This morning I made a trip to the Freeman Rd mitigation that is under construction. I got there about 9:20 and it has not dried up much since my last trip and remains great shorebird habitat. There were even more peeps there today. I counted 105 in one bino’s pass, and later found 6 Western sandpipers among them, so called in 99 Least sandpipers. 4 LBDO and 4 GRYE, 4 SPSA rounded out the shorebirds. I couldn’t make a SESA or anything different. Stayed about 50 minutes.
Category: Pierce County
Lake Eleanor Hike to Grand Park with Jean
Today Jean and I went to the Lake Eleanor trailhead to hike into Grand Park. It was a beautiful day, we got to the trailhead about 9:50 AM, and we got as far as the lowest meadow of the Grand Park complex, about a 7.5 mile round trip hike. Birding was slow, but the wildflowers were fabulous, the mosquitos thick, and the company superb. We heard two woodpeckers, one probably ATTW and one probably Hairy but could not see either. I did manage to add Mountain chickadee to my Pierce year list, and we got home about 3:30 PM to rest up and Jean made us a great fresh roll meal to enjoy with Brett.
Nisqually NWR
Today, after spending most of the last 2 weeks getting ready to move, I got together with Ken and we went to Nisqually NWR for the morning. Overall cool and damp but not rainy in the AM, but by afternoon it warmed up and was nice. Birding at Nisqually was typical summer breeding birds in good numbers but nothing really remarkable. Coolest thing was maybe that finally, after several years have passed since tearing down the dike and letting tidal action cover most of the reserve, a Salicornia like growth is covering much of the flats. Hoping for good shorebirding in the fall this year.
In the PM we first went to the Pierce side lookout at the end of McNeil in Dupont hoping for a White Pelican, but not. Then we visited Harry Todd, hoping for WBNU but not. Then went to the look at the Mountain View Cemetery marsh to get a few FOY Pierce birds for Ken. Good to get out.
Nighthawks Over the Prairie
This evening I got out the Ft. Lewis area 15 about 8:20 PM and hung out enjoying the wildflowers, sunset, and listening to and watching just a few Common nighthawks “peenting” and flying over the fields and adjacent forest. Lazuli buntings, Savannah sparrows, White-crowned sparrows, American Robins, Western meadowlarks and distant Swainson’s thrush, Black-headed grosbeak, and Western tanager joined the evening chorus and overall it was a great break from a day continuing to prepare to move. TGFB (thank God for birding).
Willow Flycatchers Today
I had been in areas over the last week where I might have heard or seen an early Willow Flycatcher, but today went on the riverside trail off the end of 178th Street in Orting, and heard at least 8 calling both in the fields and near the river.
The Lazuli Buntings are in also, and Western Wood-pewees, Warbling Vireos, and af nice nixture of warblers were the stars, but no Red-eyed vireo yet. Overcast, cool and off and a light drizzle continued the whole time.
Ft Steilacom with Kay
To enjoy the nice weather this evening Kay and I drove over to Ft Steilacom Park to take a birding walk around the lake hoping for Bullock’s Oriole and to enjoy the newly arrived passerines. We did hear one Oriole chattering, and I saw a male fly away, but no good looks. Black-headed grosbeaks, Cedar waxwings, Yellow warblers and Western Tanagers gave better looks, and birdsong was constant. A nice evening.
Quick-three-birds
Last week I added Olive-sided flycatcher, the “quick-three-beers” bird. Today in just under 2 hours I added Green Heron in the creek across 156th just after leaving the storm water ponds, the at Wildwood Park I heard 3 Swainson’s thrushes calling and one singing just before I heard a calling bird high in the trees. I thought it had to be an owl, a screeching sound, and after a bit of looking I first located an adult Barred Owl, then it flew and I relocated it, then a baby Barred Owl flew into another tree. 3 FOY Pierce birds today, brings me to 178 for the year.
Blue-winged Teal Today
Today just around 11:30 AM Bruce located 4 male Blue-winged teal at the pond across Lincoln from the Gog, and moments later they flew out of sight across the river. I got his text whileI was headed for the dump to bring a trailer of yard waste, and we about to skip my first Tai Chi lesson at the Y and chase the teal. After he noted that the teal had disappeared I decided to keep the class and try later. Before I was ready to go Michael had located a single male BWTE at Gog-li-hi-ti so I went there after my dental appointment. As I parked Michael was about to leave, and thankfully he told me where to find the teal. It was tucked into the grass, barely in sight, but I was able to find it pretty easily.
Since I was already in Tacoma I decided to try for a Caspian tern, with no luck at the 11th St Bridge, Middle Waterway, and at Thea Park. I was able to get a distant look at the resident Peregrine Falcon though, so 2 FOY Pierce County species today. Traffic coming home was terrible though, so I pain in that regard.
LBCU Persists Plus CITE and LABU
This morning at the 56th Street Ponds I arrived just after Bruce and although shorebirds were absent except for 5 Greater Yellowlegs a male Cinnamon teal cruised the far pond and just before leaving several Lazuli Buntings responded to a recording, and one perched for a brief look.
Quick stops at Sha-Dax and Levee Pond did not yield a Green Heron, but at the distant wet area near the end of Levee Rd 2 Greater White-fronted Geese and ond Cackling goose were with several Canada Geese, and straggling Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, N. Pintail and N Shoveler were still there.
The Long-billed Curlew persists at the Puyallup/Sumner field alongside Bowman-Hilton Rd.
Last stop was at the usual Lesser Goldfinch stop on Riverside Drive, Sumner and after a bit of looking a male and female came in to a recording, they seemed to prefer the calls, as the song earlier didn’t attract them.
A nice morning. I hope to show Kay the Curlew on the way to work this afternoon.
Ft. Lewis Today
Today I got out to Ft. Lewis with Dan Anderson hoping for a good number of FOY Pierce birds and had excellent success. First stop was the dirt road to the right just after turning onto East Gate Rd. The dawn chorus was in full song, but we had a heck of a time seeing anything. We got nice looks at one of many Wilson’s Warblers, but couldn’t locate any of the Western Tanagers, PSFCs or the Cassin’s Finch, Hutton’s Vireo or Purple Finches that were singing. No definite Hermit Warbler heard which was the target bird for the spot.
Next stop was Chamber’s Lake. On the road in we had nice looks at House Wren, heard several Chipping Sparrows which we saw well several times nearer the lake, and heard an Olive-sided Flycatcher singing its quick-three-beers from the nearby forest edge. We drove around the roads beside the lake but did not find any active bluebird nests. Just as we parked by the dam I got on a finch-type bird in the top of a fir tree, and it turned out to be a Pierce FOY Red Crossbill female. Nearby we had nice looks a calling FOY Western Wood-pewee, and I finally figured out the warbler singing was MacGilvery’s and we both had nice looks at this FOY for me and lifer for Dan. Just before we left a bright male Townsend’s Warbler showed up while I was trying to locate a calling Hammond’s Flycatcher. Another FOY for me.
Next we headed for the Muck Creek Wildlife Restoration area for Northern Bobwhite, hearing it sing fairly distantly and studied swallows trying to find a Bank, but no definite ID made. We did see 4 Vaux’s Swifts overhead though, another FOY for me.
Last stop was another try for HEWA at the same place we started, and this time I did manage to get brief looks at the bird high in a fir tree, definite unstreaked flanks, black throat and yellow head, but no really good looks. It did sing an exact full song of the type #1 on Sibley’s app.
After dropping Dan off I checked the 56th St. Stormwater Ponds hoping for the LBDO seen yesterday, but no luck.
9 FOY Pierce birds though made it a very good morning.