Tweeters,

Nathanael Swecker and I birded various areas of JBLM on Tuesday (4/26),
starting about 7:10AM and ending about 1:30PM. Most of the areas we birded
are described in second edition of "A Birder's Guide to Washington." These
areas included Chambers Lake, Johnson Marsh (training area (TA) 10), TA-4,
the Muck Creek bridge (Coyote Bridge per the bio folks), and Lewis Lake. We
also tried for the Bank Swallow colony that Nathanael found that is on the
cliff above the Nisqually River at the border between TA-16/TA-17 (no luck
yet.). TA-4, along the Second Division Range Road, was particularly birdy,
as usual for this time of year. Altogether, we had 75 species for the day,
missing some usual suspects like Bewick's Wren and Evening Grosbeak (about
20 at my home in Roy for the past several weeks).



Of particular note, we found the following:

NINE warblers: ORANGE-CROWNED, YELLOW (3, including a gorgeous singing male
at the snaggy area opposite the road to observation post (OP) 10),
YELLOW-RUMPED, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, TOWNSEND'S, HERMIT (singing in the
wooded area on the east side of Johnson Marsh), MACGILLIVRAY'S, WILSON'S,
and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. Orange-crowned Warblers were singing in every area
we visited, and along the roads we traveled.

OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER singing in the distance in TA-4; PACIFIC-SLOPE
FLYCATCHERs, and HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERs were also in this area.

GREAT HORNED OWL calling in TA-4.

PURPLE MARTINs appear to be trying to nest in the snags opposite the road
that leads to OP-10. In addition, at Brandenburg Marsh, the 60 nest boxes
have a TON of Tree Swallows as well as several Purple Martins.

Several CASSIN'S VIREO'S and two HUTTON'S VIREO'S were in TA-4 and near
Johnson Marsh.

A lone TURKEY VULTURE landed in a tree near us on the cliff overlooking the
Nisqually valley at the west side of the 91st Division Prairie artillery
impact area.

WESTERN MEADOWLARKs were also singing in this area.

HOUSE WRENS were numerous, and singing in lots of area.



The number of CHIPPING SPARROWS, both in the areas we stopped as well as
along the roads, was typical. It may be that this species is the single most
numerous sparrow around the prairie areas at JBLM, and perhaps the most
numerous, period, at JBLM in the Spring/Summer. They are everywhere.



We didn't stop at the Range Control office, or we likely would have picked
up Cliff Swallow (colony nearby) and House Finch. Nathanael posted all
sightings at the various stops on eBird.



Note: If you want to bird JBLM, you need an Area Access Pass, which you can
get at Range Control Mon-Fri. Nathanael's JBLM birding website has complete
details, as well as maps, etc., to help you find your way around. See
http://jblmbirding.com/ and especially the "Pass" section for clearly
defined instructions. You'll likely need a passport, as well as driver
license, proof of insurance, and current registration to get a vehicle pass.
The Birder's Guide to Washington has clear instructions as to how to access
the training areas.



Here's the complete species list (using an older taxonomic listing):

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Mallard

Ring-necked Duck

Lesser Scaup

Bufflehead

California Quail

Pied-billed Grebe

American Bittern

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel

Virginia Rail

Killdeer

Band-tailed Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Great Horned Owl

Vaux's Swift

Anna's Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Hammond's Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Cassin's Vireo

Hutton's Vireo

Steller's Jay

Western Scrub-Jay

Common Raven

Purple Martin

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Barn Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

Chestnut-sided Chickadee

Bushtit

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

House Wren

Pacific Wren

Marsh Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Western Bluebird

American Robin

European Starling

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

Hermit Warbler

MacGillivray's Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Wilson's Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Red-winged Blackbird

Western Meadowlark

Brown-headed Cowbird

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch



May all your birds be identified,



Denis DeSilvis

avnacrs 4 birds at outlook dot com