WOSNews 113 - Washington Ornithological Society

WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY February—March 2008

WOSNews 113 Do you know what year it was when the introduced English Sparrow completed its westward expansion across the continent, reaching the northwest corner of Washington? Below is a first-hand account.

An October All-Day at Blaine, Washington By William Leon Dawson From the Wilson Bulletin – October-December 1904: 16(4)

Of course it was cloudy. That it was so instead of rainy was a mark of special favor, received by the Bird-Man with becoming gratitude, for every loyal Puget Sounder knows that rain has the right-of-way from October first on. The clouds formed a great leaden canopy centering over Blaine …

The first half hour of indecision, from six o’clock on, was spent awheel, ranging the sidewalks of the still silent town, gleaning the bird-notes from orchard and garden and unreclaimed ravine. The writer was just congratulating himself upon the abundance of native birds hereabouts, undisturbed as yet by the presence of the all but universal scourge, when “Yark, yark, scrape, chirp, chirp” came from a little fir-tree a block away, in the center of the central business block of town. His obscene majesty, the English Sparrow, has arrived! His half century of conquest is appropriately consummated upon this last square rood of Uncle Sam’s undivided possession. Blaine stands at the exact northwestern corner of the United States, and the goal of the Gamin is reached.

The aliens can be very crafty if they choose, and they do choose while they are in the minority. I have searched the townsite over, during the two months past, fearing the dread presence, yet resolved to know the worst, without having heard a single chirp from the domesticus until today. Yet I am assured that the creatures have been here in small numbers for two or three years past. Nine Sparrows were frightened, upon this occasion, from the little fir-tree, and all became instantly silent upon their escape

Reprinted with permission from the Wilson Bulletin.

GREEN BIRDING By Eugene S. Hunn

The sobering reality of global warming should inspire us to reflect upon our personal contribution to the global future. The irony of it all: We birders who love birds will drive thousands of miles each year, spewing carbon from our tailpipes, to add a few new birds to our list. Of course, I’m as bad as the next in this regard, so I’m not proposing to lay on the guilt trip, just to suggest that we might be more creative in our efforts to get to know and enjoy the birds, burning a bit less gas in the process.

First off, we need to be able to measure the ecological costs of our birding. One key factor is the “birds per gallon” ratio (BPG). In 2005, I kept track of a year’s birding in Washington state. I was able to achieve a nice state year list of 312 while driving 4,851 miles, burning 205 gallons, for a BPG of 1.52.

How do you calculate your BPG? It will depend on several factors. First is the mileage you get in the vehicles you drive (or ride in), so birding in a Prius is more than 5 times as efficient as birding in a Humvee I. Hiking, biking, kayaking, and public transportation cost you nothing. (However, one might argue that flying off somewhere to go birding

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WOSNews 113: February—March 2008 2

PRESIDENT Randy Hill 615 S 6th Ave., Othello 99344 509-488-9418 [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT Eugene Hunn 18476 47 Pl NE, Lk. Forest Park 98155 206-365-2043 [email protected]

SECRETARY

Kathy Andrich 25739 135th Ave SE #39, Kent 98042 206-390-3159 [email protected]

TREASURER Rob Faucett 4727 46th Ave NE, Seattle 98015 206-619-5569 [email protected]

The Society The Washington Ornithological Society was chartered in 1988 to increase knowledge of

the birds of Washington and to enhance communication among all persons interested in those birds. WOS is a

nonprofit educational organization under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. For information about the Society, contact an

officer or board member, or write to:

Washington Ornithological Society P.O. Box 31783

Seattle, WA 98103-1783

BOARD MEMBERS Gina Sheridan 5317 S. Palouse Hwy, Apt. #B-311, Spokane 99223 509-443-7213 [email protected]

Cindy McCormack 4218 E 35th Ave., Spokane 99223 509-448-3825 [email protected]

Ron Friesz 304 Hilltop Dr., Ephrata, 98823 (509) 754-5350 [email protected]

Patricia Lott Seattle, WA 206-362-6035 [email protected]

Jack Stephens 7107 156th St SW, Edmonds 98026 425-742-8721 [email protected]

WOSNews WOSNews, the newsletter of the Washington Ornithological Society, is published bimonthly to inform members about Society business, bird sightings, ornithological research, and the fun of birding. Readers are welcome to submit articles, announcements, illustrations, photographs, and other items to the editor for consideration.

Editor Nancy Hertzel [email protected]

Production Michael Hobbs [email protected]

Distribution Steve Dang [email protected]

Raven illustrations by Linda Feltner © 1989.

Newsletter printed by Impression Printing, Seattle.

WASHINGTON BIRDS The Washington Ornithological Society publishes a scholarly periodic journal, WASHINGTON BIRDS, Joe Buchanan, editor. The purpose of WASHINGTON BIRDS is to publish information on birds of Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. Papers of general interest independent of geographic region will also be considered. Subject matter may include, but is not limited to, geographic and ecological distribution, seasonal status and migration, breeding biology and general natura l h is tory, conservation, identification, faunal lists, site guides, field techniques, and reports on current research. Manuscripts for consideration should be sent to:

Joe Buchanan 2112 Ravenna Ln SE, Olympia 98501 [email protected]

Web Site http://www.wos.org

Visit the WOS website for up-to-date information on:

• Meetings and field trips

• WOS annual conference information and forms

• Christmas Bird Counts

• Checklists (printable)

• Rare Bird Alert numbers

• Newsletter companion, with color photos and web links

Contact the webmaster, Michael Hobbs, at [email protected].

Membership News

Just a little reminder from your membership chair: if you have any changes to your address or email please pass them on to me via email or in writing. Send corrections to [email protected] or to PO Box 31783 Seattle WA 98103-1783.

We are striving to improve our member support which will include publishing the directory on a regular basis. In 2002 we initiated a “Welcome to WOS” letter for new members that includes a complementary checklist and information about membership meetings. We appreciate your feedback. Send us your comments and especially any suggestions you might have to improve WOS.

Susan Fallat, Membership Chair

About WOS Publications


FROM THE BOARD By Randy Hill, President This is a little awkward, writing about happenings from a board that has not met since information for the last issue of WOS News was submitted. Final details are not in for the 2008 WOS Conference, and we are just starting to see results of the busy CBC season. I’m sure by the time this issue reaches your doorstep, there will be lots of winter rarities to chase or gloat over. Hopefully, we will have some results from Matt Bartels’ county list monitoring. And at least one more flood, blizzard, or windstorm to clean up from (hopefully not all three!). Board work was slowed by a December flood and other winter weather events. Unfortunately, some of these occurrences are exacerbated by our insistence on altering drainages and planting too many buildings and other structures in floodplains! It seemed that before dams and levees, we knew better. But from this soap box I am probably preaching to the choir.

The board will (hopefully did) meet in early January to finish off arrangements for the WOS Conference in Walla Walla June 6-9. With Whitman College playing host, do we want full conference-period housing in rooms without air conditioning, or only a short weekend period in air-conditioned comfort where rooms will not be available Thursday night and very limited on Sunday night? Food nearby or two blocks away? Banquet with an outdoor option? Initiate most Friday field trips on the way to Walla Walla? Little details to work through. Expect the registration information (with quick response needed) in WOS News 114.

Washington Birds 10 will have a January 2008 cover, so we can expect it this winter. There is a need for new submissions right away to Joe Buchanan, as the turnaround with peer review and editing often is not speedy.

The WOS website is transitioning to a new webmaster as WOS News editor Nancy Hertzel will be taking on that responsibility as well. Among his many WOS contributions, Michael Hobbs developed the site with his personal touch and a wealth of information for all to enjoy. Even after handing off conference registration and the website, Michael maintains a long list of involvements, and we will always be appreciative of his continued dedication to the organization.

WOS Field Trips Field Trips allow members to explore new places or revisit familiar haunts. Each member may join up to four trips per year (excluding annual conference trips). Non-members may attend as a member’s guest once per year. Questions about field trips should be directed to the trip leader(s). If you would like to lead a field trip, or would like to suggest a location for a field trip, send a note to Kraig Kemper at [email protected].

Saturday, February 16, 2008 “Owls by Day 2008” will be led by Mike and MerryLynn Denny, with a limit of 12 participants. Target birds include Barn, Western Screech, Great Horned, Long-eared, and Northern Screech owls, plus winter sparrows (Harris’s, American Tree, and White-throated) as well as Gray-crowned Rosy Finch, Northern Shrike, Merlin, Gray Partridge, and Canyon Wren. Bring lunch and water for an all-day outing along the Snake River. Everyone must be able to walk several miles on foot. Sign-up starts January 15; for details, contact Mike at (509) 529-0080 or email [email protected].

Saturday through Monday, February 16 -18 Ruth Sullivan and Stefan Schlick will lead a trip to the Waterville Plateau in Douglas County and additional locations in the Okanogan for winter specialties, as “A Memorial to Honor Patrick.” Target birds include Northern Goshawk, Gyrfalcon, Sage and Sharp-tailed grouse, Long-eared and Northern Saw-whet owl, Pygmy Nuthatch, Bohemian Waxwing, American Tree Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Snow Bunting, and Common Redpoll. Areas covered will include the Conconully area, Havillah, Chesaw, Tonasket, Bridgeport Hill Road, Bridgeport State Park, Leahy Junction, the town

of Bridgeport, Central Ferry Canyon, and the Bridgeport and Cassimer Bars. Additional sites covered may include surrounding areas at Atkins Lake and the Mansfield area. In the last four years, this same field trip has produced nearly 80 species. Participants should be prepared for winter driving, and dress for winter weather. Overnight in Pateros and Omak. Limit of 10 participants.

For details, contact Ruth at (253) 564-7419 or email [email protected].

Friday, March 7th A field trip to the Samish and Skagit Flats will be lead by Brian Bell with a limit of (7) participants. Target birds will be raptors (falcons, hawks, and eagles), remaining Snow Geese, Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, and winter sparrows. Areas covered could include the Skagit WMA, March Point, the West 90 and Samish Island.

Bring scope, lunch and beverage, and dress for the weather. For details contact Brian at (425) 485-8058 or email [email protected].

Saturday, March 29th Kraig Kemper will lead a trip in Kittitas County, starting in the Ellensberg area, traveling east through shrub-steppe to Vantage, on into Grant County, and birding along Crab Creek to Othello. The focus will be on breeding birds that have arrived. Target birds include Sage Sparrow, Loggerhead Shrike, Sage Thrasher, Brewer's Sparrow, Mountain Bluebird, Long-billed Curlew, and Sandhill Crane.

Limit of (8) participants. For details contact Kraig at (206) 789-9255 or email [email protected].


WOS Meetings are free and open to all. They are held the first Monday of each month at the Center for Urban Horticulture on the University of Washington campus, 3501 NE 41st St. in Seattle (directions below). Doors open at 7:00 PM and the program begins at 7:30 PM.

February 4, 2008: Birds of Washington and Southern Africa - with Dennis Paulson Dennis Paulson, well-known to WOS members, has a doctorate in zoology from the University of Miami. Dr. Paulson was Director of the Slater Museum of Natural History at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma from 1990 to 2004; he is now retired and writing field guides to dragonflies. Dr. Paulson is the author of numerous papers and books, including Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest, Dragonflies of Washington, Shorebirds of North America: The Photographic Guide, and Alaska: The Ecotraveller’s Wildlife Guide. He has recently discovered the joys of digital photography and will be sharing with us some of his favorite shots taken close to home, as well as those from a recent trip to southern Africa.

March 3, 2008: The Great Gull Debate! with Gene Hunn et al Join the "experts" for a gull identification workshop focused on the rarer, big, usually pink-legged, "species:" Iceland, Glaucous, Slaty-backed, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, and their more common kin: Thayer's, Herring, Glaucous-winged, and Western, and the various hybrids. Gene Hunn will organize a Power Point, integrating photos on loan from local photographers of individual birds seen in Washington state, with scans of photos from the latest field guides. Everyone is invited to share opinions as to identities, field identification issues, etc. If you have photos of these species you would like to share, please forward jpgs to [email protected] ASAP. Please include date, location, and photographer's name.

April 7, 2008: Osprey Recovery Program with Larry Rymon Mr. Rymon will discuss a successful osprey reintroduction program in Pennsylvania, a project that took 30 years. He will also incorporate a 27-minute film, "Return from Forever." This film has been shown widely, including on ESPN.

May 5, 2008: Pterodroma Petrels - Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile - with Jo Smith The Juan Fernandez Islands are a remote, oceanic archipelago, 670 km offshore from Valparaiso, Chile. The Juan Fernandez Petrel (Pterodroma externa) is one of two endemic seabirds on the archipelago, with the entire global population of one million pairs breeding on Alejandro Selkirk. In this talk, Ms. Smith will describe the foraging ecology of this species and present a photographic essay to highlight this beautiful archipelago and discuss some of the past and present conservation concerns facing the endemic fauna. Ms. Smith is a PhD candidate at the University of Washington, studying the foraging ecology

and patterns of habitat use in breeding birds. She has studied seabirds and island ecosystems since 1997, with research spanning from the breeding biology of nesting seabirds to rare or unusual plant communities and the role of introduced species on islands. She currently serves on a recovery team in Canada to conserve seabird populations in the North Pacific.

October 6, 2008: The Status of Western Grebes in Washington - with Dr. Joe Gaydos The Western Grebe population has declined 95% over the last decade. Dr. Gaydos will discuss what we know about the causes behind this decline, where we need more information, and where we can start with restoration. Dr. Gaydos obtained his veterinary medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed a PhD at the University of Georgia, where he served as wildlife disease diagnostician in the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study program, gaining extensive knowledge and experience in wildlife health. He has recently been hired by the Marine Ecosystem Health Program, which coordinates research projects to assess, restore, and enhance the health of wildlife populations and habitat along the Pacific Coast. From a base of operations in the San Juan Islands, Dr. Gaydos will help the program achieve its mission of restoring ecosystem and wildlife health to the inner coastal waters of Washington and British Columbia, and will serve as a scientific resource available to individuals and organizations seeking vital information on ecosystem and wildlife health issues.

Directions: From I-5, take SR 520 East. Take the Montlake Blvd. NE exit and turn north towards the University of Washington campus. Stay in right lane and go north on Montlake Blvd. over the bridge and past the stadium. The road will curve to the right around the Montlake Fill and merge with NE 45th St. You will quickly approach a five-way intersection. At the intersection, turn right onto Mary Gates Memorial Drive. The Center for Urban Horticulture is two long blocks down on the right. There is plenty of free parking at the facility. We use the main meeting room, the backside of which faces the road. Bus numbers 25, 65, and 75 all stop at NE 45th and Mary Gates Memorial Drive. A map can be found at http://depts.washington.edu/urbhort/html/info/contact.html.

Upcoming WOS Meetings

WOS Annual Conference Set for June

The dates for the 2008 Washington Ornithological Society Annual Conference are June 6, 7, 8, and 9 (Friday through

Monday). The conference will be held in Walla Walla. More information to come in the next issue of WOSNews and on

our website (www.wos.org).


Volunteer with the Washington Ornithological Society

Any person interested in the recreational, educational, or scientific aspects of field ornithology may become a member and volunteer for WOS. The board welcomes your interest.

Current Opportunities

WOS Conference - June 6 - 9, 2008—President Randy Hill’s column in this newsletter, “From the Board,” describes our focus on the upcoming conference, at which there will be a variety of opportunities available. We are in the final planning stages and ready to accept volunteers for help in Seattle, and there will also be ways to help in Walla Walla. Please contact [email protected].

Assistant to the Treasurer - to help with the June Annual Conference. This is a new position in our most important event. If you have financial experience and an interest in helping, Rob would appreciate hearing from you. Please contact him for more information at: [email protected].

Thanks to Vivian Gross WOS would like to acknowledge the great job Vivian Gross did as our Hospitality Chair. She was always at our Monday meetings early with everything set up, and could be counted on to round up volunteers to bring goodies. She obtained some large bins to haul around all the stuff we needed, such as tablecloths, cups and napkins, teas and coffee. She even made sure that WOS members' personal favorite flavors of hot tea were available. We realize that it was time for her to move on to other opportunities in the community, but we will miss her as our great hostess. Thank you, Vivian!

Puget Sound Seabird Workshop - February 23, 2008 Sponsored by the Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound, and Tahoma Audubon Society

Would you like to know how to identify those birds swimming on Puget Sound or flying past in flocks when you are at the shore or riding the ferry? This day-long workshop is designed to acquaint participants with the resident and migrant seabirds of Puget Sound. It is oriented toward preparing citizen scientists to conduct seabird censuses, but all are welcome.

The workshop will consist of a morning session discussing the identification and natural history of 43 species of sea ducks, loons, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, jaegers, gulls, terns, and alcids that occur regularly on the Sound. Both photos and specimens will be used to illustrate the species. After lunch, the group will set off for nearby Puget Sound localities to see many of these same birds in the field.

Prerequisite: The ability to tell a loon from a grebe from a duck.

The instructor will be Dr. Dennis Paulson, Director Emeritus, Slater Museum and teacher extraordinaire. Dennis has been learning and teaching about the seabirds of this region for 40 years. This is truly an opportunity not to be missed.

The cost of the workshop is $50 ($35 for students and seniors). Limit 20 participants. To register or for more information, contact Carol Curtin at [email protected] or (253) 879-2784.

Washington BirdBox has a new number!

NEW PHONE NUMBER

(206) 364-1162

To leave a message about a notable sighting, or to listen to recent reports from other birders,

call the BirdBox and follow the prompts.

What's in a (Gull) Name? By Stephen Poley

Larus melanocephalus is applied to the bird known in English as the Mediterranean Gull, but actually means black-headed gull.

The scientific name for the Black-headed Gull is Larus ridibundus, which means laughing gull.

The scientific name for the Laughing Gull is Larus atricilla, which means black-tailed gull.

The scientific name for the Black-tailed Gull is Larus crassirostris, which means large-billed gull.

The scientific name for the Large-billed Gull is Larus pacificus, which means (of course) Pacific Gull.

At this point, a disappointing touch of sanity intervenes, because Pacific Gull is another name for Larus pacificus.


ought to be charged to the birder’s account. I haven’t figured out how that might best be calculated, but see below with respect to pelagic trips.)

Next, birding together is more efficient that the solo trip, so I divide the miles traveled (and gallons burned) by the number of people traveling together. Of course, bird pooling requires extra effort to coordinate and limits flexibility. That’s the price you pay for the enhanced BPG.

I also considered the savings accrued from combining birding with other travel requirements, such as a business trip or a trip motivated as much by hiking as by birding. In such cases, I counted only the excess miles tacked on to the business trip or prorated the miles according to the fraction of the trip devoted to birding.

For my two 2005 pelagic trips, I asked Phil Anderson how many gallons he burned in the Monte Carlo on a run from Westport to 125° W and back (120 gallons of diesel) divided by the number of birders on the boat (25 if full). It proved to be a not insignificant number.

One might also calculate BPG for such birding sporting events as Big Days. I once tried for 200 species in a Washington State Big Day (the record is 201). My two-man team ended up driving 750 miles in 26 hours, recording 187 species. We were unable to locate a big diverse gull and shorebird flock on the outer beach at Ocean Shores in the fading light. At 25 mpg, that trip rated a 187/30 divided by two observers = 12.4 birds per gallon. Last year, I tried a Big Foot Day in Seattle (cheating by taking the bus from Ballard to the U district), recording 91 species on zero gallons for a BPG of Infinity! Can’t hardly beat that. (Of course, I failed to count the miles I drove to get to and from the route - only 28 miles or a single gallon in this case, so the actual BPG was ca. 90, still nearly eight times as efficient as my failed attempt at the State Big Day record.)

One might also focus one's birding closer to home. The growing popularity of county listing (unless you’re trying to see as many birds as possible in all 39 counties) may upgrade our collective BPG statistics. However, after a year or two trying to keep pace with Matt Bartels in King County, I find that I can drive nearly as far chasing King County year birds as I would were my target a big state year list. Nevertheless, county listing has reduced my total birding mileage somewhat, with no loss of excitement of the chase.

One final note: A bit of planning goes a long way. One could design a Green Big Year by plotting a series of trips designed to maximize bird diversity while minimizing BPG. I have calculated that it should be possible to see 340 species in Washington state in one year in less than 6,000 miles (ca. 240 gallons @ 25 mpg), which could readily be cut in half by ride sharing. Trips might be organized to incorporate a mix of highly diverse sites and some might include a hiking or biking component, and of course, as with respect to saving hot water, “shower with a friend.”

One could maximize one's BPG by staying home and counting chickadees at the feeder. Obviously, maximizing BPG is not the ideal solution. Rather than birding less, let's bird as much or more, but with one eye on the gas gauge.

Green Birding—continued from page 1 WOS Calendar

Monday, February 4 February Meeting: Birds of Washington and

Southern Africa - with Dennis Paulson

Saturday, February 16 Field Trip: “Owls by Day 2008” - led by Mike

and MerryLynn Denny

Saturday through Monday, February 16 -18

Field Trip: Waterville Plateau in Douglas County and the Okanogan - led by Ruth Sullivan and Stefan Schlick.

Monday, March 3

March Meeting: The Great Gull Debate! with Gene Hunn et al

Friday, March 7th Field Trip:Samish and Skagit Flats lead by

Brian Bell

Saturday, March 29th Field Trip: Kraig Kemper will lead a trip in

Kittitas County

Monday, April 7 April Meeting: Osprey Recovery Program with

Larry Rymon

Monday, May 5

May Meeting: Pterodroma Petrels - Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile - with Jo Smith

Friday through Monday, June 6-9 WOS Annual Conference

This year's conference will be held in Walla Walla.

Monday, October 6 October Meeting: The Status of Western

Grebes in Washington - with Dr. Joe Gaydos


2008 Spring Birding Festivals Winter Wings Festival—February 15-17, 2008 Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR

The Klamath Basin Audubon Society (KBAS) is sponsoring the Winter Wings Festival in conjunction with the Klamath Wingwatchers. The Festival will offer a keynote speaker, reception, field trips, workshops, mini-sessions, and other special events. In addition, there are many free activities, vendors, live birds, and displays targeted to families and children. Photography enthusiasts will have many opportunities to sharpen their skills with expert leaders.

For more information, visit www.winterwingsfest.org/

Port Susan Snow Goose Festival—February 23-24, 2008 Stanwood, WA

The Snow Geese, swans, waterfowl, and raptors are back in our area for the winter and the plans for the Third Annual Port Susan Snow Goose And Birding Festival are well under way. Watch our website for more information on the family programs at Four Springs Park on Camano Island. This new fun and educational activity will include hands-on learning, storytelling, science, and even live birds! At the Floyd in Stanwood, you can enjoy speakers and a panel of experts. Vendors and artists will have displays and items for sale. Tours will leave from the Floyd and maps will be available of all the great places to see our winter visitors.

For more information, visit www.snowgoosefest.org/

Othello Sandhill Crane Festival—March 28-29-30, 2008

The Othello Sandhill Crane Festival has many tours for crane viewing, along with specialty tours. Specialty tours in the past have included Columbia National Wildlife Refuge/Potholes area wildlife tour, Missoula Floods and the Channeled Scablands geology tour, Sage Grouse lek tour, Lower Grand Coulee birding tour and Wahluke Slope/Shrub Steppe birding tour.

For more information, visit www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org/

Olympic Peninsula BirdFest—April 4-5-6, 2008 Sequim, Washington

The Olympic BirdFest is a partnership of the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society, Dungeness River Audubon Center, and Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe. From guided birding trips, boat tours, salmon banquet, and many other presentations, our festival has a full slate of extraordinary offerings awaiting you. We've created a bird-watching vacation for beginners to experts, from leisurely strolls to active hikes. You can bird for a few hours, or all day … from the dawn chorus to the evening owl prowl. We will wake you with coffee, nourish you with locally grown organic food, and celebrate a traditional salmon bake. New offering this year -- join us on Sunday, April 6, for a three-day, two-night birding cruise through the San Juan Archipelago. Rest at historic Roche Harbor Resort. Enjoy whale watching, northwest seabirds, and the spectacular scenery of the San Juan Islands.

For more information, visit www.olympicbirdfest.org

Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival—April 19, 2008 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Blaine Marine Park, Blaine, WA

Great for the avid enthusiasts, casual observers, and fun for the entire family! Come and join the celebration at this year’s 5th Annual "Wings over Water" Northwest Birding Festival, in one of the Pacific Northwest's premier bird viewing areas. The festival will be headquartered this year in Blaine's Marine Park, overlooking Blaine Harbor and White Rock, BC. There will also be art and craft vendors and kids' activities between G & H Street on Peace Portal Drive. The North Cascades Audubon Society will be manning two bird viewing stations in Birch State Park, Semiahmoo Spit and Blaine Marine Park

For more information, visit www.blainechamber.com/wow/index.html

The Brant Wildlife Festival—March-April 2008 Vancouver Island, BC

Join us for the 18th Brant Wildlife Festival in the Parksville/Qualicum Beach area of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. This celebration of nature includes eco-tours, nature photography, and even a big day birding for teams that like to get up early: 5:00 AM! The festival started because of a small goose called the Black Brant, which migrates from California and Mexico to Alaska and stops off in Parskville/Qualicum Beach to rest and feed. As many as 20,000 Brant may be found along the shore at peak times at the end of March. The Brant geese, however, are not the only show in town during the festival. Pacific herring spawn and attract thousands of waterbirds, eagles, sea lions, and harbor seals. Spring also comes to the forest and migrant songbirds, raptors and wildflowers can all be enjoyed in the many natural areas around Parksville and Qualicum Beach. The 2008 Brant Wildlife Festival is being coordinated by The Nature Trust of British Columbia in association with the Canadian Wildlife Service, the BC Ministry of Environment and Ducks Unlimited Canada. Some of the activities include a birding Big Day, herring spawn tour, carving competitions, nature photography, and eagle release.

For more information, visit www.brantfestival.bc.ca/calendar_events.php

Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival—May 2-4, 2008 Hoquiam, Washington

The 13th Annual Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival will be held on the weekend of May 2-4, 2008 in Hoquiam, with headquarters at Central Elementary School. The banquet and live auction will be Saturday, May 3. Other activities include guided field trips, lectures, a Birder's Bazaar, nature fun fair, poster contest, and lots more. Sightings and counts of shorebirds will be reported daily during this year's migration which is from late April-mid May. Grays Harbor Audubon Society, Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, and the City of Hoquiam work with a host of other local sponsors to bring you the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival. This event is timed to match the annual migration of hundreds of thousands of shorebirds as they pause at the Grays Harbor estuary to feed and rest before departing for their nesting grounds in the Arctic. For more information, visit www.shorebirdfestival.com


Ed note: WOS members presented a memorial to Patrick Sullivan at the December meeting in Seattle.

I wish to thank all the birders who attended Patrick's memorial on Monday. Despite the bad weather, with all the flooding going on in many areas, especially where I-5 was closed around Chehalis, this was alone a tragedy for all the people in Washington who were affected by the terrible storm, and this before Christmas.

One person who was affected was Wilson Cady, who lives in Washougal. Wilson was one of the speakers; he knew Patrick from Wenas, as we have been attending this Audubon outing since 1985 Thanks to Wilson for the speech he wrote, and remembrance of the day in Ridgefield a long time ago, as Patrick and I were birding with Dave Hayden, looking for the white ibis, and we ran into Wilson and his wife. As we were standing there, Patrick mentioned some ibis in the distance. We all looked, but did not seeing anything, not even a speck, but then we spotted some large birds coming closer and settling close to us, and it was a group of White-faced Ibis! Patrick mentioned they were coming from Woodland; Wilson, when he got home, researched the distance and it was 18 miles. Wilson remembered this incident so well that he included it in his speech, how remarkable this is. Thank you, Wilson, for remembering this moment of Patrick.

Last year at Washtucna, we met Susan from Seattle all alone, camped close to us. Susan was also a WOS member, and we talked and became befriended and Patrick showed her the hillside where you find some good birds. I met Susan again at the memorial, where she give me a card where she thanked Patrick and wrote some touching words about the feeling and experience she shared with me about the illness Patrick had. Thank you, Susan, for sharing this with me and we will probably meet again at that hotspot for spring and fall migration.

I would also like to thank Faye McAdams (Hand) from the Tahoma Audubon, who was the speaker for Patrick, talking about the illness of bipolar. Faye is working at Western State Hospital and dealing with patients as a counselor; her speech was touching and let some tears flowing. She left some pamphlets explaining what bipolar is and how to deal with this mental disorder. She also talked about Patrick the birder and how much he was involved in this great hobby; it became his whole life. Thank you, Faye, for such a detailed speech to honor Patrick.

Also a big thank you to Michael Hobbs, who showed a slide show of Patrick's photos, fixing these photos up from the disk I sent from raw. This had to take hours to do, and all the photos looked so good. As he showed the photos, music was playing quietly, picking a song from the album Falling in to You by Celine Dion, "Leaving This Earth, Flying Away." It was touching, with all the candles lit; it was so special thinking of a song like this. This planned memorial was so organized in all the details by many WOS Members.

Dennis Paulson gave a tribute to Patrick, not forgetting me, about the many county firsts of dragonflies Patrick and I added to the state … Patrick always was eager to visit Dennis, when I would ask him if he wanted to go with me to see Dennis. Thank you, Dennis, for the kind words speaking of Patrick. Also talking about your mother, comparing me and your mother; how can I ever forget this? I was thinking about this a lot and took it to my heart.

It is a tragedy to lose Patrick in such young years of his life. But the more I think of it, the more I accept his loss, and I always think of him to be in a better place, where he is in peace looking down to me.

I wish to thank all the many birders who in the last months supported me so much. We are living in a good society where people are caring. THANK YOU ALL, love Ruth

Candle Lighting Ceremony at Patrick Sullivan's Memorial — By Kathy Andrich

A lot of people were touched by this simple ceremony, adapted from one used by the Survivors of Suicide group.

First, one candle will be lit to represent the light of Patrick’s life.

From Patrick’s candle, the second candle will be lit to represent the light and joy Patrick gave to Ruth’s (his mothers) life.

From Patrick’s candle, a third candle will be lit to represent all the rest of us who are here and were touched by Patrick’s light.

(Blow out Patrick’s candle.)

Patrick has left us now, but his light carries on in Ruth's life and in all our lives.

Patrick Sullivan Young Birders' Fund

By Randy Hill, WOS President

With the approval of the committee overseeing its management and the Board of the Washington Ornithological Society, the year-old Young Birders' Fund has been re-named the Patrick Sullivan Young Birders' Fund. Established and supported by Andy Stepniewski's generous contribution of royalties from sales of A Birder's Guide to Washington, this fund supports scholarships to young birders in Washington. Patrick epitomized the development of a young birder utilizing knowledge and skills from camps and classes to become a role model of learning and giving back to the birding community. Leading field trips and writing detailed trip reports were some examples of his helping others find birds across the state. Financial contributions to the Patrick Sullivan Young Birders' Fund can go directly to the Washington Ornithological Society at PO Box 31783, Seattle WA 98103.

Remembering Patrick Sullivan… Thank You from Ruth Sullivan

Correction In the 19th Annual WOS Conference summary by Kathy Andrich, WOSNews 112, page 6, column 2, paragraphs 4 through 8 were not identified as quotes from Patrick Sullivan's records. The editor regrets this oversight. These quotes are a testimony to Patrick's meticulous record-keeping and keen identification skills.


Washington Field Notes March 2007 – May 2007

Compiled by Tom Aversa

“Washington Field Notes” are gleaned from reports sent to Steve Mlodinow ([email protected]) and Tom Aversa and to a lesser extent from birding hotlines and listservs. For corrections or information, c o n t a c t t h e c o m p i l e r a t ([email protected]) or 305 NW 75th St. Seattle WA. 98117.

Greater White-fronted Goose Unprecedented numbers reported included 1,500 McNary NWR Walla Walla on 3/3 (MD,MLD), 70 near Umatilla NWR Benton on 3/22 (NLa), 300 over Lake Forest Park King on 4/17 (BrM), 3600 at Conboy Lake NWR Klickitat on 4/23 (JE), 2500 at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor on 4/27 (RyM), 500 over Point Whitney Jefferson on 4/27 (RR), 2000 over Tokeland Pacific on 4/27 (RyM), 3,000 on the Westport Pelagic Grays Harbor on 4/28 (BS), 460 at Crockett Lake Island on 4/29, 555 near Stanwood Snohomish on 4/29 (SM), and 180 at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 4/30 (JE). Greater White-fronted Goose X Canada Goose Rarely reported. Two at Big Lake Skagit on 3/3 (GB). Greater White-fronted Goose X Snow Goose Rarely reported. Two at Sprague Lake Adams on 3/10 (GiS), and one at Corfu Grant from 3/24 to 3/29 (RH). Snow Goose Reports away from nw WA included one at Peone Spokane on 3/1 (RD), one at McNary NWR Walla Walla on 3/3 with eight there on 4/7 (MD), one south of Chewelah Stevens on 3/9 (TLi), one at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 3/10 (WC), two at Corfu Grant on 3/11 (RH) with eight there on 3/31 (MtD), three at Scooteney Reservoir Franklin on 3/23 (RyM), 30 at Whitcomb Island Benton on 3/24 (RyM), eight at Chehalis Valley Grays Harbor from 3/24 to 3/27 (TO), two at Nisqually NWR Thurston on 3/25 (PS,RS), four at Spangle Spokane on 4/6 (JA), one at Crooked Knee Lake Whitman on 4/7 (DiW), 46 at Othello Adams from 4/10 to 4/13 with four there on 4/22 (RH), two at Lamont Whitman on 4/14 (DiW), 20 at Conboy Lake Klickitat on 4/23 (JE), one at Hoquiam Grays Harbor from 4/27 (RyM) to 5/10 (TO), nine at Sprague Lake Lincoln on

4/28 (TLi) with two there on 5/18 (JA), and one at Wilson Creek Grant on 5/18 (TLi). Late for location: 1,000 at Fir Island Skagit on 5/7 (fide SM). “Blue” Goose Rare in WA. One adult at Fir Island Skagit on 3/8, with one immature there from 3/26 to 5/6 (SM), and two at Othello Adams from 4/10 to 4/13 (RH). Ross’s Goose X Snow Goose One photographed at Carnation King on 3/4 (TMn), and three at Fir Island Skagit on 3/8 (SM). Ross’s Goose Uncommon in WA. One at Ridgefield NWR Clark from 3/12 (JE) to 4/22 (RgW,ScM), two at Corfu Grant on 3/23 (RH) with eight there on 3/31 (MtD), one at Clarkston Asotin from 3/27 to 4/3 (fide SM), one at Asotin Asotin from 4/1

(MtD) to 4/3 (KK), nine at Spangle Spokane on 4/6 (MWo,JA), one at McNary NWR Walla Walla on 4/7 (MD), six near Othello Adams on 4/10 with eight there on 4/13 (RH), and two at Sprague Lake Adams on 4/28 (TLi). EMPEROR GOOSE Rare in WA. One adult at Julia Butler Hansen NWR Wahkiakum on 4/4 (GB). Cackling Goose High counts included 11,929 at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 3/26 (JE), 50,000 over Fort Canby Pacific on 4/21 (CWr), and 8,100 over Tokeland Pacific on 4/26 (TAv). Late report: four at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/17 (RFl). Canada Goose High count: 35,000 at Corfu Grant on 3/28 (RH). “Dusky” Canada Goose Reports included 105 at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor on 3/8 (TAv), and 293 at Ridgefield NWR

Clark on 3/26 with 10 there on 4/10 (JE). Barnacle Goose Provenance unknown. Two at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor from 3/27 (TO) to 5/19 (AG). Tundra Swan Late reports: One at Carnation Farms King on 4/28 (WW), and one at Calispell Lake Pend Oreille on 5/25 (TLi). “Bewick’s” Swan Rare in WA. One at Satsop Grays Harbor from 3/3 (PS,RS) to 3/16 (TO). Trumpeter Swan Reports for e WA included two at Columbia NWR Grant on 3/5 and 3/19 (RH), three south of Chewelah Stevens on 3/9 (TLi), three at Sheep Lake Whitman on 3/10 (DiW), four near Cle Elum Kittitas on 3/13 (MJ), three at Lake Lenore Grant on 3/18 (DSc), three at

Tule Lake Whitman on 3/18 (DiW), one near Ellensburg Kittitas on 3/21 (BBe), and one at Dodson Road Grant on 3/25 (fide BLa). Late w WA reports included one at Elma Grays Harbor on 5/6 (TO), one at Graysmarsh Clallam on 5/12 (BoB), and one at Dike District #9 Snohomish from 5/24 to 5/31 (SM). WHOOPER SWAN Rare in WA. One near Ferndale Whatcom from February to 3/4 (WW RyM). Mute Swan Rare in WA. One near Ferndale Whatcom from February to 3/4 (WW,RyM), and one at Steigerwald Lake Clark from February to 5/31 (WC). Swan sp. Any swan notable. One at Stillwater King on 5/19 (MJ).

Mandarin Duck Introduced species. One female at Juanita Bay King from February to 3/22 (RyM). “Common” Teal Uncommon in WA. One at Kent King on 3/3 (CWr), one at Swinomish Channel Skagit on 3/18 (GB), one near Othello Adams from 3/29 to 4/10 (RH,MtD), one at Grandview Yakima on 4/10 (fide DGr), one at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/15 (MiF), and one near Stanwood Snohomish on 4/19 (TAv) and 5/4 (DD). Green-winged X “Common” Teal Reports included one at Othello Adams on 3/29 (RH), one at Ebey Island Snohomish on 4/7 with two on 4/21 and one there on 5/5, two at Sunlight Beach Island on 4/15 (SM), one at Belfair SP Mason on 4/27 (RyM), and one near Stanwood Snohomish on 5/2 (TAv) with two there on 5/10 (SM).

Washington Field Notes: March—May 2007

Barnacle Geese, Brady Loop Rd, Grays Harbor, March 28, 2007. Photo by Ruth Sullivan.


Northern Pintail High count: 20,000 at Corfu Grant on 3/30 (RH). Cinnamon Teal Early reports included one at Ocosta Grays Harbor from 3/1 (CWr) to 3/12 (RyM), and two at Montlake Fill King on 3/5 (LoR). High count: 61 at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/6 (ScM). Northern Shoveler High count: 600 at Othello Adams on 4/8 (RH). Eurasian Wigeon High count: 74 at Samish Flats Skagit on 3/4 (RyM). Reports from e WA included two at Dodson Road Grant from 3/8 (DSc) to 3/18 (RH), one at Reardan Lincoln from 3/9 (TLi) to 3/21 (JA), two at Peone Spokane from 3/9 to 3/15 (TLi), one at Toppenish NWR Yakima on 3/11 (SDo), five near Cheney Spokane on 3/20 (fide CrC), one at Columbia NWR Grant from 3/22 to 3/25 (RH), two at Whitcomb Island Benton on 3/24 (RyM,KK), one near Yakima Yakima on 3/24 (DGr), one at Clarkston Asotin on 4/3 (KK), one at Davis Lake Pend Oreille on 4/15 (GiS), one at Banks Lake Grant on 4/16 (RI), and one at Philleo Lake Spokane on 5/1 (MWo). Late w WA reports included one at Johns River Grays Harbor on 5/9 (TAv), one at Ridgefield NWR Clark from 5/20 (BlC) to 5/31 (RFl), and one at Stanwood STP Snohomish on 5/28 (MiW). Eurasian X American Wigeon Late for WA. One at Spencer Island Snohomish on 5/13 (SM). Canvasback Late for w WA. Two at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/26 (SM). Redhead Uncommon in w WA. Two at Elma Grays Harbor from 3/3 (PS,RS) to 3/25 (BN) with one there on 4/16 (PS,RS), four at Lake Terrell Whatcom on 3/4 (GB) with five there on 3/4 (RyM), one at Lake Erie Skagit on 3/11 (GB), one at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 4/6 with six on 4/30 (RgW) and four there to 5/26 (SM), one at Ocosta Grays Harbor from 4/21 (CWr) to 4/26 (MaB), two at Steigerwald Lake Clark from 4/30 to 5/6 (WC), and one at Warm Beach Snohomish on 5/4 (DD). Tufted Duck Rare in WA. One male reported at Columbia NWR Grant on 4/5 (fide RH). Harlequin Duck Inland reports included two at Tumwater Thurston on 4/29 (JAn), one near Twisp Okanogan on 5/24 (BS), one at Sullivan Lake Pend Oreille on 5/25 (TLi), two at Hyak Kittitas on 5/30 (TAv), one at

Harvey Creek Pend Oreille on 5/31 (GiS). High count: 108 at Bainbridge Island Kitsap on 5/30 (BWg). Black Scoter Late reports included one at Neah Bay Clallam on 5/28 (BN), and one at Port Gardner Snohomish on 5/28 (SM). Surf Scoter Uncommon locally. Five at Juanita Bay King from 3/26 to 3/28 with three there on 4/3 (RyM), and one at Elma Grays Harbor on 3/30 (TO). White-winged Scoter Rare in spring in e WA. One male at Twin Lakes Ferry on 5/29 and 5/30 (GGm). Common Goldeneye X Barrow’s Goldeneye Rarely reported one at Mukilteo Snohomish on 3/1, and one at Penn Cove Island on 4/29 (SM). Bufflehead High count: 850 at English Boom Island on 3/15 (SM).

Red-breasted Merganser Uncommon away from salt water in WA. One at Juanita Bay King on 3/16, two at Crow Butte SP Benton on 3/24 (RyM), five at Dry Falls Junction Douglas on 3/31 (GiS), and two at Two Rivers CP Benton on 4/16 (DR). Spruce Grouse Uncommon in WA. One at Salmon Meadows Okanogan on 4/21 and 5/27 (KhT). Sage Grouse Uncommon in WA. Three at Leahy Douglas on 3/1 (MaB) with 15 on 3/24 (TLi) and seven there on 5/1 (RyM). Sharp-tailed Grouse Uncommon in WA. Two reported near Conconully Okanogan on 4/21 (KhT). Mountain Quail Uncommon in WA. Two at Belfair Mason on 4/1 (MHr), and two north of Elma Grays Harbor from 4/29 to 5/6 (TO) with one there on 5/12 (MiF). Pacific Loon High count: 15,000 at Fort

Canby Pacific on 4/21 (CWr). ARCTIC LOON Rare in WA. One at Point No Point Kitsap from 4/8 (VN) to 4/22 (HA). Common Loon Inland reports included one Big Meadow Lake Pend Oreille on 5/12 (TLi), one at Spada Lake Snohomish on 5/18 (SP), one shot at Beth Lake Okanogan on 5/19 (GGm), a pair with two young at Lost Lake Okanogan on 5/28 (NW), and a pair with one chick at Twin Lakes Ferry on 5/30 (GGm). Yellow-billed Loon Uncommon in WA. One at Langley Island on 3/24 (DnF), one at Penn Cove Island on 4/15, one at West Beach Island on 4/29 (SM), and one near Neah Bay Clallam on 5/9 (RyM). Horned Grebe Late reports included one at Vantage Kittitas on 5/23 (TAv), and one

at Sidley Lake Okanogan on 5/28 (NW). Red-necked Grebe Late w WA reports included one Juanita Bay King on 4/27 (RyM), one at West Seattle King on 5/13 (EH), and one at Kent King on 5/16 (CPe). Eared Grebe Uncommon in w WA. One at Nisqually NWR Thurston from 3/1 to 3/25 (PhK), two at Drayton Harbor Whatcom from 3/4 (GB) to 4/21 (WW), 27 at Utsalady Bay Island on 3/15, one at Cultus Bay Island on 4/15 (SM), two at Belfair SP Mason on 4/27 (RyM), and three at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/11 (RgW) with two there to 5/31 (fide JE). Western Grebe High count: 2500 at Utsalady Bay Island on

3/15 (SM). Clark’s Grebe Reports away from breeding areas included two at Discovery Park King from 3/18 (RyM) to 3/25 (MtD), two at Yakima RD Benton on 4/19 (NLa), one at West Medical Lake Spokane on 4/30 (fide CrC), one at Wilson Creek Grant on 5/26 (RH), 10 at Vancouver Lake Clark on 5/26 (SM), and one at Sprague Lake Adams on 5/28 (RH). Flesh-footed Shearwater Spring reports uncommon. One off Tatoosh Island Clallam on 5/15 (BT). Sooty Shearwater High count: 115,000 at Fort Canby Pacific on 5/31 (TGu). MANX SHEARWATER Rare in WA. Two at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 5/19 (PH), and one off Point Grenville Grays Harbor on 5/23 and 5/24 (RyM).


Whooper Swan, Ferndale, Whatcom March 4, 2007. Photo by Ryan Merrill.


Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Inshore reports included 10 at Westport Grays Harbor on 3/1 (CWr), and two at Freshwater Bay Clallam on 5/10 (WhD). Leach’s Storm-Petrel Uncommon in spring in WA. One off La Push Clallam on 5/12 (SHr). American White Pelican Uncommon in w WA. Four at Bottle Beach Grays Harbor on 5/20 (CnC), one at Cultus Bay Island on 5/27 (fide SM), and one at Westport Grays Harbor on 5/29 (TS). High count: 400 at Badger Island Walla Walla on 4/7 (MD). Brown Pelican Early reports included one at Westport Grays Harbor on 4/16 (PS,RS) with 23 there on 4/25 (MiH), 12 at Fort Canby Pacific on 4/21 (CWr), one at Port Angeles Clallam on 5/11 (fide BN), four at Port Townsend Jefferson on 5/15 (RR), and 48 near La Push Clallam on 5/16 (RyM). American Bittern Uncommon in e WA. At least one at Columbia NWR Grant from 3/1 to 5/31 (RH), one at Peone Spokane on 4/28 with two there on 5/12, and one at Wilson Creek Grant on 5/18 (TLi). Great Blue Heron High counts: 200 nests at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 3/5 (JE), and 500 nests at March Point Skagit on 5/18 (fide TAv). Great Egret Reports away from Potholes included 35 at Vancouver Lake Clark on 3/3 (BT), two at Woodland Cowlitz on 4/21 (MiF,MtD), two at Kalama Cowlitz on 4/22 (MGr) with six there on 5/17 (RKo), one at Chehalis Grays Harbor on 4/26 (RMy), two at Selah Yakima on 5/4 (DGr), one at Deadman Creek Garfield on 5/8 (WaW), four at West Richland Benton on 5/10 (NLa), one at Toppenish Yakima on 5/17 (SDo), five at Ridgefield NWR rookery Clark on 5/21 (JE), and one at Turnbull NWR Spokane on 5/26 (MF). SNOWY EGRET Rare in WA. One reported at Wallula Walla Walla on 5/20 (MD). Green Heron Winter survivors included one at Elma Grays Harbor on 3/3 (TO), and one at Kent King on 3/3 (CWr). White-faced Ibis Uncommon in WA. 44 at Columbia NWR Grant on 5/1 (RH) with one there on 5/12 (DSc), one at West Richland Benton on 5/8 with 16 there on 5/9 (fide BLa), one at Sprague Lake Adams on 5/12 (TLi), five near Wallula Walla Walla on 5/12 with 1 there on 5/20 (MD), one at

Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/12 (RgW) with 21 on 5/19 (DaH) and three there on 5/24 (fide JE), one at Wilson Creek Grant on 5/18 (TLi) with two there on 5/25 (MaB,KK), one at Kent King on 5/20 (KKe,MaB), and one at Lummi Flats Whatcom from 5/24 (fide HA) to 5/28 (TMn). Turkey Vulture Columbia Plateau reports included one at Banks Lake Grant on 3/18 (RH), one near Richland Benton on 3/20 with two on 4/29 and one there to 5/12, one at Beverly Grant on 4/2, one at Rattlesnake Mountain Benton on 4/3 (fide BLa), one at Rock Lake Whitman on 4/14 (DiW), one at Sunnyside Yakima on 4/27 (DR), one at Orondo Douglas on 5/22 (PM), one at Washtucna Adams on 5/28, and four at Sprague Lake Lincoln on 5/28 (RH).

White-tailed Kite Uncommon in WA. One at Bottle Beach Grays Harbor from 3/1 (CWr) to 3/12 (RyM,TO), one at Johns River Grays Harbor on 3/4 (ENe), two at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 3/5 (JE), one at Mima Mounds Thurston on 3/13 (RMz), two at Steigerwald Lake Clark on 3/17 (WC), one at Puget Island Wahkiakum on 3/18 (BT), one at Julia Butler Hansen NWR Wahkiakum on 4/4 (GB), one south of Chehalis Lewis on 4/26 (RMy), and one near Snohomish Snohomish on 5/25 (DD). RED-SHOULDERED HAWK Rare in WA. One at Kent King from February to 3/27 (LoR), and one at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 3/7 (fide JE). Swainson’s Hawk Rare in w WA. One at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor on 4/26 (MaB,TO), one at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/2 (BWg), one at Skagit WMA Skagit on

5/6 (SM), one at Carnation King on 5/11 (EH), and one at Marymoor Park King on 5/15 (MiH). Early for e WA. One near Kahlotus Franklin on 3/31 (MtD). “Harlan’s” Hawk Reports included one light morph at Westport Grays Harbor from 3/1 (CWr) to 3/3, one at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor on 3/3, two at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 3/5 with one there on 3/26 (JE), one at Fir Island Skagit on 3/8 (SM), and three at Samish Flats Skagit on 3/14 (TAv). Rough-legged Hawk Late reports included five at Swanson Lakes Lincoln on 4/28 (MWo), two near Leahy Douglas on 5/1 (RyM), one at Rock Lake Whitman on 5/5 (DiW), and one near Stanwood Snohomish on 5/6 (SM). Golden Eagle Reports from w WA

included two at Corkindale Creek Skagit on 4/15 (GB), one at Bonney Lake Pierce on 4/18 (CWr), one at Littlerock Thurston on 5/8 (CnC), one near Sequim Clallam on 5/12, and one near Obstruction Point Clallam on 5/23 (fide BN). Merlin Late reports included two at Burlington Skagit on 4/15 (fide ThA), one Prairie type near Stanwood Snohomish on 4/19 (TAv), one Prairie type at Crockett Lake Island on 5/6 (SM), two at Forks Clallam on 5/16 (fide BN), one at Morse Creek Bluff Clallam on 5/17, and one at Dungeness Clallam on 5/24 (JMu). Peregrine Falcon Reports from e WA included one at Wallula Walla Walla on 3/17 (MD), two at Bingen Klickitat

on 3/25 (RyM), one at Corfu Grant from 3/30 to 5/12 (RH), two at Moses Coulee Douglas on 3/31 (GiS), one at Clarkston Asotin on 4/3 (KK), one at Conboy Lake Klickitat on 4/5 (JE), one at Yakima Yakima from 4/6 to 4/20 (fide DGr), one at Vantage Kittitas on 5/6 (JoM), and one at Othello Adams on 5/31 (RH). Gyrfalcon Uncommon in WA. One at Leahy Douglas on 3/1 (MaB) with one nearby on 3/10 (AS), and one at Dike District #9 Snohomish on 3/18 (GT). Prairie Falcon Uncommon in w WA one reported at Samish Flats Skagit on 3/4 (HQ). YELLOW RAIL Rare in WA. One reported at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/6 (EmS). Sandhill Crane Reports from w WA included 1415 at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 3/29 (JE), three over Seattle King on 3/31


White-tailed Kite, Bottle Beach, Grays Harbor, March 15, 2007. Photo by Ruth Sullivan.


(DDe), 75 over Cape Flattery Clallam on 4/4 (fide BN), seven at Elma Grays Harbor on 4/10 (TO), one at Sequim Clallam on 4/25 (FrS), 13 over Westport Grays Harbor on 4/29 (PS,RS), two at Kent King on 5/14 (DSw) and 5/15 (CPe), one at Quillayute Clallam on 5/18 (FrS), one over Renton King on 5/31 (MVe), and two over Nisqually Thurston on 5/31 (ESl). Nesting sites reports included 22 pair with 13 colts at Conboy Lake Klickitat on 5/23, and six at Yakima Indian Reservation Yakima on 5/23 (JE). Black-bellied Plover Rare in spring in e WA. Three at Othello Adams on 5/3 (RH), one at Reardan Lincoln on 5/3 (JA), two at Kittitas Valley Kittitas on 5/6 (JoM), one at Iowa Beef Walla Walla on 5/12 (MD,MLD) with two there on 5/28 (CWr), and eight at Wilson Creek Grant on 5/18 (TLi). High w WA count: 1000 at Willapa Bay Pacific on 4/22 (PWe). American Golden-Plover Rare in spring in WA. One in basic plumage at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor from 4/18 (LoR,TAv) to 5/2 (TO). Pacific Golden-Plover Rare in spring in WA. One at Samish Flats Skagit on 3/11 (GB), one at Bay Center Pacific on 4/21 (CWr), one at Galvin Lewis on 4/24 (TO) and 4/25 (PH), and one at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor from 4/25 (MaB) to 5/2 (TO). Snowy Plover Uncommon and local in WA. 11 at Midway Beach Pacific on 3/12 (RyM), and one near Stanwood Snohomish on 5/30 (RFu). Semipalmated Plover Uncommon in e WA. Six at Othello Adams on 5/3 with nine on 5/5 and seven there on 5/11 (RH), two at Soap Lake Grant on 5/6 (SDo), and one at Walla Walla RD Walla Walla on 5/12 (MD,MLD). High count: 500 at Bowerman Basin Grays Harbor on 5/10 (TO). Black-necked Stilt Rare in w WA. One at Kent King on 4/29 (CWr), two near Stanwood Snohomish on 4/29 (SM,RyM), one at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 4/30 with two there from 5/9 to 5/11 (RgW), and two at Edmonds Snohomish on 5/31 (DD). Early for WA: One at Dodson Road Grant on 3/17 (MiF), and two at Lower Crab Creek Grant on 3/18 (RH). American Avocet Rare in w WA. One at Auburn King on 5/8 (MaB,KKe). Lesser Yellowlegs Uncommon in spring in WA. One at Ebey Island Snohomish on

3/4, one at Snohomish Snohomish on 4/7 (SM), one at Elma Grays Harbor from 4/10 to 5/2 (TO), three near Davenport Lincoln on 4/15 (JA), one at Galvin Lewis from 4/18 (DaH) to 4/25 (PH), one at Ridgefield NWR Clark from 4/21 (MiF,MtD) to 5/17 (RFl), one at Othello Adams on 4/22 (RH), one at Ringold Franklin on 4/26 (NLa), one at Richland Benton on 4/28 (LHi), eight reported at Waterville Plateau Douglas on 4/28 (SDo), one at Peone Spokane on 4/28 (TLi), two at Deer Lagoon Island on 4/29, five near Stanwood Snohomish on 4/29 with two there on 5/28 (SM), three near Rock Lake Whitman on 5/5 (DiW), one at Satsop Grays Harbor on 5/6 (RKo), one at Dungeness Clallam on 5/12 (BoB), and one at Auburn King on 5/26 (MtD). Solitary Sandpiper Reports included one

at Galvin Lewis on 4/18 (DaH) with two there on 4/21, one at Ridgefield NWR Clark from4/21 (MiF,MtD) to 4/24, one at Grand Mound Lewis on 4/27 (WC), two at Woodland Cowlitz on 4/28 (RKo), one at Kent King on 4/28 with two there on 5/11 (MtB), one at Tenino Thurston on 4/28 and 5/8 (PH), one at Sprague Lincoln on 4/28 (JA), one at West Richland Benton on 4/29 (fide BLa), one near Moses Lake Grant on 4/29 (DSc), one at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor from 4/29 (WC) to 5/6 (TO), one at Othello Adams on 4/30 (RyM), two near Spangle Spokane on 5/5 (MWo), one at Montlake Fill King on 5/2 (MtD), one at Ebey Island Snohomish on 5/5 (SM), one at Columbia NWR Grant on 5/8 with two there on 5/10 (RH), one at Lyman Skagit on 5/13 (GB), and one at St Andrews Douglas on 5/20 (GiS).

Willet Uncommon in WA. One at Kennedy Creek Mason from 3/10 to 3/12 and 4/4 to 4/7 (JBu), and one at Tokeland Pacific to 5/24 (RyM). Wandering Tattler Late report: Two at Westport Grays Harbor on 5/29 (TS). Whimbrel Rare in e WA. One at Benton City Benton on 4/27 (fide BLa), and one reported at Creston Lincoln on 5/28 (MaB,KK). Locally uncommon in w WA. Six at Quillayute Clallam on 5/18 (FrS), one at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/20, and three at Foulweather Bluff Kitsap on 5/28 (DoW). High counts included 230 at Satsop Grays Harbor on 5/13 (AG), and 200 at Camano Island Island on 5/13 (PPr). Long-billed Curlew Rare away from outer coast in w WA. Four at Galvin Lewis on 4/7 (DaH), one near Stanwood Snohomish on

4/15 (SM), one at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor on 4/17 (TO), and one at Dungeness Clallam from 5/5 (SA) to 5/20 (SM). Marbled Godwit Rare in e WA. One at Othello Adams on 5/3 (RH), one at Walla Walla RD Walla Walla on 5/6 (MD), one at Sprague STP Lincoln on 5/12 (TLi), and one at Wilson Creek Grant on 5/25 (MaB,KK). Uncommon locally in w WA. 30 at Dungeness Clallam on 4/26 (BN), and one at Swinomish Slough Skagit on 4/20 (PWe) with two there on 4/23 (RyM). Ruddy Turnstone High count: 34 at Tokeland Pacific on 5/5 (RKo). Black Turnstone Late report: One at Ocean Shores

Grays Harbor on 5/19 (PH). Red Knot Reports included 200 at Willapa Bay Pacific on 5/3 (WaW), and 446 at Bottle Beach Grays Harbor on 5/12 (JBu). Sanderling Rare in spring in e WA. One at Soap Lake Grant on 5/25 (MaB). Semipalmated Sandpiper Rare in spring in WA. One at reported Othello Adams from 5/5 to 5/12 (RH), one at Kent King on 5/10 (CWr), one at Nisqually NWR Thurston on 5/10 (BS), one at Stanwood STP Snohomish on 5/10, with another nearby from 5/17 to 5/19 (SM). Least Sandpiper Lingering from winter. Two at Soap Lake Grant on 3/4 (DSc). High counts included 800 at Klipsan Beach Pacific on 3/16 (MPa), and 300 at Othello Adams on 5/3 (RH). Baird’s Sandpiper Uncommon in spring in WA. Three near Atkins Lake Douglas on


Ferruginous Hawk, Wilson Creek, Grant, March 18, 2007. Photo by Denny Granstrand.


5/1 (RyM), and three at Sheep Lake Whitman on 5/5 (DiW). Pectoral Sandpiper Uncommon in spring in WA. Two near Maxwelton Island on 5/16 (HJ), two near Stanwood Snohomish on 5/17 with one there on 5/24 (SM), and one at Wilson Creek Grant on 5/18 (TLi). Rock Sandpiper Uncommon in WA. Two at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 3/7 (TO), and 14 at Westport Grays Harbor on 3/12 (RyM) with 20 on 4/16 with five there on 4/29 (PS,RS). Dunlin Reports for e WA included 182 at Walla Walla RD Walla Walla on 3/17 (MD), 15 near Davenport Lincoln on 4/15 with 23 there on 4/23 (JA), one at Rock Lake Whitman on 4/21 (DiW), 105 near Othello Adams on 5/3 (RH), and five at Wilson Creek Grant on 5/18 (TLi). High count: 25,000 at Bowerman Basin Grays Harbor on 5/2 (TO). RUFF Rare in WA. One female at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/21 (JE,JDz) and 5/22 (RFl). Short-billed Dowitcher High count: 2320 at Bay Center Pacific on 4/29 (JBu). Subspecies rarely reported in WA: One hendersoni near Stanwood Snohomish on 5/17 (SM). Long-billed Dowitcher High count: 266 at Columbia NWR Grant/Adams on 5/10 (RH). Wilson’s Phalarope Uncommon in w WA. One near Stanwood Snohomish on 5/4 (DD) with 28 there by 5/28 (SM), one at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/9 with three there on 5/25 (fide RgW), eight at Stanwood STP Snohomish on 5/15 (PPr), two at Kent King on 5/17 (DSw), and one at Nisqually NWR Thurston on 5/31 (KBd). Early for WA: One reported at West Richland Benton on 4/2 (fide BLa). Red-necked Phalarope Reports included three at Nisqually NWR Thurston on 5/11 (KBd), four at Lower Crab Creek Grant on 5/12 (RH,DSc), two at Sprague Adams on 5/12 (TLi), one at Skokomish River Mason on 5/12 (TO), one at Hoquiam STP Grays Harbor on 5/13 (AG) with 87 there on 5/30 (RyM), seven at Kent King on 5/19 (CWr), one at St Andrews Douglas on 5/20 (GiS), two at Satsop Grays Harbor on 5/27 (TO), two at Theler Wetland Mason on 5/28 (DvD), one near Stanwood Snohomish on 5/28 (SM), one at Muskrat Lake Okanogan on 5/28 (NW), one at Iowa Beef Walla Walla on 5/28 (CWr), and one off

Marrowstone Island Jefferson on 5/29 (WhD). Franklin’s Gull Uncommon in WA. Two at Reardan Lincoln on 5/12 (TLi), and one at Fort Canby Pacific on 5/31 (TGu). BLACK-HEADED GULL Rare in WA. One at Point No Point Kitsap from February to 3/5 (VN). Bonaparte’s Gull Uncommon in e WA. Two at Pasco Franklin on 4/25 (fide BLa), 40 at Sprague Adams on 4/28 (JA) and two there on 5/28 (RH), eight at Cle Elum Kittitas on 5/5, and one at Iowa Beef Walla Walla on 5/28 (CWr). High count: 3500 at Point No Point Kitsap on 3/25 (VN). BLACK-TAILED GULL Rare in WA. One at Corfu Grant on 5/12 (RH). Heermann’s Gull Unseasonal reports included two at Ediz Hook Clallam from

February to 3/16 (AMW) with one there on 3/22 (JMu), and three at Fort Canby Pacific on 5/31 (TGu). Mew Gull Uncommon in e WA. One at Vantage Kittitas on 3/3 (DGr), and one at Electric City Grant on 3/18 (RH). High count: 3500 at Stillaguamish Flats Snohomish on 3/15. Late report: one at Tulalip Bay Snohomish on 5/28 (SM). Thayer’s Gull Uncommon in e WA. Three at Electric City Grant on 3/10 (AS). LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Rare in WA. One at Lake Lenore Grant from 3/10 (AS) to 4/7 (GuM), and one at Moses Lake Grant from 3/18 (DSc,RH) to 3/23 (RyM). Glaucous Gull Uncommon in WA. One near Wallula Walla Walla from 3/3 to 3/17 (MD), one at Marymoor Park King on 3/3 (CWr), one at La Push Clallam on 3/4 (BS),

one at Electric City Grant on 3/4 (DSc), one at Chehalis Valley Grays Harbor on 3/8 (TAv) with eight there on 3/11 and one reported on 5/8, one at Hoquiam Grays Harbor on 3/11, one at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 3/11 (CWr), one at North Cove Pacific on 3/12 (RyM), one at Central Ferry Douglas on 4/1 (MtD), and one at Ocean Park Pacific on 4/22 (CWr). Black-legged Kittiwake Uncommon away from outer coast. Six at Elwha RM Clallam on 4/2 (CWr), and one reported at Point No Point Kitsap on 4/13 (PS,RS). Caspian Tern Early reports: One at Walla Walla RD Walla Walla on 3/17 (MD), one at Bowerman Basin Grays Harbor on 3/21 (TO), and two at Bainbridge Island Kitsap on 3/25 (BWg). Arctic Tern Rare inshore in WA. Four at

Dungeness Spit Clallam on 5/21 (fide BN). Forster’s Tern Uncommon in w WA. Two at Vancouver Lowlands Clark on 5/26 (SM). Early report: One at Bateman Island Benton on 4/19 (NLa). High count: 100 at Richland Benton on 5/11 (LHi). Black Tern Uncommon in w WA. Two at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/19 (JDz), and one at Vancouver Lake Clark on 5/26 (SM,RFl). Common Murre High count: 2000 at Cape Flattery Clallam on 4/2 (WhD). Marbled Murrelet High counts included 142 at Point No Point Kitsap on 3/2 (VN), and 500 at Point Wilson Jefferson on 4/22 (SM).

Ancient Murrelet Late reports included 25 off La Push Clallam on 5/8 (CWr), 46 off Toleak Point Jefferson on 5/16, seven at Grays Harbor Grays Harbor on 5/25, and 52 from Cape Alava to La Push Clallam on 5/31 (RyM). PARAKEET AUKLET Rare in WA. One off La Push Clallam on 5/8 (CWr), and three on NOAA pelagic trip Grays Harbor from 5/8 to 5/11 (SMi). Rhinoceros Auklet High count: 597 at Point No Point Kitsap on 3/25 (VN). Tufted Puffin Reports included 48 at Cape Flattery Clallam on 4/2 (WhD), 35 at La Push Clallam on 5/8 (CWr), two off Leadbetter Point Pacific 5/30, and one off Tokeland Pacific on 5/30 (RyM). HORNED PUFFIN Rare in WA. One to rehab at Ocean Park Pacific on 3/15, one dead at Fort Canby Pacific on 3/16, four

Washington Field Notes: December 2006—February 2007

Prairie Falcon, Yakima Ridge, Yakima, May 10, 2007. Photo by Denny Granstrand.


dead at Klipsan Beach Pacific on 3/16 (fide MPa), and one at Cape Flattery Clallam on 4/3 (CWr). Band-tailed Pigeon Uncommon in e WA. One at Snoqualmie Pass Kittitas on 3/12 (CCv) with 40 there on 5/23 (TAv,DSw). Eurasian Collared Dove Uncommon in WA. Eight at Desert Aire Yakima from 3/1 to 5/31 (fide DGr), one at West Richland Benton on 3/5 (fide BLa), two at Mansfield Douglas on 3/11 (MiF), four at Washtucna Adams on 3/19 (MD), one near Yakima Yakima on 3/21 (DGr), two near Othello Adams on 3/23 (DP) and 5/12 (RH), one at Goldendale Klickitat on 3/24 (KK) and 5/13 (WC), one near Wapato Yakima on 3/27 (JKo), one at Woodland Cowlitz 4/13 (fide SM), two at Ellensburg Kittitas on 4/13 (fide RH), one at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor on 4/22 (PWe) with three there from 4/26 (MaB) to 5/12 (CBo), one at Fort Simcoe Yakima on 4/23 (RRe), one at Creston Lincoln on 4/28 (MWo) with two there on 5/28 (MaB,KK), one at Davenport Lincoln on 4/28 (MWo), three at Ephrata Grant on 4/29 (DrM), three near Forks Clallam from 5/9 to 5/12 (fide BN), one at Point No Point Kitsap from 5/11 to 5/14 (BWg), two at Dungeness Clallam on 5/12 (SA) with one there from 5/20 to 5/28 (RR), one at Steptoe Whitman on 5/13 (MWo), two at Prosser Benton on 5/20 (fide BLa), three at Kittitas Kittitas on 5/23 (TAv,DSw), one at Lyons Ferry Franklin on 5/28 (CWr), and one at Ridgefield Clark on 5/28 (RFl). Flammulated Owl Locally rare. One dead at Ritzville Adams on 5/14 (fide RH). High count: 12 heard near Liberty Kittitas on 5/18 (GG,JAc). Snowy Owl Uncommon in WA. Two at Pilchuck Snohomish from February to 3/17 (SAl), one at Samish Flats Skagit on 3/4 (fide TAv), two at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 3/7 (TO) with one there on 3/11 (CWr), and one at Peone Spokane on 4/28 (TLi). NORTHERN HAWK-OWL Rare in WA. One at Driveway Butte Okanogan on 5/29 (TdP). Great Gray Owl Uncommon in WA. One near Havillah Okanogan from 3/24 (TLi) to 4/21 with three reported on 4/28 (KhT), and one at Guemes Island Skagit from3/12 to 3/28 (fide HA,WW).

Long-eared Owl Rare in w WA. One at Kent King on 5/22 (RyM). Short-eared Owl Late for w WA. One at Sequim Clallam on 4/25 (FrS). Common Nighthawk Reports from w WA included one at West Seattle King on 5/29 (JiF), and one at Point Whitney Jefferson on 5/31 (RR). Black Swift Early report: Six at West Seattle King on 5/13 (DSw). Vaux’s Swift Early for WA: One reported at Bonney Lake Pierce on 4/8 (CWr). Black-chinned Hummingbird Rare in w WA. One male at Mount Pleasant Skamania on 4/20 (WC). Early for WA. One female reported at Wapato Yakima on 4/15 (fide DGr). Anna’s Hummingbird Locally uncommon. One at Shelton Mason on 3/5

(fide TAv), one at Mount Pleasant Skamania on 4/21 (WC), two at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/11 (RgW), six at Morse Creek Bluff Clallam on 5/12 (JMu), two banded at Oak Harbor Island on 5/13 (MMy), and one at Vancouver Lake Clark on 5/26 (RFl). COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD Rare in WA. One reported at Ocean Park Pacific on 5/13 (fide TAv). Calliope Hummingbird Uncommon in w WA. one male at Eatonville Pierce on 4/15 (DwB), one male at Bremerton Kitsap on 4/20 (fide NnB), two males at Mount Pleasant Skamania on 4/21 (WC), one at Greenbank Island on 5/6 and 5/7 (fide SEl), and one at Conway Skagit on 5/11 (fide ThA). Rufous Hummingbird Rarely sighted offshore. One thirty miles off Grays Harbor on 4/28 (BS). High count: 55 banded at Oak Harbor Island on 5/13 (MMy).

Lewis’s Woodpecker Uncommon locally. Four at Vantage Kittitas on 5/6 (JoM), one at Ritzville Adams on 5/8 (fide RH), and one at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/12 (VN,BWg). Acorn Woodpecker Rare and local in WA. One near Oakville Grays Harbor from 5/12 (PS,RS) to 5/16 (MaB). YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER Rare in WA. One male at Shoreline King from 4/22 to 4/29 (ClT,SP). Red-naped Sapsucker Uncommon in w WA. One at Vancouver Clark from February to 3/6 (RK), one at Battle Ground Clark on 3/3 (JDz), and one at Federal Way King from 4/12 to 4/16 (fide CWr). Red-breasted Sapsucker Uncommon in e WA. One at Swamp Creek Kittitas on 5/23 with two there on 5/30, and one at

Glenwood Klickitat on 5/27 (fide TAv). Red-breasted X Red-naped Sapsucker Uncommon in e WA. One near Winthrop Okanogan on 5/2, one at Swamp Creek Kittitas from 5/3 (RyM) to 5/31 (TAv), and two at Naches Pass King on 5/26 (MtD). Hairy Woodpecker High count: 20 at Elk Heights Kittitas on 3/23 (DP). White-headed Woodpecker Reports included two at Little Pend Oreille NWR Stevens on 3/2 (TLi), four at Silver Creek Stevens on 4/7 (GiS), and one at Wenas Yakima on 5/20 (GG,JAc). American Three-toed Woodpecker Reports included two at Gillette Lake

Stevens on 4/15 (GiS), four at Rocky Creek Pend Oreille on 5/12, and six near Nile Lake Stevens on 5/12 (TLi). Black-backed Woodpecker Uncommon in WA. Four at Elk Heights Kittitas on 3/13 (AMW) with three there from 3/17 (MiF) to 5/31 (TAv,DSw), and two at Sweeney Gulch Garfield on 4/1 (MtD). “Yellow-shafted” Flicker Reports included one at Brady Loop Road Grays Harbor on 3/8 (TAv), and one at Nisqually NWR Thurston on 3/25 (CWr). Olive-sided Flycatcher Columbia basin reports included one at Horn Rapids Benton on 5/8 (NLa,LHi), and one at Corfu Grant on 5/19 (RH). Western Wood-Pewee Early for WA. One at Toppenish NWR Yakima on 4/26 (RH), and one at Rook’s Park Walla Walla on 4/30 (fide MLD).


Snowy Owl, near Mead, Spokane, April 28, 2007. Photo by Ron Dexter.


Dusky Flycatcher Rare in w WA. One at Juanita Bay King on 5/2 (RyM), and one at County Line Ponds Skagit/Whatcom on 5/5 (GB,HA). Gray Flycatcher Rare in w WA. One reported at Steigerwald Lake Clark on 5/6 and 5/14 (WC), and one reported at Discovery Park King on 5/15 (KDi). BLACK PHOEBE Rare in WA. One at Puget Island Wahkiakum on 3/18 (BT). Say’s Phoebe Uncommon in w WA. One at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 3/5 (JE) and 3/14 (RgW), one at Steigerwald Lake Clark on 3/5 (WC), one at Montlake Fill King on 3/5 (LoR), one at Tenino Thurston on 3/5 (PH), one at Discovery Park King from 3/17 (fide PR) to 3/25 (MtD), one at Marymoor Park King from 3/24 to 3/27 (fide MiH), one at Nahcotta Pacific on 3/26 (JGi), one at Kent King on 3/27 (LoR), and one at Skagit WMA Skagit on 4/5 (MaB). Western Kingbird Reports of over 40 w WA individuals included five at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/2 (JE), three at Cockreham Island Skagit on 5/6 (GB), three at Rockport Skagit on 5/6 (GAl), seven at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/11 (BWg), and four at Sea-Tac Airport King on 5/16 (BAn). Eastern Kingbird Uncommon in w WA. One at Dike District #9 Skagit on 5/23 (GT) and 5/24 (SM), and one at Kent King on 5/28 (SuL). First e WA reports: One at ALES Benton on 5/12 (NLa,DR), and one at Turnbull NWR Spokane on 5/12 (MWo). Northern Shrike Late reports included one at Hobuck Beach Clallam on 4/2 (CWr), one at ALES Benton on 4/4 (NLa), and one at Wilson Creek Grant on 4/6 (IWo). Loggerhead Shrike Rare in w WA. One at Stevenson Skamania on 3/25 (RyM), and one at Woodland Cowlitz on 5/12 (RKo). Shrike sp. Either WA species notable for date and location. One near Rockport Skagit on 4/21 (GAl), and one at Montgomery Ridge Rd Asotin on 5/22 (RKo). Warbling Vireo Early reports included one near Bickleton Klickitat on 4/27 (SDo), and one at Harrington Lincoln on 4/28 (MWo). Red-eyed Vireo Early report: One at Concrete Skagit on 5/14 (HA). Steller’s Jay High count: 57 at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/14 (BWg).

Blue Jay Uncommon in WA. One at Fidalgo Island Skagit from February to 3/15 (fide ThA), two at Spokane Spokane on 5/5 (fide CrC), and one near Sunnyside Yakima from 5/12 to 5/24 (fide DGr). Western Scrub-Jay Range expansion continues. One at Port Townsend Jefferson on 3/3 (fide BN), two at Beacon Hill King on 4/3 (ED), two at Selah Yakima on 4/5 (fide DGr), one at Ocean Park Pacific on 4/26 (fide TAv), one at Lake Forest Park King on 4/29 (BrM), one at Point No Point Kitsap from 5/12 (VN) to 5/14 (RyM), and one at Prosser Benton on 5/20 (fide BLa). Common Raven High count: 250 at Prescott Walla Walla on 5/8 (MD). Horned Lark Locally rare. Four at McChord AFB Pierce on 5/30 (VE).

Purple Martin Early report: Two at Anacortes Skagit on 4/10 (GB). Bank Swallow Reports from w WA included three at Castle Rock Cowlitz on 4/28 (RKo), three at Carnation King on 4/28 (WW), 10 at Duvall King on 5/4 (MtB), five at Cockreham Island Skagit on 5/6 (GB), six at St Helens Cowlitz on 5/8, one at Spencer Island Snohomish on 5/13, one at Dungeness Clallam on 5/20 (SM), and one at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/25 (BWg). Barn Swallow Early arrivals included two at Hoquiam Grays Harbor on 3/12 (RyM), one at Horn Rapids Benton on 3/15 (fide BLa), one at Kent King on 3/18 (KAn), one at Marymoor Park King on 3/22 (MiH). Mountain Chickadee Uncommon in w WA. One at Redmond King on 3/12 (PC), and two at Naches Pass King on 5/26 (MtD).

Bushtit Locally uncommon in e WA. Five at Tieton River Yakima on 5/10 (AS), and two at Hardy Canyon Yakima on 5/20 (GG,JAc). White-breasted Nuthatch Uncommon locally. One at Battle Ground Clark on 3/3 (JDz). Rock Wren Rare in w WA. One at Indian Island Jefferson from February to 3/21 (BN), and one at Dabob Jefferson on 5/11 (FKr). House Wren Uncommon locally. One at Point Roberts Whatcom on 5/5 (WW), one at Discovery Park King on 5/10 (TAv), one near Green Point Clallam on 5/12, one at Morse Creek Bluff Clallam on 5/12 (JMu), one at Samish Island Skagit on 5/15 (fide ThA), two at Fort Casey Island on 5/16 (HJ), two at Bayview Skagit on 5/19 (KKe).

American Dipper Locally rare breeder. Pair with two young at Kenmore King on 5/20 (LPh). Ruby-crowned Kinglet High count: 100 at Davenport Lincoln on 4/28 (MWo). Late for lowlands: one at Lyons Ferry Franklin on 5/28 (CWr). Western Bluebird Locally uncommon in w WA. One at Ocosta Grays Harbor on 3/1 (CWr), three near Cloquallum Mason on 3/16 (TO), two at Tulker Snohomish on 3/21, six near Pilchuck Snohomish from 3/31 to at least 5/7 (SK), three near Forks Clallam on 4/3 (CWr) with two there on 5/31 (RyM), one at Scatter Creek Thurston on 4/7 (KM), and eight near Sequim Clallam on 5/12 (fide BN).

Mountain Bluebird Uncommon in w WA. Three ne of Stanwood Snohomish on 3/18 (DLo), one at Mima Mounds Thurston from 3/20 (RMz) to 3/22 (PH), one at Graysmarsh Clallam from 3/23 to 4/22 (fide SM), 10 at Hobuck Beach Clallam on 4/2 (CWr) with three there on 4/4 (fide BN), one at Iverson Spit Island on 4/2 (fide ThA), one at Coupeville Island on 4/6 (fide SEl), one at Ebeys Landing Island on 4/7 (SEl), one at Scatter Creek Thurston on 4/7 (KM), three at American Camp San Juan on 4/15 (HQ), two at Corkindale Creek Skagit on 4/15 (GB) with five there on 4/16 (HA), one at Kent King on 4/17 and 4/18 (PWe), one at Rockport Skagit on 4/21 (GAl), one at Ebey Island Snohomish on 4/21 (SM), three at Bainbridge Island Kitsap on 4/27 (BWg), two at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/28 (BN,DoW), two near Sequim


Long-eared Owl, Kent, King, May 22, 2007. Photo by Ryan Merrill.


Clallam on 4/29 (SP), and one at Cochreham Island Skagit on 5/19 (GB,BK). Townsend’s Solitaire Nearly 40 w WA lowland reports included one at Steamboat Island Thurston on 3/25 (BS), three at Port Townsend Jefferson on 4/12 (fide BN), five at Point No Point Kitsap from 4/17 (BS) to 4/22 (SM), three at Rockport Skagit on 4/16 (GAl) with four there on 4/21 (HA), and one 30 miles off Westport Grays Harbor on 5/15 (BT). Swainson’s Thrush Columbia Plateau reports include one at Washtucna Adams on 5/27 (CWr), and one at Othello Adams on 5/31 (RH). Northern Mockingbird Uncommon in WA. One at Coupeville Island from February to 3/15 (SEl), one at Grayland Grays Harbor from 3/15 (MaB) to 4/26 (TAv), one reported at Vancouver Clark on 3/21 (fide SM), and one reported east of Port Angeles Clallam on 5/18 (fide BoB). Sage Thrasher Rare in w WA. One at Westport Grays Harbor on 4/29 (RL,BBe), and two at Marymoor Park King on 5/3 (MiH). Early for WA: Five at Old Vantage Highway Kittitas on 3/18 (SDo). American Pipit Late lowland report: One at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/25 (BWg). Bohemian Waxwing Late for WA: One reported near North Baldy Pend Oreille on 5/25 (TLi). TENNESSEE WARBLER Rare in WA. One reported at West Seattle King on 5/13 (DbH). Orange-crowned Warbler High count: 70 at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/9 (VN). Nashville Warbler Uncommon in w WA. One at Lake Stevens Snohomish on 4/27 (SA), one at Juanita Bay King on 4/28 (fide RyM), one near Montlake Fill King on 4/28 (CSi), one at Marymoor Park King on 4/30 (BrM), one at Rockport Skagit on 5/2 (RyM) and 5/5 (GB,HA), one at Mount Pleasant Skamania on 5/2 (WC), one at South Prairie Pierce on 5/4 (CWr), one at Capitol Hill King on 5/5 (ENe), one at County Line Ponds Skagit/Whatcom on 5/5 (GB,HA) with two there on 5/10 (BK), one near Snohomish Snohomish on 5/5 (SM), one at Woodland Park Zoo King on 5/7 (TAv), one at Edmonds Snohomish on 5/7 (DD), one at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/12 (VN), and two at Dog Mountain Skamania on 5/26 (DaH).

Yellow Warbler Early reports included two at Lincoln Lincoln on 4/28 (MWo), and one at Skagit WMA Skagit on 4/29 (BK). High count: 79 at Fir Island Skagit on 5/12 (HA,ThA). Townsend’s Warbler Early reports of singing birds included one at Sequim Clallam on 3/30 (RR), and two at Kennewick Benton on 4/12 (fide BLa). Hermit Warbler Uncommon locally. One reported at Discovery Park King on 5/7 (SmR), and one near Naches Pass King on 5/26 (MtD). BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER Rare in WA. One at Confluence SP Chelan 5/19 (DTM). Palm Warbler Rare in spring in WA. One at Renton King from February (MaB) to 3/27 (LoR), and one near Sequim Clallam

from 3/31 (SA) to 4/2 (CWr). BLACK & WHITE WARBLER Rare in WA. One singing male at Wind Dust Park Franklin on 5/27 (CWr). American Redstart Locally rare. One first-year male at Stillwater King on 5/30 (RL). Northern Waterthrush Rare locally. One at Rattlesnake Lake King 5/30 (CPe). Common Yellowthroat Locally uncommon in e WA. One at Washtucna Adams on 4/27 (RH), one at Amon Creek Benton on 4/28 (fide BLa), one at Asotin Slough Asotin on 5/22 (RKo), and three near Steptoe Butte Whitman on 5/29 (MWo). Early w WA report: One at Kent King on 3/18 (KAn). Wilson’s Warbler High count: 56 at Fir Island Skagit on 5/12 (HA,ThA). Yellow-breasted Chat Rare in w WA. One at Kent King from 5/11 (MtB) with

two reported there on 5/19 (CWr), one near Yacolt Clark on 5/22 (BjB), two at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/26 (SM,RFl) with four there on 5/30 (JE), one at Vancouver Lake Clark on 5/26 (SM), one at Stillwater King from 5/22 (CsA) to 5/31 (MaB), and one at Tenino Thurston on 5/26 (PH). Western Tanager Early report: One at Toppenish NWR Yakima on 4/26 (RH). High count: 400 at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/9 (VN). American Tree Sparrow Late reports included one at Columbia NWR Grant on 3/20 (RH), one at Tucannon Columbia on 4/3 (KK), and one at Marymoor Park King on 4/12 (MiH). Chipping Sparrow Uncommon locally. One at Nisqually Thurston on 3/22 (PhK),

one at Cape George Jefferson on 4/12 (RI), one at Port Townsend Jefferson on 4/25 (fide BN), one near Montlake Fill King on 4/28 (CSi), one at Ridgefield Clark on 4/30 (RgW) and 5/28 (RFl), two at Marblemount Skagit on 4/30 (fide ThA), one near Stanwood Snohomish on 5/2 (TAv), one at Morse Creek Bluff Clallam on 5/6 (JMu), two at Steigerwald Lake Clark on 5/7 (WC), one at Capitol Hill King on 5/9 (ENe), one at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/9 (VN), one at Black River King on 5/16 (LPh), one at White Center King on 5/16 (DSw), one at Snoqualmie King on 5/17 (KnG), and five at Corkindale Creek Skagit on 5/19 (GB,HA).

Clay-colored Sparrow Uncommon in WA. One at Bennington Lake Walla Walla on 5/15 (MD,MLD), and one at Steptoe Butte Whitman on 5/29 (MWo). Brewer’s Sparrow Rare in w WA. One at Redmond King on 4/10 (JTb), and one at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/25 with a different bird there on 5/28 (DoW,BWg). Early report: One at Old Vantage Highway Kittitas on 3/18 (SDo). Vesper Sparrow Rare spring migrant in w WA. One at Point No Point Kitsap on 4/22 (SM,BWg), two near Hardy Burn Skagit on 5/2 (RyM), one at Duvall King on 5/4 (MtB,MiH), one at Samish Island Skagit on 5/25 (HA), one near Stanwood Snohomish on 5/28 (SM), and one at McChord AFB Pierce on 5/30 (VE). Black-throated Sparrow Rare in WA. One reported at Vancouver Clark on 5/13


Acorn Woodpecker, Oakville, Grays Harbor, May 13, 2007. Photo by Patrick Sullivan.


(fide WC), three at Prosser Benton from 5/20 to 5/28 (BLa,NLa), one north of Vantage Kittitas on 5/25 (MaB,KK), one at Seattle King on 5/27 (JoC), and one at Wanapum Kittitas on 5/31 (TAv). Sage Sparrow Rare in w WA. One at Marymoor Park King from 3/29 MtB to 4/2 (MiH). Fox Sparrow Late for e WA lowlands. One at ALES Benton on 5/15 (NLa). “Red” Fox Sparrow Rare in WA. One at Bellingham Whatcom from 4/9 to 4/11 (MaB). Swamp Sparrow Uncommon in WA. One at Crow Butte SP Benton on 3/15 (DR), one at South Prairie Pierce on 3/17 (CWr), one at West Richland Benton on 3/30 and 3/31 (NLa), one at Julia Butler Hansen NWR Wahkiakum on 4/4 (GB), and one at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 4/6 (RgW). White-throated Sparrow Uncommon in WA. Two at Gig Harbor Kitsap from February to 4/2 (MlS), one at Carnation King on 3/1 (TAv), one at Seattle King from 3/2 to 4/8 (JB), three at Lowell Snohomish on 3/4 (SM), one at Oak Bay Jefferson on 3/5 and 4/10 (DMu), two at Vancouver Lake Clark on 3/6 (BlC), one at Tenino Thurston on 3/7 and 4/28 (PH), one at Montlake Fill King on 3/19 (MtB), one at St. Cloud Ranch Skamania on 3/25 (RyM), one at Nisqually NWR Thurston on 3/25, two at South Prairie Pierce on 4/14 (CWr), one at Skagit WMA Skagit on 4/20 (RyM), one at West Seattle King on 4/22 (MVe), and two at Discovery Park King on 5/3 (BrM). Harris’s Sparrow Uncommon in WA. One near Stanwood Snohomish from February to 5/6 (SM), one at Pasco Franklin on 3/7 (NLa), one at Mount Spokane Spokane on 3/19 (JCh), and one at Bridgeport Douglas on 4/25 (MSp). White-crowned Sparrow High count: 3000 near Quincy Grant on 4/22 (DSc). Golden-crowned X White-crowned Sparrow Rarely reported. One at Discovery Park King on 4/22 (AG). Golden-crowned Sparrow Reports from e WA included 10 at Richland Benton on 3/6 (NLa), eight at Amon Creek Benton on 3/18 (fide BLa), eight at Bingen Klickitat on 3/25 (RyM), one near Quincy Grant on 4/22 (DSc), one at Othello Adams on 4/26, one at Toppenish NWR Yakima on 4/26 (RH),

one at Bridgeport Douglas on 4/27 (MSp), one at Davenport Lincoln on 4/28 (MWo) and 5/8 (JA), two at Bateman Island Benton on 5/5 (DR), one at Spokane Spokane on 5/9 (fide CrC), and one at Columbia NWR Grant on 5/19 (RH). “Slate-colored” Junco Reports included one at Ballard King on 3/5 (TAv), one at Anacortes Skagit on 3/14 (fide ThA), one near Port Ludlow Jefferson on 4/22 (SM), one at Bainbridge Island Kitsap on 4/23 (BWg), and one at Skagit WMA Skagit at 5/11 (TAv). Lapland Longspur Uncommon in WA. Three near Electric City Grant on 3/4 (DSc), three at Leahy Douglas on 3/10 (AS), and one at Aberdeen Grays Harbor on 5/3 (TAv).

Snow Bunting Late reports: One at Sandy Point Whatcom on 4/7 (WW), and one at Soap Lake Okanogan on 4/22 (KhT). ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK Rare in WA. One at Richland Benton on 5/21 (LHi), and one at Granite Falls Pend Oreille on 5/22 (fide CWr). Black-headed Grosbeak Early report: One at Tenino Thurston on 4/27 (PH). Lazuli Bunting Early for WA: One at Yakima Yakima on 4/11 (fide DGr). Uncommon in w WA. one at Coupeville Island on 5/7 (fide SEl), one at Port Townsend Jefferson on 5/9 (RR), seven at Kent King on 5/9 (CWr) with four on 5/13 (MiF) and three there on 5/26 (MtD), one at Vashon Island King on 5/9 (fide TAv), one at Bainbridge Island Kitsap on 5/9 (BWg), one at Point No Point Kitsap from 5/9 to 5/12 (VN) and on 5/28 (BWg), one

near Oakville Grays Harbor on 5/12 (PS,RS), one at Discovery Park King on 5/17 (MaB), two at Marymoor Park King on 5/17 with one there on 5/31 (MiH), two at North Bend King on 5/17 (KnG), one at Nisqually NWR Thurston on 5/17 (PhK) with two there from 5/23 to 5/31 (KBd), one at Battle Ground Clark on 5/18 (JDz), 11 at Scatter Creek Thurston on 5/18 (KM), one at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/20 (BlC) with five there on 5/21 (fide JE), one at Dike District #9 Snohomish on 5/24, 10 at Vancouver Lowlands Clark on 5/26 (SM), and one at Tenino Thurston on 5/26 (PH). INDIGO BUNTING Rare in WA. One male at Mukilteo Snohomish from 4/24 to 4/26 (fide SM). Tricolored Blackbird Uncommon in WA. Five at Wilson Creek Grant on 3/10 (AS)

with 48 there on 4/15 (EdK), one near Texas Lake Whitman on 3/10 with three there on 4/21 (DiW), five at Othello Adams on 3/17 (MiF) with 50 on 4/18 (BT) and seven there on 5/31 (RH), 15 at College Place Walla Walla on 5/2 with 22 on 5/8 and one there on 5/11 (MD,MLD), and four west of Othello Adams on 5/12 (RH). Western Meadowlark Late w WA reports included one at Quillayute Clallam on 5/18 (FrS), two at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/26 (SM), one near Naches Pass King on 5/26 (MtD), and one at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/30 (BWg). Yellow-headed Blackbird Reports for w WA included one at Ridgefield NWR Clark

4/6 (RgW) with 11 there on 5/19 (DaH), one at Kent King on 4/6 (JEl) and 5/29 (MtB), one at Dungeness Clallam on 4/26 and 5/24 (BN), one at Carnation Farms King on 4/28 (WW), five near Stanwood Snohomish on 4/29 with three there on 5/31 (SM), one near Olympia Thurston on 4/29 (fide TAv), two at Cockreham Island Skagit on 5/6 (GB), one at Point No Point Kitsap from 5/9 to 5/12 (VN), six at Mill Creek Skagit on 5/10 (GT), one at Nisqually NWR Thurston from 5/11 to 5/31 (KBd), one at Montlake Fill King on 5/19 (fide TAv), and one at Monroe Snohomish on 5/25 (DD). Rusty Blackbird Rare in WA. One near Othello Adams on 3/28 (AS). COMMON GRACKLE Rare in WA. One male at Dungeness Clallam from 4/22 (SM) to 4/30 (RR).


One of five Townsend’s Solitaires at Point No Point, Kitsap, April 22, 2007. Photo by Steve Mlodinow.


GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE Rare in WA. One at Liberty Lake Spokane from at least 4/13 (RD) to 4/30 (RyM). HOODED ORIOLE Rare in WA. One male returned from last year to Magnolia King from 4/12 (CaC) to 5/23 (MtB). Bullock’s Oriole Early for WA: One male at Longview Cowlitz on 3/27 (MGr), and one at Moxee Yakima on 4/4 (fide DGr). SCOTT’S ORIOLE Rare in WA. One adult reported at Pomona Yakima on 4/16 and 4/17 (fide DGr). Pine Grosbeak Uncommon in WA. Six at Oak Bay CP Jefferson on 3/16 (DMu), two at Havillah Okanogan on 3/24 (TLi), one near Naches Pass King on 4/15 (MtD), three near Winthrop Okanogan on 4/21 (KhT), and one at Edmonds Snohomish on 4/30 (DD). Cassin’s Finch Uncommon locally. Two at Richland Benton on 4/14 (LHi), and one at Moses Lake Grant on 4/15 (DSc). Common Redpoll Late reports included 15 at Skagit WMA Skagit on 3/4 (GAl,SAl), six at Nisqually NWR Thurston on 3/8 (PhK), four at Toppenish Yakima on 3/9 (JKo), one near Dungeness NWR Clallam on 4/2, and one at Cape George Jefferson on 4/7 (fide BoB). HOARY REDPOLL Rare in WA. One reported at Chewelah Stevens on 3/2 (TLi). Pine Siskin Uncommon locally. Six at Othello Adams on 4/21 with two there to 5/20, and one at Ritzville Adams on 5/23 (fide RH). Lesser Goldfinch Rare away from Klickitat. One male at Battle Ground Clark on 4/7 (JDz), one female at Walla Walla Walla Walla on 5/18 (fide MD), and one female at Point No Point Kitsap on 5/9 (VN). Evening Grosbeak High count: 300 near Liberty Kittitas on 5/27 (DSw). Uncommon in the Columbia Basin. One at West Richland Benton on 4/27 (fide BLa).

OBSERVERS: CsA Chris Anderson, HA Howard Armstrong, JA Jim Acton, SA Scott Atkinson, ThA Thais Armstrong, JAc Jamie Acker, GAl Gail Aslanian, SAl Steve Aslanian, KAn Kathy Andrich, BAn Bud Anderson, JAn Jon Anderson, TAv Tom Aversa, BjB Ben Berkompas BoB Bob Boekelhyde, GB Gary Bletsch, JB Jan Bragg, DwB Dawn Bailey, MaB Marv Breece, MtB Matt Bartels, NnB Nina Beheim, KBd Keith Brady, BBe Brian Bell, CBo Carol Boyer, JBt Jack Bettesworth, JBu Joe Buchanan, BlC Bill Clemons, CaC Catherine Conelly, CnC Caanan Cowles CrC Craig Corder, JoC Jon Cooper, PC Paul Cozens, WC Wilson Cady, JCh Jim Christensen, CCv Chris Caviezel DD Dennis Duffy, DvD David Dilworth, MD Mike Denny, MLD Merry Lynn Denny,

MtD Matt Dufort, RD Ron Dexter, WhD Drew Wheelan, DDe Dennis Desilvis, KDi Kit Dieffenbach, SDo Scott Downes, JDz Jim Danzenbaker, JE Joe Engler, VE Valerie Elliott, JEl Jim Elder, SEl Steve Ellis, DnF Dan Froehlich, JiF Jim Flynn, MiF Michael Fleming, RFl Bob Flores, RFu Roger Fuller, AG Alan Grenon, GG George Gerdts, KnG Ken Grant, JGi Jeff Gilligan, GGm Ginger Gumm, DGr Denny Granstrand, MGr Margaret Green, TGu

Troy Guy, DaH Dave Hayden, DbH Deb Heiden, EH Gene Hunn, MiH Michael Hobbs, PH Paul Hicks, RH Randy Hill, LHi Lisa Hill, MHr Mary Hrudkaj, SHr Scott Horton, RI Richard Isherwood, HJ Hugh Jennings, MJ Martha Jordan, BK Bob Kuntz, EdK Ed Kane, KK Ken Knittle, PhK Phil Kelley, RK Ray Korpi, SK Stan Kostka, KKe Kraig Kemper, JKo Jeff Kozma, RKo Russ Koppendrayer, FKr Fayette Kraus, RL Rachel Lawson, SuL Susan Littlefield, BLa Bill LaFramboise, NLa Nancy LaFramboise, TLi Terry Little, DLo Dan Logan, BrM Brien Meilleur, DrM Darlene Meyer, DtM Dick Martin, GuM Guy McWethy, JoM Joyce Meyer, KM Kelly McAllister, KvM Kevin Mack, PM Phil Mattocks, RyM Ryan Merrill, SM Steve Mlodinow, ScM Scott Murray, SMi

Scott Mills, TMn Tom Mansfield, JMu Judy Mullally, MMy Mark Myers, RMz Rick Mraz, BN Bob Norton, VN Vic Nelson, ENe Ed Newbold, TO Tim O’Brien, DP Dennis Paulson, SP Steve Pink, TdP Ted Paprocki, MPa Mike Patterson, CPe Curtis Pearson, LPh Linda Phillips, PPr Pam Pritzl, HQ Henne Queisser, DR Dennis Rockwell, RR Russell Rogers, LoR Louise Rutter, PR Penny Rose, SmR Sam Riley, BS Bill Shelmerdine, EmS Em Scattaregia, FrS Fred Sharpe, GiS Gina Sheridan, MlS Melissa Sherwood, PS Patrick Sullivan, RS Ruth Sullivan, TS Tom Schooley, DSc Doug Schonewald, CSi Connie Sidles, ESl Eric Slagle, MSp

Meredith Spencer, DSw Dave Swayne, BT Bill Tweit, ClT Claudia Turner, GT Greg Toffic, KhT Khanh Tran, JTb John Tubbs, MVe Mark Vernon, AMW Ann Marie Wood DiW Diane Webber, DoW Doug Watkins, MiW Michael Willison, NW Norma Wendt, RgW Roger Windemuth, WW Wayne Weber, WaW Warren Walker, PWe Paul Webster, BWg Brad Waggoner, IWo Isadora Wong, MWo Michael Woodruff, CWr Charlie Wright.


Sage Sparrow, Marymoor Park, Redmond, King, April 7, 2007. Photo by John Tubbs.


RARE BIRD ALERTS

Field Notes & Washington Field Notes

WINTER DEADLINE: MARCH 15 (December— February sightings)

Send bird sightings to:

Tom Aversa 305 NW 75th St

Seattle WA 98117 [email protected]

Washington Review Species Reports of review species

(see Washington Birds 5:1-6 or the WOS Field Card) may be sent to the

“Washington Field Notes” compiler or directly to the

Washington Bird Records Committee, c/o WOS, P.O. Box 31783,

Seattle, WA 98103.

Please submit detailed descriptions and drawings or photographs, if possible, of

unusual birds.

BAND RECOVERIES (“Avise” leg bands) should be reported. Include the

band number, along with how, when, and where the band was recovered,

preferably with reference to the nearest town. Persons who report bands receive

a Certificate of Appreciation telling when, where, and by whom the bird was banded, so be sure to include your full

name and address with all reports.

Report to:

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Phone: (800) 327-BAND

E-mail: [email protected] http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl

WOS BirdBox South Idaho Oregon Vancouver, B.C. Victoria, B.C..

(206) 364-1162 (208) 236-3337 (503) 292-0661 (604) 737-3074 (250) 592-3381

ACCIPITERS: Winter site fidelity study. Cooper's Hawks: Blue VID bands (note right or left leg and engraved number and letter on VID band). Sharp-shinned Hawks: Either one or two color (only) bands on the same leg (note right or left leg and top/bottom color if two bands). Other leg has standard aluminum band. Note date, time, and location. Report to Jack Bettesworth, 2569 - 12th Ave. W, Seattle, WA 98119, (206) 285-5276, [email protected]. AMERICAN CROWS: Wanted Dead or Alive. We still want your observations of color-banded crows. If possible, please record the color and location (top/bottom left leg, top/bottom right leg) of bands. Recently banded crows now have TWO colors AND a metal (Fish & Wildlife) band on one leg, and two colors on the other. In addition, as part of our West Nile Virus monitoring efforts in the Puget Sound area, we would like to know about any dead crows you observe. If they appear freshly dead, your county health agency may also want to test them for the virus. Please report any sightings to Dr. John Marzluff, [email protected]. BURROWING OWLS Year-round sightings of banded Burrowing Owls in the Columbia Basin of eastern WA. Owls banded during 2000-2004 will have a larger colored band on either the left or right leg, in addition to a smaller aluminum band. Owls banded as adults received a BLUE, GREEN, or RED band (males left leg, females right leg) while unsexed juveniles received a PURPLE or ORANGE band (left leg). All banded owls are now adults. The codes are unique, with two numbers and/or letters, next to or above and below each other, and with or without a horizontal or vertical bar separating. If you see a banded owl and can read even a portion of the code or determine color, please note the date and location, which leg, and report it to Randy Hill at work at (509) 488-2668 ext. 14, home (509) 488-9418, or by e-mail at [email protected]. COOPER'S HAWKS Color bands have been placed on over 1,200 nestling Cooper's Hawks in Victoria, British Columbia, since 1996. This is part of a long-term study on its urban-nesting ecology. Each color band is uniquely coded with two vertical, alphanumeric characters and is placed on the left leg; black bands are on males, red bands on females. Please note band code and color, date, time, and location. To date, >12 different marked hawks have been reported from Washington. Report all sightings to Andy Stewart, BC Conservation Data Centre, Victoria, B.C. (250) 387-9780, or [email protected]. MERLINS The Merlin Falcon Foundation (a 501{c}3 organization), invites you to participate in a regional citizen scientist investigation of the little-known Coastal Forest Merlin. Please visit our evolving website at www.merlinfalconfoundation.org and help our national educational programs on behalf of Merlin. We gratefully acknowledge your year-round Merlin observations. Thank you for becoming a Merlin Steward and "Helping to Keep 'em Wild!" NORTHERN HARRIERS Patagial markers have been placed on Northern Harriers as part of a long-term study of populations on Whidbey Island and in the Kent Valley. Please note the color of the tag (yellow, blue, green, or white), which wing it is on, the letter or number printed (in black) on the tag, and whether or not there is a black circle around the letter or number. Note date, time, and exact location. Report to Jack Bettesworth, 2569 - 12th Ave W, Seattle WA 98119, (206) 285-5276, or [email protected]. SONGBIRD SURVEY We have color-marked more than 500 crows, as well as many other songbirds in the area and would appreciate any sightings of these. Be on the lookout for banded robins, Wilson's Warblers, Swainson's Thrushes, Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, Oregon Juncos, Winter and Bewick's wrens, and Pacific-slope Flycatchers. If possible, please record the color and location (top/bottom left leg, top/bottom right leg) of bands. Please report any sightings to Dr. John Marzluff, [email protected]. TURKEY VULTURES The Olympic Vulture Study is working on two concurrent studies: the fall migration at Salt Creek, and the demographics of our Pacific Northwest vultures. Any sightings from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho will be welcomed. As always, date, location, and number of birds is needed. If possible, report weather, time, and any aspect of behavior. Please send to Diann MacRae, 22622 - 53rd Avenue SE, Bothell, WA 98021, or to [email protected]. WESTERN BLUEBIRDS The San Juan Islands Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project has placed colored leg bands on eight pair of birds translocated to San Juan Island during the 2007 breeding season. Each leg has a unique combination of two colored bands to assist in monitoring birds during this five-year study. Please note the color combination for each leg, date, observed location and send information to: Barbara Jensen, San Juan Islands Audubon Society, (360)378-3068 or [email protected].

Surveys and Studies All sightings and reports are welcome.

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WOSNews 113 February / March 2008

Table of Contents

Green Birding 1

An October All-Day at Blaine, 1904 1

What’s in a (Gull) Name 5

2008 Spring Birding Festivals 7

Remembering Patrick—Thank You from Ruth Sullivan 8

Washington Field Notes March-May 2007 9

Surveys and Studies 19

WOS SALES WOS SALES At Meetings By Mail

These prices are for single items. If ordering more than one item of a kind, please email [email protected] for

shipping prices.

Orders should be sent to:

WOS Sales P.O. Box 31783, Seattle, WA

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Window decal with circle raven logo – static-cling 1.00 1.50

Field Card of Washington Birds – 3.5”x6.5”, 12 pp. checklist 1.00 1.50

WASHINGTON BIRDS – Peer-reviewed Journal: issues # 3, 4, 5, 6 issues # 7, 8, 9

6.00 8.00

8.00 10.00

WOSNews – Newsletter – Most issues available 1.50 2.00

A Guide to Bird Find in Washington — Book: Terence R. Wahl and Dennis Paulson, 1991 ed. CLEARANCE

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T-Shirt — White-headed Woodpecker logo, sizes M, L, XL — Raven head logo, sizes L, XL

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WOSNews 113 - Washington Ornithological Society