WA BIRDBOX, December 7 to December 17 (5:45pm)

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 December 7 about 6 PM.


Tuesday, December 8, 6:48 PM. This is Ruth Tyalor, 525-6345. This
afternoon at about 2:15 there were at least 2 SCRUB JAYS still at the site
in the Arboretum by the soccer fields. This is at the extreme south end of
the Arboretum. The birds were by the corner of the soccer fields, closest
to the intersection of lake wa blvd and madison. They were in the company
of 10 or 12 AMERICAN ROBINS, at least 2 VARIED THRUSES and 4 SPOTTED
TOWHEES. That's all for now, good luck and good birding.


Wednesday, December 9, 4:03 PM. Hi this is Mike Donahue. Today around 2
o'clock, I saw an adult GLAUCOUS GULL at Greenlake. It was on one of the
diving platforms by the BathHouse Theater which is on the west side of the
lake. I watched it for 20 minutes or so, at which time it flew off and
landed with some other gulls in themiddle of the lake. My phone number is
(206)323-9889.


Thursday December 10th 10:26 PM. Hi, this is Kevin Aanerud, (206)523-1695.
Birding on the morning of the 10th of December I found a COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT and two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS on the Lowell Riverfront park
which is located on the Lowell River Road SE of Everett. Also at the Two
Rivers Wildlife Mangement Area, I found two COMMON YELLOW-THROATS and two
SWAMP SPARROWS. These were found on the slough which runs parallel to
Towalco road. Those can best be seen while walking on the road south of
the reformatory farm, and then walking south past the red barn another 100
yards until the first pullout. The SWAMP SPARROWS are conspicuous with
their calls, which are high and metallic. That's all, thank you.


Friday, December 11, 8:15 PM. This is Craig Kemper (206)789-9255.
Reporting for Friday, Decmeber 11th. From Skagit County, at the Skagit
County Wildlife Management Area, at 2 o'clock, I located a SWAMP SPARROW
south of the boat launch parking lot. To find this bird, leave the SW
corner of the parking lot across the ditch and follow the hedgerow to the
right, or the west side, that seperates the cornfield from the open
grass-planted field. Proceeding south, beyond an island of tree and brush
is a footbridge on your left, 100 to 125 feet further south still on the
right or west side of the hedgerow. The bird was seen feeding in the grass
and returning to cover in the hedgerow. This is approximately halfway
between the footbridge you just passed and the one further beyond. Thank
you.


Friday December 11, 9:10 PM. Hi this is Steven Mlodinow. People might be
interested, there is a BRAMBLING at Blackie Spit which is just across the
border, it's either in or near White Rock, just inside BC. To get details
on how to find this bird, call the Vancouver Hotline at (604)737-3074. The
bird was seen today, Friday. Good luck and good birding.


Sunday, December 13, 9:42 AM The following report was received early today
from Carl Haynie.

This is a late report from Carl Haynie, 425-837-9293. There was one,
possibly two, WHITE-TAILED KITES seen in the prairie near Tenino on
Friday, Dec 11th. One bird was seen at the south end of the prairie from
the end of Mima Acres Drive looking westward. Another or the same bird
was seen off the main road just south of the entrance to Dan Darr Farms.

Stopped off at American Lake on the way home and saw the adult,
basic-plumaged, LITTLE GULL off of Harry Todd Park. It was actively
hunting in the mid afternoon.

That's all. Good luck and good birding.


Sunday December 13, 4:16 PM. Hi this is Steven Mlodinow. The BRAMBLING
was still present today at Blackie Spit at Crescent Beach in BC just
across the border. Call (604)737-3074 for details. Also, there's a
CATTLE EGRET not too far away, if you go north on 99 to Ladner Trunk which
is Route 10, go west on 10 to 88th st or 88th ave (I forget which one),
make a left on that so you're headed back south, and take that until it
ends. The last farmhouse on the left, it's in the farmyard. It does not
look well, it may not make it that much longer. That's about it, good
luck and good birding.


Monday December 14, 3:51 PM. This is Dennis Duffy. The CLAY COLORED
SPARROW that was previously reported at the end of Idey Road near Stanwood
is still there. Ted Peterson, Greg Toffic and I saw it there this morning
at precisely the same location that Steve Mlodinow reported in on the 6th
of December.


Wednesday December 16, 6:43 PM. Hello, This is Dave Beaudette
206-365-2083. This report for the afternoon of Decmber 16th and Snohomoish
County. At the wildlife area at the end of Idey Road near Stanwood the
clay colored sparrow was seen there again in a large flock of
white-crowned sparrows at the site described by Steve Mlodinow on the
birdbox on dec 6. Also in the flock was an american tree sparrow. Out in
the first field, southwest and w of the gate where you park was a horned
lark and also several short-eared owls were very conspicuous in the area.
that's all for now, Bye.


Thursday December 17, 8:43 AM. This is Bob Sundstrom, 762-4327 in Seattle.
I also visited the CLAY COLORED SPARROW spot yesterday with a group. Just
to kind of revive the location directions, at the end of Idey road, west
of Stanwood, is a state wildlife area. Idey Road runs along the west edge
of South Path, just due west of the city of Stanwood. You can park at the
end of Idey Road, and the most direct approach to where this sparrow has
been seen several times is to walk due west from where you park, cross the
field, intersect with a line of brush and small trees. We saw the CLAY
COLORED SPARROW with a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW and nearby an AMERICAN TREE
SPARROW within a couple hundred feet of where you intersect the brush line
and trees to the south. There are multiple flocks of sparrows along this
brushline and along the dikes which sort of frame the wildlife areas which
runs south along South Path and then back north again along the edge of
Port Susan Bay. At the end of the dike, if you loop around the entire U,
the dike deadends and there was another AMERICAN TREE SPARROW there. Also
in the area were a couple of very active SHORT-EARED OWLS, an adult male
light mophed ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, a YELLOW SHAFTED FLICKER, a couple of
SLATE COLORED JUNCOS, a MERLIN, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, and there are also some
duck hunters well tucked away in blinds who were a bit surprised at the
multiple uses of the area.

On the same day at the Samish Flats just north of the West90 of the Samish
T there was a PRARIE FALCON on a fence post.