Bird Sightings — Spokane Audubon Society

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Peaceful Valley Birds, June 1st

I was visiting family in Peaceful Valley yesterday afternoon & they wanted me to ID these birds that have been hanging around their house.  Several Lesser Goldfinch coming to their feeder. (And the Cedar Waxwing seems to favor their yard).  A few photos attached.  Thanks, Jim Patten

Greenbluff Bird Observations

June 1, 2020

Eastern kingbirds have joined their western "cousins" to feed on growing insect populations.

Yellow warblers are singing and flitting through roadside stands of blooming ninebark and wild rose. 

Tree swallows are tending eggs and newly-hatched young in nestboxes.

Robins and spotted towhees are scavenging worms and insects to feed nestlings.

Local Canada goose family of six goslings has dropped to five, despite protective efforts of parent birds (possibly coyote or other predation). 

Not birds, but indicative of this time of reproduction: at least two whitetailed deer does have given birth to fawns.

-- Madonna Luers 

West Plains, May 31st

A bit of a gray & windy day on the West Plains, but I took another long walk along Thorpe Road south of  Airway Heights. Highlight of the day was seeing Bullock's Oriole - male & female, Western Kingbird, and Mountain Bluebirds still in the area.

Others noted:

Mallard

California Quail

Wild Turkey

Red-tailed Hawk

American Kestrel

Northern Harrier

American Coot

Killdeer

Mourning Dove

Northern Flicker

Eastern Kingbird

Black-Billed Magpie

Common Raven

Tree Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

House Wren

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Chipping Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Black-Headed Grosbeak

Red-Winged Blackbird

Western Meadowlark

Brewer's Blackbird

Brown-Headed Cowbird

A few photos attached.  Thanks!  Jim Patten

South Hill Birds, May 2020

Besides our usual daily visitors (robins, house finches, black-capped and mountain chickadees, song sparrows, quail, pygmy and red-breasted nuthatches, yellow warblers, calliope hummingbird, and american goldfinches), we had the following visitors during the last month:

Brewer's Blackbirds - 3 of them daily from April 29 till about May 5

Great Blue Heron - Flyover on May 4

Yellow-Rumped Warbler - starting on May 4

Mallard - Flyover on May 1

Pacific Slope Flycatcher - May 8

Common Raven - May 8, May 14

Osprey - Flyover on May 8

Bald Eagle (adult) - Flyover on May 14

House Sparrow (mating pair) - May 15

White-breasted Nuthatch - May 15

Hermit Thrush - May 20

Thanks!
Don and Theo Goodwin

Deer Park Yard Birds, May 25th

It was great to see a flock of 6+ Evening Grosbeaks in my yard. A male and two females were at the feeders, and several more remained high in a Ponderosa Pine Tree.

Other birds of note were a Brown Creeper and a Western Tanager Brown Creepers were present most of the winter but had left at least a month ago. This one is likely a new arrival from points north. The Western Tanager was a new yard bird.

Other birds seen are:

Mourning Dove

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Calliope Hummingbird

Western Wood-Pewee

Cassin’s Vireo

Black-capped Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

American Robin

House Finch

American Goldfinch

Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)

Spotted Towhee

Jenny Michaels, Deer Park, WA

West Plains Birds, May 23rd

Took a long walk along Thorpe Road near Airway Heights and a back road drive home through the West Plains.   Highlights included Mountain Bluebird, Western Meadowlark, Horned Lark, and Gadwall in a meadow pond.

Others noted:

American Kestrel

Red-tailed Hawk

Northern Harrier

Common Raven

Vesper Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

American Robin

House Wren

Black-capped Chickadee

Mountain Chickadee

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon)

Black-headed Grosbeak

Tree Swallow

Killdeer

Great Blue Heron

California Quail

Ring-necked Pheasant

Mourning Dove

Red-winged Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Coot

A few photos attached.  Thanks!  Jim Patten

Sightings from Deer Park and Points Further North

Here are sightings from my yard, also a bit of north birding on Int Bird Migration Day 5/9/2020:

Deer Park Yard

Tree Swallow

House Sparrow

House Finch

American Robin

Black-billed Magpie

Black-capped Cickadee

Western Bluebird

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s)

Red-winged Blackbird

American Crow

Common Raven

Vesper Sparrow

Red-tailed Hawk

California Quail

Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)

Bald Eagle (between Deer Park and Sacheen Lake)

Sacheen Lake:

Yellow Warbler

Double-crested Cormorant

Song Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Pend Oreille River:

Double Crested Cormorant

Canada Goose

Osprey (also at Davis Lake)

Yellow warbler

Lesser Scaup

Submitted by:
Mary Jokela

Palisades Park, May 16th

Beautiful day for walk at Palisades - it's busy with birds, including Lark Sparrow and Cinnamon Teal & Green-Winged Teal at the Grove Road ponds.

Others noted:

Spotted Towhee

American Goldfinch

Pygmy Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

American Robin

Tree Swallow

Black-headed Grosbeak

Brown-headed Cowbird

Red-winged Blackbird

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Western Bluebird

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

California Quail

Mourning Dove

Common Raven

Red-tailed Hawk

Calliope Hummingbird

Ruddy Duck

Mallard

American Coot

House Wren

Nashville Warbler

A few photos attached.  Thanks!

Jim Patten

Palisades Park Sightings

I live on 5 acres near Palisades Park - it's been very busy around my yard lately.

A single Lazuli Bunting on May 5 and a pair hanging around on May 6.

Lots of the usual customers hanging around the neighborhood - Calliope and Black-Chinned Hummingbirds, Juvenile Great Horned Owls, and a juvenile accipiter (Sharp-Shinned or Cooper’s Hawk).

I've had Yellow-headed Blackbird - male and female - hanging around this week. Common bird for this region, but an unusual visitor for my back yard.

Jim Patten

Birds of South Conklin Rd, Greenacres

Hopefully, you will all forgive my lack of being a true birder. That, and perhaps the length.

Having said this here is the 5/6/2020 view from South Conklin road with this year's sightings so far:

The last week of March had some kind of ''Peep'' in the lower pasture. I know it's 'bad form' not to get out there and actually identify which sandpiper it is, but I wasn't in the mood to push away from the fire. They always seem to come through here too early, given the cold days and nasty winds.

At this time of year Linda and I also still have some of the 'winter bunch' coming to the feeders, most notably the Oregon subspecies of Dark-eyed Juncos (f&m). 

The rest of the gang like the Red-breasted Nuthatch and the two species of Chickadees: Mountain and Black-capped (f&m) might stay the summer.

Last week saw the junco's head out to what I assume is north to their breeding grounds. Gone for the summer and most likely with other birds I don't watch so closely.

April Fool's Day saw this year's so-called ''invasion'' of White-crowned Sparrows (m&f) making that day much more special. We usually see only one or two a year, but we now must have at least six pairs in the yard most mornings.

The 13th had a Northern Harrier. I'd think it was browner in color (male) than grey (female), floating low over the fields.

15th was the first appearance of hummers here, Calliope Hummingbirds (m), then what I feel is the more aggressive Black-chinned Hummingbirds (m) on the 18th. I'm not that good at the females however, there are now many about. And since then the Rufous Hummingbirds (m) joined the fray at the best spots. Why do they never seem to get along?

Yes, I know, Darwin.

For what it is worth and just as important to me, a sign of spring brought the first garter snake out sunning, and the frogs in the low spots in the vernal creek.

But the snipe Wilson’s Snipe is always a pleasure to hear doing its territorial flight display. A sound quite like no other. Like loons. 

    - none here - 

You're in a special place when you can hear them in the background. This was on the 20th. About the time when the first Turkey Vulture sliding up on the thermals.

Two days later the local pair of Red-tailed Hawks were building their first nest or sometimes more than one, materials are seen hanging from talons below. They always seem to nest on the neighbor's place and not here for unknown reasons, sigh... I find it some sort of missing badge of honor. What more could they want from me?

Perhaps it has to do with the 'more accepting and habituated ' Great Horned Owls GHOW's who frequent the woods all year. 

Smart social distancing on the hawks part?

On the 25th. I spotted my first House Wren down in the garden at the start of our yearly tasks, his of stuffing sticks, and whatever into any and all holes available, mine tilling the soil. Busy little fellows are we both.

Somewhere in this time frame Tree Swallows begin the process of flight displays to secure the better of the nesting boxes scattered about.

An odd thing happens to me more than once every year as I'm involved with some other project outdoors; the gardens, working in the outbuildings, any little thing or excuse will do to get me outside. Winter is finishing up and I'm out the door.

While out there, something happens that's very special to me and I look forward to it every year.

In the background, while concentrating at the task at hand, I'm never quite sure when I identify a noise that's significant from all of the others, something familiar from not that long ago. A friend has 'come down the road'' so to speak, and once here, the thought of it makes me smile.

Something that has been going on for ages. The swallows are back! The house wren, the robins, and all others in time. This one and that one. Sometimes their movement will catch my sight, at other times it's their call. That white noise you mildly sense for whatever reason, changes but you're not sure why. Then just as interesting, you start to key in on, sharpening your focus.

They kindly intrude into your life again. The movement of the seasons of the planet. 

We're all invited to the dance, and today I wonder, what the song will be tomorrow.

Terry and Linda Van Hoozer

Greenbluff Observations for May 1-6

This month so far (May 1-6) we've seen around our home on Greenbluff:

Lazuli bunting, male in showy breeding plumage, here one day and gone the next

Black-chinned, Rufous and Calliope hummingbirds, at least a dozen total regularly feeding and fighting at four nectar feeders that we clean and re-fill every other day while waiting for coral bells, bee balm, trumpet honeysuckle, columbine and other natural food sources to bloom

Tree swallow pairs taking up residence in at least two of eight nestboxes, including one that a western bluebird pair had started using last month

Cooper's hawk landed on birdbath near where seed feeders used to attract the usual crowd of house finches, goldfinches, black-capped and mountain chickadees, juncos and quail (we feed October through mid-April), looking around at the nectar feeders suddenly vacant of hummingbirds as if it was thinking "Where are all those meal-sized birds? These hummers are just appetizers!"

 White-crowned sparrows and Spotted towhees scratching around, especially near lawn patches under restoration with recent over-seeding

 Light blue egg shells on ground in a few places here and along our walk route that might be American robin

 Mallard hen with at least seven ducklings and three drakes (?!) on small pond down the road 

 -- Madonna Luers 

Anna's Hummingbird plus other birds, West Spokane County

Brief sighting around 4-23 in blooming Forsythia bush sucking nectar from a tiny yellow blossom.
A thrill.  Crimson head, iridescent lime green back.

Others at feeder daily since 4-25 are Calliope and perhaps another type I can't identify with certainty.

Currently daily/frequent visitors:

one Goldfinch pair (not like the good ole days, alas)

a few red winged blackbirds

white crowned sparrows

downy & hairy woodpeckers & flickers

quail

chickadees

robins

house finch

wrens

at least one bluebird pair (not as many as prior years)

towhee

black headed grosbeak

hummingbirds, calliope & . . . ?

Mary Benham
West Spokane County, on dry prairie above Trails Rd, off Euclid Rd.

South Hill Birds

We have a flock of about 12 White Crowned Sparrows starting about 4.22.20. I have never seen them at our feeder/ trees before. They are quite aggressive, taking over the feeder from the usual House and Goldfinches. The Black Capped chickadees flit around the trees. 

We also have our usual Red Breasted Nuthatches, Quail, and Robins. There were a pair of Great Horned Owls,” who who” ing at night for awhile.. The Oregon Juncos have come and gone. 

Thankfully,  the birds are not under home quarantine. Enjoy the display.

Cindy Cilyo 

North Spokane Sightings

I noticed a Black-capped Chickadee fluttering its wings at another Black-capped Chickadee the past two mornings.  While this behavior can be part of courting behavior at times, I believe in this case that the fluttering was being done by a recently fledged BCCH.  When the other chickadee flew off the flutterer flew off in pursuit.  Since Chickadees are cavity nesters and stay here year round, they are able to start nesting earlier than most songbirds.

I put up one of my two hummingbird feeders up on April 15.  Two days later I had my first Calliope Hummingbird of the season.  It was a male and returned to the feeder on a regular basis. On the evening of the 25th, I noticed a hummingbird sitting on a fence on the other side of the house looking down at where the other feeder should be.  I immediately filled it up and hung it out.  By mid-morning on the 26th a female Calliope was sipping at the new feeder.  Since then it almost seemed as though the feeder on the east side of the house was designated for the boys and the one on the west side was for the girls. A pair of Rufous Hummingbirds showed up at dusk last night and they followed the same protocol.

Lindell Haggin

Deer Park Birds

My Deer Park yard isn’t super birdy, but I have had a few interesting sightings.

On Sunday, 4/26, there was a pair of Cassin’s Finches at my feeder along with American Goldfinches and House Finches. Six Violet-green Swallows swooped over my house, which is quite unusual considering that it is basically Ponderosa Pine forest. I’ve had a few Calliope Hummingbirds at my feeders but no Rufous or Black-chinned yet. Red-breasted Nuthatches are busy making nests in multiple snags, and American Robins are also nesting. There is a pair of Great-horned Owls that must be nesting nearby as I was able to hear them hooting back and forth and then see them both. And it’s nice to be able to see three or four Mourning Doves on a regular basis (and no Eurasian Collared-Doves).

Jenny Michaels

Calliope Hummingbird (male)

Calliope Hummingbird (male)