Tweeters,
Dawning sunny (54degF) and warming up nicely (67degF at end) as we traversed the usual route (using Covid-19 and JBLM Garrison guidelines), the 17 of us were treated to a fine day of birding around the Eagles Pride Golf Course (GC). Highlights of the 55 species (and 1 taxa) found include the following:
1. Two BALD EAGLES (one of which was earlier being harassed by a Red-tailed Hawk).
2. Once again tallying three forest vireos: HUTTON'S, CASSIN'S, and WARBLING.
3. Sighting 8 HOUSE WRENS.
4. Tallying 8 warbler species: ORANGE-CROWNED, MACGILLIVRAY'S, YELLOW, YELLOW-RUMPED, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, HERMIT, and WILSON'S, as well as COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.
5. Two RED CROSSBILLS were a pleasant surprise.
Sometimes eBird doesn't accept some of our individual species counts, such as last month's 11 House Wrens. However, the JBLM Eagles Pride GC is not a small birding site: it consists of about 540 acres including the three 9-hole layouts. Of the acreage, about 60% is forest or undeveloped land. It's a very spread-out area, and our birdwalk takes us along a 3.2-mile trek, crossing or paralleling just a few holes of the course. The habitat is mixed, with Douglas-fir, Garry oak, and vine and big-leaf maples predominating the overstory, with an understory typical of Northwest forests. It's a nice place to bird for forest and edge species. And the House Wrens have found the few metal and wood power poles, as well as a few "natural" sites, to be just right for finding small openings for their respective nests.
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:
* July 16
* August 20
* September 17
Anyone is welcome to join us!
55 species (+1 other taxa)
Pied-billed Grebe 1 Hodge Lake
Band-tailed Pigeon 7
Mourning Dove 2
Anna's Hummingbird 7
Rufous Hummingbird 3
Turkey Vulture 2
Bald Eagle 2
Red-tailed Hawk 4
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 7
Olive-sided Flycatcher 4
Western Wood-Pewee 16
Willow Flycatcher 9
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 6
Hutton's Vireo 3
Cassin's Vireo 3
Warbling Vireo 2
Steller's Jay 5
American/Northwestern Crow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 13
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 21
Tree Swallow 18 Most at the nest-box array at Hodge Lake
Violet-green Swallow 8
Barn Swallow 32
Bushtit 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 7
Red-breasted Nuthatch 9
Brown Creeper 2
House Wren 8
Bewick's Wren 1
European Starling 8
Swainson's Thrush 8
American Robin 41
Cedar Waxwing 21
House Finch 3
Purple Finch 7
Red Crossbill 2
Pine Siskin 3
American Goldfinch 2
Chipping Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco 17
White-crowned Sparrow 20
Song Sparrow 22
Spotted Towhee 9
Red-winged Blackbird 6
Brown-headed Cowbird 9
Orange-crowned Warbler 9
MacGillivray's Warbler 3
Common Yellowthroat 4
Yellow Warbler 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Black-throated Gray Warbler 2
Hermit Warbler 2
Wilson's Warbler 16
Western Tanager 13
Black-headed Grosbeak 11
View this checklist online at
https://ebird.org/checklist/S70586131
May all your birds be identified,
Denis DeSilvis
avnacrs 4 birds at outlook dot com
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