[Tweeters] JBLM Area Access and other info

[Denis DeSilvis]

Tweeters,
While birding at some of the JBLM training areas last Saturday, we talked with a staff member who drove up beside us. He said that changes were coming starting this July, when some of the training areas that have been closed will be opening for recreational activities, such as wildlife viewing, on an aperiodic basis. Subsequently, my birding partner, who had just gotten an area access pass within the past two weeks mentioned that his pass was only good until this July. I was stunned: My pass is good until next February. He was told that starting in July, passes would be issued online only (not from the Range Control Office). Apparently, passes will be obtained via a 3rd party vendor. And here's the kicker: It will cost you! It may cost retired military folks, such as myself, something like $25 per year (length of time not noted for sure); and who knows what it will cost the general public. From my point of view, this is another way of restricting access, which historically has been free and (relatively speaking) open - you just needed to obtain the proper pass and follow the procedures for using the open training areas. More to come, I'm sure.

We did have a pretty good birding day. Highlights are as follows:
LOTS of Yellow Warblers singing - we could hear them at almost every place we visited or along all the 20+ miles of roads we traveled.

Other warblers included Yellow-rumped, Orange-crowned, Black-throated Gray,  MacGillivray's, and Common Yellowthroat.

Purple Martins were occupying snag holes in a few areas, including several in the burned-out snags across from Observation Post (OP) 10.
Chipping Sparrows were seemingly as prevalent as the Yellow Warblers.

Raptors included American Kestrel (likely nesting near the area we spotted them), Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, and Cooper's Hawk.

We found about a dozen Ring-necked Ducks, two pairs of Wood Ducks, and some Mallards at Chambers Lake.

We were going to check out the prairie area near the Coyote Bridge (over Muck Creek) for Northern Bobwhite, but an ongoing event (not military) had blocked our access there.

Western Meadowlarks were singing from many areas on the artillery impact area (91st Division Prairie).

May all your birds be identified,
Denis

Denis DeSilvis
Avnacrs 4 birds at outlook dot com

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