Date: 10/16/25 8:44 pm From: Denis DeSilvis via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) Eagle's Pride Golf Course (GC) monthly bird walk - 10-16-2025
Tweeters,
For the eleven of us that traveled the JBLM Eagle's Pride GC birding route, it was a bit chilly to start (36degF) but ended with a nice selection of birds and warmer (58degF). The waterfowl are starting to come in, with high numbers of HOODED MERGANSERS (23) and MALLARDS (59). However, the stars of the day were a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (feeding less than 10 meters away) and a GREATER YELLOWLEGS, which was feeding on the nearby mudflat at Hodge Lake. A Steller's Jay spooked a GREAT HORNED OWL, which landed back in the forest on the side of a Douglas-fir giving us a peek-a-boo view. Very low numbers recorded of the usual chickadees as well as Red-breasted Nuthatches.
Note: The last (only!) WHITE-THROATED SPARROW we listed was on October 17, 2013, almost exactly 12 years ago. That sighting was about 35 meters from the one we saw today.
Mammals seen: Several Douglas Squirrels.
The JBLM Eagle's Pride GC birders meet the third Thursday of each month at 9:00AM from November to February. (Meeting time is 8:00AM March-October.) The starting point is the Driving Range building, Eagle's Pride Golf Course, I-5 Exit 116, Mounts Road Exit. (Turn left immediately after entering the parking lot to take the road leading to the driving range building.) Upcoming walks include the following:
* November 20
* December 18
* January 15
From the eBird PNW report:
33 species (+1 other taxa)
Cackling Goose 50
Wood Duck 3
American Wigeon 12
Mallard 59
Ring-necked Duck 1 At Hodge Lake.
Hooded Merganser 23 At Hodge Lake.
Anna's Hummingbird 2
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1 At the 9th hole pond, a first-ever sighting at this pond.
Great Blue Heron 1 Flying over Hodge Lake.
Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk 1 Unable to positively parse this because the bird flew quickly into a forested area.
Great Horned Owl 1
Northern Flicker 8
Steller's Jay 9
California Scrub-Jay 2
American Crow 8
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 50 Found almost everywhere along the route.
