This course is
on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and the birding is conducted by David Wienecke and
Denis DeSilvis on the 3rd Thursday of every month.
Today was not as warm as the past couple
days, but not cold, although it had cooled down to 43º F and clouded up a bit
by the time we started. You could tell
it is the first full day of Spring, by the floral accompaniment,
 |
| First Daffodils of the Spring |
as well as the fact that the thatch ants were active in
the late morning sun.
The birders watching a pair of Red-tailed Hawks at the
start of the walk were treated to the (presumed, smaller bird) male making an
attempt to snag some songbirds on one of the fairways. It’s always tough getting tee times, and we had to share
the course this morning with other golf course denizens.
 |
| Playing through |
The highlights of the morning were a pair of
first-of-season arrival Turkey Vultures, as well as very vocal Yellow-rumped
Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrows.
Dennis noted that the count of 14 Red-winged
Blackbirds was the highest ever for this monthly count, and 21 Steller’s Jays
also showed high abundance. Amazingly,
we had great views of a half-dozen Hutton’s Vireos, including 4 in one spot
chasing each other through the Douglas firs.
 |
| Tom got his scope on the Vireos |
The Golden-crowned Sparrows must be moving north, as they
were no-shows for us today. It had
warmed up to 58º by the time we finished at noon, and several of us adjourned to the
Nisqually Grill for lunch.
 |
| Pete's ready for lunch . . . |
You are certainly welcome to join Denis & Dave at
Eagles Pride. Meet at the driving range
at 8 a.m. on any third Thursday. If you
have questions, contact David Wienecke at david.l.wienecke.naf@mail.mil or call
his office phone 253-964-0341.
Eagles Pride eBird Checklist is Here
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