Hello birders, this is the Bird Brain, voice of Seattle
Audubon's Bird Sightings Hotline for SATURDAY, MARCH 18,
1995, at 11 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].

Spring has sprung: Swallows have returned: TREE SWALLOWS AND
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS have been widely reported on both
sides of the Cascades since late February. A GREEN HERON
had returned to Juanita Bay Park March 17. A pair nested
along the boardwalk here last year. MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS were
common along the road to Wenas Creek from Ellensburg Feb.
25, and an early male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER was feeding at
Klipchuck Campground west of Mazama in the Methow Valley
March 4.

Another male BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER turned up at a
feeder in Olympia March 6. Call Lola Smith for details at
360-943-1291.

An adult LITTLE GULL has been seen regularly off Pt. No
Point on the Kitsap Peninsula since March 1 with BONAPARTE'S
and other gulls; an adult COMMON BLACK-HEADED GULL joined
the flock briefly March 9. A CLARK'S GREBE was with 600
WESTERN GREBES in Blakely Harbor on Bainbridge Is. March 4.

An apparent hybrid male TUFTED DUCK X SCAUP was seen March
12 in Quartermaster Harbor on Vashon Is. It was seen along
Vashon Island Blvd. between Harbor Heights and Magnolia
Beach with a flock of scaups and scoters.

A gray GYRFALCON was seen March 4 on the Samish Flats. 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. A BARRED OWL was
encountered along the north edge of Hamlin Park north of
Seattle Feb. 28 and a GREAT HORNED was heard at Haller Lake
nearby March 16.

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. An immature
HEERMANN'S GULL on logbooms along the Hylebos Waterway near
Tacoma March 2 was also extraordinary at this season.

March 2 there were 150 MARBLED GODWITS and 3 WILLETS 1 mi
west of the North River on the n shore of Willapa Bay in
Pacific Co.

A RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was seen near parking lot C on the
Ridgefield NWR March 17; it was being harassed by a HARLAN'S
RED-TAILED HAWK. A PALM WARBLER was seen nearby March 4
with a large flock of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and five GREAT
EGRETS were at the junction of Koonis and Dike Rds. just
south of the refuge March 17 as were numbers of SANDHILL
CRANES.

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 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.

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.