Mid-June bird notes

Last Saturday, my son, Aaron, graduated with a master's degree from Central Washington University. It was a bright, sunny day and Aaron’s name was called early. Etiquette dictated that the audience remain until all the diplomas had been awarded. But the sun was so fierce that an hour later the heat forced me to retreat. As I wandered past the first aid station, one of the workers took pity on me, handed me cold water, and insisted I rest nearby in the shade. 

Watering stations can be vital during hot weather for birds as well as graduation attendees. The one action any bird lover can take is to provide such a watering station. Calling these facilities “bird baths” is a misnomer. While some birds enjoy a brief fluttering bath, it’s the drink that is critical during hot weather. 

The author's watering station.

George Walter | The JOLT

Here’s a photo of my watering facility, an old bird bath placed on old bricks. During the recent heat wave, it needed refilling several times each day. I suspect birds are not the only creatures using it, as it seems to empty overnight.  

It matters very little what container you provide — as locals like to say, “It’s the water.” I know someone who simply fills a low spot in her driveway, creating a temporary puddle. The birds don’t care about esthetics and, as a bonus, if you watch quietly from nearby you might see a bird, like a western tanager, that spends most of its day hidden in the top of nearby trees. 

A male western tanager.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

 Eastern Washington birds

A recent Thurston’s Birds column identified several Eastern Washington birds that have wandered into our area. Since then, several more species have joined the trend. 

The most interesting is the yellow-breasted chat. Bird books include this species at the end of the warbler section and, although it hides in brushy areas and behaves like a warbler, it is unrelated. In fact, this bird species is not closely related to any other and is unique in all the world. 

A yellow-breasted chat.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

Yellow-breasted chats are fairly common breeding birds in central and southern North America, including Washington east of the Cascades. They winter in Mexico and Central America. They get their common name from a constant string of caws, rattles, gurgles, squawks and whistles. It’s these remarkable noises coming from the dense growth along streams that signals its presence.  

This bird is larger than any of the warblers or sparrows, but smaller and slimmer than a robin. Both sexes have the same olive-green back, a bright yellow throat and chest, a white belly, and a black and white face pattern.  

This species has been seen recently in two local places, and the first is worth knowing about, bird or no bird. Tono Road is in south Thurston County, east of the Town of Bucoda. You reach it from Highway 507 south of Tenino. As you enter the town, jog right to 7th Street, which turns into Tono Road as it leaves the town.  

This road leads to the now-closed Centralia Power Plant, owned by TransAlta Corporation. Before closing, this was the last coal-fired power plant in Washington. Beginning in 1971, coal was strip-mined from thousands of adjacent acres to feed the plant’s steam-fired generators. The strip-mined areas have now been reclaimed into a variety of forest and wetland habitats, including the Skookumchuck Wildlife Area, managed by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.

Several miles east of Bucoda on Tono Road, there’s an area of wetlands and two crossing roads. The chat was located earlier this week in the brushy area north of the ponds along the east side of the road. Whether you find the bird or not, this entire Tono Road area is an interesting drive as the road wind its way through the TransAlta reclamation lands and past the huge, silent, 50+ year old power plant.  

The second chat location is much more straightforward. As you drive north on Highway 101, just after your cross the Mason County line, turn left onto Old Olympic Highway. This two-lane road runs parallel to Highway 101 and eventually crosses Kennedy Creek. The bird has been reported in the area near the creek crossing.  

Yellow-breasted chats have been reported at many other Western Washington locations this year, so they are always a rare-bird possibility if you hear loud “chatting” coming from a brushy area adjacent to a stream or wetland.  

Pelicans

Pelicans are huge, odd-looking birds that always catch the attention of even the most casual bird watchers. There are two pelican species in North America and both have been seen in Thurston County this week. 

A brown pelican.

Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT

The brown pelican breeds along the California coast and often migrates north after its breeding season. It feeds by flying over water looking for fish, and then plunging to capture them in its throat pouch. They have a wingspan of over 6 feet and are unmistakable. Earlier this week there were three brown pelicans seen near the Port of Olympia. You may also see them perched on one of the abandoned pilings in that area, as shown in Liam’s photo.   

White pelicans are even larger, with a wingspan of 8 feet, making them among the largest flying birds in the world. They are all-white except for a large splash of black feathers on the ends of their wings, only visible in flight. This huge size and black/white wing make it possible to easily identify them as they fly overhead. Flights of 100 white pelicans have been reported from around the Puget Sound area this summer, including over the Nisqually Delta. Earlier this week a small number of them were seen resting on the mud flats of the Nisqually Delta.  

With all this going on this month, the natural world overflows with invitations for us to spend time outdoors with feathered, flying creatures, both native and visitors from near and far. 

George Walter is environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department; he also has a 45+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com 

Photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, an 18-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.