>>We will be coming up North for my brother's wedding in Bellingham and
>staying in Lacy and Seattle also. We arrive Aug. 23 and Leave on Sept. 1. I
>don't know what area is the best place for us to be looking for birds at the
>end of August. Bird Finding in Forty National Forests and Grasslands has a
>section on the Hood Canal side of Olympic National park that looks
>interesting and Paulson and Wahl's book also has a lot of suggested
>locations. We are most interested in Pileated Woodpecker, Lewis'
>Woodpecker, Varied Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Lapland Longspur, Evening
>Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, Red-necked Grebe, Green Heron, American
>Golden-Plover and Baird's Sandpiper.
>
>Any assistance you could give us would be most appreciated. We have been
>birding for ten years and when we plan trips home to Seattle and my fathers
>house always seems to miss what we are looking for. He is in NE Seattle at
>35th and 75th. The phone there is 206 523-8592.

In addition I have a question about birds who don't really belong in our
area. About a month ago my Todd and I were birding Huntington Beach Central
park after looking at the Common Tern in the Bolsa Chica. We saw six birds
that I knew I had seen before but they weren't in our reference guides; NG,
Peterson, or Golden. When I got home I picked up my birds of Puerto Rico and
there the bird was. They were adult Nutmeg Mannikins. I did report it to our
local rare bird alert and heard nothing. Perhaps they were brought in
illegally and let go.

Two days later I was talking to a friend who lives a mile north of the park
and she discribed a bird at their feeder and I recognized it as the a bird
on the same page as the Mannikin. It is a Black-Rumped Waxbill. This bird is
still seen at their feeder several days a month. And I have not been back to
look for the Mannikins who had ver gold finch like behavior. How does one
find out where these birds came from or is it always a mystry.

thanks for your time and consideration.
>
>Catherine Newell
Pasadena CA
818-441-=4796>tnewell at earthlink.net