Hi, Tweets

Following is a belated March summary of turkey vulture sightings in
Washington and British Columbia.

6th - 1, downtown Seattle (!)
7th - 2, Bellevue
8th - 4, Anacortes; 4, Deception Pass; 4 Whidbey Island
14th - 2, Guemes Island
15th - 1, Ridgefield NWR: 1, Mud Bay inlet: 1, Chuckanut Drive; 9 Mima
Mounds;
11, along the Chehalis River; 3, Centralia/Chehalis; 1, Miracle Beach, B.C.
17th - 2, Nisqually NWR
20th - 5, ??
22d - 1, Bainbridge Island; 1, Chimacum; 1 Stanwood
26th - 1, Olympia; 10, ??
27th - 1, Nanaimo; 2, Alex Fraser Bridge, both B.C.
28th - 1, Deception Pass; 2, Surrey, B.C.; 1 Smithson Road (nr. Ellensburg)
29th - 2, San Juan Island; 4, Rosberg; 2, Cathlamet

The total vultures reported for March is 80. All but one were from west of
the Cascades (although there have been two reports in April from the east
side).

The Oregon Rare Bird Alert reported on the 26 March that "flocks of
vultures are now moving north." My guess is that most of the *flocks* will
be arriving here in April (after cruising the Oregon freeways, perhaps?).
Comments from locals during our fall migration watch seem to verify that
flocks of turkey vultures are much more in evidence in April than earlier.

If anyone knows of turkey vulture nesting sites, these locations would be
much appreciated for our records. The locations will not be given out to
anyone.

I hope you will continue to send in sightings throughout April and into
May. It is much appreciated and is helping to give us a much broader
picture of vulture migration through Washington and into Canada. Thanks to
everyone for your help.

Regards, Diann

Diann MacRae
Olympic Vulture Study
tvulture at halcyon.com