On Dec 13, Chris McInerny writes:

>Yesterday, I had an Osprey fly over the Montlake Fill. I had an idea that
>these were only summer visitors to Washington. Does any one know of
>other winter records for this species in WA?

Although I have never seen one here in the winter, there are reports of
the odd bird that will hang around. Last year one was spotted on Lake
Stevens the week of the Everett Christmas Bird Count (not on count day,
however). Ernie Rose, raptor keeper at Woodland Park Zoo tells of a pair
that wintered over several years ago at the steelhead ponds up the Skagit
River canyon. As you go further south it is more common for the birds to
either not migrate or to migrate shorter distances. Some of the birds on
Sanibel Island, FL will only migrate a couple hundred miles and will begin
nesting activities very early (Feb., I think) compared to here.

Ed Schulz
Everett, WA
eschulz at eldec.com