>A local (well, Waitsburg) author asked me if there is such a thing as a
>"unique" Washington bird. Or put it another way, is there a bird species we
>(as local birders) commonly associate with our state. I couldn't think of one.
>The writer is preparing some kind of an almanac for Washington that has
>entries for birds...birding. She also asked for the "favorite" birding spots
>in Washington and my response was: Wenas, Montlake, Ocean Shores, & Westport
>pelagic. Any ideas on "uniqueness" or spots (before my eyes), please post.
>------------------------------------------------
>Fred Bird

Fred, as first president of WOS, long-suffering editor of WOSNEWS, and
birding bon vivant and raconteur, how could you *not* mention yourself as
the Bird most often associated with our state!

I think Varied Thrush, Vaux's Swift, Red-breasted Sapsucker, and
White-tailed Ptarmigan all qualify as evocative of our state. Marbled
Murrelet, as a high-profile species, is another.

I wonder if as soon as this almanac is published, your favorite spots will
be even more overrun with people, including generic tourists scaring the
birds away. As I have observed population growth in this area, I've become
a reactionary against crowds and probably would never write a bird-finding
guide again.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416