Tweeters,

Three of us took a chance on the weather today (53deg F; sprinkling at first
but raining hard at times, then stopped later), and lucked out with three
new species for this trip, and 70 altogether. The newbies were SWAINSON'S
THRUSH and CEDAR WAXWING seen at the OP-10 sign along Story Road; and a
WARBLING VIREO at Chambers Lake. We managed to also pick up COMMON and
HOODED MERGANSERS at the Clear Creek fish hatchery before we had to leave
because someone was going to lock the gate. We also saw about 15 CANADA
GEESE at the hatchery, but more puzzling were the several skeins of CAGOs
totaling over 50 flying overhead from south to north over the 91st Division
prairie. Really different to see that many geese together here at this time
of year.



The rain seemed to keep the swallows down low, and we saw the six regularly
occurring swallows (BARN, TREE, VIOLET-GREEN, CLIFF and NORTHERN
ROUGH-WINGED; and PURPLE MARTIN) together at two different places: Muck
Creek bridge and Chambers Lake. This latter place was swarming with swallows
feeding over the lake. It was also here that we saw seven male and one
female Purple Martin sitting on the old washtub that was once used as a
goose nesting site. In fact, I can safely say that I've not ever seen so
many Purple Martins at JBLM on one trip in the over 30 years I've been
birding there.



More WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES and OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS were heard in the usual
places. Of the usual flycatchers, only Willow was not heard. And
Golden-crowned Sparrows are now likely all gone until autumn.



For those interested, the LAZULI BUNTINGS and ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD put in
appearances at OP-8. (The hummingbird, as one of the participants noted, is
"wild," and not sipping nectar out of a feeder, the usual occurrence it
seems sometimes.)



The complete listing is below:

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Mallard

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

California Quail

Pied-billed Grebe

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel

Killdeer

Band-tailed Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Anna's Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Western Wood-Pewee

Hammond's Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Cassin's Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Steller's Jay

American Crow

Common Raven

Purple Martin

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

N. Rough-winged Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Barn Swallow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick's Wren

House Wren

Pacific Wren

Marsh Wren

Western Bluebird

Swainson's Thrush

American Robin

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

MacGillivray's Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Wilson's Warbler

Western Tanager

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Black-headed Grosbeak

Lazuli Bunting

Red-winged Blackbird

Western Meadowlark

Brown-headed Cowbird

Purple Finch

Red Crossbill

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch

Evening Grosbeak



May all your birds be identified,



Denis DeSilvis

Roy, WA

Mailto: avnacrs4birds at outlook.com