Tweeters,
Paul Hicks and I led a Black Hills AS field trip to eastern Mason County today.? We birded the Tahuya-Blacksmith Rd area for a couple of hours searching for Mountain Quail, but had no luck.? However, we did have a close-up look at a Northern Pygmy Owl and good viewing of Orange-crowned Warblers, Rufous Hummingbirds, and a Red-breasted Sapsucker.? Wind was a problem at Belfair State Park, where perhaps the best birds were 6 Greater Yellowlegs.? Theler Wetland was fairly quiet in the early afternoon, but we picked up a Common Yellowthroat, 2 Savannah Sparrows, and had excellent viewing of foraging Green-winged Teal and 2 Dunlin on exposed mud at the first of the two new foot bridges.? We ended the trip at Mason Benson Rd, where we saw a late lingering NORTHERN SHRIKE on the large powerline right-of-way east of Mason Lake (the bird was east of the main substation).? There was no sign of the Western Bluebird pair that we had at this location last Saturday.? The day's total was 57 species.
Gary WilesOlympia, WAwilesharkey at yahoo.com