Hello birders, this is the Bird Brain, voice of Seattle
Audubon's Bird Sightings Hotline for SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1994,
at 9 AM. (Eugene Hunn, hunn at u.washington.edu)

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].

An adult WHITE-FACED IBIS was noted along a slough north of
Ocean City on the outer coast May 8. It was on private
property and could not be relocated subsequently.

At the Montlake Fill on the UW campus in Seattle May 6-13
there have been 1 SOLITARY SANDPIPER, 2 LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHERS, several each of LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 1
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED,1 SNOW, and 2 small CANADA GEESE which
are either Cackling or Taverner's CANADAs; also BLUE-WINGED
and CINNAMON TEAL, AMERICAN PIPITS, and other exciting
stuff. A NORTHERN ORIOLE was there May 5.

Seattle has a nesting pair of PEREGRINES for the first time
ever. They are now incubating high on the Washington Mutual
Tower. Call the special Falcon Research Group hotline at
517-9513 for details of their daily movements and to report
observations.

Discovery Park had good numbers of migrants May 8 including
WESTERN TANAGERS, WILSON'S and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS,
WARBLING VIREOS, and PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS. NORTHERN
ORIOLES appear to be nesting at Matthews Beach Park north of
Sand Point in Seattle and a BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was
singing there May 13. The first SWAINSON'S THRUSH was noted
in Kirkland May 13. EVENING GROSBEAKS and RED CROSSBILL
have been widely reported of late. The usual scattered
LAZULI BUNTINGS have been spotted May 6-13

PILEATED WOODPECKERS were reported nesting in Seward and
Schmitz Parks in Seattle. Nesting GREEN HERONS recently
fledged young at Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland May 13.
MOURNING DOVES were noted near Fall City and over I-5 at
Fife north of Tacoma this past week. They nest at scattered
locations west of the Cascades.

The first ARCTIC TERN had returned to the nesting colony at
the new Navy Base at the Everett waterfront April 28. The
CASPIAN TERN colony there had reached 2000 birds by May 7.
PURPLE MARTINS returned to the Everett waterfront as of May
7, and 5 OSPREY nests are active on the Snohomish River
delta just north of Everett. Fourteen RUDDY TURNSTONES at
the Everett Waterfront May 7 was noteworthy. The first
returning YELLOW WARBLER was reported at Snohomish May 1. A
PARASITIC JAEGER off Mukilteo State Park May 10 is a rare
spring sighting in Puget Sound.

Vic Nelson reported a 1st winter LITTLE GULL off his place
at Point No Point on the n end of the Kitsap Peninsula May 9
and MOUNTAIN QUAIL near the Pt. No Point lighthouse May 4.

Patrick Sullivan reports that the SLATY-BACKED GULL is still
present at the mouth of the Puyallup River on the Tacoma
Waterfront as of May 12. Twenty-eight CASPIAN TERNS and a
CLARK'S GREBE were noted there also that day.

Crockett Lake on Whidbey Is. hosted an estimated 20,000
shorebirds May 7, mostly WESTERN SANDPIPERS, but including
LEAST SANDPIPERS, DUNLINS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and LESSER
YELLOWLEGS. An AMERICAN AVOCET WAS ON SWANTOWN POND ON
WHIDBEY MAY 8. Three rare spring PECTORAL SANDPIPERs were
with a flock of 125 WHIMBRELS in Skagit Co. May 8. The
flock was along Kelleher Rd between District Line and
Collins Rds.

Shorebirds are migrating at Ocean Shores: A small flock of
WHIMBRELS and MARBLED GODWITS frequents the east side of the
Golf Course in Ocean Shores. A single very early BROWN
PELICAN was seen on Grays Harbor May 5. A WILSON'S
PHALAROPE, rare on the coast, was at the Ocean Shores STP
also May 5. A single breeding plumaged BAIRD'S SANDPIPER
was noted at Ocean Shores at the lagoon on Damon Pt. spit
May 7. BAIRD'S is a rare spring migrant. A heavy
concentration of RED-NECKED PHALAROPES was off the Ocean
Shores jetty, also May 7-8. The flock was estimated at
3000+. A few GOLDEN PLOVERS have been seen at Ocean Shores
over the past two weeks. Most spring records are of PACIFIC
GOLDEN PLOVERS but specific identification can be difficult.

A THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was reported May 1 at the Mt. Hardy
Burn in eastern Skagit Co. off the North Cascades Hwy 1-2
miles se of the Easy Pass Trailhead.

Four ROSS'S GEESE were reported April 30 and May near
Central Ferry State Park in Whiteman Co. just north of the
Garfield County line. Call Mike Denny in Walla Walla at
509-529-0800 for directions & an update.

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 Friday and 10-2 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.