Mike Smith wrote:

>>No confirmed records exist for King Co. from the BBA. One from near
>>Lynden (Whatcom Co.), one near Mt. Vernon (Skagit Co.), one near Grand
>>Mound (Thurston Co.), and four from Sequim Prairie. Basically, breeding
>>is limited to mainly the westside prairie habitats, with a few outliers in
>>scattered agricultural areas. Singing birds are noted from a number of
>>other quads in westside prairie areas. A probable and possible record are
>>from King Co., but they could be passing through. And perhaps the
>>question that should follow is do meadowlarks sing in migration? The ones
>>I've encountered at the Fill never have. Usually just see them flying.
>>Is it appropriate to assume that meadowlarks singing are already on
>>breeding territories?

Dennis Paulson wrote:

>I've heard meadowlarks in full song while in flocks in winter in Skagit
>Co., so I'd answer "no" to the last question. We know that many birds sing
>during spring migration (shorebirds do so even at the beginning of fall
>migration), and we may not know much about meadowlarks doing this just
>because we don't see them much in migration or aren't sure of the status of
>some migrating birds. They certainly winter in areas in western WA where
>they don't breed, e.g., wintering flocks at Magnuson Park and the Hoquiam
>sewage pond (and perhaps Nisqually and Skokomish delta?).

My only Naselle (Pacific co.) yard list W. Meadowlark was a singing May
migrant a couple of years ago. It was singing and only present for about
10 minutes one sunny morning. It was next to a beautiful grassy field of
about 20 acres, however I am certain it is too wet here for a nesting
attempt.

Alan Richards / Naselle WA 98638 / USA / alanr at orednet.org
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