Thanks to a call from Bruce Labar I dashed off to see the Snowy Egret he located at the industrial pond on 43rd St in Fife. It was a county first and a WA second bird for me. Nice! Ken dashed over from Green Mountain where he was watching Gray Jays, Diane Y-Q came over from Kitsap, and birders near and far descended. 
Kay, Ken and I headed to the Grand Park Trail shortcut from FS 73 (exactly 10 miles from Hwy 410 to the trailhead) and had a terrific day. On the walk up the trail was moderately wet in places, but an overall easy hike. Nothing too special until after Lake Eleanor. We did get to hear many singing Hermit thrush, several Brown creepers, lots of Mountain chickadees, and at the lake has Vaux’s swifts. Not too far up from the lake while scanning through a flock of chickadees and nuthatches Ken spotted a perched larger bird that we managed to get good enough looks at for a positive ID of Pine Grosbeak. This was a first ever Pierce County bird for Kay and me, second for Ken (last one maybe 30 years ago though). Photos were terrible as the bird was perched fairly high up in a bright sky window in the trees, making it very backlit and dark overall. We did see the size, shape, all gray underparts, little white spot on the face, and greenish head and nape coloration through scope and binos looks. Here are the best of lots of terrible photos.
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We had ta pair, male and female later on up the trail as well as another single bird. Each time we hoped for a Black-backed woodpecker, but it wasn’t the day for that species for us. We turned back just before the climb to Grand Park primarily because of starting thunder claps and dark clouds rolling in. We came across a family of Gray Jays just before we headed back.
We kept trying for Black-backed as well as N Pygmy Owl on the way down, without success, and got back to the car just as the thunder storm struck with heavy hail and one close loud thunder clap. A great day.
On the way home I took Ken out to get the Red-eyed Vireos I heard the day prior on a bike ride on the Orting Trail, FOY birds for Ken and a nice way to end the day.
Today Kay and I took Dan and Patty Anderson to the upper Swan Creek area to see some of the early arriving passerines. It was cool but dry and as is often the case at this location birding by ear was great. Purple finches, Pacific wrens, Spotted towhees, and RB Nuthatches were incessant, and we were able to pick out lots more. I heard my FOY Cassin’s vireo singing by the canyon wall, lots of Pacific-slope flycatchers, and FOY Black-throated gray warblers were very vocal. This one came right down to show off for us.
Chipping sparrows were in the area of the burn.
We made quick stops at the 56th St Stormwater ponds (locked again), Levy Pond and then walked around the mitigation by the RR tracks off 70th in Fife.
Today after seeing a really excellent movie, Eye in the Sky at the Grand Kay and I stopped at Ruston Way to see the early Purple Martins in box 4 off Dickman Mill Park. It was cool to see the female peeking out of the box hole with her gray forehead. After a while the female walked back into the box, and then both a male and a female took a flight. Hope to get out owling in the AM.