Date: 8/25/26 8:35 am From: Dan Thalmann <editor...> Subject: Summer tanager, other observations from Palmer, Washington County
Recent observations from Palmer, Washington County
• Summer tanager – Had a female summer tanager at my feeders today. Finally. Hadn’t ever had a tanager in my yard. Thanks to a Chuck Otte hummingbird presentation at the Washington Library earlier this month, my wife is now really getting into birds and she got a couple videos of this bird and we’ve dropped a pretty penny on new feeders, a smart feeder camera (it is actually horrible at ID’ing birds), etc. She asked about a telephoto lens, but I’m going to push for a spotting scope haha.
• Mississippi Kite – I had two fall observations of Mississippi Kites in the past couple years, but this year we had four in the spring and two through the summer. Could not find a nest though. A couple days ago, we had 15 soaring over our house and my wife said there were more beyond my vision. The first breeding record for the county was in Washington a few years back.
• Black-bellied Whistling Duck – In Washington County, we went from zero records to observations in Linn, Barnes and then Palmer and then a nest attempt in Palmer. The nest I documented was failed by a predator, but there have been several young BBWD at our city lagoons, so they must’ve nested somewhere!
Some general observations
• Lark Sparrows were thick this summer. I watched a nest with eggs until the eggs suddenly disappeared (roadside nest, so I assume predator).
• Eastern Kingbird numbers were up, while Western were down.
• RT Hummingbirds were up this summer and up this fall for migration compared to last year.
• Red-shouldered hawk – I feel like numbers are up. I had two last fall soaring. I had them calling this spring in a river bottom and a couple times since. It might just be that I can pick out their call better after taking trips to South Carolina where they are thick.
• I’m trying hard to better document departure dates. It is a different mindset though, trying to figure out when I’m no longer seeing something versus the first observation of spring.
-Dan
Dan Thalmann
• Owner – Washington County News, Washington, Kansas www.backroadsnews.com
785-747-6980 (cell, feel free to text me)
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