Well, the weather up here has regressed to its former crappiness (even had
some hail today), but during the sunbreaks I was able to get out and do a
little birding.

Actually, I saw a surprising amount for a chilly day. In addition to the
regular fare (Robins, Starlings, Juncos, Pine Siskins, Robins, Bewick's
Wrens, Mallards, House Finches, House Sparrows, Crows, Chickadees,
Bushtits, Red-breasted Nuthatch calls, and a Northern Flicker), there were
some novel sightings.

At one point I noticed movement at the base of a tree and grabbed for my
binoculars. At first I thought it was just another flock of House
Sparrows, but I soon noticed, mixed in with the exotics and apparently
happy to share foraging space, three Golden-crowned Sparrows, a west coast
specialty I only first identified two days ago!

At one point I spied a bird I hadn't seen before. It was between
robin size and sparrow size, plain brown above and whitish below. No
white eyebrow, so it wasn't a Bewick's Wren. Beak short and fairly thin,
so it wasn't a sparrow of any sort. The breast was lightly spotted, which
would indicate Catharus thrush, but I couldn't discern any facial
markings. It had a tendency to flick its wings nervously, so I would
guess probably Hermit Thrush, but I couldn't see any eye ring. It didn't
seem to like being watched and dived into a rhododendron bush before I
could study it thoroughly.

Yesterday I had seen a little yellow bird with dark eyes and a black cap
peeking at me from the underbrush. I wrote down Wilson's Warbler in my
notebook, but I wasn't absolutely sure, and it bothered me that I couldn't
find him again. Then today I noticed some motion in a tree, and imagine
my pleasant surprise when out popped the most gorgeous little male
Wilson's Warbler you ever saw and posed for me for at least a solid
minute.

I thought I had found the female as well, but upon closer inspection this
bird had a white patch around the vent (it was otherwise green above and
yellow below), and its head was bluish, with a yellow chin and white eye
ring. Could this have been a Nashville Warbler? The Golden guide shows
western Washington as the northern end of its summer range.

Anyway, add the following to the PLU list:

Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla
?Hermit Thrush Catharus ?guttatus
??Nashville Warbler ?Vermivora ruficapilla

Later,

Nick Pharris
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
(253)535-7045
pharrinj at plu.edu