This morning (1/14/01) I beat the GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE to the feed store.
At just a few minutes before 8:00, Bruce Labar and I were there to greet the
bird as it flew in with a mixed flock.

Next I went to Spencer Island where I had good looks of the RED-SHOULDERED
HAWK both perched and in flight. It flew between the barn and the trees to
the north.

At the Pilchuck River bridge barely south of Snohomish I shared my
frustration of missing the GYRFALCON with Dennis Duffy, who had also missed
the bird. He suggested we go to the Snohomish STP and look for the SWAMP
SPARROW. We got lucky and found the bird in less than 2 minutes. This was
about 11:30AM. The bird was in the usual spot.

I then left for Monroe 2 Rivers, hoping for some more sparrows. Three hours
there netted a beautiful TREE SPARROW. I scoped a large flock of RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRDS, but no RUSTY BLACKBIRD was to be found. A MERLIN hunted an
enormous blackbird flock, but as fas as I could determine, came up empty.
Other birds at that location included SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, COOPER'S HAWK and
BALD EAGLE I did not see the light RED-TAILED HAWK at the corner of Tualco
and Tualco Loop. Oddly, the only striped sparrow I saw at 2 Rivers was a
single GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW.

Stopped by the Snohomish Gyr site again on the way home. I spent about an
hour there from 3 to 4PM, with no Gyr. There were 3 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE
with the flock of TRUMPETER SWANS in the green field.

The last stop was Logboom Park in Kenmore to look for Gene Hunn's CLARK'S
GREBE, which he posted to Tweeters on Jan 7. Although by this time, the
light was poor, I saw a grebe that clearly had a higher brow line and a
bright yellow bill.

It was a good day.

Marv Breece
Seattle, WA
206-634-1725