WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY BIRDBOX
1-6 February 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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6:39 p.m. 02/01/96: Ed Swan, 206/725-5013. I've heard through my father
in Olympia that there's a group of SCRUB JAYS coming to a feeder in the
1400 block of 10th East in Olympia.

5:16 p.m. 02/02/96: Friday afternoon February 2nd, Andy Stepniewski
calling, 509/877-6639. I observed Debbie Brown's gray-phased GYRFALCON
east of Yakima on Highway 24 yesterday afternoon for about half an hour
at exactly milepost 22. Wonderful bird! It flew off to poles north of the
highway, and she saw it fly off to poles south of the highway. Sounds
like this bird's hanging out there. It's considerably more calm than a
few days ago but still mostly below zero out here. But it's fun--would
make a great trip!

7:50 p.m. 02/02/96: David Lauten, 286-1623. Cathy Castlebaum and myself
went to Sequim today. Had the YELLOW-BILLED LOON right off the mouth of
the marina at about 11 o'clock. There were also about a dozen MARBLED
MURRELETS in the bay and lots of other wonderful and usual waterfowl.
Nothing else to report.

1:37 p.m. 02/03/96: John Edison, 360/387-7024, calling from Camano
Island. I've received a report from a friend, who I believe knows what
he's talking about, saying he saw a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD just south of
the bridge between Camano and Stanwood. And his name is Dick Fort,
629-2092.

5:34 p.m. 02/03/96: Steve Pink, Bellevue, 603-0736. Off Alki Point this
afternoon was a first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL, plus several SURFBIRDS.

7:55 p.m. 02/03/96: Andy Stepniewski, Ben Feltner, and Paul Cousins
birded the Columbia Basin today, Saturday. Highlights were 3 SNOWY OWLS
on [Bell ???] NE between roads 2 and 3 just outside Moses Lake as
described before. Also in the same fields, 5 SHORT-EARED OWLS hunting by
day. Temperature was around zero. Maybe they were hungry. PRAIRIE FALCON
there also. HARRIERS and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS. We also birded south of
I-90 from Dodson Road west to George and had numerous raptors, including
2 or 3 more PRAIRIE FALCONS, ROUGH-LEGS, RED-TAILEDS, MERLIN, KESTRELS.

Northwards in the Columbia Basin there were TREE SPARROWS at the West
Foster Creek Wildlife Area south of Bridgeport. We did not see
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. We did see HORNED OWLS; maybe the grouse were
hunkered down in the snow.

Waterville Plateau: we did not see the *thousands* of SNOW BUNTINGS that
Richard Rowlett reported last week, but we did see small flocks scattered
here and there along the grit-covered highway. Other than that, very few
raptors up on the Waterville Plateau. It was *cold*! Probably the coldest
I've ever birded in.

9:01 p.m. 02/03/96: Bob Norton, Port Angeles, 360/928-3053. YELLOW-BILLED
LOON was at John Wayne Marina this afternoon, but I could not locate the
PALM WARBLER at the Dungeness Recreation Area.

5:41 p.m. 02/04/96: Bob Sundstrom, 762-4327. The YELLOW-BILLED LOON was
still present in the harbor at John Wayne Marina on February 4th.

8:45 p.m. 02/04/96: Toby Andrews. In Ellensburg today there was a flock
of 300 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS located downtown on 5th between Chestnut and
Poplar. The SNOWY OWL was present in Moses Lake, and there's a GYRFALCON
in the same area. Also in Ellensburg, there were some TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRES.

7:47 a.m. 02/05/96: Scott Atkinson, reporting for Sunday, February 4th.
Just west of Conway along Fir Island Road, specifically just before the
90-degree bend and heading in the direction of La Conner, there was along
a small slough 10 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS. Also in this area, right at
the 90-degree bend, in a group of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS a single PACIFIC
GOLDEN PLOVER, perhaps the same one that had been frequenting the Samish
Flats earlier in the season. Then, heading northbound, near the farnhouse
and just south, in the company of several immature and adult BALD EAGLES
a single adult GOLDEN EAGLE. Also of some interest, right at the
farmhouse and in the brush adjacent, 2 SAVANNAH SPARROWS and 2
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS. Unfortunately, no sign of the RUSTY BLACKBIRD,
though, at the Wilbur Ellis Feed Lot right across on the other side of
Route 20.

3:08 p.m. 02/05/96: Chris Clue, 206-632-9170. On Saturday February 3rd,
around 4:30 in the afternoon, I observed a VIRGINIA RAIL at the Seattle
Arboretum right at the mouth of the Arboretum Waterfront Trail on Foster
Island, boucning around, jumping over logs, and coming right up to me and
a couple of other people who were all standing there watching it,
fascinated, for about 10, 15 minutes.

8:58 p.m. 02/06/96: Bob Sundstrom, reporting for February 6th. The KING
EIDER, first-winter male, was again present at the end of Hastie Lake
Road, Whidbey Island. Also lots of ANCIENT MURRELETS out from Point
Wilson at Port Townsend.