Subject: Eastern Phoebe - Leavenworth, Chelan County, WA
Date: May 28 15:11:27 2001
From: Roening, Marcus D (US Sales - MDR51044 at GlaxoWellcome.com


Hi Tweeters,

On Thursday, May 24, 2001, Karen Haire and Bobbie Lambert found an Eastern
Phoebe at the entrance bridge to Blackbird Island. Blackbird Island is
directly behind (downhill along the river) of the main town of Leavenworth
(Chelan County, WA) and has an extensive walking trail network. The bird
was located in the second Black Cottonwood to the left of the bridge on the
mainland side.

On Sunday, May 26, Marcus Roening and Dan Stephens observed the bird from
1530-1600hr at the same location from 20 feet away. The sky was overcast,
temperature of 78 F and the wind was 0-5 mph. Dan took photographs for
visual documentation and David Herr, a bird recorder for Cornell
Ornithological Laboratories out of Walla Walla made recordings on Monday,
May 27th, 2001.

DESCRIPTION
>From notes made in the field:
Overall impression was of a gray brown medium-sized flycatcher with a
rounded head. The cap and auriculars were very dark brown and continued down
through the nape of the neck fading into the gray brown back. The chin was
very white and continued under the auriculars to a narrow point. The eye
only under good light could be seen to have a very thin pale gray ring. The
breast was vested with gray brown, with white from the chin continuing down
the center. The belly had a very faint pale yellowish wash. The wings had
one thin, pale upper wing bar at the edge of the coverts, and another
medium-sized pale wing bar and the end of the secondaries. Additionally,
the outer edge of the secondaries were edged in white. The primaries
projected to the end of the undertail coverts when seen front on. The tail
was the same gray brown, with a lighter gray brown edging to the outer tail
feathers. The bird pumped its tail down, then up fast. The beak was all
black to the base on both the upper and lower mandible.

The bird made several forays for insects from a percher approximately 10 -12
feet from the ground and several times went up under the metal walkway. In
flight the bird made a "phoer-beer" call.

Marcus Roening Tacoma, WA
mdr51044 at glaxowellcome.com