Russell et al.,

It sounds like Western Bluebirds are almost 100% migratory in western
Washington.

In the Okanagan Valley of southern B.C.-- where Western Bluebirds have
actually increased noticeably over the last 30 years (in contrast to
Mountain Bluebirds, which have decreased sharply)-- a small but
significant part of the Western Bluebird population remains all
winter. The Penticton CBC, over the last 10 years, has averaged 29
Western Bluebirds, with counts as high as 72 in 1989 and 61 in 1995.
I believe this is largely because of the numerous Russian Olive
thickets along southern Okanagan Lake, which provide abundant food for
the birds all winter. Other Christmas Bird Counts in the Okanagan
typically record fewer than 10 Western Bluebirds.

On the south coast of British Columbia, unfortunately, we have lost
our Western Bluebirds completely. They disappeared as a breeding
species in the Vancouver area at least 40 years ago, and the last few
pairs breeding on southern Vancouver Island and Saltspring Island
disappeared more than a decade ago. Be glad that you still have some
in western Washington!

Wayne C. Weber
Kamloops, BC
contopus at home.com



----- Original Message -----
From: Russell Rogers <rrogers at halcyon.com>
To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2001 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: First Bluebird


> Hey Michelle and Tweeters,
>
> Actually, the bluebird is right on time. In western Washington,
Western
> Bluebirds typically arrive around mid to late February, as do
Streaked
> Horned Larks. Both of these species will even occasionally winter in
the
> Puget Lowlands.
>
> Russell
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Russell Rogers and Mary Moore
> Emily Rogers and William Rogers
> 6637 Glenwood Drive SW
> Olympia WA 98512
> (360) 709-9870
> mailto:rrogers at halcyon.com
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> WMeadowlark at att.net wrote:
>
> > Hi, Folks,
> >
> > Ok, I know, looking out the window at all this snow, you
> > must think I'm nutsycoocoo, but yesterday, while at work
> > (Ft. Lewis) I saw a male Western Bluebird saying "pew"
> > while perched on the dumpster outside my office.
> >
> > He was one of Sam Agnew's birds, banded on the left leg.
> > I'm sure he's the same bird who raised a passle of
> > babies last year near my building.
> > He's awfully early, and right now I"m certain he's
> > thinking he's lost his mind for coming back home in
> > February, but.....tells me that despite the snowstorm,
> > spring is here!
> > (my mom says "The Robins have to walk around in the snow
> > before the spring comes." That can apply to Bluebirds,
> > too, yes??)
> > Michelle Blanchard
> > WMeadowlark at att.net
> > Oly, WA
>