Tweeters,

Thanks to the JBLM Garrison Commander, we were able to conduct the walk this month. With a cool start (48degF), the 14 of us had a Covid-19 bird walk with everyone wearing masks and maintaining social distancing all the way through our route at the JBLM Eagles Pride Golf Course until our finish with the temperature at 58degF. (A photo of our group in masks and observing social distancing is available if you really want to see it. Just send me a note.)



Highlights were quite a few:



1. The RED-TAILED HAWK nest at Hodge Lake had three (3!) downy young and one adult (likely the female) when we first arrived there. When the adult left, we saw one of the larger chicks take at least two big chunks of down out of the smallest chick, and actually swallow some of the last bite. When we next see the nest in June, I doubt if there are more than two young extant at the nest.

2. A duck MALLARD with nine small ducklings was at the ninth-green pond along with two HOODED MERGANSERS.

3. Eleven HOUSE WRENS seen at various spots around the course were the most tallied in the 7 years we've been doing this monthly count.

4. The HUTTON'S. CASSIN'S, and WARBLING VIREO trifecta was a first for a single walk.

5. Four OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER'S was a new high for any year.

6. Of the two HERMIT WARBLERS counted, one was in the same area that we've had at least once occur over the past four breeding seasons.

7. In March, our last pre-COVID-19 shutdown walk, the final bird of the walk was a TURKEY VULTURE. This month was the same.



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:

* June 18

* July 16

* August 20

Anyone is welcome to join us!




>From the eBird PNW report:


54 species



Canada Goose 6

Mallard 15

Hooded Merganser 2

Mourning Dove 2

Anna's Hummingbird 1

Great Blue Heron 1

Turkey Vulture 1

Red-tailed Hawk 5 One of the chicks at the Hodge Lake nest site took at least two bites out of the smallest of the three chicks.

Red-breasted Sapsucker 1

Downy Woodpecker 4

Northern Flicker 5

Olive-sided Flycatcher 4

Western Wood-Pewee 8

Pacific-slope Flycatcher 6

Hutton's Vireo 3

Cassin's Vireo 1

Warbling Vireo 1

Steller's Jay 8

California Scrub-Jay 1

American Crow 10

Black-capped Chickadee 11

Chestnut-backed Chickadee 14

Tree Swallow 6

Violet-green Swallow 18

Barn Swallow 30

Bushtit 2

Golden-crowned Kinglet 1

Red-breasted Nuthatch 2

House Wren 11 House Wrens have been increasing at the Eagles Pride Golf Course over the past 5 years. In addition to several seen at locations that they've been in past years, at least five were at locations we've not seen them before. All 14 observers concur with this observation.

Bewick's Wren 1

European Starling 1

Swainson's Thrush 2

American Robin 64

Cedar Waxwing 2

Evening Grosbeak 1

House Finch 1

Purple Finch 10

Pine Siskin 14

American Goldfinch 3

Chipping Sparrow 1

Dark-eyed Junco 14

White-crowned Sparrow 6

Song Sparrow 10

Spotted Towhee 12

Red-winged Blackbird 9

Brown-headed Cowbird 18

Orange-crowned Warbler 3

Common Yellowthroat 1

Yellow Warbler 3

Black-throated Gray Warbler 2

Hermit Warbler 2

Wilson's Warbler 9

Western Tanager 11

Black-headed Grosbeak 6



View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S69444899

May all your birds be identified,

Denis DeSilvis
avnacrs 4 birds at outlook dot com

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