles Pride Golf Course. Since we're still working out the route, we
decided - fortuitously - to hike a different set of paths: definitely some
new species coupled with great views of some birds. Thanks to some folks
with good ears (Henry in particular), and eyes (everyone else), we had more
than our usual menu of birds. Highlights of the 41 species we identified
included a pair of GREAT HORNED OWLS, HOUSE WREN, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER,
PIED-BILLED GREBE, MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, as well as lots of the usual
fare.
Starting at just after 8am from the driving range parking lot, we sauntered
east-north-eastward (looks north, but it's really, truly, east-northeast)
picking up the usual swallows (lots of BARN SWALLOWS nest in the rafters of
the covered part of the driving range), GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, etc. The
youngest of us scored on spotting a WESTERN TANAGER, which led to good views
for the group, and then we decided to take a different route. As a
consequence, we saw a very visible (on an overhead wire) HOUSE WREN in
addition to RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, and SONG SPARROW. We
continued on the new route, and found lots of Western Thatching Ants adding
to their various mounded colonies. A bit later we found CHIPPING SPARROWS
and the first view of a GREAT HORNED OWL (too bad two of our group had to
leave before the owl flew by us). Because the trail petered out, we
backtracked to the main part of the route (picking up a MACGILLIVRAY'S
WARBLER along the way) and walked up the hill toward where we saw the owl
fly. Sure enough, Ken found the owl, which flew away from us, landing in a
small Douglas-fir, and gave a couple of squawks, which led to another owl
(likely the female from the size) flying overhead and past us. (Robins to
the east of us were sounding off, which led me to believe that juv. owls
might have been nearby.)
We then went to Hodges (?) Lake, and spotted a MALLARD with very small downy
young and two PIED-BILLED GREBES. A RED-TAILED HAWK was sounding off in one
of the trees above the lake, near to the same spot we saw one last month,
which led us to believe that a nest is close by. We had very good views of
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS picking caterpillars and other insects off the
shrubs and carrying them to someplace that had young birds chirping (likely
fledged rather than at a nest).
Heading back toward the driving range, we spotted another HOUSE WREN, this
one carrying nesting material toward a small outbuilding, affording us of
even closer views of this species. We also found a Columbian Black-tailed
Deer with two spotted fawns. After the rest of the group left, Dave and I
picked up a KILLDEER near the driving range building.
The complete listing of the birds we saw at Eagles Pride is below. The next
two walks are scheduled as follows: July 18, 2013, 8 AM and August 15, 2013
(i.e., the 3rd Thursday of each month). Bird Walk start point: Bldg # 1514,
Driving Range Tee, Eagles Pride Golf Course, I-5 Exit 116, Mounts Road Exit.
Anyone can attend. Just bring your appetite for finding birds in a new area
of Pierce County.
Mallard
Pied-billed Grebe
Red-tailed Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Killdeer
Rufous Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Willow Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Warbling Vireo
American Crow
Steller's Jay
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Tree Swallow
Violet- green Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-rumped Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Orange-crowned Warbler
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Dark-eyed Junco
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Brown headed Cowbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Red Crossbill
Purple Finch
May all your birds be identified,
Denis DeSilvis
Roy, WA
Mailto: avnacrs4birds at outlook.com