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

[Tom Mansfield via Tweeters]

Marcus – Not to take anything away from my friend the esteemed Michael Hobbs but in the interest of accuracy, I believe I was the first non-Pierce resident to become a member in 2021.  Happy Holidays, Tom Mansfield in Seattle.

From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces at mailman11.u.washington.edu> On Behalf Of Marcus Roening via Tweeters
Sent: Monday, December 23, 2024 5:50 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Congratulations to The 253 Club new inductees for 2024 in Pierce County

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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