This was our second highest count of both species and individuals in the
history of the count, which dates to 1908. The 141 participants is also a
record. A good time was had by most, if not all.

E. Hunn [PS: the list of participants is not yet complete.]

SEATTLE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT, 2 JANUARY 1999

SE WA, Seattle, WA; 47?36?N 122?20?W, as described 1972, center First Ave. &
Yesler Way. Jan. 2; 5 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Temp 32? to 43?. Wind N, 0-5mph. AM
clear with local fog. P.M. clear. Observers: 129 in 35 parties (non-owling)
plus 12 at feeders. Total party-hours 244.75; party-miles 581.55; 167.5
hours and 119.25 miles on foot, 58.75 hours and 411.8 miles by car, 7 hours
and 39 miles by boat.
Red-throated Loon 15; Pacific Loon 6; Common Loon 13; Pied-billed Grebe 138;
Horned Grebe 326; Red-necked Grebe 141; Western Grebe 1332; Double-crested
Cormorant 459; Brandt's Cormorant 12; Pelagic Cormorant 16; cormorant sp. 3;
Great Blue Heron 83; Tundra Swan 2; Mute Swan 2; Greater White-fronted Goose
6; Brant 89; Canada Goose 1399; "Cackling" Canada Goose 3; "Great Basin"
Canada Goose 1330; Wood Duck 36; Green-winged Teal 87; Mallard 1526;
Northern Pintail 82; Northern Shoveler 74; Gadwall 946; Eurasian Wigeon 10;
Eurasian x American Wigeon 1; American Wigeon 2001; Canvasback 455; Redhead
1; Ring-necked Duck 297; Greater Scaup 216; Lesser Scaup 633; scaup sp. 55;
Harlequin Duck 57; Black Scoter 67; Surf Scoter 304; White-winged Scoter 38;
scoter sp. 10; Common Goldeneye 277; Barrow's Goldeneye 356; goldeneye sp.
16; Bufflehead 598; Hooded Merganser 65; Common Merganser 128; Red-breasted
Merganser 317; Ruddy Duck 210; duck sp. 4; Bald Eagle (all) 39; Bald Eagle
(adult) 31; Bald Eagle (immature) 8; Sharp-shinned Hawk 38; Cooper's Hawk
17; Accipiter sp. 1; Red-tailed Hawk 50; Rough-legged Hawk 1; American
Kestrel 1; Merlin 7; Peregrine Falcon 5; falcon sp. 1; Ring-necked Pheasant
6; California Quail 1; Virginia Rail 1; American Coot 6354; Killdeer 168;
Spotted Sandpiper 1; Black Turnstone 40; Surfbird 20; Sanderling 152;
Western Sandpiper 4; sandpiper sp. 3; Dunlin 202; Common Snipe 5;
Bonaparte's Gull cw; Mew Gull 1080; Ring-billed Gull 400; California Gull
74; Herring Gull 22; Thayer's Gull 3; Western Gull 5; Western x
Glaucous-winged Gull 477; Glaucous-winged Gull 2332; gull sp. 1101; Common
Murre 14; Pigeon Guillemot 15; Rhinoceros Auklet 6; Rock Dove 2789;
Band-tailed Pigeon 357; Crimson-fronted Parakeet 7; Barn Owl 1; Western
Screech-Owl 7; Great Horned Owl 1; Barred Owl 1; Short-eared Owl 1; Northern
Saw-whet Owl 2; Anna's Hummingbird 54; hummingbird sp. 1; Belted Kingfisher
24; Red-breasted Sapsucker 24; Downy Woodpecker 86; Hairy Woodpecker 1;
Northern Flicker (all) 226; N. "Red-shafted" Flicker 217; N.
"Yellow-shafted" Flicker 4; "Yel.-sh." x "Red-sh." Flicker 5; Pileated
Woodpecker 5; Hutton's Vireo 10; Steller's Jay 181; Western Scrub-Jay 3;
Crow (American or Northwestern) 7177; Black-capped Chickadee 1282;
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 163; Bushtit 1278; Red-breasted Nuthatch 93; Brown
Creeper 43; Bewick's Wren 227; Winter Wren 201; Marsh Wren 12;
Golden-crowned Kinglet 822; Ruby-crowned Kinglet 445; Hermit Thrush 12;
Swainson's Thrush 1; American Robin 2415; Varied Thrush 145; Cedar Waxwing
7; European Starling 4737; Orange-crowned Warbler 1; Yellow-rumped Warbler
(all) 19; Yellow-r. "Audubon's" Warbler 14; Yellow-r. Warbler (unspecified)
5; Townsend's Warbler 38; Spotted Towhee 264; Fox Sparrow 163; Song Sparrow
671; Lincoln's Sparrow 22; White-throated Sparrow 2; White-crowned Sparrow
25; Golden-crowned Sparrow 185; Dark-eyed Junco (all) 1005; Dark-eyed
"Oregon" Junco 998; Dark-eyed "Slate-colored" Junco 7; Red-winged Blackbird
170; Western Meadowlark 1; Brewer's Blackbird cw; Red Crossbill 3; Purple
Finch 11; House Finch 1214; Carpodacus sp. 4; Pine Siskin 767; American
Goldfinch 126; House Sparrow 1436; Total: 125 species; 54457 individuals.
Participants: Compiler?Eugene Hunn, 1816 N. 57th St., Seattle, WA 98103;
Kevin Aanerud, Kathleen Adams, Linda & Phil Aldrich, Sally Alhadeff, Marti
Anderson, Tom Aversa, Lee Barnes, Eleanore & Richard Baxendale, Becky & Bob
Benton, Bronson Berg, Fred Bird, Ladell Black, Jan Bragg, Dave Brodeur, Ken
Brunner, Art Campbell, Daryll Caporaso, Joe Conforti, Paul Cozens, Herb
Curl, Darren Curtis, Steve Dang, Michelle Dewey, Roark Doubt, Scott Downes,
Tom Eckert, JoLynn Edwards, Mark Egger, Candy Estrada, Marty Farrimond, Ben
Feltner, Jim Flynn, Carol Fox, Jim Ganley, Tracee Geernaert, Keith Geller,
George Gerdts, Nick Gregoric, Vivian Gross, Marilyn Hardy, Dan Harville,
Scott Hoskin, Eugene Hunn, Ken Jacobsen, Hugh Jennings, Charlie Kahle, Jim &
Vicki King, Neal Komedal, Donna Kostka, Russell Kurtz, Peter & Sara Laylin,
Jean & Roger Leed, Nick Lyle, Layne Maheu, Louise Martell, Stephanie
Matheney, Ian McGregor, Joyce Meyer, Doug & Nancy Morningstar, Martin
Muller, Jeff Nystuen, Hal Opperman, Allan Orr, Jane Owen, Shiva
Parameswaram, Kim Plummer, Bill & Geness Reichert, Barbara Retzlaff, Roberta
Roberts, Allan & Wendy Roedell, Rick Romea, Katie Sauter, Brenda Senturia,
June Strzelecki, Jean Sundborg, Bob Sundstrom, Dave Swayne, Mary Thorne,
Greg Toffic, Linda Wakeman, Tom Weir, Kira Wennstrom, Woody Wheeler, Mary
Whiteford-Verrilli, Cynthia Wilson, Richard Youel, Paula Younkin, Neil
Zimmerman (Seattle Audubon Society).

DETAILS FOR RARITIES

Rough-legged Hawk: present on the NOAA property at Sand Point since December
28. An immature with white head and black belly band. Seen by the Herb Curl
party.

Crimson-fronted Parakeet: This flock has been present in Seattle for perhaps
the past 10 years and pairs have bred here more than once. The species
identification was confirmed by Dennis Paulson some years ago when the flock
was in the habit of visiting his feeders. We note that the Portland, OR CBC
regularly counts their Monk Parakeets, so feel justified in including these.

Western Scrub-Jay: One reported on Mercer Island where the species has
appeared before; two more reported at a feeder in West Seattle, another
regular location for this rare species. It is definitely expanding its range
northward and is now suspected of breeding in Seattle. Several others
reported in early December were not found on count day.

Swainson?s Thrush. Seen ca. 11:00 AM sw of the field west of the north
parking lot along the road in brambles. See by Neil Zimmerman (author of
this description), Kira Wennstorom, Mike and Vicki Eldridge, and Doug
Johnston. Seen in bright sunlight, at about 15 feet distance for 4-5
minutes. Slightly smaller than a robin; uniform olive-brown color on back
and tail; well-defined light eye-ring; cream color or tan under throat; not
strongly streaked breast; lower chest and belly unstreaked or clear. Not a
Hermit Thrush because: the only sign of a rusty color was on the base of the
tail when the bird spread its wings; uniform color over back and tail; no
tail wagging; spots or streaks were relatively light, not heavy. [Compiler?s
note: Primary observer was aware of its rarity and obtained clear views at
close range for an extended period. Attempts to locate it later that
afternoon were not successful. It did not call. Our typical wintering Hermit
Thrushes are strongly washed with gray on the flanks and have heavy black
spotting on the breast and a rather obscure eye-ring. They also typically
flick their wings and tails repeatedly. Thus I feel confident that it was
most likely a Swainson?s despite the fact that there are very few good
records for them this late in the season in Washington State.]