Eugene Hunn (hunn at u.washington.edu)

Hello birders, this is the Bird Brain, voice of Seattle
Audubon's Bird Sightings Hotline for SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1994,
at 10 AM.

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].

Vic Nelson reported a BLACK-THROATED SPARROW at his Point No
Point resort Friday afternoon, May 20. Two other BLACK-
THROATED SPARROWs were reported May 19, one at Nisqually NWR
at the junction of the ring dike trail leading to the blind,
the other at the Everett STP along the east dike of the main
pond near the northern end. The Pt. No Point and the
Nisqually birds could not be relocated. This minor invasion
of this rare desert sparrow may be linked to a spate of
LAZULI BUNTING sightings in the Seattle area. A female was
at Magnuson Park May 14, a male at the Woodland Park Zoo May
15.

Tacoma's SLATY-BACKED GULL is reported to be still present
near the mouth of the Puyallup River on the Tacoma
Waterfront as of May 20. It has returned to the Lincoln
Ave. rendering plant and at low tides on the Puyallup River
at Stewart St.

The SNOWY EGRET turned up again May 14 at the Ocean Shores
Game Range.

The EMPEROR GOOSE was present at Everett's 10th St. Marina
with resident CANADAs and a single CACKLING CANADA May 20.
Also at Everett May 20 was a pair of ARCTIC TERNs seen
foraging over the south end of Jetty Island. The CASPIAN
TERN colony there has now reached 3000 birds. 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.

A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen May 18-19 at the Lynnwood
Park 'n Ride at the junction of 48th W and SW 202th St. just
off I-5. Look for it along the fence and trail along the
south edge of the lot.

At the Montlake Fill on the UW campus in Seattle May 14-20
there has been 1 SNOW GOOSE with the CANADA GEESE and both
BLUE-WINGED and CINNAMON TEAL. A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD paid a
brief visit to the fill May 14 and WESTERN KINGBIRDs were
seen there May 15 & 17. NORTHERN ORIOLES, YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRDS, COMMON TERNS, and BLACK SWIFTS have also put in
cameo appearances there during the past week.

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.

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. They
have also been reported to be nesting along Issaquah Creek
at Lake Sammamish State Park. An odd creamy brown CROW has
generated some excitement at Shilshole Marina during the
past several weeks.

HERMIT WARBLERS were reported along the Alpental road at
Snoqualmie Pass May 14th, which is a bit north of their
usual range. 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. A
GREAT GRAY OWL was spotted May 14 for the third time in as
many months along Mt. Annie Rd. sw of Wauconda. Look for it
in Ponderosa & Lodgepole Pines along the road ca. 1.1 miles
south of SR 20 just west of Wauconda in ec Okanogan Co.
Andy Stepniewski and Paul Cozens report finding 10 species
of owls in one 24 hour period May 14-15 in Yakima County.
This is certainly a Washington State record and just one owl
shy of the US record set in Arizona a few years back.

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.