Tweeters,

It was a cool morning start (38degF), but no wind for the 10 of us that sauntered around the edges of JBLM's Eagles Pride Golf Course on Thursday. Birds were scarce at the beginning, but as the sun made its presence felt, both birds and observers got a bit more active. Highlights include a vocalizing HERMIT THRUSH that flew up into an oak tree and stayed long enough that everyone got views of all sides of the bird. It's probable that this is the same Hermit Thrush first spotted on the September walk, and (most likely) seen last month. Of the 26 species seen, other notable sightings include the following:

- Four NORTHERN SHOVELER females on Hodge Lake

- Three HOODED MERGANSERS on Hodge Lake. Given that a Hooded Merganser had flightless young at Hodge Lake this summer, it may be that mergansers will breed again here next year.

- Eighteen BUFFLEHEADS and eight RING-NECKED DUCKS sorta together at Hodge Lake



The JBLM Eagles Pride GC birders meet the third Thursday of each month at 8:00AM. Starting point is Bldg # 1514, Driving Range Tee, Eagles Pride Golf Course, I-5 Exit 116, Mounts Road Exit. Upcoming walks include the following:

* December 15

* January 19

* February 16

Anyone is welcome to join us!



>From the eBird report, for those on the walk that don't subscribe:



Northern Shoveler 4 At Hodge Lake

Ring-necked Duck 8 At Hodge Lake

Bufflehead 18 At Hodge Lake

Hooded Merganser 3 At Hodge Lake (bred there this year)

Downy Woodpecker 2

Northern Flicker 4

Steller's Jay 10 Scattered over a greater portion of the route than we usually find

American Crow 20

Common Raven 1 Not a "common" sighting, but we've had more sightings this year than previously

Black-capped Chickadee 24

Chestnut-backed Chickadee 12

Bushtit 40 In two separate flocks, in much the same areas as last month

Red-breasted Nuthatch 12

Brown Creeper 1

Pacific Wren 18

Bewick's Wren 1

Golden-crowned Kinglet 30

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6

Hermit Thrush 1 In the power-line corridor (the "cut-through") little hot-spot birding area to the side of the 16th hole. Heard it vocalizing (like a softer Fox Sparrow, with a different cadence than that bird) first, then it flew up about 10 feet into the bare branches of a Garry Oak. All of us had good looks, both with bins and in scopes, of this bird. Quite likely the same bird first found on the birdwalk in September and possibly seen again in October.

American Robin 15

European Starling 9

Fox Sparrow 1

Dark-eyed Junco 75

Song Sparrow 16

Spotted Towhee 12

House Finch 3



View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32606290

May all your birds be identified,

Denis DeSilvis
avnacrs 4 birds at outlook dot com