Subject: hotlines for April 15 & April 23, 1994
Date: Apr 25 08:21:30 1994
From: Eugene Hunn - hunn at u.washington.edu


Hello birders, this is the Bird Brain, voice of Seattle
Audubon's Bird Sightings Hotline for FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 1994,
at NOON.

To skip the details and just leave a message punch 5 and
wait for the tone.

For sick or injured birds call the Wild Bird Clinic at 941-
2174 [or PAWS at 743-3845 or 743-1884].

Two SIBERIAN ACCENTORS have been seen with some regularity
at a feeder in Tappan, near Salmon Arm in sc British
Columbia. for details, call the Vancouver, BC, bird hotline
at 604-737-9910.

A ROSS'S GOOSE was reported with a small group of WHITE-
FRONTED GEESE Aapril 13 at the West 90 on the Samish Flats,
that is, at the first bend west of the T junction of
Bayview-Edison and Samish Is. Rds. nw of Mt. Vernon. Four
SNOWY OWLS remain on Boundary Bay at the foot of 72nd St. in
BC jw of the US boundary at Blaine.

A pair of PEREGRINES are courting, copulating, and may nest
in downtown Seattle for the first time ever. The best
viewing spot is along the waterfront near the Aquarium.
Look for them foraging among the skyscrapers, over the
Harbor Is. cranes, or over Elliott Bay. Please report
observations to a special Falcon Research Group hotline at
517-9513.

An early CASPIAN TERN was seen at West Point in Discovery
Park April 13 and ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS were over the South
Beach there that day. Two YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS were
reported at the Montlake Fill on the UW campus in Seattle
April 4. A breeding plumaged COMMON LOON and several
colorful RED-NECKED GREBES were off Alki Pt. April 9. A
flock of 15 SURFBIRDS was on the beach south of the point
that day also. A vagrant RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER was noted
April 4 on Bainbridge Is. near the Wing Point CC club house
and flying over Cherry Ave. NE.

Seattle area migrants noted recently include a female
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD at Marymoor Park at Redmond east of
Seattle April 14. A HERMIT THRUSH was spotted in Discovery
Park April 13. Several WARBLING VIREOS passed through a
Renton yard April, while singing ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS and
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS reminded us that spring is indeed here
in force.

Adult LITTLE GULLS with Bonaparte Gull flocks were noted
just north of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge April 6 and at Pt.
No Point on the north tip of the Kitsap Peninsula April 9 -
13. Three were present off Pt. No Point on the 11th. A
BLACK OYSTERCATCHER was flying south past Pt. No Point April
11.

Late wintering rarities include an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW
along the south bank of the Snohomish River off Lowell River
Rd. between Everett and Snohomish. It was seen 1 mi e of
the Rotary Club Park. One SWAMP SPARROW was on Ebey Island
east of Everett March 29. There has been a flurry of WHITE-
THROATED SPARROW sightings, some of singing birds. One was
just west of Stanwood at the end of Idie Rd. April 10.
Another was at a Maple Valley feeder for a week through
April 14. A third was on Pt. Roberts nw of Bellingham March
22-
April 10.

An immature brown-phase GYRFALCON was reported on Damon Spit
at Ocean Shores on the late date of April 9.

Shorebirds were migrating at Ocean Shores April 9. Patrick
Sullivan reported numbers of WHIMBRELS, MARBLED GODWITS,
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, YELLOWLEGS, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS,
DUNLINS, and LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS at the Ocean
Shores golf course, at the game range, on Damon Pt., and at
North Bay just north of the Marina along Olympic View Drive
at Sunset Ave. He reported as well a single immature BAR-
TAILED GODWIT with 75 MARBLED GODWITS at North Bay and one
LONG-BILLED CURLEW with 6 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS in the
Salicornia marsh at the west end of the Game Range. Ten
WILLETS were at the North River mouth on the north shore of
Willapa Bay March 25.

Six LONG-BILLED CURLEWS were seen about 5 miles east of
Ellensburg March 24 and 21 BLACK-NECKED STILTS were back to
ponds just north of Othello in Adams County March 28. The
first CINNAMON TEAL sightings came from Everett, Seattle,
and Turnbull NWR sw of Spokane March 27 & 28.

Two very early VAUX'S SWIFTS were reported over the Madrona
neighborhood in Seattle March 28, at least two weeks ahead
of schedule. East of the Cascades, WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS
had returned to the Sun Lakes in the Grand Coulee March 21
and to Vantage on the Columbia River by March 24.

OSPREYS had returned to nest sites on southern Puget Sound
and near Ellensburg by March 26.

For SAS field trips, or for information on conservation and
education issues please call the office at 523-4483 during
office hours, 10-4 Tuesday through Saturday.

That's all for now. If you have news to report, wait for
the tone, then give your name, phone number, and the
details. Thanks and good birding.

Hello birders, this is the Bird Brain, voice of Seattle
Audubon's Bird Sightings Hotline for SATURDAY, APRIL 23,
1994, at 10 PM.

To skip the details and just leave a message punch 5 and
wait for the tone.

For sick or injured birds call the Wild Bird Clinic at 941-
2174 [or PAWS at 743-3845 or 743-1884].

A male FALCATED TEAL has been reported in Tofino on the west
coast of Vancouver Island April 19 & 20. Call The Victoria,
BC hotline for current information at 604-592-3381.

A ROSS'S GOOSE was reported with a small group of WHITE-
FRONTED GEESE April 13 & 15 at the West 90 on the Samish
Flats, that is, at the first bend west of the T junction of
Bayview-Edison and Samish Is. Rds. nw of Mt. Vernon.

A pair of PEREGRINES are courting, copulating, and may nest
in downtown Seattle for the first time ever. The best
viewing spot is along the waterfront near the Aquarium.
Look for them foraging among the skyscrapers, over the
Harbor Is. cranes, or over Elliott Bay. Please report
observations to a special Falcon Research Group hotline at
517-9513.

An early CASPIAN TERN was seen at West Point in Discovery
Park April 13 and 100+ were back at their nesting colony at
the new Navy Base at the Everett waterfront April 17. Two
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS were reported at the Montlake Fill
on the UW campus in Seattle April 4. WESTERN SANDPIPERS and
CINNAMON TEALs were on the Fill April 20, and a SOLITARY
SANDPIPER was there April 23. A LAPLAND LONGSPUR and a
WESTERN MEADOWLARK were at Magnuson Park, Seattle, also
April 23. Five WHIMBRELS were seen flying north past
Richmond Beach Park, again April 23.

Seattle area migrants include an early WESTERN TANAGER in
West Seattle April 22 and NASHVILLE WARBLERS at Camp Long,
West Seattle April 18 and another on Bainbridge Island April
22. Camp Long also has had SOLITARY and WARBLING VIREOS
this past week.

If you visit Discovery Park you might be on the look out for
HERMIT THRUSHES, WESTERN WOOD PEWEES, PACIFIC-SLOPE
FLYCATCHERS, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERs, and BLACK-THROATED
GRAY and TOWNSENDS WARBLERS among the common YELLOW-RUMPS
and ORANGE-CROWNEDS. The first returning WILSON'S WARBLER
was reported on Cougar Mtn. April 21.

PILEATED WOODPECKERS were reported nesting in Seward and
Schmitz Parks in Seattle. High plumaged COMMON LOONS are on
the move, having been noted on Lake Washington at several
points during the past week. Nesting GREEN HERONS are
reported back at Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland

PURPLE MARTINS had returned April 19 to nest boxes at the
Boston Harbor marina nw of Olympia.

Late wintering rarities include a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
still at Jaime Acker's Bainbridge I. feeder and a HARRIS'S
SPARROW molting into adult plumage just north of the Everett
Sewage Ponds at the end of 12th St. NE., both April 20.

An immature brown-phase GYRFALCON was reported again at
Grays Harbor, this time at Bowerman Basin April 17, a very
late date.

Shorebirds are migrating at Ocean Shores: expect WHIMBRELS,
MARBLED GODWITS, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, YELLOWLEGS, BLACK-
BELLIED PLOVERS, DUNLINS, and LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS
in numbers. Hot spots include the Ocean Shores golf course,
the Game Range, Damon Pt., and North Bay which is just north
of the Ocean Shores Marina along Olympic View Drive at
Sunset Ave.

In Grant County east of the Columbia River April 17: An
estimated 450 SANDHILL CRANES were counted migrating over
the sw corner of the Columbia NWR between Royal City and
Othello; LONG-EARED OWLS were nesting in Russian Olives
near the junction of Dodson Rd. and Frenchman Hills Rd. se
of George; and two dozen AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were at the
bay on the Winchester Wasteway north of the junction west of
Potholes State Park.

At Wenas Creek April 19: GRAY FLYCATCHERS and RED-NAPED
SAPSUCKERS had returned, and the resident WHITE-HEADED
WOODPECKERS were conspicuous. WESTERN KINGBIRDS were back
to Vantage a bit early April 17.

For SAS field trips, or for information on conservation and
education issues please call the office at 523-4483 during
office hours, 10-4 Tuesday through Saturday.

That's all for now. If you have news to report, wait for
the tone, then give your name, phone number, and the
details. Thanks and good birding.

>From Gene Hunn, the "Bird Brain."