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 Thursday, April 23, 1998,
at 4:43 p.m.


April 23, 1998, Thursday, 5:26 p.m. This is Bob Morse in Olympia, (360)
943-8600, with a report from Bowerman Basin. This morning there were 2
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS down there. They appear to be the same birds
that were down in Ocean Shores a few days earlier. Also, the reports
seem to be a large number of shorebirds seeking to come in to the
Bowerman Basin/Gray's Harbor area just in time for the Shorebird
Festival which starts Friday and goes through Sunday.

April 23, 1998, Thursday, 9:12 p.m. Hi, this is Steve Mlodinow. Wayne
Weber and I bumped into each other out on Ebey Island, along Home Acres
Road, just south of U.S. 2 at the pond which had had 2 SOLITARY
SANDPIPERS, still has 2 SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, along with 6 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, a number of LEAST, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, DUNLINS, SNIPE,
GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and that's about it. Good luck and good birding.

April 24, 1998, Friday, 5:41 p.m. Hi, this is Mike Blew in Renton. And
today at the Jade Green Golf Course in East Auburn, I had a VAUX'S SWIFT
and a MYRTLE WARBLER. Thanks.

April 26, 1998, Sunday, 8:07 p.m. Hi, this is Steve Mlodinow. Dennis
Duffey and I today went up Whidbey Island and then came back down
through a sort of spots in Skagit, Stanwood and Everett. Had 120
species, 107 of which were seen by noon. The highlights included a
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD and AMERICAN BITTERNS back on private property
on Whidbey Island. There were 2 HOUSE WRENS at Fort Casey State Park.
At a muddy and flooded field, just outside of Coupeville heading towards
Crockett Lake, there was a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, a LAPLAND LONGSPUR, a
HORNED LARK, a flock of 50 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and a LESSER
YELLOWLEGS. At March Point, there was a WHIMBREL and a somewhat
out-of-place CASSIN'S VIREO. Padilla Bay had 5,000+ BRANT. Near Sedro
Wooley at the Green Road Pond, that area is now overgrown so that the
TUFTED DUCK is undoubtedly gone, but there was an AMERICAN BITTERN and a
SORA rail there. At the pond on Ebey Island, there were 10 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS and at Penn Cove back on Whidbey Island, there was a flock of
300 BLACK TURNSTONES, 30 SURFBIRDS and 1 RUDDY TURNSTONE. That's it.
Good luck and good birding.

April 26, 1998, Sunday, 9:13 p.m. Sightings at Nisqually National
Wildlife Refuge on April 21 from Patrick Sullivan, phone (253) 564-7419.
1 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, 1 SOLITARY SANDPIPER, 7 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 2
LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 4 CINNAMON TEAL, 1 MERLIN, 2 SORA, and 1 AMERICAN
BITTERNS. Thank you.

April 26, 1998, Sunday, 10:42 p.m. Hello, this is Dave Beaudette, (206)
365-2083. On April 24, at the Stevens Pass Ski Area in King County,
seen and heard around the buildings were 54 EVENING GROSBEAKS, many RED
CROSSBILLS and several WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS. On the night of April
24, 2 LONG-EARED OWLS were heard calling most of the night at the main
entrance to Steamboat Rock State Park in Grant County. At dawn, a
GREAT-HORNED OWL was also heard here. This is at mile mark 15.5 on
State Route 155. And on the morning of April 25, 2 eastern BLUE JAYS
were seen in the City of Grand Coulee in Grant County. From Spokane
Way, head east on Hill Avenue for a little over .2 of a mile, where Hill
Avenue makes a sharp, right turn. Take the unlabeled dirt road to the
left here for a little over .4 of a mile, to a wooded draw. The birds
were seen here. Bye.

April 26, 1998, Sunday, 11:03 p.m. Hi, this is Sam Terry at (206)
329-9038. Today, birding around the greenbelts by my house in Madrona,
Seattle, had 2 WILSON'S WARBLERS, 2 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, several
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, a TOWNSEND'S
WARBLER, 1 HERMIT THRUSH, 1 MERLIN, 1 CASSIN'S VIREO. And at Langus
Riverfront Park in Everett, there were 4 CASPIAN TERNS this morning.
That's it. Bye.

April 27, 1998, Monday, 8:26 a.m. Hello, this is Scott Atkinson. Just
wanted to call in and say that I had my first HAMMOND'S FLYCATHER of the
season this morning in Lake Stevens at a place along the Getchell Road.
Also, plenty of BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS through the area. I had my
first one of those a week ago today. Both arrivals, in this case, a
little bit late. Also, driving south on I-5 by the Everett Sewage Ponds
this morning into work, had an OSPREY overhead. That's all.
This transcription completed by Franny Drobny on Monday, April 27, 1998,
at 11:01 a.m.