Subject: RFI Seattle area birds
Date: Jul 8 20:09:07 2003
From: Chris Mansfield - bikebirder75 at yahoo.com


Hi all,

A group of Midwesterners will be in the Seattle area for business in a
week, and some of us are birders. We'll only be in town a couple days,
and alas have *no* totally free days, but we'd like to see as much as
possible given the limitations--who knows when we'll be able to visit
your beautiful state for a real birding vacation?

Could some kind souls give us Northwest newbies some pointers? There's
a chance that an 8-hour or so post-meeting day trip outside the metro
could happen. What would you recommend as the most diverse spot(s)
this time of year within a couple hours of Seattle? We want to see
western species, not chase after anything in particular. (Though if we
have any kind of realistic shot at Blue Grouse or White-headed/Lewis's
woodpeckers on a day trip, please let me know. I'm guessing "no", with
our time/travel constraints.)

And, if the longer day trip can't happen--what are our chances (dirt
common? no way?) at the following species in really local areas?
*looks at map* Such as city parks, Lake Washington, Magnuson, Denny,
or the small state parks like Saltwater, Bridle Trails, St. Edward?
Any city gems you wouldn't mind sharing? Are breeding passerines still
vocal? Any good wildflower/butterfly spots?

Any shorebirds besides Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper
Glaucous-winged Gull
Band-tailed Pigeon
Black Swift
Vaux's Swift
Rufous Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Western Wood-pewee
Hammond's Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Hutton's Vireo
Cassin's Vireo
Northwestern Crow
Violet-green Swallow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Bewick's Wren
Western Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Varied Thrush
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Bullock's Oriole

All replies most welcome. Thank you very much for any pointers on any
of these birds and trip possibilities. Mosquito/tick/pest info,
weather info, etc. very welcome, too.

Chris Mansfield
Minneapolis, MN
bikebirder75 at yahoo.com

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