Jerry & Dennis,

I suspect all the CR birds from Wenatche to Pateros could be the same
individual (the males, that is). This seems to be a well established
pattern, of a single individual returning to roughly the same area year
after year. Last fall's record was reported by Steve Mlodinow and Andy,
I think, but we couldn't find it in February with our tour. The year
before I believe a male was reported near Turtle Rock but our tour
couldn't find it in Feb., but I believe it was the year before that, or
two (1992 or 1991) that the tour group did see it -- a nice unambiguous
adult male -- opposite the north end of Turtle Rock. Could this
individual have first arrived in 1985 or 1986 Jerry suggests? There
should be American Birds records of it at least. As for the female --
that's a tough call and should be carefully documented. As for the
Columbia NWR record, I can't recall hearing of it. Details often get
mixed up after thrid or fourth hand reports are passed on, as to time,
place, etc.

Gene.

On Tue, 22 Mar 94 Jerry Tangren <GSW$EN at WSUVM1.CSC.WSU.EDU> wrote:
>
> Unfortunately, I am partially guilty. I have yet to submit a single
> record to a rare bird committee anywhere. I respect the work of the
> rare bird committees, but I have never felt I could adequately
> prepare a description.
>
> Secondly, with Tufted Ducks almost annual in our area, I never knew
> they were of concern to the WA committee.
>
> Off the top of my head I can think of three more records for the
> Wenatchee area.
>
> 1) a male seen by many birders from across the state at Turtle Rock
> in fall 1985.
>
> 2) a female seen by my family and me at Turtle Rock the day after
> Thanksgiving 1986 (a lesson to me, we were out rock-hounding and saw
> both the duck and a Cattle Egret).
>
> 3) a male seen by many birders at Pateros in early April, 1988 (I
> think).
>
> 4) for an additional e. Washington record, there was one on the
> Columbia NWR about the same time as the Pateros bird.
>
> Unless I have my dates wrong, there might also have been a male
> at Turtle Rock in November 1992 (is that one Gene mentioned?)
>
> From: Jerry Tangren, Wenatchee WA
> <gsw$en at wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu>