Subject: Yellow-headed Blackbird, Warm Beach, Snohomish Co.
Date: Aug 10 07:46:54 2003
From: Marcus.D.Roening at gsk.com - Marcus.D.Roening at gsk.com


Tweeters,

On Saturday, August 2nd I found a male Yellow-Headed Blackbird in very worn
plumage at Warm Beach. There was just a hint of the white wingbar and the
yellow was confined primarily to the breast. The bird was not with any
other birds at all and let me approach to within 20 feet.

The bird was located in a potentially hot new birding spot at the Warm
Beach Conference Grounds run by the methodist church, which is south of
Stanwood, WA. Because of continuing expansion of assisted living
facilities, the church is putting in a new bio-mediated sewage treatment
system. They've already built to long ponds and they are planted with
bullrush and other water plants. Because of permiting issues, it isn't
operational yet. Last week they held an open house for the neighbors (my
family has a cabin in the area). The good news is they are planning on
making the area open to the public and are looking at putting in public
parking. At this point, you still need to stop by the main office to get
permission to go onto the grounds, which is readily given. The ponds are
to the south of the horse barns and fields at the base of the 100' hill on
the tide flats.

On a kayaking trip out into the flats the evening before, I found 75
Black-bellied Plovers, 30 Western Sandpipers and 8 Harbor seals, of which 4
appeared to be new babies - quite cute.

On September 2nd, I located 6 Lesser Yellowlegs on the mudflats.

Good Birding,

Marcus Roening
Tacoma, WA
marcus.d.roening at gsk.com