Today Ken and I got out in Pierce to look for Northern Bobwhite at the site it has been seen last month. We initially tried to use Google Maps which took us through Roy to a blocked entry onto JBLM, then circled around going in the Roy Gate, past Chamber’s Lake, Left onto East Gate Rd then backtracking towards Roy to the spot. We parked, walked along Muck Creek a half mile or so, and back with no NOBO heard or seen, but then as we were giving Sophie a chance to tinkle I heard one sing a few hundred yards further down the road. We walked down, heard it sing repeatedly, and eventually one flew past us across the road. This was a FOY ABA bird for both Ken and me, and a first time Pierce bird for me.
From here we decided to go back to Chamber’s Lake to see if the Bank Swallows seen by Michael yesterday were still around, and sure enough on likely the same wires near the lake were maybe 100 swallows, at least 4 of which were Bank swallows.

From here we cut back across East Gate Road to 8th Ave. and onto area 15 where we hoped to find Vesper Sparrow. We had one bird we think may have been a VESP but it was wet (raining then) and we got only backlit looks and just could not firm the ID enough. No success at relocating after it flew, or maybe success at a true ID as another species, but no confident IDs of VESP. We did see lots of Chipping sparrows, and saw a Western Kingbird. Likely an early returning migrant, but we wonder if maybe a breeding bird or juvenile.

Anyway after this we tried driving a ways down the road flanking area 13 looking for VESP but no luck.
It was great to see Ken again after my month in CA and good to be birding on home turf.
Caroline our niece is visiting so probably not much more birding this next week.