Subject: Re: Nisqually 10/16/98
Date: Oct 17 12:09:10 1998
From: "Tom Schooley" - dunlin at mail.tss.net


Your id of a White-throated Sparrow sounds great. There seems to be a
spate of them in the past few weeks.

The most interesting part of your note is the BULLOCK'S Oriole. This is
extremely late for an oriole and the bird is worth a second look. If it
was in classic male alternate plumage, I'm sure you called it correctly.
But if it was any other plumage, there are other choices that are just as
likely, or unlikely. Anyone else at Nisqually should keep an eye out for
the oriole, just in case.

Good birding all,
Tom Schooley, Olympia WA , dunlin at mail.tss.net
"The earth that directed itself instinctively in its former phases
seems now to be entering a phase of conscious decision
through its human expression." -Thomas Berry

----------
> From: SCRBJAY at aol.com
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Nisqually 10/16/98
> Date: Friday, October 16, 1998 2:55 PM
>
> Tweets,
>
> I'm still in shock but I'll try to get this down correctly. I went down
to
> Nisqually today about 9:00 to see what, if anything, was going on. Not
much
> construction activity but lots torn up.
>
> Walked out toward McAllister Creek to see if there was any water in the
pond
> yet and to see if any ducks were in yet. A little water and a few ducks,
> MALLARDS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and a couple of NORTHERN SHOVELERS. A good
sized
> flock of CANADA GEESE with our friend the feral DOMESTIC GOOSE right in
the
> center of the flock. Also saw NORTHERN HARRIERS, RED-TAILED HAWKS, and a
> SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
>
> Walked down to the Twin Barns viewing platform as I was really looking
for
> LINCOLN'S SPARROWS. Found one too, along with lots of GOLDEN-CROWNED
SPARROWS,
> SONG SPARROWS, SPOTTED TOWHEES, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, SAVANNAH SPARROWS, and
HOUSE
> FINCH. I was watching some GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS in the brush across
from
> the viewing platform, when another bird caught my eye...and I went into
shock.
> Alternating dark and light tan stripes on its hear, dark bill, plain
grayish
> underparts and a very well defined trapezoid shaped white patch under its
> bill. The only thing that wasn't clear was the yellow between the bill
and
> eye...but the yellow on the YELLOW-CROWNED SPARROWS isn't very clear now
> either. I watched the bird on and off for about 10 minutes as it flitted
> abound and was chased by the YELLOW-CROWNED SPARROWS. My
conclusion...there
> was/is a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW at Nisqually. No one else was there to
confirm
> my sighting, but I'm back tomorrow about 8:00 to see if I can find him
(her)
> again. It really looked like the tan variety WHITE-THROATED SPARROW as
shown
> in Peterson's field guide. And, no, I didn't have my camera with me
either.
>
> I also saw a male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE in the same area.
>
> Turned out to be one very good day...now if someone will just get the
grass
> fairy to mow my lawn....;-}
>
> Phil Kelley
> Lacey, WA
> scrbjay at aol.com