Tweets,
Went chasing up to the Skagit Game Range this morning hoping for the Swamp
Sparrow (a jinx bird for me). I got there at 8:30 and I had the Northern
Waterthrush where the party yesterday had it. It was calling and hopping
on the ground right at the base of the dirt trail. I started thinking that
I've now had the Northern WAterthrush twice in Skagit Co. but have missed
it twice in Okanogan Co. Something wrong here??
I was walking back to the Swamp Sparrow spot when a flock of siskins flew
in and there was one Common redpoll. Looked for the Samp Sparrow with no
luck until Kraig Kemper showed up and we heard a sparrow song that we
identified as the Swamp Sparrow, through listening to Kraig's tape. The
swamp sparrow apparently wasn't impressed! Despite only minutes before
hearing the bird sing and thinking my drought with Swamp Sparrow had come
to a glorious end, We never saw the bird. So now I have seen the tail end
of a Swamp Sparrow as it dove into the reeds and heard one sing but still
do not have a identifiable look at a Swamp Sparrow.
We went back up and heard the Waterthrush and possibly saw it fly, though
not sure, but that was it.
Boy, as I told Kraig today I'm not sure how good it would be to have the
Game Range for the Skagit CBC. Might get some awesome birds, but you might
also spend half of the evening writing up rare bird forms (Swamp Sparrow,
Northern Waterthrush, Green-tailed Towhee) maybe even Redpoll?
Have a good CBC day tomorrow and who knows what will turn up with weekend
#2,

Scott Downes
sdownes at u.washington.edu
Seattle WA