WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY BIRDBOX
16-21 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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6:48 p.m. 02/16/96: Patrick Sullivan, along with Ruth Sullivan and other
observers, reporting from Tacoma, Washington, 206/564-7419. The GREAT
GRAY OWL was again observed along Ovenell Road north of Verdonia between
6:45 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. and again from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Also, 1 GREAT
HORNED OWL was observed at 6:30 a.m. at the NE end of Ovenell Road. 1
GOLDEN EAGLE was observed and photographed at the intersection of Bayview
Edison Road and Sullivan Road on the Samish Flats.

5:16 p.m. 02/17/96: Ruth Taylor, Seattle phone number 525-6345. The GREAT
GRAY OWL was back at its usual spot this morning from about first
daylight until a little after 10 o'clock. It was on the edges of the
large field that's northwest of the intersection of Ovenell and Higgins
Road, so it was further back from spectators and apparently *has* been
recently. It was hunting and disappeared behind some brambles about 10
o'clock, couldn't be relocated, but apparently around midday today it
showed up on Ovenell Road fairly close to the road again; and at 2:30 it
disappeared back into the woods after being flushed by someone who was a
little too aggressive with a videocamera. This really is a magnificent
bird. Hope it stays around and everyone can enjoy it.

Also, the ROSS'S GOOSE was still present up on the Samish Flats. At
midday it was on the south side of Avon Allen Road about half a mile east
of the corner tavern.

8:20 P.M. 02/17/96: Ed Swan. On 02/17 the SAY'S PHOEBES were back along
Moses Cooley Road just north of the high tension power lines.

9:01 p.m. 02/17/96: Hal Opperman. The Skagit County GREAT GRAY OWL was
seen again today around 5:15 p.m. by JoLyn Edwards, myself, and about 20
other people at the same location where it's been found all week. Go west
from I-5 on Highway 20 to the Port of Skagit County Road. Turn right, or
north, for about half a mile to Ovenell Road on the left. We saw the owl
along the west edge of the first open field along the north side of
Ovenell Road. It was very close to the road. Earlier in the day we failed
to find the KING EIDER on the west side of Whidbey Island at the end of
Hastie Lake Road. We searched for it there at around 11 a.m. and again at
3 p.m.

12:42 p.m. 02/18/96: Brenda ??? , 246-1555. On Sunday, February 18th or
19th, between 9:19 and 10:19, at both times I saw a pair of EAGLES at the
north end of the SeaTac airport runway, up in the air there.

12:26 p.m. 02/19/96: Bruce Labar, 206/272-1058. I received a call on
February 18th from the Hogues, who live in Thurston County, reporting a
DICKCISSEL over at Ocean Shores. I'm at Ocean Shores at the present time.
It's about 12 o'clock. I *have* seen the DICKCISSEL. It's a female
DICKCISSEL. It is at the residence at 568 Ensign Road, and the person's
name is Norm SCHUT, S-C-H-U-T [pronounced "Shoot"]. Norm said that you
are welcome to visit his home. He'll take you inside when he's home and
you can look out at his feeders, look through all the sparrows and see
the DICKCISSEL quite easily. You don't have to call ahead of time--if
he's not there, you can walk to the right of his garage and peer into his
backyard. Do not go *into* the backyard, however. When you're there it
would be a common courtesy to leave your name and sign the little
register that he's going to start. It is a female DICKCISSEL, and he says
it's been there for about two weeks. To get to Ensign Road, get on Ocean
Shores Boulevard. If you go past the Polynesian Motel, it's the first
left. Again, 568 Ensign Road, Ocean Shores. I believe it's only the
second record in Washington for DICKCISSELS.

3:15 p.m. 02/19/96: Greg Toffic. Today at the Samish Flats at the West 90
(actually, in a field north and west of it) was a GYRFALCON feeding upon
an--- [message was cut off]

4:04 p.m. 02/19/96: Patrick Sullivan and Ruth Sullivan, along with other
birders, reporting from Tacoma, Washington, 206/564-7419. The GREAT GRAY
OWL along Ovenell Road in Skagit County was again observed today between
8:15 a.m. through 1:30 p.m. along the north side of Ovenell Road along
the edge of the forest. A ROSS'S GOOSE was observed point two [0.2] miles
west of Field and Thomas Road junction on the south side of the Jensen
Dairy along West Field Road.

7:55 a.m. 02/19/96: Russell Rogers, 935-6280. Yesterday, Sunday the 18th,
the GREAT GRAY OWL was seen again at the same location at around 2:15.
Also, on Fir Island Road, where the road takes a 90-degree bend towards
La Conner, the PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER was seen in a group of about a
hundred other BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.

8:42 a.m. 02/19/96: Vic Nelson at Point No Point at the NE tip of the
Kitsap Peninsula. On Sunday afternoon, February 18th, there was an adult
LITTLE GULL in with a small flock of BONAPARTE'S GULLS off the lighthouse.

11:33 a.m. 02/19/96: Marv Breece, 634-1725. This morning, February 19th,
at about 10 o'clock at the swimming area at Lake Sammamish State Park
were 110 DUNLIN. There was 1 EURASIAN WIGEON in with a batch, a small
flock of AMERICAN WIGEONS. Then, in a field just to the east of the
beach, were 9 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, with at least one singing along. In
the same area on Saturday in the field just west of the boat launch was a
flock of about 15-20 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS. And I failed to locate the
SWAMP SPARROW on both times.

8:54 p.m. 02/19/96: Gene Hunn, 524-8112. The Seattle Audubon's winter
tour has just gotten back. We had a number of early spring migrants: 3
SAY'S PHOEBES near Chelan Falls; 1 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW near Malotte on
the Okanagan River on the 18th of February [and] 4 WESTERN BLUEBIRDS at
the same spot; 3 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS in Snebley Coulee on the 17th and
McNeil Canyon on the 18th; 6 singing SAGE SPARROWS on Territory and
Snebley Coulee on February 17th; [and] 5 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS at the
West Foster Creek Wildlife Department feeding station, but no
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. There were virtually no SNOW BUNTINGS left on the
Waterville Plateau on the 18th and 19th. There were 100+ BURNS' ROSY
FINCHES along the eastern shore of Lake Lenore in the Grand Coulee on the
19th, an adult TRUMPETER SWAN in Ellensburg on the 17th, an immature
female SNOWY OWL east of Moses Lake near the airport on L northeast of
the usual spot on the 17th, a PYGMY OWL at the Antilon Lake snowmobile
trailhead northwest of Manson and Lake Chelan on the 19th, and a male
WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER at the same spot. There were 3 LONG-EARED OWLS on
the 18th at Lamoine in Douglas County, and a singing SAW-WHET OWL at
Beaver Marsh below Sun Mountain Lodge on the night of the 18th.

8:37 a.m. 02/20/96: Scott Atkinson, 360/691-7232. Just to augment some of
the other reports: the GREAT GRAY OWL was seen yesterday, the 18th of
February, right along Ovenell Road perched right next to the road in low
cedars around noon. Also of note, like others, a VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW
high overhead along 137th and Gitchell [sp?] Hill Road in North Lake
Stevens, that being for Sunday the 18th.

6:16 p.m. 02/20/96: Dave Beaudette, 365-2083. The DICKCISSEL at Ocean
Shores was present again today, February 20th. I saw the bird between
11:15 and noon. The address again is 568 Ensign Avenue. Ensign is spelled
E-n-s-i-g-n.

8:28 p.m. 02/20/96: Jackie Paul, 206/868-8823. I have just returned from
Tofino on Vancouver Island where I saw an adult male FALCATED TEAL this
morning. If you are interested, I'll be glad to give you directions. Or
call the Victoria or Vancouver Rare Bird Alert.

[tape last checked at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, 21 February 1996]

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