There are two reasons our May 17th bird walk had so many participants. The first being that the walk was advertised on Seattle Southside, a regional tourism authority that helped to broadcast the event. Secondly, we had some younger birders who brought along their friends. Altogether this swelled the size of the walk to 22 people!
Most of the regulars met Barbara, Anna and Cameron at the Des Moines Pier. As we proceeded to move along, six Caspian Terns were noticed on the gravel peninsula, uncovered by a low tide. One flew over the group with a small fish in its bill.
The Des Moines Creek Trail had a lot of birds to appreciate. Vireos were high in the trees and were definitely heard all along the trail. Western Flycatchers were also heard, and seen, perched on branches in the understory. In addition, there were good sightings of Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, and more to help birders compare species.
At one point a Bushtit nest was found. It didn't take long for the Bushtit to arrive and enter the nest. Because this species has a low tolerance for nest disturbance, and can sometimes abandon eggs, we decided to move away quickly. 22 people pointing and looking at a nest probably qualify as a disturbance to most birds. Near the end of our sojourn we noticed a Barred Owl flying down the path and perching on a limb. Binoculars, cameras and a spotting scope allowed us all to get a good view.
