Hello Tweets,
Four of us went on Eastside Audubon's annual Birdathon field trip to Robinson Canyon last Saturday.
We had a wonderful day of birding with excellent cool weather for the hike into the canyon. We saw 60 species in all. Forty-five were seen within the canyon. Highlights included an AMERICAN KESTREL sitting on a fence post eating a breakfast of rodent, a PRAIRIE FALCON flying straight overhead, BLACK SWIFTS below the canyon rim, an excellent view of a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, a couple of HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS, a half-dozen CASSIN'S VIREOS in a mixed flock with many TOWNSEND'S and WILSON'S WARBLERS, several NASHVILLE WARBLERS, MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, and BULLOCK'S ORIOLES along with a couple of Cascades specialties: MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES and ROCK WREN. We also had a close-up view of a well-fed WESTERN RATTLESNAKE, and a number of butterflies were seen including: WESTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL, PALE SWALLOWTAIL, MOURNING CLOAK, CABBAGE WHITE, COMMON BLUE, and a very-likely SATYR COMMA. Thanks to these birders and others who have donated to Eastside Audubon's Birdathon this year.
Andy McCormick
Bellevue, WA