[Tweeters] Congratulations to The 253 Club new inductees for 2024 in Pierce County

[Marcus Roening via Tweeters]

Hi Tweets,

Congratulations to our newest members of the 253 Club, here in Pierce 
County - Area Code 253. By achieving this lofty milestone, all 253 new 
members are entitled to a Celebratory beverage of their choice from 
yours truly! (And I still believe I have a couple of outstanding 
beverages to provide :/-))/

Linnaea Wright had been waiting for just the right bird to be her #253. 
While she could have chased down a Black Phoebe in the Orting valley, 
she waited until number 253 came to her! A Red-shouldered Hawk flew over 
her house on July 14, 2024 and was the magical bird. One heck of a yard 
bird.

Michael Hobbs went from 251 species to #253 with a double tick of 
Whimbrel and Long-billed Curlew at the mouth of the Puyallup River on 
October 14, 2024.  He also has the distinction of being the first person 
not residing in Pierce County to achieve #253 in Pierce County.


      Our newest Metro city park, Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park 
had 3 new birds in 2024, for a Hot Spot total of 226 species. New 
species added were Manx Shearwater, Acorn Woodpecker and a juvenile 
Little Gull. This park near Point Ruston has a sweeping view to Des 
Moines to the Northeast, Commencement Bay to the East and Dalco Passage 
to the Northwest.  The number of sightings of uncommon waterbirds and 
migrants has increased considerably and you can usually find a couple 
people there most mornings during migration. This is now the #1 eBird 
Hotspot in Pierce County with 226 species seen in just 5 years, thanks 
to the keen eyes of Charlie Wright and Will Brooks leading the way.  
Sadly for birders, the 5 Mile Drive that went around the tip of Point 
Defiance has been closed to cars due to severe erosion of the bluffs. It 
is still a wonderful place to bike and walk, but without car access, it 
is a bit too far to haul a scope out to the Point on a regular basis.

And for completeness, here's the current list of 253 Club members as 
divined by a combination of eBird and WA Birder records.  Any additions 
welcome.

<2007 Patrick Sullivan

2011 Charlie Wright

2014 Bruce LaBar

2016 Marcus Roening

2017 Michael Charest, Ed Pullen

2021 Heather Ballash, Tom Mansfield, Wayne Sladek, Heather Voboril, 
Peter Wimberger

2022 Will Brooks

2023 Bryan Hansen, Craig Miller, Scott Saunders

2024 Michael Hobbs, Linnaea Wright

Good birding to all in the New Year!

Marcus Roening Tacoma WA - Pierce County Area Code 253!
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