WA BIRDBOX, December 3 to December 7 (about 6 PM)


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.

To place a message on the BirdBox via email: send the message as you want
it read to Hal Opperman, halop at accessone.com with a cc to the person who
is transcribing at the time. This is a service to those living in the long
distance calling area. It may involve a delay in getting the message on
the phone as most of us do not monitor our email constantly.

Transcribed by Susan Collicott, Seattle, WA, camel at serv.net, (206)440-0585

I welcome corrections such as pointing out the mangling of place and
persons names.

BirdBox previously accessed Saturday, 11-28 about 5 PM.


Thursday, 12/3/98 7:11 PM. Michael Priba 206.623.7798 I haven't listened
to the birdbox in a couple of weeks, so I don't know if anyone has left a
report on this bird, but there is this year as there has been for the past
several, a LITTLE GULL on American Lake in Pierce County. My wife and I
saw it from Harry Todd Park which is in Tillicum on the south side of the
lake off of I-5. Take the North Thorn Lake exit. Thanks, good bye and good
luck.


Friday, 12/4/98 8:09 AM. Hello, this is Dave Beaudette. 206-365-2083. This
report for December 3rd and in King County. A SWAMP SPARROW was seen
along the Green River Trail in Kent. From S228th Street, go south on
Russell Road, park when the road bends to the left. This is the historic
site called the Nealy Homestead. Access to the trail is here, the SWAMP
SPARROW was seen in willows along the river in the company of 6 LINCOLN
SPARROWS, 40 DARK-EYED JUNCOS, 15 GAMBLE'S WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS and 10
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. At Lake Sammamish State Park a HERMIT THRUSH was
seen in brush under the cottonwoods just north of the NW Sammamish Road
bridge over Issaquah Creek. At Mercer Slough park in Bellevue a
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen with other sparrows along the road that
goes to the (?) boat launch. This road leaves the east side of Bellevue
way SE just north of I90. That's all for now, bye


Friday, 12/4/98 9:47 AM. Hi this is Stephen Mlodinow. I'm reporting for
some sightings from Steve Pink and Jim Flynn yesterday on a visit to Lyle.
An ACORN WOODPECKERr was present just west of Lyle near Baltz Lake at the
acorn storage tree that the birds have been frequenting over the last few
months. Also the TUFTED DUCK was still present at the Bengin Marina with
some SCAUP. That's it, good luck and good birding.

Friday, 12/4/98 11:25 AM. Good morning, this is Dave Beaudette. Revision
on how to find the SWAMP SPARROW in Kent. I had forgotten that the Russell
Road had been blocked off on the north end, so approach this area from the
south. From Meeker street, head north on Russell road 4/10 of a mile to
where the road makes a right angle to the right, park in this area, and
walk the trail several blocks to the west to find the bird. You can bird
along the area in that area. Good luck and good birding.


Saturday 12/5/98 7:41 PM. Hi, this is Stephen Mlodinow. Today Jim Flynn,
Steve Pink and I hit various gull spots. Started at American Lake where
the LITTLE GULL made an appearance around 8:30 or 9 in the morning from
Harry Todd Park. Get off at the Thorn Lake Exit and there will be signs to
direct you. We then hit the Tacoma Rendering plant which has hosted
SLATY-BACKED GULLS in previous winters and there's a nice variety of birds
there with an unusually large number of apparently pure WESTERN GULLS,
maybe 10 or so. Alas, nothing more interesting, and we could not refind
the tukwila vega HERRING GULL later in the day. Yesterday, Steve Pink had
a BROWN PELICAN off of Swantown on Whidby Island.


Sunday, 12/6/98 8:24 AM. Good morning, Bill Shelmerdine, Olympia,
866-9106, and this morning on the water just off of Boston Harbor is a
BROWN PELICAN. Good luck.

Sunday, 12/6/98 11:52 AM. This is Dennis Duffy. This morning Ted Peterson
and I saw a SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER off the Edmond's waterfront, it was
flying southward.


Monday, 12/7/98 4:10 PM. Hi this is Stephen Mlodinow. Today I spent 5
hours birding the Stillaguamish Delta and the north end of Camano Island.
It was an extremely birdy day with lots of highlights, the best of which
was a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW. This bird was at the end of Ide road. To get
to this area, go west from Stanwood towards Camano Island. After the
first bridge, turn sharply to your left at Ide Road. Go to the end of the
road and park. You're now at the parking lot for a wildlife management
area. This wildlife management area is essentially shaped like a big "U",
with the outer dikes forming a horseshoe pointing essentially south.
Bisecting this big "U" is a line of blackberry brambles and alders. For
those of you who may remember last winter's VESPER SPARROW, this is the
same location that the VESPER SPARROW was at. After parking, cross the
field to the line of brush and walk it heading south. The bird was in a
large mixed flock of sparrows including up to 100 SAVANNAH SPARROWS, and a
number of JUNCOS, some WHITE-CROWNEDS and GOLDEN CROWNEDS. The bird seemed
to most likely to be travelling with the juncos. There was a
SLATE-COLORED JUNCO and one WHITE-THROATED SPARROW were also present in
this area and there was a HARLAN'S HAWK as well. Other highlights included
7 EARED GREBES and a CLARKE'S GREBE in Lisalady bay at the north end of
Camano. The CLARKE'S GREBE was viewed from Utsalady Point which is at the
west end of the bay. The road to the boat launch at Utsalady Point there
was an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.

On Bow Road south of Stanwood there was a YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER and an
adult striped WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in a line of blackberries and other
brush just before a light butter-colored house. The row of brush is
heading north from Bow Road.

Lastly in a flooded field NW of Savannah, there 25 LEAST SANDPIPERS, which
is a good count at this time of year, as well as 50 WATER PIPPINS.



Monday, 12/7/98 5:25 PM. Hello, this is Dave Beaudette 206-365-2083. This
report for the 6th of December and the Carnation Valley and King County.
In the fields southeast of the intersection of West Snoqualmie Road NE and
the NE Woodinville-Duvall Road were two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS. In a
muddy pasture across the road from 17112 West Snoqualmie River Road was a
flock of 7 LEAST SANDPIPERS. And a HARLAN'S HAWK was seen just west of
the Nestle Regional Training Center on the NE Carnation Farm Road and
another WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen along the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.
>From State Route 203 just north of Carnation, park at mile mark 7.3 and
walk north along the trail about half a mile to the second bridge. The
bird was seen there. Good luck and good birding. Bye