Subject: Visiting birder seeking help
Date: Jul 9 15:31:04 2002
From: Kallaire at cs.com - Kallaire at cs.com


Dear Tweeters,
Greetings! My name is Ken Allaire, and I'm a birder from New York
City who will be visiting your state for the next couple of weeks (starting
Friday). Let me assure you that despite regional stereotypes to the
contrary, I am law-abiding, well-mannered, and considerate, and should
reflect well on my state and city. I've been watching Tweeters postings for
the last couple of months, and I am delighted to see that I'm visiting a
place with a well-informed and enthusiastic birding community. I am writing
to beg said community for any assistance they might offer in my attempt to
see an ambitious list of target birds- I have never birded the region before,
so there's a good number of potential lifers out there for me. In general,
my planned path will take me from Westport (Sat. pelagic trip) and the coast,
across to the Yakima region, up to Okanagon and the Northern Cascades, and
back to Port Townsend, where I am attending a wedding (and birding a bit
more). Below is a partial list of the birds I am seeking- I would be
particularly grateful for any help with owls- I have observed the spirited
discussion re: Great Gray Owls over the last few weeks, and am very
appreciative of the sensitivity of giving out precise information. However,
without help I could spend the entire trip looking for owls without finding
one- I assure anyone giving me details that I neither photograph nor use
recordings, and will be thrilled by even the most remote visual or auditory
contact with these birds.
Aside from pelagics, here's some targets:
Phasianidae- Chukar, Gray Partridge,Spruce Grouse, WT Ptarmigan, ST Grouse,
Sage Grouse, Cal. Quail, Mtn. Quail
Owls- Barn, Flammulated, W.Screech, N. Pygmy. Spotted, Barred, Great Gray,
Long-eared
Woodpeckers- Lewis's, Red-breasted Ss., White-headed, Three-toed, Black-backed
Misc.- Clark's Grebe, N. Goshawk, any early-returning N.West shorebirds,
Band-tailed Pigeon, Common Poorwill, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Boreal
Chickadee, Varied Thrush, Sage Thrasher, Cassin's Vireo, BT Gray Warbler, GC
Rosy-Finch, Pine Grosbeak, WW Crossbill.
I extend my gratitude in advance for any current information offered,
and am very excited to enjoy your beautiful state. I'll be checking my
e-mail as I go, and will share my success with you all as well. Thanks again.
Happy Birding!
Ken Allaire
New York City
kallaire at cs.com