WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY BIRDBOX
22 March - 3 April 1996

Prepared by Lisa Smith and Russell Rogers.
Minor editorial changes have been made to some messages to enhance
readability.

The BirdBox is a service of the Washington Ornithological Society (WOS).
To access the BirdBox call (206) 454-2662 and follow the directions.
Black-capped, Chestnut-Backed, Mountain and Boreal Chickadees are
resident in Washington State.

To Join WOS send check for $20.00 for single membership or $25.00 for
family membership to: WOS, Post Office Box 31783, Seattle, Washington
98103-1783.

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5:22 p.m. 03/22/96: Paula Flores, 206/868-6648. This afternoon on March
22nd I saw a TURKEY VULTURE just north of the milk barn on the
Snoqualmie/ North Bend road. This is, I believe, the beginning of a
breeding pair that I watched last summer, so I'm keeping an eye out for
its mate.

5:27 p.m. 03/22/96: Janet Roller, 206/851-3258, March 22nd at 5:30 p.m.
Our group saw the KING EIDER from the boat launch at the end of Hastie
Lake Road on Whidbey Island today about 10 o'clock in the morning and
again at about 12:30 p.m. It appears to be changing plumage.

6:23 a.m. 03/23/96: Andy Stepniewski calling from Yakima, Washington,
509/877-6639. Yesterday, Friday, at the Wenas Campground were 3
WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKERS, two females chasing a male. Evidently, males
are in short supply in Wenas. Also present there, was a MERLIN (my first
record for the Wenas Creek region). SOLITAIRES, WESTERN BLUEBIRDS (we
could not find MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS), lots of CASSIN'S FINCHES, RED
CROSSBILLS, and EVENING GROSBEAKS in the Ponderosa pines, indicating a
good seed crop. And the WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKERS were pecking away on
Ponderosa pine cones, indicating they were also utilizing that food
source. The road from Ellensburg into the Wenas is passable. It probably
requires a high-centered vehicle. I don't think you need four-wheel
drive, but high-centered is probably important, or pretty good driving
nerve. And the campground has been logged again, so it's looking pretty
ratty. There [are] new logging roads right through the meadows in the
campground, so it's a little bit of a disappointment--but there are still
birds. So that's the news from Wenas Creek.

1:50 p.m. 03/23/96: Gene Revelas in Tacoma, reporting that the male
TUFTED DUCK is still present at Spencer Island. It was reported on the
17th by John McMillan, and it's in the same place just north of the barn
on the main trail in the ponds right behind the first bench, with a group
of RING-NECKED DUCKS and LESSER SCAUP. It was seen by many birders today,
the 23rd, in the morning.

2:13 p.m. 03/23/96: John McMillan, 206/632-8917, reporting 5 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS at Lake Sammamish Park on the grassy field between the park
and the boat ramp.

3:11 p.m. 03/23/96: One more try: this is Scott Atkinson at
360/691-7232, reporting for Saturday the 23rd of March from coastal
Skagit County. At the Lion's Riverside Park just north of old downtown
Mt. Vernon, along Riverside Road, a single second-winter GLAUCOUS GULL in
with various other semi-tame gulls there that come for hand-outs. Also,
just as [you're] entering Skagit Wildlife Management Area headquarters
from the north, a female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD in the stands of willows
with several RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. Also at Skagit Wildlife Management
Area, among hundreds of TREE and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS that have been in
for a month or so now, a single NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW and a
single CLIFF SWALLOW. As mentioned, several WOOD DUCKS. Also, a lot of
SAVANNAH and LINCOLN SPARROWS in the area. Finally, a second-hand report
from Harold and Shirley Christianson who live in Mt. Vernon: apparently,
the GREAT GRAY OWL has returned to Ovenell Road. More amazingly, a second
bird has come into the area, apparently smaller and browner.

5:03 p.m. 03/24/96: Steven Mlodinow. I am, yes indeed, still in town,
have not moved to the east coast despite certain rumors. Went out today
to look for the MOCKINGBIRD west of Stanwood. It is still around the
abandoned white house on Idie Road. The bird was feeding in the holly
berries in front of the house and across the road. Additionally, had a
LONG-BILLED CURLEW. This bird was along the Stillaguamish River just west
of Normana Farms, which is along Norman Road. This is between Sylvana and
Stanwood. Also, the TUFTED DUCK was still present at Spencer Island. Go
onto the island, make a left turn, walk north to where there's a bench
where you can view a pond, and the bird is swimming around with
RING-NECKED DUCKS in this area. Additionally, had a CLIFF SWALLOW and a
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW today, and 7 TRUMPETER SWANS still present right
near the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD spot. Addendum: Also, a HARRIS'S SPARROW
north of Stanwood at Logan Road.

5:29 p.m. 03/24/96: Marv Breece, 634-1725. Today, Sunday March the 24th,
at Spencer Island, I saw the TUFTED DUCK. And also my first BARN SWALLOW
of the year about 4 o'clock this afternoon.

8:04 p.m. 03/24/96: Ted Peterson. This afternoon about 5:30 I saw the
GREAT GRAY OWL along Ovenell Road.

9:32 a.m. 03/27/96: Daniel Zizza, 206/632-7180. I'm just reporting a
sighting of a YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER at my suet feeder in Seattle in the
Wallingford district right on the corner of 38th and Sunnyside. This is
the first time I've seen a YELLOW-SHAFTED here in Washington state, and
maybe it's more common than I'm aware of; but I always see RED-SHAFTED,
so it was worth reporting.

8:56 a.m. 03/30/96: Donna, 206/935-9630. I live in the Grace Point area
of West Seattle and believe that I have seen a PEREGRINE FALCON in my
yard twice in the last month. The first time I saw the bird, it was
sitting on the top of my Mt. Fuji cherry tree, which had not bloomed yet;
and the second time I saw it was this morning, which is Saturday, March
30th, sitting in the grass in my back yard about five feet from my
sliding door on my kitchen, being observed by my cat, which drew my
attention to it. So we grabbed the bird book and got a good look and
really think it was a PEREGRINE FALCON. [I'd] be interested in hearing if
anyone else has seen what they think is a PEREGRINE FALCON in West Seattle.

2:55 p.m. 03/31/96: Steven Mlodinow. Steve Pink and I birded around
Snohomish County today. Some early arrivals include an OSPREY at the port
of Everett, and a SORA RAIL at Spencer Island. Could not find the TUFTED
DUCK at Spencer Island, but did have a EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL there
as well as two members of the SLATE-COLORED race of FOX SPARROWS. This is
the race that normally breeds in our mountains and is unusual in the
lowlands. Looks quite distinctly different from the typical low-land FOX
SPARROW, which is SOOTY FOX SPARROW.

5:36 p.m. 03/31/96: Alex Cruise, 206/322-0704. I'm calling to report a
NORTHERN PYGMY OWL. We were winter camping at Lake Wenatchee, and it was
seen this morning on the 31st in the winter campground area. It was
hanging out between the shelter and the bathrooms. We were able to get
really good looks. It was sitting kind of low, and there were flocks of
PINE SISKINS and JUNCOS and EVENING GROSBEAKS kind of mobbing it at times.

6:09 p.m. 03/31/96: Martha Silano, 206/324-5954. Myself and Lang Cook saw
the TUFTED DUCK this morning at 8 a.m. at Spencer Island on the sewage
pond. After that we headed up north on the road to La Conner, and we saw
several thousand SNOW GEESE in a field there.

7:42 p.m. 03/31/96: Douglas Marshall, 206/270-8960. I was up at Idie
Road, and the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD is still there on Camano Island. Also,
a flock of 25 TUNDRA SWANS in an adjacent field.

3:14 a.m. 04/02/96: Ken Knittle. Patrick Sullivan and myself had the
TUFTED DUCK on April first at 8:40 in the morning on Spencer Island, and
we again saw it on the sewer pond at 11 a.m. Other birds of note, early
arrivals, were LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, LEAST SANDPIPER, COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and CLIFF SWALLOW. The day before,
we had LAPLAND LONGSPUR and SNOW BUNTINGS on the Colville Plateau.

8:15 a.m. 04/03/96: Marcus Roning in Tacoma, 756-0215. On 04/02 up at
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, the road to the River S unit has
been reopened from the mudslide, and I found a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW,
adult. It was just north of parking lot B with a group of GOLD-CROWNED
SPARROWS in the hedgerow. Other birds of note were SANDHILL CRANES and
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and my first spring sightings of COMMON
YELLOW-THROAT, CINNAMON TEAL, BARN and CLIFF SWALLOWS.