Subject: Washington Bird Box 12/27/99 through 12/29/99
Date: Dec 30 00:43:54 1999
From: Jane Hadley - jhadle at uswest.net


Transcribed by Jane Hadley
jhadle at uswest.net
phone: (206) 328-7605

The Washington BirdBox is a voice mailbox sponsored by
the Washington Ornithological Society. To leave a message
about a notable sighting, or to listen to the messages from the
last seven days, call (425) 454-2662 and follow the
prompts.

Hal Opperman is system administrator
(halop at accessone.com; personal phone 425-635-0503).

Please contact me (Jane Hadley) by phone or e-mail if you
have any corrections, comments or questions about this
transcription.

Jane Hadley received the following report by e-mail on December
27th:

Hello:

I'm visitng from the depths of Southern California, and had
some sightings yesterday that may be of interest. At the
North Jetty Ocean Shores there was at least one Rock
Sandpiper, but high surf and limited time didn't give me the
opportunity to see and others.

On the grassy field next to the airport by the Gray's Harbor
NWR, there was an immature Greater White-fronted Goose
feeding with a large flock of Canada Geese. There were also
three snow geese with them too.

On the south side of the sewage lagoon along the access
road to the sewage treatment plant there was a puzzling
duck. It reminded me of a female Tufted Duck, but had no
tuft. Features included a rounded brown head, very limited
white flecking at the base of the bill and a fair amount black
on the tip of the bill. The lack of white at the base of the bill
would eliminate both scaups, but I'm not sure if 1st winter
females have less white there than adults. The bird may bear
checking as she may grow a tuft or more white at the base of
the bill as the winter moves along.

Also, would you have directions on how to get to the
Eurasian Kestrel? I'd very much appreciate them if you
could send them to this address.

Thanks,

Walter Wehtje

Wednesday, December 29, 1999, 7:08 pm. Hello this is
Kraig Kemper, 206-789-9255 reporting for Wednesday,
the 29th of December. On a birding trip from Keystone to
Port Townsend and back, returning to Whidbey Island, the
boat flushed one EMPEROR GOOSE resting on the water
just a short distance from shore. Thank you.

Wednesday, December 29, 1999, 6:28 p.m. Hi, this is Tom
Aversa, 782-7342, reporting on a trip today to the
Snohomish Valley with Steve Gerstle and Dave Swayne.
Some of the highlights included a GREEN HERON at the
boat launch parking lot on Lowell River Road at the Everett
end. Also, we had a SWAMP SPARROW at that same end
near the closed gate, and a WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW along there also. We had four
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS. And another
WHITE-THROAT which was down, just north of the prison
dairy farm south of Monroe. And I guess those were the
main highlights. We also had a SHORT-EARED OWL
flying over the flats.

Wednesday, December 29, 1999. 4:21 p.m. Hi, this is Carl
Haynie at 425-837-9293. Today in Yakima County just
north of Yakima at about Milepost 26 on Interstate 82, there
was a GREAT EGRET in a stock pond on the east side of
the road.

Wednesday, December 29, 1999, 11:11 a.m. Evelyn
Peaslee, 206-782-9018. Yesterday, December 28th, I
found the EURASIAN KESTREL on the Samish flats. She
was on a wire close to the road in a farm yard at 17782
Sam Bell Road near its intersection with Pulver. I watched
her from my car for about 10 minutes before she flew off to
another perch, but she stayed in the area around the farm
buildings. So good luck if you're looking for her.

Monday, December 27, 1999, 4:18 p.m. Hi, this is Isadora
Wong at 206-789-4374. At about 2 o'clock this afternoon
in the Samish Flats, Kendrick Wong and I observed the
EURASIAN KESTREL perched on a telephone wire on
Farm-to-Market Road between Darcy Road and Boe
Road. This made for a six-falcon day, because we also saw
several PEREGRINE FALCONS, let's see, two
MERLINS, a PRAIRIE FALCON, a gray-morph
GYRFALCON, and an AMERICAN KESTREL. Thank
you. Bye.

Monday, December 27, 1999, 3:37 p.m. Rachel Lawson,
206-282-5593. Monday morning, I birded Two Rivers
Wildlife Management Area near Monroe and there was one
HARRIS SPARROW. It was in a mixed flock with some
TOWHEES and other SPARROWS and it was in the row
of conifers running down the middle of the big field. That's
all. Good birding.

Messages last checked 12:05 a.m. Thursday, December 30,
1999.

--
Jane Hadley
jhadle at uswest.net
Seattle, WA