WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY BIRDBOX
8-16 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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6:59 p.m. 02/08/96: Paul Cousins. On September [must have meant February]
8th at about 4:45 p.m. across from the sewage treatment plant at Alki
were 11 SURFBIRDS.

9:03 a.m. 02/10/96: Pat McShea. I live in Seattle on Beacon Hill, and I
wanted to report a SLATE-COLORED JUNCO in my backyard. He was here about
a week ago, and he's been here today with several other OREGON JUNCOS. I
realize they're all the same species, but this is an unusual sighting for
me, anyway. If you want to contact me, my number in Seattle is 763-2052.

7:58 p.m. 02/10/96: Ed Deal, 723-4742, area code 206. This morning on the
Samish Flats from about 9 to 10 in the morning, there was a PRAIRIE
FALCON just northwest of the west 90-degree bend in Samish Island Road.

9:17 p.m. 02/10/96: Beck Elan. There's a small group of BARROW'S
GOLDENEYE on the Redmond-Falls City Road around milepost 20 in one of the
new flooded areas. And on the Duvall-Carnation Road along the Snoqualmie
River there's a flock of TRUMPETER SWANS. Also, TURKEY VULTURES have been
sighted there.

10:13 p.m. 02/10/96: Jim Flynn in Renton, 772-5568. I just wanted to
report that the YELLOW-BILLED LOON is still present at the John Wayne
Marina on Sequim Bay. It was seen today at approximately 11:30 a.m. by
Marvin Breece and myself. There are many COMMON LOONS in the area also,
so you'll have to look around near the mouth of the marina where the
boats leave to go out of the bay.

9:45 a.m. 02/11/96: Dave Lauten, 286-1623. Cathy Castlebaum and [I] went
to Port Townsend on February 10th. Went to Point Wilson and took the
ferry across from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island. There was at least 1
ANCIENT MURRELET in with the many, many MARBLED MURRELETS off the ferry,
and there [were] many COMMON MURRES and RED-NECKED GREBES feeding in the
riptide. Quite an exciting ferry ride for half an hour and a dollar
seventy-five!

10:50 p.m. 02/11/96: Steve Giles, 783-9346. Today on the Samish Flats at
the intersection of Bradley and Allan West Road at approximately 8:30
a.m. in a flooded field was a first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL. It lay around
in the morning, most of the morning in fact. The PRAIRIE FALCON was still
present at the West 90.

10:16 a.m. 02/12/96: Bob Norton in Port Angeles, 360/928-3053. The KING
EIDER was observed at Hastie Lake Road by a number of people on Saturday,
the 10th of February.

5:26 p.m. 02/12/96: Hal Opperman, reporting on a posting on Tweeters by
Dennis Paulson about half an hour ago. He had received a telephone call
from Bud Anderson reporting a GREAT GRAY OWL east of Bayview in Skagit
County. To find it, go west on Highway 20 from I-5. Turn right, or north,
onto Porter-Skagit County Road. At about one-half mile on the left, or
west side--go left, I should say, on the left side of Ovenell Road, and
that's the general vicinity where it was found. It had been in trees
along the road today. Evan and Anne Maxwell apparently found it in the
afternoon on 11 February.

10:56 a.m. 02/13/96: Toby Andrews. The GREAT GRAY OWL was at the location
that was described by Hal yesterday. Very easy to find, very easy to
see. He was low--probably about five feet off the ground. The directions
are a little bit different: you take the Higgins Road, which is the
Skagit County Industrial Park entrance. Go up to Ovenell and take a left,
then go down about a quarter of a mile. It's like I said--very, very
simple, right off of Highway 20. 451-4782.

6:25 p.m. 02/13/96: Steve Pink, 603-0736. The GREAT GRAY OWL was still
present this evening, at least until 5 p.m. Great bird!

9:13 a.m. 02/14/96: Today is February 14th. Dave Beaudette, 365-2083.
Just letting you know that the GREAT GRAY OWL was again present this
morning from 7:36 to 7:45 along the L Road [Ovenell Road?] in Skagit
Valley. Great look at the bird eating a Townsend's Vole!

4:38 p.m. 02/14/96: Evelyn Peasley, 782-9018. On today, Wednesday the
14th, in the afternoon at the Skagit Wildlife area there were 2 TREE
SWALLOWS on the loop trail at the headquarters.

6:17 p.m. 02/14/96: Alan Grinnon, 323-3979. On February 11th, Allen Clark
and I went to American Lake between Tacoma and Olympia and saw 1 LITTLE
GULL still present among the BONAPARTE'S GULLS.

10:45 a.m. 02/15/96: Anne Kunya [sp?]. It's Thursday the 15th, and this
morning the GREAT GRAY OWL is still present up on L Road with the
directions previously described. He's exactly where people had said [he]
would be. A small group of us observed the owl from about ten minutes til
seven (so we got there just after dawn) until 7:30 when it started
hawking around--"owling" around--and hunting in the same area. Easy to
see. He even sat on a fence post right along the highway there.

12:23 p.m. 02/15/96: Russell Rogers, 935-6280. Yesterday at about 3:15
p.m., while [I was] stuck in traffic on the West Seattle Bridge, a
gray-phased GYRFALCON flew over heading north, flew over the city and out
of sight.

[tape last checked on Friday, 16 February, at 5:30 p.m.]