WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY BIRDBOX
11-18 January 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 become a member of 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.

Please note that the Seattle Audubon Rare Bird Alert is out of service
with technical problems. Service will be restored as soon as possible.

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5:59 p.m. 01/11/96: Patrick Sullivan from Tacoma, Washington,
206-564-7419. Along the Samish Flats in Skagit County along Samish Island
Road one gray-phased GYRFALCON was observed today, along with three
PEREGRINE FALCONS. Along Sullivan Road to the south of Samish Island Road
one PRAIRIE FALCON was observed. Also in the vicinity, 38 BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVERS were observed, with one PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER along Fir Island
Road. One HARRIS SPARROW was observed along North Mann Road in a flock of
WHITE-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. At the Edmonds Fishing Pier,
one HEERMAN'S GULL was still present. At the Two Rivers Wildlife
Management Area in Snohomish County, south of Monroe, one HARRIS SPARROW
was observed, along with four WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS in a small, loose
flock of WHITE-CROWNED, GOLDEN-CROWNED, SONG, and LINCOLN'S SPARROWS at
the south end of the first field to the south of the parking lot.

9:21 p.m. 01/11/96: Bob Sundstrom, 762-4327. The male KING EIDER was
still present at the west end of Hastie Lake Road on Whidbey Island about
500 yards out on the afternoon, probably--[call was cut off]

9:56 a.m. 01/12/96: Patrick Sullivan reporting from Tacoma, Washington,
206-564-7419. One WILLET was observed at high tide at the south end of
Ellis Cove in Olympia, Thurston County.

7:31 p.m. 01/13/96: Richard Ewell, 206-282-3758. The first-winter male
KING EIDER was still present at 11 a.m. January 13th, Saturday, at the
same place on Whidbey Island.

10:14 p.m. 01/13/96: Mike Wile from Redmond, 868-4679. Just to report on
a trip to Whidbey Island today: The first highlight was up by Crockett's
Lake at the ferry dock. Had a SHORT-EARED OWL harassing the GREEN-WINGED
TEAL on the lake. Second was to head over to the [western] side to the
KING EIDER. Unfortunately was unable to find the KING EIDER but did have
a pair of OLDSQUAW out about a hundred yards offshore there.

5:15 p.m. 01/14/96: Gene Hunn, 524-8112, reporting that today and
yesterday afternoons at the Long Acres race track south of Boeing
Building 25-01 at 1301 SW 16th Street, we could not find the TREE SPARROW
(though it's probably still in there somewhere), but did have a
SHORT-EARED OWL, a KESTREL, an adult male COOPER'S HAWK, a HARRIER, and
four SAVANNAH SPARROWS amongst the rest of the sparrow flock.

6:23 p.m. 01/14/96: Ruth Sullivan, updating the DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER
in Newport. The bird was sighted on the morning of the 13th at 9 a.m. and
also at 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. He was sighted on Nye Street between 8th and
12th Street NW in a gully. In the gully they have a bike [path], so you
wouldn't have any problem to find it.

9:38 p.m. 01/14/96: Jim Flynn in Renton at 772-5568. I just wanted to
report that the GREAT GRAY OWL at Deer Lake in Vancouver is still present
as of Saturday the 13th about 9 a.m. in the morning. Also in the lower
B.C. area is a gray-phased GYRFALCON north of the intersection of 27B and
41B Streets between Ladner and Tsawwassen. Locally, Sunday the 14th there
was a MOCKINGBIRD still at White Center in King County. For information
on that bird and permission to find the bird in the backyard, call Anne
Tyler at 244-9742. Also in the Seattle area were 17 SURFBIRDS and one
BLACK TURNSTONE on the rocks along Alki Avenue.

11:54 p.m. 01/14/96: Alan Grinnon, 323-5640. Today, or actually on the
14th, Alan Clark and I went up to Whidbey Island, and at the end of
Hastie Lake Road in the usual spot was the KING EIDER between about 12:30
and 1:15.

8:56 a.m. 01/15/96: Steve Mlodinow. A belated message from the 13th of
January. Cathy Castlein, Dave Lauten, my brother Mike, and I had a
WHITE-TAILED KITE at the west side of sounds like LaBam right along
Highway 6. The bird was hanging around the freeway right at the "Entering
LaBam" sign.

3:35 p.m. 01/15/96: Steve Pink, 206-603-0736. Over the weekend I saw the
BRAMBLING again, still present on Saturday at Naselle. At Ridgefield on
Sunday the 14th of January, the VERMILION FLYCATCHER was still in the
same location, as were the two RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS. Also saw an Emperor
Goose in Portland. Details of the location of that are on the Oregon
hotline, which is 503-292-0661.

6:18 p.m. 01/15/96: Dave Beaudette, 365-2083. On the morning of January
15th, the HARRIS'S SPARROW was still present at the Two Rivers Wildlife
Management Area. And on the afternoon of January 15th, seen from the
Edmonds/Kingston ferry, was a SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER. The bird was about
a third of the way across the Sound from Edmonds.

8:37 p.m. 01/16/96: Alex Cruise, 322-0704 in Seattle. I'm calling to
report on a trip from southern British Columbia. I found a GREAT GRAY OWL
today in Burnaby at Deer Lake Park, and we were able to get very good
looks close up. And also we went to Reifel Wildlife Refuge, and we saw a
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL on the ??? [Eastman] trail about ten feet above the
second bench.

8:50 a.m. 01/18/96: Sharon Eslick, 938-2594. I'm reporting a sighting of
two eagles at Alki Beach at the corner of 63rd and Alki AVenue SW. There
is a tree on the beach side and there are two eagles up in it that have
the white--I'm pretty sure they're BALD EAGLES--that have the white on
the top; their whole head and partly down their neck is white. They were
just sitting up there, looking out. About a month ago, I saw one up
there, but this morning there were two up there. Anyway, in case you're
interested...they really were beautiful.