As an aspiring birder, I'm always anxious to add a new bird to my life's
list. Accordingly, since I've never seen (or at least been aware of
seeing a crossbill), would you please give me exact locations and times
of your sightings? I live in Edmonds and will be coming down on I-5.
Thanks for any info. Wes Jansen

On Wed, 17 Aug 1994, Jim Lyles wrote:

>
> Having just flown back (over the fires in Idaho) from a vacation
> in the NC Blue Ridge Mts, I've been catching up on the hubbub
> about yardbirds vs. tweeters and other such avian matters.
>
> In one of his missives (which I always look forward to savoring),
> Dennis Paulson opined that "statements such as 'red crossbills are
> unusually common this spring,' if they come from enough people,
> have real significance."
>
> Apropos DP's remark, I've found that Red Crossbills ARE COMMON
> this year--at least in Pt. Defiance Park, Tacoma. A flock of
> 30-35 crossbills has been coming down every morning (every morning,
> at least, that I've checked) to bathe and drink in the Native
> Garden at Pt. Defiance. I first saw them on July 17 and saw them
> again as recently as August 14.
>
> --Jim Lyles (jrlyles at dwatcm.wr.usgs.gov)
>
> I live in north Tacoma, about 10 minutes'
> drive along Ruston Way from Pt. Defiance.
>