I have a copy of Fred Sharpe's manuscript and that is some
useful information. Thank you so much for your detailed
sightings info. It and all the others that have been coming in
are really helping to clarify the situation.
Chris Chappell, Olympia, chris.chappell at wadnr.gov

>>> Norton360 <Norton360 at aol.com> 01/27/98 10:04pm
>>>
Chris,
I am replying through TWEETERS because I think this is
of general interest
and may stimulate more people to ransack their records.

In a message dated 98-01-26 13:48:42 EST, you write:

<< I am compiling information on GRAY JAYS in
Washington
and am very interested in their distribution and seasonality
in
the lowlands. American Birds/Field Notes reports are very
few, probably because the species is just so widespread
and
common in the mountains. However, it does occur in
portions of the lowlands at low densities.

So this is a request for past and present sightings of GRAY
JAYS below 2000 feet elevation, particularly on the outer
coast, Willapa Hills, Puget Lowland, and west slope of the
Cascades. Please provide location and date or month/year.
Or even if its just a memory from the past, let me know. If
your record has already been in American Birds or the
just-published Breeding Bird Atlas, don't sweat it.
>>

The most pertinent information I have is a fairly long
dissertation in a
draft manuscript of Fred Sharpe, OLYMPIC PENINSULA
BIRDS, THE SONGBIRDS, dated
1993. It makes fascinating reading but I would like to have
permission from
him before sharing it with you as I did not obtain the
manuscript from him. I
don't know how to contact him. Perhaps someone on
TWEETERS can give you an
address.
My personal lowland records are: 9-10-89, Rialto Beach,
Clallam Co,
Olympic NP, this record precedes my moving to WA and
also having a computer
and starting to keep more complete records, I do not recall
any details (I had
seen them near the beach in Mendocino Co., CA so was not
surprised to see them
at the beach and it could have been a mile or so inland at
Mora Campground):>
Striped Peak (which is something more than 1000' and the
birds probably at the
1000' level) on the coast adjacent to Salt Creek CP, Clallam
Co. (3) twice (?
same individuals) at about the 1000' level 9-9-93, with #'s and
dates for the
same place; (4) 12-6-93; (1) 3-26-94; (1) 5-1-96:> Merymere
Falls, Olympic NP,
Clallam Co., about 1000':> 8-9-94: (4), side of Burnt Hill, SE
of Sequim,
Clallam Co, about 1200'.
Aside from the references in the Sharpe manuscript, the
only lowland
records of Gray Jay I have are: Jefferson Co, winter of '95-6 a
single Gray
Jay came to the feeder of Paul Conklin every few days and
he has not had any
since. Paul lives south of Port Townsend near the shore of
Discovery Bay at an
elevation of perhaps 100' and second, Clallam Co., 12-6-96
thru a third person
I heard of a woman named Jean seeing (3) between Port
Angeles and Joyce
probably at an elevation of 100 to 200' (the person reporting
was to get more
details and I failed to follow up on the report).