The Washington BirdBox is a voice mailbox sponsored by the Washington
Ornithological Society. To leave a report about a notable sighting or
to listen to the most recent reports from other birders, call
(425)454-2662 and follow the prompts.
Transcribed by Franny Drobny, Seattle, Washington,
fdrobny at cairncross.com, phone (206) 286-1695 evenings. Please contact
me by e-mail if you have any corrections, comments, or questions.
Mailbox previously checked by Franny Drobny on Friday, April 17, 1998,
at 3:10 p.m., by Franny Drobny.


April 18, 1998, Saturday, 10:28 a.m. Hi, this Jean Wilkinson and
yesterday at the Montlake Fill I saw my first SORA at the little pond
they just cleaned out last year at the northern edge. Anyway, and I
also saw about 5 AMERICAN PIPITS.

April 18, 1998, Saturday, 6:05 p.m. Hi, this is Steve Mlodinow. Today
Ted Peterson, Dennis Duffey, Jason Starfire and myself went out and
birded from Skagit Headquarters down to Everett. The highlight of the
day was on Ebey Island. We had 2 SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, 3 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS and a number of GREATER YELLOWLEGS, DOWITCHERS, and SNIPE at
a flooded field on Ebey Island. To get there, take U.S. 2 east from
Everett. Go south on Home Acres Road. Go past the first turn, which
goes off to your left, and leads you to a little slough, keep on going
straight and it is basically the first flooded field on your left and it
should be full of shorebirds and TEAL. You'll know you're at the right
place then. Other birds today were 2 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at Spencer
Island, 24 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at the Game Range and that's actually
about it. Oh, that flooded field on Ebey Island also had a BLACK DUCK.
That's it. Good luck and good birding.

April 18, 1998, Saturday, 6:24 p.m. This is David Beatty in Hoquiam.
It's about 6:25 on Saturday and I am looking out my window down at
Bowerman Basin and there are 2 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS swimming in the
water. They have been seen by several other people in the last couple
of days. Thank you.

April 19, 1998, Sunday, 4:33 a.m. Hello, this is Dave Beaudette at
(206) 365-2083. On Saturday, the 18th of April, I went on the Hawk
Watch International Field Trip to Mount Erie. Mount Erie is in Skagit
County, several miles south of Anacortes. Seen were 1 RED-TAILED HAWK,
2 AMERICAN KESTRELS, 5 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 6 TURKEY VULTURES, 5 BALD
EAGLES, 2 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 1 COOPER'S HAWK, and also a TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRE. Catch you later. Bye.

April 19, 1998, Sunday, 1:03 p.m. Hello, this is Scott Atkinson. Just
wanted to report my first PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATHER of the season. I
found it yesterday at our place here in North Lake Stevens along the
Getchell Road that runs east towards Granite Falls. I had another
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATHER today up near Lake Cavanaugh. This is extreme
southern Skagit County. Also on the Skagit today, I had a PECTORAL
SANDPIPER in with various other shorebird species at the Jensen access
to the Skagit Wildlife Management area, and a flock of about 175
AMERICAN PIPITS along the Dodge Valley Road. This is near La Conner.
Good birding.

April 19, 1998, Sunday, 2:52 p.m. This is Stuart McKay, (206) 729-8031.
An adult summer plumaged BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen today at Montlake
Fill. The bird is flying and foraging in Union Bay. He was first
located at 10:15 a.m. this morning and viewed from a distance of as
close as 50 yards for about half an hour. The bird was seen again at
1:00 p.m. and was last seen at 1:55.

April 19, 1998, Sunday, 8:29 p.m. Hi, Ed Deal in Seattle, 723-4742.
Mid-day today in Cougar Mountain County Park in King County, there was a
male RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER. To reach this site, start from the Red Towne
trailhead and follow the map to trail W-11. The SAPSUCKER was about 50
yards west of a recent clear-cut activity. Look for a number of trees
with fresh SAPSUCKER holes. Good luck and good birding.

April 19, 1998, Sunday, 9:02 p.m. Hi, this is Steven Mlodinow. This
evening I went out to Ebey Island and the Snohomish Sewage Ponds. The
pond on Ebey Island described in my message from yesterday did not have
the SOLITARY SANDPIPERS today, but did have six LESSER YELLOWLEGS. At
the Snohomish Sewage Ponds, I had my first VAUX'S SWIFT of the spring.
Good luck and good birding.

April 20, 1998, Monday, 9:06 a.m. Hi, this is Greg Toffic. Yesterday I
birded the Snohomish and Everett area. I stopped at the flooded fields
along Home Acres Road on Ebey Island. There are quite a number of
shorebirds there. Many SNIPE, both YELLOWLEGS, a few KILLDEER and
DUNLIN, at least 1 WESTERN SANDPIPER, and a flock of about 35 AMERICAN
PIPITS. I couldn't find the SOLITARY SANDPIPER. The BLACK DUCK was
there as well as a CINNAMON TEAL. At the Everett Sewage Ponds, at the
ditch that goes along the north end of the ponds along the bank, there
was another female BLACK DUCK that was apparently paired with a MALLARD
DUCK/BLACK DUCK hybrid. That's it. Good luck and good birding.

This transcription completed on Monday, April 20, 1998, at 11:03 a.m.,
by Franny Drobny.