Photo: Mountain Bluebird by Philip Dickinson
May 23, 2023
A cool breeze in the morning kept bird activity down, but it was sunny all day and lots of birds came out as the temperatures rose. At King Horne Slough the group enjoyed seeing Nashville, Yellow and MacGillivray Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker and Veery. Bullock’s Oriole, American Dipper and Red-breasted Sapsucker were highlights at Bullfrog Pond, and at the railroad ponds everyone got great looks at Pygmy Nuthatch and nesting House Wren. In the Teanaway area, we saw California Quail, Western Kingbird, Say’s Phoebe, Chipping Sparrow, Black-billed Magpie and Western Tanager. Then, on Swauk Prairie, we were entertained by many Western Meadowlark, Western Bluebird and trip-ending closeup views of a Mountain Bluebird pair.
67 species (approx. qty.)
Attendees: Phil, Diane, Victor, Denny, Rick, John H., Abbie, Wilma, Graham, Doug, Carol, Judy L., Karen, Bruce, Judy B., John S. Lynda, Norwyn, Marty, Reg
CHECKLIST:
WATERFOWL: Canada Goose (44), Mallard (14), Ring-necked Duck (2), Common Merganser (8)
GALLINACIOUSE BIRDS: California Quail (3)
PELICANS, HERONS, IBIS: Great Blue Heron (1)
VULTURE: Turkey Vulture (6)
RAPTORS: Osprey (3), Bald Eagle (1), Red-tailed Hawk (3)
SHOREBIRDS: Killdeer (1), Spotted Sandpiper (3)
DOVES, PIGEONS: Mourning Dove (8)
NIGHTHAWKS, SWIFTS: Vaux Swift (10)
HUMMMINGBIRDS: Anna’s Hummingbird (1), Rufous Hummingbird (2)
KINGFISHER: Belted Kingfisher (1)
WOODPECKERS: Red-breasted Sapsucker (3), Pileated Woodpecker (1), Northern Flicker (1)
FLYCATCHERS: Western Wood- Pewee (7), Hammond’s Flycatcher (2), Say’s Phoebe (2), Western Kingbird (5)
SHRIKES, VIREOS: Warbling Vireo (3)
CORVIDS: Black-billed Magpie (4), American Crow (15), Common Raven (1)
LARKS, SWALLOWS: Tree Swallow (7), Violet-Green Swallow (11), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2), Bank Swallow (1), Barn Swallow (2)
CHICKADEES, BUSHTIT: Black-capped Chickadee (3), Chestnut-backed Chickadee (1)
NUTHATCHES, CREEPER: Red-breasted Nuthatch (4), Pygmy Nuthatch (5)
WRENS: House Wren (5)
DIPPER: American Dipper (4)
THRUSHES: Western Bluebird (5), Mountain Bluebird (2), Veery (1), Swainson’s Thrush (2), American Robin (14)
MIMIDS, STARLINGS: European Starling (12)
WARBLERS, CHATS: Nashville Warbler (1), MacGillivray’s Warbler (3), Common Yellowthroat (2), Yellow Warbler (15), Yellow-rumped Warbler (1)
LONGSPURS, SPARROWS: Spotted Towhee (4), Chipping Sparrow (3), Savannah Sparrow (2), Song Sparrow (8), White-crowned Sparrow (4), Dark-eyed Junco (1)
TANAGERS, GROSBEAKS: Western Tanager (4), Black-headed Grosbeak (11)
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES: Red-winged Blackbird (5), Brewer’s Blackbird (9), Brown-headed Cowbird (6), Bullock’s Oriole (2)
FINCHES, WEAVER FINCH: Purple Finch (2), Cassin’s Finch (4), American Goldfinch (5), House Sparrow (2)