Hi Tweets -

Following up on Marcus Roening's May 5th post of White-tailed Kite, Cathy
Davidson and I searched the area after 6pm Thursday May 10th and again
Mother's Day morning from 8am-noon. No luck either trip for Kite or
Kingbird but we found other goodies!

There were numerous W. Meadowlarks, Chipping and Wht.-crowned Sparrows, W.
Bluebirds (thanks to the many nest boxes) and a few Savannah Sparrows. The
first evening we were lucky to have a pair of Ruffed(?) Grouse land behind
some scrub about 30' from the car! We got out to get a a few good looks
before the birds flushed into the the nearby wooded area. A treat for sure,
as I would not have expected it and Cathy got a life-bird!

Sunday morn we stopped deep in a Doug Fir forest with much birdsong. Unable
to identify every song, at least the Olive-sided Flycatcher was easy and we
did see W. Wood Pewee, some Yellow Warblers and one up-close view of
MacGillivray's Warbler - another lifer for Cathy! Driving further on the
dirt roads revealed a few butter-butts and Pine Siskin. Moving west, still
within TA12, we discovered a stand of nest boxes on poles housing many
Purple Martins and Tree Swallows. One Bewick's Wren was skulking about too,
maybe hoping to acquire one of the boxes. We reached the prairie driving
slowly and scanning for kite, then circled around to take the paved road
along the north side of the "Artillery Impact Area." We spotted what might
have been a Vesper Sparrow but could not confirm as it flew farther into
the impact area (was not Savannah). Then, best of all, having stopped along
the edge of the wooded hillside, we were watching what I first assumed was
Warbling Vireo, and upon getting better and better looks, we determined it
was in fact Red-eyed Vireo! Sadly it was not singing, but there was no
mistaking a bird that was so common and ubiquitous in the east where I
lived for years. Of course one more lifer for Cathy and I must say, I
realize my own heightened enjoyment at her new tallies!

Many thanks to Marcus et.al. for "hooking me up" to birding JBLM!

Greg Pluth
University Place
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