The Washington BirdBox is a voice mailbox sponsored by the Washington
Ornithological Society. To leave messages about a notable sighting, or to
listen to messages from the last seven days, call (425) 454-2662 and follow
the prompts. Hal Opperman, system administrator, personal phone (425)
635-0503. Transcribed by Bob Norton. Please contact me at (360) 928-3053 or
at norton360 at aol.com if you have any corrections, comments, or questions.

BIRDBOX previously accessed 9:50 AM, May 21.

Saturday, May 22, 8:36 AM. This is Vic Nelson at Point No Point on
the northeast tip of the Kitsap Peninsula. Yesterday we had a large wave of
migrants go though. Had 100 or 200 warblers along the bluff at the county
park to the south of the lighthouse. This included seven species of WARBLERS
including one NASHVILLE. There were also several BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS,
about a dozen EVENING GROSBEAKS, one BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, flocks of STELLER'S
JAYS, CEDAR WAXWINGS and, what else? Some VAUX'S SWIFTS, quite a few WARBLING
VIREOS and lots of SWAINSON'S THRUSHES back now. I guess a couple of the best
birds were also an AMERICAN KESTREL and a WESTERN KINGBIRD which were in the
marsh behind the lighthouse. Good birding. Thank you. Good bye.

This is all of the May reports. Sorry to be late in transcribing but I was on
Vancouver on an Elderhostel bicycling trip for a week and then was plagued
with a series of technical problems. Without Hal Opperman's help many of
these reports would not be present on this report. Phil Kelley will be
transcribing the June reports.
Bob Norton
Joyce, WA
norton360 at aol.com
(360) 928-3053

May 22, 11:43 AM. Hello, this is Hugh Jennings at (425) 746-6351. I
would like to report that yesterday at Marymore Park, Friday, I saw two
WESTERN KINGBIRDS east of the meadow and then today in the Lake Hills
Greenbelt I saw another WESTERN KINGBIRD. Thank you.

May 22, 4:02 PM. Hi, this is Kathy Hartman at (206) 720-9797. Today
at about 2 o'clock at Magnuson Park on Lake Washington we saw a male
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. If you go in to Magnuson and make the first right in to the
parking lot, go around the perimeter of the parking lot right till you get to
the water, to the right of the boat launch there is a tall coniferous tree
with a small madrona tree next to it. The ORIOLE was in the coniferous tree.
We watched it for a few minutes and it flew off in to the woods behind you.
That's it. Good luck and good birding.

May 22, 5:02 PM. Hello, this is Barry Levine (206) 526-8676 reporting
on a trip taken today with Sidney Sprecker (?) and Rick Romea to Penn Cove.
We were able to find the bird with the field marks that matched those of the
WHISKERED AUKLET reported by Stephen Mlodinow last week. We viewed it from
the Old San de Fuca Store in Penn Cove. The bird was about a mile out from
the front of the store and about one quarter mile north of the last mussel
platform. We originally saw it at 11:30 AM and watched it for half an hour.
Other attempts to see it from other vantages were unsuccessful probably
because of increased boating traffic. Good luck and good birding.

May 22, 9:50 PM. Hi, this is Martha Taylor (206) 523-4677. I just
wanted to report a BLACK TERN that was at the pond in Ellensburg near the
Comfort Inn at the Canyon Road Exit and another highlight was a GRAY CATBIRD
that was at [could not decipher the place. BN]. Good luck and good birding.

Sunday, May 23, 8:27 AM. Hello, this is Scott Atkinson. Up at 137 and
Mitchell Hill Road in Lake Stevens this morning. Good numbers of migrants and
especially FLYCATCHERS. The highlight a DUSKY FLYCATCHER calling about an
hour ago and also a late HERMIT THRUSH. Yesterday, also late, a
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW and a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET still hanging in there.
That's all.

May 23, 5:02 PM. This is Elaine Boehmer (?) (206) 547-4631. I wanted
to followup on the female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. Yesterday, May 22, at
Montlake Fill between 8:30 and 9 in the morning, I saw a male YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD and 3 either female or immatures. They were, as previously
reported, just west of the large pond. Thank you.

Monday, May 24, 8:14 PM. Hi, this is Greg Toffic (425) 338-1746, and
today at Snohomish County there were 2 singing LAZULI BUNTINGS east of
Startup along the Kellogg Lake Road at 132nd Street. This is the same
location where they have been found yearly for the last five years or so.

May 24, 8:47 PM. Hello, this is Scott Atkinson. I had a few good
birds today up in central Skagit County this morning. I also had a pair of
LAZULI BUNTINGS. Mine were near the southern end of Martin Road which is
about a mile to a mile and a half south of Rockport. There were RED-EYED
VIREOS in at several locations including the Martin Road area and also near
Marble Mount in a couple of places. At County Line Pond, this is northwest of
Marble Mount right at the county line between Skagit County and Whatcom
County the REDSTARTS were not in at their now well known location but I did
have a male NASHVILLE WARBLER singing on the hillside above the pond in heavy
conifers. At the Corkendale Power Line Crossing there were a pair of EASTERN
KINGBIRDS, a pair of WESTERN KINGBIRDS, 4 BANK SWALLOWS and a female
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. That's all.

Tuesday, May 25, 12:11 PM. This is Ray Gruenwald (?), my home phone
number is (206) 523-8658. I work down in Renton near the Renton Cinemas,
actually it's the parking lot of the One Renton Place, Two Renton Place
Complex where I saw a SCRUB JAY yesterday, May 24 around 5 or 6 in the
evening. Thought it was kind of unusual. That's all.

May 25, 7:37 PM. This is Tom Roher (?). My number is (425) 228-8420.
On Sunday morning around 9:30, I saw what I was quite sure was a WHITE STORK
in flight over route 167 between Kent and Auburn. It was on the east side of
the highway near a red barn and looked very much like a WOOD STORK but had a
definite red and straighter bill. I assume since it's on the wrong continent
it is probably an escapee but it didn't seem to have any trouble flying. If
anybody has any information on it, I would appreciate it.

May 25, 10:08 PM. Hello, this is Dave Beaudette (206) 365-2083
calling for May 25 at the Kent Ponds in King County. The larger than normal
influx of YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS continues. Today I had 14 at the Kent
Ponds and Roger Ornett (?) had 13 there yesterday. Also today, at the Kent
Ponds, there was one BARN OWL and one GREATER YELLOWLEGS and overhead a flock
of 35 CEDAR WAXWINGS and also a fly by MOURNING DOVE. That's all, good
birding.

Wednesday, May 26, 2:43 PM. John O'Connell (360) 387-2059 reporting
for Tuesday, May 25. At the Stanwood Sewage Lagoons there were 2 WILSON'S
PHALAROPES and 3 BLUE-WINGED TEAL. Good Bye.

May 26, 8:07 PM. This is Vic Nelson at the Point No Point at the
northeast tip of the Kitsap Peninsula. This morning I had a BLUE JAY
migrating with a flocks of 40 or 50 STELLER'S JAYS over the morning. On
Monday there was also a LAZULI BUNTING here briefly. Thank you. Good Bye.

Thursday, May 27, 5:51 PM. Mike Blue from Renton [could not catch the
phone number BN]. I would like to report a WHITE-FACED IBIS at the small pond
at the intersection of Dodson Road and [?] Road near Royal City. Also good
numbers of [rest of message died out and Mike was eventually cut off. It
appeared that the sightings were at 1:30 PM today. BN].

Friday, May 28, 5:06 PM. This is Bill Shelmerdine in Olympia
866-9106. This morning at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge there were a
couple of BANK SWALLOWS. One was at the end of the Ring Dike at the pond
there and the other was at the pond on the Dike Trail going out towards
McAllister Creek. Be aware there are a lot of juvenile TREE SWALLOWS in the
area as well, some of which look quite like BANK SWALLOWS. There were also 2
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS on the outer portion of the Dike Trail from the
Observation Platform out towards Nisqually Reach. There was still a female
WILSON'S PHALAROPE on the pond on the northwest corner of the Dike Trail
along with all three regularly occurring TEAL. Also at the northwest portion,
out on the flats, there were 19 WHIMBREL and there were a couple of AMERICAN
BITTERN on the interior portion of the refuge as well. Good luck and good
birding.

Saturday, May 29, 1:00 PM. Hi, this is Stephen Mlodinow. Today I
birded Skagit Game Range and the Stillaguamish Delta and the Port of Everett
for a couple of hours in the morning. The highlights included 2 breeding
plumaged EARED GREBES at the Stanwood Sewage Ponds, also there was a GREATER
SCAUP and a COMMON GOLDENEYE. At the end of Thomle Road just south of
Stanwood, there was a WESTERN KINGBIRD. At the Port of Everett Public Boat
Launch Area there was a PURPLE MARTIN and flying around Jetty Island there
were 3 ARCTIC TERNS including 2 engaged in courtship activity. The Game Range
still had a surprising number of migrants, nothing exceptional, although a
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER is a bit unusual for that location especially at this
date. That's about it, good luck and good birding.

Saturday, May 29, 3:54 PM. Hello, this is Steve Pink (425)
649-601(!?). Today I found a very surprising bird in Carnation, a
BLACK-THROATED SPARROW. I parked in Mc Donald Park, went across the rickety
bridge up the hill behind [could not decipher some words BN] a steep climb,
took every trail to the left and there was a trail going along to the left, a
very small trail that cut back left and went back paralleling the same trail.
The bird was just in there feeding on the ground in low bushes. Completely
out of habitat. It was just amazing but it was immaculate plumage and that
was that. Thanks and good luck and good birding.

May 29, 9:42 PM. Hello, this is Dave Beaudette (206) 365-2083. This
report is for May 29 in eastern Skagit County. A singing SAGE THRASHER was on
a fence post along the Martin Road just south of a blue address sign which
reads 11633. A WESTERN KINGBIRD was just south of there at the intersection
of the Martin Road and Stanford Lane. The Martin Road runs between SR 530 and
the Rockport-Cascade Road which is found on DeLorme Atlas page 96, A4. Also 2
singing male LAZULI BUNTINGS were in a clearcut on the Rockport-Cascade Road,
on the south side of the road just east of the 7 milepost. At the Corkendale
Creek Crossing at SR 20 between Rockport and Marble Mount were 2 BANK
SWALLOWS, 2 EASTERN KINGBIRDS and 2 WESTERN KINGBIRDS. So, good birding.

Sunday, May 30, 6:55 PM. Hi, this is Bill Tweit and today, May 30,
Steve Mlodinow [recording interrupted. BN]

Monday, May 31, 10:34 AM. Paul Hicks reporting from Tenino, (360)
264-2462, DeLorme Atlas page 46. Two miles east of Tenino on route 507 at
mile marker 17 at least two vocalizing SORAS. Continuing a mile east, left at
McIntosh Lake Road to the intersection with Waldrick Road about 2 miles down
Old Military Road, WESTERN BLUEBIRD and at the railroad crossing, WESTERN
KINGBIRD. Continuing three more miles to the junction with 123rd at Weir
Prairie where on the atlas it looks like Ten O'Clock Prairie there are VESPER
SPARROWS, BOB WHITE and WESTERN BLUEBIRDS.

May 31, 9:07 PM. This is Vic Nelson. Today at the Echo Valley Ski
Area, approximately 7 miles from Chelan, I saw what appeared to be a
BALTIMORE ORIOLE. The bird was seen this morning briefly and then could not
be relocated later in the day. If somebody wants to try and look for this
bird, it's in a nice area where there lots of other birds. The directions
are: you go from Chelan on highway 150 towards Manson approximately 1.7 miles
from the Safeway Store in Chelan to the Echo Valley Ski Area Turnoff which is
on Boyd Road, proceed on Boyd Road to Boyd Loop Road and then follow the
signs to the Echo Valley Ski Area which is approximately 7 miles, at the end
of the pavement you go an additional 1.2 or 1.3 miles beyond the ski area on
Forest Service Road 8020 which goes to Cooper Mountain, at about 1.3 miles
you come to a sharp left hand bend which goes up the mountain. The ORIOLE was
seen right in this area just on the hillside above the riparian area. I wish
somebody else could see it but I'm going to go back again tomorrow and
probably the next day and look again. Thank you. Good bye.

May, 31, 9:34 PM. My name is Kathleen Waldenman. I live in Ocean
Shores. I saw a SNOWY PLOVER tonight about 2 hours after high tide. That
would be about 5:45 today -- as I estimated at Damon Point. It was on the bay
side and not too far from the parking area, I would say 2 or 3 hundred yards
walking along the bay side on the sand and it's where the sandy beach starts
to rise toward the bay and there are usually some puddly sand areas trapped
behind. It was in that area along with a few WESTERN SANDPIPERS and a few
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS. It was all by itself and it kind of departed from the
rest and headed up the bank. I was very close to it, so it was pretty cool.
OK. That's the end of my report.