Kay and I are going birding Sunday, to the coast unless something great pops up on Tweeters to chase. Anyone want to join us? Two seats in the car and we could caravan if more want to come. We can even call it an ABC field trip if desired. :.) Will probably leave about 6:30 AM, be back early evening. We can discuss this at tonight’s meeting.
Morse Banding report for July 14 with invited guests from ABC, forwarded by Clarice Clark:
Here’s the recap for today’s 29 birds:
New: 3 BCCH 5 SWTH 1 ORJU 1 PUFI 1 SPTO 1 WETA 1 WIWA 1 AMRO
Recaptures: 5 SWTH 3 SOSP 1 ORJU 1 SOSP 1 PSFL 1 BEWR
Unbanded: 3 RUHU
Cindy Easterson Secretary |Volunteer Engagement PUGET SOUND BIRD OBSERVATORY Sound Science – Scientific Information – Informed Public Phone: 425.876.1055
Kay and I had lots of fun and enjoyed our first taste of bird banding at the Morse Preserve thanks to the invite from club member Clarice Clark today. We were told that the mist net yield was low, likely because of overcast weather, but it was fast enough for Kay and me. We got close up looks at adult and juvenile Swainson’s Thrushes as well as Spotted Towhees,
Dark-eyed Juncos, a Wilson’s warbler,
Bewick’s wren and a first year Rufous Hummingbird. Charlie Wright was there and was, as usual, a patient and engaging teacher. Clarice broke away and we joined her for a walk to check and clean her bird houses, and we enjoyed her sharing of nest making and contents for several species. If you get a chance to join this group some morning don’t pass it up. Kay and I broke away once the haze lifted and walked to the top of the observation tower to be surprised at the top of the steps by a raccoon.
Morse Banding July 4 – 50 birds!
Final report from Suzanne Tomassi and the rest of the banders at the Morse Preserve on July 4.
– Great day at Morse! Perfect banding weather, lots of cool birds. A little alarmed to see the cat and gargantuan raccoon!
new: 35 total
1 WIFL 1 OCWA 2 CBCH cute little HYs 1 YRWA!!!!!! First at Morse?? Audubon’s 1 BCCH 1 PSFL 1 WIWA 1 GCKI another cute HY 1 SPTO 5 ORJU 1 tricky BEWR (fully pneumaticized skull but little feather wear; photos make the body plumage look juvie (see my Facebook page) 4 PUFI 1 SWTH 2 CEDW 1 SOSP 1 cool DOWO 8 AMRO!! It was definitely AMRO day! 2 RSFL HYs. Boy, it’s hard to see their skulls
recap: 12 total
4 SWTH 1 OCWA 2 ORJU 2 PSFL 1 HUVI 1 SPTO 1 BEWR
unbanded: 2 RUHUs 1 ORJU – See you Saturday!! Thanks, Emma, Clarice & Jerry, Dan & Nancy!
suzanne
The fourth of July started out as a wonderful holiday banding birds all morning at the Morse Preserve near Graham! Jerry Broadus and Clarice Clark invited ABC members to watch while a team of 6 banders monitoring about 8 nets collected data on a couple dozen interesting birds including a Hutton’s Vireo, a couple of Bewick’s Wrens, a Pacific-Slope Flycatcher, several Swainson’s Thrushes, Cedar Waxwings, and newly fledged Flickers, among others. A number of ABC’ers and their family members watched and were allowed to release some of the birds.
They’ve invited members of our group back on July 14th for another session! You will love it! (Photos by Laurel Parshall and Diane Yorgason-Quinn)
ABC advanced birders are invited to observe bird banding at the Morse Preserve in Graham on two days: July 4 and July 14, 6 AM to 11 AM. Banders are Jerry Broadus and Clarice Clark.
Directions to and info about the preserve are on the Tahoma Audubon website at: http://www.tahomaaudubon.org/Default.aspx?pageId=122327
or here: 25415 70th Ave E., Graham, WA. From I-5 take Exit 127 on to WA 512 East
From WA-512 East take the Pacific Ave/WA 7 Exit. Turn right (south) onto Pacific Ave/WA 7. At the Roy “Y”, bear left, staying on WA 7. Turn Left at 224th St E (at the Fred Meyer) Turn Right onto 70th Ave E (at the light) Property is on the left at the 25415 mailbox
This is a special invitation to Tahoma Audubon/Forterra Conservancy preserve which you can normally visit only on Open Trails days, 2nd Sundays of each month, or for special events.
Our meeting on June 28 was pretty exciting and threatened to go overtime again! Ed and Kay Pullen reported on the field trip to central Washington, Kay Schimke reported on the spring Swifts at JBLM, Jerry Broadus reported on the interesting Bird Banders/OFO meeting in Oregon, and Clarice Clark invited us all to watch them band at the Morse Preserve in Graham on July 4 and July 14 from 6 to 11 AM! See separate announcement on this website. Ken Brown also got us thinking about more field trips and programs.
Then we had member slides including quiz birds (thanks, Melissa, Wayne, Diane, et al) and photos by John Riegsecker, Laurel Parshall, Heather Roskelley, Ed Pullen, Shep Thorp. We ran out of time and will be presenting further photos next meeting from Asta Tobiassen, Pat Damron, Melissa Sherwood, Wayne Sladek, me, and others. Thanks to Ryan Weiss for handling the photo presentation!
Next meeting July 26 featuring the inventor of LarkWire (bird audio)!
Diane Y-Q
A small contingent of ABC birders went out to study flycatchers Saturday, and the rain, cold and wind kept the birds in that family largely out of sight and earshot, but we had a good time trying and found some other good birds along the way. Meeting at Snoqualmie summit Vera and Jack, Mark and Kelly, and Ed and Kay started by the ski slope looking, listening and trying to keep warm. A Lincoln’s sparrow gave a fleeting glimpse, and it took us a while to figure out that the out-of-place birds that sounded like Spotted Sandpipers were in fact 4 Spotted sandpipers in the wet and snow by the tow station.
The Hyak hummingbird-house had only a few hummers out early, and we tried in vain to confirm that what sounded like a Gray Catbird was one, left as an out-of-place maybe. Gold Creek was cold too, but yielded a dipper that Vera saw after the rest of us took cover in the trees. Great views of several Townsend’s warblers along with a fly-by of a Hermit thrush who helped us all remember their “chuck” call after hiding was fun. Still to this point not a flycatcher heard or seen.
We decided to flee the high ground in hopes that the east-slope would be warmer, drier and less windy. It was drier, windier and if it was warmer then not much. At the road off Exit 62 to Stampede Pass we listened for the expected Hammond’s flycatchers, but the wind and cold kept it quiet. We did see our first flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, and several Warbling Vireos gave us a show along with lots of Western Tanagers.
We were surprised to see the area in front of the parking lot at Lake Easton Campground was clearcut, and a big parcel of trees taped to be cut near the lake. It was pretty quiet there too, and so we dropped down to check out Bullfrog Pond at Salmon-le-sac. It was pretty there, we had enjoyable looks at Cedar Waxwings, Rufous Hummingbirds among others as a Veery sang constantly.
After a pow-wow we decided to drive across Umtanum Rd to Yakima and chase the eastern rarities up Oak Creek Road in the afternoon. The drive across yielded most of the expected birds including the always enjoyable
except missing Mountain Bluebird, though we kept moving and the high winds kept the sage birds out of sight and quiet. We did manage to stop to marvel at how two “rocks” could look like snowy owls, and when we brought out binos up we saw:
Two Baby Great Horned Owls sitting on the ground
with the ID confirmed by finding a watchful parent keeping a close eye on us from a nearby tree. Check out the tiny “horns” on the lower bird.
At Oak Creek Rd we could not locate the Eastern Phoebe despite a fairly good effort over a couple of hours, and met several locals who had been there much of the day without relocating this bird. I did hear what I’m pretty sure was the Chestnut-sided warbler at the area where others had found it, but never got a look, and it sang only about 10 times in a row, then was quiet until we left about 5 PM.
Here’s our trip list. See you all at the next meeting.
Canada Goose
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Swainson’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Prairie Falcon
California Quail
Common Snipe King WA US Jun 9, 2012
Caspian Tern this was a brief look driving on the lake just south of the Road to Wenas Campground. Seemed out of place.
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Great Horned Owl Adult and two babies off Umtanum Rd
Black Swift
Vaux’s Swift
Rufous Hummingbird
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Cedar Waxwing
American Dipper
Rock Wren
Bewick’s Wren
Pacific Wren
Western Bluebird
Veery
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Steller’s Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
European Starling
Warbling Vireo
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock’s Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
On May 24, ABC met and celebrated Empidonax flycatchers! This timely information was presented by Ken Brown with A/V by Ryan Wiese. Also had reports from Diane Yorgason-Quinn on the ABC field trip to Theler Wetlands in Belfair, as well as enjoyed Ruth Sullivan’s photos of the breeding-plumaged Ruff she found at Grays Harbor earlier this month.
We will meet early in order to be at Robinson Canyon early to hear the dawn chorus. Meet at the rest stop at Snoqualmie Summit at 6 AM to try for flycatchers there and then go on. Try to carpool up ahead. Contact me for details at edwardpullen (at) gmail (dot) com. Focus will be on empid ID by calls and songs, habitat, behavior as well as field marks. I am far from expert so am hoping I can find someone like Ken B, Charlie or Marcus to come along to help. Anyway we will move more slowly to take time to pay attention to the details, and try to become better at these tough IDs. Probably on from Robinson Canyon to other areas. I’ll be watching tweeter for other birds in the area to look for also.
Bring lunch, drinks etc for the day. Plan to be back by early evening.
Ed Pullen