Transcribed by Lisa M. Smith
subplot at u.washington.edu
phone: (206) 523-9229

The Washington BirdBox is a voice mailbox sponsored by the Washington
Ornithological Society. To leave a message about a notable sighting, or
to listen to the 12 most recent messages, call (206) 454-2662 and follow
the prompts. First-time BirdBox users may find it convenient, before
calling, to review the status of Washington's chickadee species.

[Mailbox previously checked at 6 p.m. on Friday, 31 January 1997.]

10:25 a.m. 02-01-97: Steve Pink, Andy Stepniewski, and Jim Flynn reporting
from Cheney, near Spokane, to confirm that the HAWK OWL is still present,
in company with 4 PINE GROSBEAK and a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE. The bird is
located in the East Washington University complex. The street is
Washington Street, and it was approximately 100 yards south of the sports
facility, close to Elm Street, which crosses Washington Avenue. Thanks,
good luck and good birding, and please come look at it. It's great! Bye.

5:39 p.m. 02-01-97: Fred Bird. On Saturday, February first, at 11 o'clock,
the ROSS'S GOOSE was still at the Clay Street marsh in Auburn. And,
interestingly, there is a SNOW GOOSE up in a flock of Canadas near the
Kent Pond (the old Kent Pond), but from the Russell Road side very close
to what used to be the pea patch, which is now all that new development
that they're doing in there--good development, I hope. Good to see that
bird first and then go down to see the ROSS'S GOOSE. They're very
different. A lot of ??? [could not understand this word] also in that
flock of Canadas. That's all.

9:34 p.m. 02-01-97: Scott Downes, 361-7073. I went up to the Sequim area
today, and at the end of Point Williams Road we had an EARED GREBE. If you
continue on down Schmuck Road to where I believe it's called the Batelle
Research area where the 10 MARBLED GODWITS were reported on the Christmas
Bird Count, we had 1 MARBLED GODWIT today. And at about 5 o'clock, at the
end of Seahurst Lane off Golden Gardens there, we did in fact have the
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK sitting in a tree. That's about it. Good luck and good
birding.

8:04 a.m. 02-02-97: Dave Swayne, 932-6603. I finally found the TREE
SPARROWS at the Skagit Wildlife Management area. There were a total of
five of them up there in the second hedgerow away from the river. Also,
the 4 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS are still there. A couple of PEREGRINES flew
over, and the first sign of spring for me--a TREE SWALLOW, right over the
boat ramp parking lot.

10:13 a.m. 02-02-97: Gary Bletch, 360/853-7203. Yesterday, the COMMON
EIDER was again seen up in Vancouver. I saw it right at Jericho Park,
right near the large mansion that's been converted into a senior senior
there, in a big flock of SCOTERS. That was at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
Then it flew to the west when it was flushed by some kayakers. The bird
can be real hard to find according to the locals. It moves around a lot on
that shoreline. Thanks. Good-bye.

1:42 p.m. 02-02-97: Dave Swayne, 932-6603. Sunday at about 12:30 just east
of the airport [see correction in next message], which is just outside
Snohomish, there was a white-morph GYRFALCON, a beautiful bird--not quite
as white as the books show it. It's got a little, faint mustache mark--
actually, a very strong one--dark superciliary line, but essentially a
white and black bird, about the same shading--maybe slightly darker--than
an immature Snowy Owl.

1:48 p.m. 02-02-97: Dave Swayne again. Concerning the previous message (or
actually the next one you'll hear), I'm sorry I said the bird was east of
the airport. It's not. It was *west* of the airport, in a large deciduous
tree out in the agricultural area.

2:09 p.m. 02-02-97: Scott Downes, 361-7073. Today, I did some birding at
the University of Washington Arboretum. In among ??? [sounds like a nice,
little] mixed flock of 2 YELLOW-RUMPED and a TOWNSEND'S, I was able to
relocate the BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER. This was fairly close to the
original spot of the female BLACK AND WHITE, about halfway between the
footbridge and where the marsh field starts in the Arboretum. That's about
it. Thanks, good luck, and good birding.

2:27 p.m. 02-02-97: David Buckley in West Seattle, 937-2541. I wanted to
report that the ROCK SANDPIPER was relocated around 2 o'clock today, along
the 1300 block of Alki Avenue, which is just west of Duwamish Head. It was
with about 8 SURFBIRDS at the time.

[Mailbox last checked at 8 p.m. on Sunday, 2 February 1997.]