This morning Bryan Hansen and I headed north leaving the Poodle Dog at 5:15 and got to the La Connor Boy’s and Girl’s Club at about 7:20, just as it was getting light. We easily found the tennis courts, and thanks to the PABU-> sign easily found the two Redwood or Sequoia trees to look between to see the feeder. As it started to get light Song Sparrows, and later House finch and House sparrows joined the early bird Dark-eyed juncos at the feeder, and just after 3 more birders arrived, the bright male Painted bunting popped up on the feeder. Its first stop was brief as it was pushed off by a House sparrow, but soon it returned for longer looks. Visibility was slightly difficult due to the feeder being seen just over the fence, and the narrow window to look between the trees, with a few twigs dangling to interfere with camera autofocus. The steady rain didn’t help either, but none of this detracted much from such a spectacular lifer for Bryan and first WA sighting for me.


The steady fairly hard rain helped us decide to cut visits to Hayton and Wylie areas short, and just head home.