Subject: WA BIRDBOX, December 17 to December 31 (5:45pm)
Date: Dec 31 17:20:15 1998
From: "Susan L. Collicott" - camel at serv.net



(Apologies all around - I *really* mangled names this time as I can't find
my WOS listings. All my belongings are packed in boxes, in order to be
moved. Please forgive me, I mean no insult to your names.)

Happy New Year to all!

WA BIRDBOX, December 17 to December 31 (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 17 about 6 PM.


December 18, 4:30 PM. This is Bill Shelmerdine. 8?6-9106 Today there was
a first year GLAUCOUS GULL in amongst the other gulls in the Mud Bay Area.
The birds were concentrated around the Chum Salmon run into Perry Creek
which is on the North and West side of Mud Bay. Good luck and good
birding.

December 19, 7:53 PM. Hi, this is Steven Mlodinow. Today Dennis Duffy,
Same Carey and I spent a windblown desperate day on San Juan Island. A
good passage of birds was going past Cattle Point, and despite the high
wind we were able to actually identify a couple of them, including 50 or
so ANCIENT MURRELETS in about a 10 minute period, and 2 PHALAROPES
(presumably RED PHALAROPES). At the Lime Kiln Park area, we had in excess
of 100 VARIED THRUSHES, and about 13 HERMIT THRUSHES, and that's about it.
Good luck and good birding.


December 19, 10:41 PM. Hi, this is Jim Flynn (206) 772-5568. I just
wanted to pass on a 2nd or 3rd hand report that there was a SNOWY OWL at
the Renton Airport within the last couple days. Apparently it was seen at
the north end of the airport first, and then at the south end but hasn't
been relocated since. But it still could be in the area, so keep your
eyes peeled. Thanks, bye.


December 20, 6:23 PM. Hi, this is Steven Mlodinow. The cold weather has
brought a lot of shorebirds to the Everett waterfront. Most of these
probably came from surrounding fields. The biggest highlight locally were
4 BLACK TURNSTONES which are listed 'annual' in the county. Other
interesting numbers included 26 WESTERN SANDPIPERS and 8 LEAST SANDPIPERS
as well as a COMMON SNIPE feeding on tidal flats. That's it, good luck
and good birding!


December 23, 5:22 PM. Bob Norton 360-928-3053. There are 2 SKYLARKS near
Sequim in Clallum County. There is also a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD near there.
The directions are too complicated to get into in the 90 seconds allowed.
So you will have to call myself or you will have to call Bob B?hide
360-928-3053. Bob B?hide and Patrick Sullivan originally saw the SKYLARKS
on the Sequim/Dungeness CBC. Bob saw them again yesterday, and realized
what they were and today they were seen by him by the Sullivans (and Ruth
got pictures) by Judy Mololle as well as by myself.


December 23, 7:08 PM. Hello, this is Scott Atkinson (206) 612-8241 For
those of you who didn't get the message on Tweeters, the Sequim/Dungeness
CBC was held last Monday, December 21st. Despite moderate snowfall in the
morning hours, the count recorded a preliminary 142 species. We're still
awaiting receipt of details on a couple of the more unusual ones and also
reports from the last two parties. Highlights included the continuing
EMPEROR GOOSE and second winter GLAUCOUS GULL at the Olympic Game Farm and
a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD and two SKYLARKS as mentioned by Bob Norton in the
previous message, along Anderson Road. And Bob ? does have the best
directions, information. The SKYLARKS are the first for the Olympic
Penninsula and are apparently of the resident race that is naturalized on
southern Vancouver Island and San Juan Islands. Also an apparent second
winter KUMLIEN'S ICELAND GULL was reported by Gene Hunn and others from
the tip of the Dungenss Spit. Other highlights include a BLUE GROUSE up
Johnson Creek off Happy Valley Road (this is just south of Sequim) and 3
late SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS along West Sequim Bay in a couple locations,
those being Blinn and the John Wayne Marina. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER at
the base of Klein Spit, this is off Marine View Drive, in the immediate
Dungeness community. A female BLUE-WINGED TEAL at the private hunting
site at Gray's Marsh, and that is it.


December 26, 1:45 PM. Hi this is Brent Grissham (206) 329-4194. Today,
December 26th at 11am, I saw a BARN SWALLOW feeding at American Lake
across from Harry Todd Park. Thanks, good luck and good birding.


December 26, 2:12 PM. Hi, this is Steve Mlodinow. Today Greg Toffic and
I birded from the game range up to the Sammish Flats. At the Skagit Game
Range we had two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS and a SOAR RAIL. Both of these
were on the hedge row that runs pretty much due south from the boat launch
parking lot. We had another WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in a backyard on Fir
Island, another WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in a backyard in Bay View, and
another WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, #5, in a spot where Bill had previously
found the CHIPPING SPARROW in November. Other highlights include a
PRAIRIE FALCON at the point at which BayView-Edison Road meets Sammish
Island Road, and it's the intersection. That's about it, good luck and
good birding.


December 26, 6:57 PM. Hello this is Dave Beaudette. This report for
December the 26th and Clallum County. The two SKYLARKS were seen NW of
Sequim from Highway 101 in Sequim. Head north on Sequim Ave which becomes
Sequim-Dungeness Way. Go for about 4.5 miles and then head west on
Anderson Road East for about 1.1 miles. A large field will be on the
north side of the road, the SKYLARKS were there. This is about 2/10ths of
a mile east of Clark Road. At Port Angeles, from downtown Port Angeles,
take the road to Ediz Hook. The West Haven Marina will be on your right.
Here were at least 21 BROWN PELICANS, likely more present. Continuing
towards Ediz Hook on the logs on the water behind the abandoned brown
Building with an address of 1225 were two RUDDY TURNSTONES, one ROCK
SANDPIPER with the COMMON BLACK TURNSTONES, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, and
DUNLIN. That's all for now, bye.


December 26, 11:30 PM. This is Jan Brag 206-524-3460. There was an
immature ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK at Magnusson Park in Seattle this morning
around 11. 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS, one seen at Magnusson, one seen on the
NOAA Property on December 13th have not been seen since. It's hard to
know if they're still there or not because NOAA has been closed to the
public since that time.


December 27, 7:17 PM. Hi, this is Scott Downes, 361-7073. Today was at the
Big Ditch for the Skagit Bay CBC. Had a SWAMP SPARROW. This bird can be
located if you go to the main Big Ditch parking lot and walk approximately
1/2 mile up the dike. You'll come to a group of hunting cabins. If you
look left between the dike and the hunting cabins, the bird was in there
viewed today briefly about 11am, did not try to relocate the bird later in
the day. Thanks, good luck and good birding.


December 28, 3:17 PM. Hello, this is Dave Beaudette. (206) 365-2083
Yesterday, December the 27th on the Kent/Auburn Chhristmas Bird Count, I
located a VESPER SPARROW in a flock of 6 GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS in
Auburn, King County. To find this bird, head east on South 227th from
Highway 167, then south on 77nd Ave S. When the road heads east, this is
South 285th street. There are not signs for signs for South 285th street.
Continue heading east on 285th, the bird was seen where the Interurban
trail intersects with S 285th Street. And today, December 28th at
Magnusson Park, the immature light-morhped ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen at
the NW part of that park. Thanks to Jan Brag for originally calling about
that bird. Today at Renton on the playfield west of Renton High school
was a first winter GLAUCOUS/GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL hybrid. The bird was in
a flock of about 290 GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS. There were only a couple of
GLAUSCOUS-WINGED/WESTERN hybrids in that flock. Renton High School is
near the intersection of South 2nd Street and Lake Ave South. That's all
for now, good luck and good birding, goodbye.


December 28 5:15 PM. Hello, this is Dave Beaudette. (206)365-2083 Have a
revision on the directions to find the VESPER SPARROW. When you head east
from Highway 167 at the beginning of those directions, you're heading east
on South 277th street, not 227th as I had incorrectly reported. That's it,
goodbye.


December 31, 12:28 AM. This is Michael Grossman, (425) 814-0551. Today in
North Seattle I observed a flock of about half a dozen PINE SISKINS at a
feeder at the corner of 155th and 26th Ave NE. Private residence, so use
care when going to look for the birds.


December 31, 9:54 AM. Hello this is Wayne Weaver, (604)597-7201 calling
from Vancouver BC. On December 30 the BRAMBLING was still present on
Blackie Spit, Crescent Beach BC, where it's been for about 3 weeks. If
you're looking for this bird, there have also been a LONG-BILLED CURLEW
and a MARBLED GODWIT present for most of the winter at Blackie Spit and
they're usually there regardless of the tide level somewhere in the area.
Also a SLATY-BACKED GULL was seen on Dec 30 and on D3c 28 along Burn's
Drive, adjacent to BC Highway 99 west of 96th Street. This is on the
north side of Highway 99 that is accessed from Highway 10. For futher
information on these and other rare birds in the Vancouver area, please
phone the Vancouver Rare Bird tape at (604) 737-3074. That's it for now
and Happy New Year.