Hello birders, this is the Bird Brain, voice of Seattle
Audubon's Bird Sightings Hotline for FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1995,
at 10 PM.

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].

Spring has sprung: Swallows have returned: TREE SWALLOWS
were noted at Ridgefield NWR Feb. 20 and at Nisqually NWR
Feb. 21; VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS were spotted over Lake
Sammamish State Park Feb. 23.

The adult male FALCATED TEAL has been seen daily through
February 22th on Tofino Inlet on the west coast of Vancouver
Island. For details call the Victoria, BC, bird hotline at
604-592-3381.

The EMPEROR GOOSE was last reported Feb. 19 on Graveyard
Spit, the southern extremity of the Dungeness Spit. Look
for it from the parking lot at the Oyster factory. A second
EMPEROR has been hanging out in La Push for the past two
months. Look for it at the end of River Rd. at the
Quilleute Seafood Co. A MARBLED GODWIT was seen from the
Oyster house parking lot Feb. 19 & 20. Three ROCK
SANDPIPERS were with other rock shorebirds at Ediz Hook at
Pt. Angeles Feb. 26.

A single adult SNOWY OWL was seen sw of Moses Lake along
Potato Hill Rd. 1/4 mi south of Baseline Rd. Access is
south off I-90 via SR 17. A second adult SNOWY OWL was
spotted by the SAS winter tour group ca. 2 miles N of
Lamoine Rd/8th NW along F NW/Logan Rd. northeast of Douglas
on the Waterville Plateau, DeLorme Atlas pg. 84, T26 N, R24
E, Sect. 7. A hardy BURROWING OWL was seen Feb. 11 at the
east bound on-ramp of I-90 at George.

A gray GYRFALCON was seen February 22 at the Jensen Access
to the Skagit WMA on Fir Island. Several immature GLAUCOUS
GULLS have been reported in gull flocks on the Samish Flats.
The guidebooks can be misleading. First winter GLAUCOUS
GULLS can be very pale, but should have dark eyes; 2nd
winter birds retain the pink bill with neat black tip but
should have pale eyes and some gray on the back. Another
immature GLAUCOUS GULL was reported At Lyons Roadside park
along the Skagit River in Mt. Vernon Feb. 27.

A female PINE GROSBEAK was near the American Camp Historical
Park Interpretive Center on San Juan Island FEb. 21. A
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen near the boat launch at the
Skagit WMA headquaters Feb. 28.

The beach south of Alki Pt. at low tide hosted 55 SURFBIRDS
and 3 BLACK TURNSTONES Feb. 18. An imm. FRANKLIN'S GULL,
very rare in winter, was in a flooded field near the
entrance to Crescent Lake WMA on Crescent Lake Rd. north of
Duvall March 2. A BARRED OWL was encountered along the
north edge of Hamlin Park north of Seattle Feb. 28.

The HARRIS' SPARROW was relocated Feb. 12-22 at the Edmonds
marsh near observation platform #4 and the HARRIS' SPARROW
along Russell Rd. at 228th St. nw of Kent was seen again
February 28. A GREAT EGRET has frequented a flooded field
along Green Valley Rd. about 1 mile south of SR 18 in Auburn
through Feb. 26.

Feb. 5 there were 366 MARBLED GODWITS and 10 WILLETS in one
flock 2 mi southeast of the North River on the n shore of
Willapa Bay in Pacific Co., while 37 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS
were nearby that day at Tokeland. Fifteen LONG-BILLED
CURLEWS were at the North Cove mud flat at Ocean Shores Feb.
5.

WHITE-TAILED KITES are reported near Chehalis west of I-5
off SR 6 between Goff Rd and Adna High School and south from
SR 6 on King Rd. via Curtis Hill and Boistfort Valley Rds.
Other WHITE-TAILED KITEs were on the Columbia White-tailed
Deer Refuge west of Cathlamet Feb. 4 and at Westport where
the road turns off toward the jetty Jan. 30. A RED-
SHOULDERED HAWK was seen at parking lot C on the Ridgefield
NWR Feb. 20. A SWAMP SPARROW was also at that spot. A
GREAT EGRET and two very early PURPLE MARTINS were noted at
the Silver Lake spillway near Kelso March 3.

A flock of 2500+ SNOW BUNTINGS was spotted Feb 9 & 18 seven
miles east of Monse along the Wakefield-Cameron Lake Rd. on
the Colville Indian Reservation in Okanogan County: DeLorme
Atlas pg. 100, C-4, T31N, R26E, Sect. 33. A flock of 500
SNOW BUNTINGS was along F NW/Logan Rd. 2 mi N of Lamoine
Rd./8th NW on the Waterville Plateau Feb. 19, not far from
the Snowy Owl.

Large flocks of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were reported last weekend
in Ellensburg, n of Chelan Falls on McNeil Canyon Rd., and
just east of Oroville along the Oroville-Toroda Creek Rd. A
flock of 50+ GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES was seen foraging
along SR 17 six-eight mi N of the town of Soap Lake Feb. 18
& 20.

For SAS field trips, or for information on conservation and
education issues please call the office at 523-4483 during
office hours, 10-4 Monday 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.