[EBB Sightings] Friday's field trip to Jewel Lake

Dear Birders:

Last Friday morning at 8:30 twelve of us gathered at the Jewel Lake
parking  lot for the regularly scheduled First-Friday-of-the-Month walk
around the lake. First singers of the morning were Orange-crowned
Warblers singing from several locations.  These warblers are usually
the first arrivals to begin singing on their breeding territories and
according to Joe Morlan's list are about on schedule.  Some
Orange-crowned Warblers may be among the small number of over-wintering
birds but most have probably arrived from their southern wintering
grounds. Several swerving swallows were too high and far away to
identify.

The only other warbler observed was a colorful male Townsend's Warbler,
a lingering winter resident. That common winter resident, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet treated us to a brief burst of song -- loud and vigorous out to
proportion to the diminutive size of the singer.

Resident birds singing included Hutton's Vireo, Wrentit, Song Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco, the warbling song of the Purple Finch.

We all had good long looks at a selaphorous hummingbird -- glowing
orange and copper in the sun -- probably a Rufous Hummingbird because
it lacked green on the back.

Winter birds remaining on the lake included Bufflehead, a female Common
Merganser, and a female Common Goldeneye.

The Pink-flowered Currant is still in full bloom joined by the rare
leatherwood of which there are two specimens blooming along the Pack
Rat Trail.  Under the trees were a scattering of both and white a
mauve-colored trillium and a few milkmaids.  

Phila Rogers



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