Since there has been little to report, other than general decline of all
water birds after the Jan storms and a Jan 23 "wave" of Robins through the
marina district, from the Des Moines Marina, I'll mention AZ birds.

Jan 03-10, I attended the Univ of Maine Institute of Field Ornithology
Wintering Sparrows Workshop held in Sierra Vista, AZ. In addition to the
hoards of Lark buntings, McKown's longspurs and Brewer's sparrows, we were
lucky enough to find the following:

(1) Nutting's flycatcher at Pategonia Lake State Park. This lovely,
looks-much-like-the-Ash-throated flycatcher was very cooperative in it's
only 2nd documented sighting in the USA. We were able to see clearly the
rufous underside of the tail going essentially to the ends of the
feathers. Some of our group were able to see the Ash-throated and the
Nutting's close enough to make good comparisons. (Also good views of
Swamp sparrows.)

(2) The highly colored morph of the White-collered Seedeater (not the
more drab morph routinely seen in S. Texas.) was viewed at leisure at the
now dried-up sewage ponds in Pategonia, the little town north of the lake.
The northern-most range of this morph is about 700 miles south in western
Mexico. Debate is on-going as to whether this is a cage-escapee, but this
a bird was in fine plumage and quite shy, even more so than the 70+!!!
Lincoln's sparrows seen in the same location.

(3) A rare-for-AZ Harris' sparrow was also viewed at leisure in a back
yard within the Pategonia city limits.

(4) In Reid Park in the middle of Tucson, a very tame Chestnut-sided
warbler, Pine warbler and a gorgeous male Wood Duck plus Inca doves were
all open-mouthed gawked at by our birding group.

(5) Very close to the visitors' center at the east section of Saquaro Nat
Park in Tucson, a Rufous-winged sparrow was singing and singing and
singing away for at least 20 min.

What a strange winter!

Cheers,
Maureen Ellis me2 at u.washington.edu Univ of WA and Des Moines, WA

"Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of
confusion and bamboozle requires vigilance, dedication, and courage."
-Carl Sagan-