Birders,

Late on the evening of May 2nd, I was driving north from Moses Lake
toward Brewster, under the bright light of a full moon. On State Route
17, just about 3 miles west of Leahy Junction in Douglas County (the
intersection of State Routes 17 and 174), I stopped to see if I could
hear a COMMON POORWILL. (They are known to call much more vigorously
at and near the full moon.) None was calling, but when I gave a
whistled imitation a few times, one started calling and kept it up for
at least 15 minutes.

The Poorwill was expected. What I did not expect, however, was a
rousing chorus of SAGE THRASHER song! Along less than a half mile of
highway, I could hear at least 5 Sage Thrashers, singing almost
non-stop. I presume that they do this only on brightly moonlit nights?
At least one other member of the Mimidae, the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, is
famous for singing at night. In fact, I remember a "Zorro" comic book
I read as a child, where one of the characters was being kept awake at
nights because of a constantly singing Mockingbird. He lost so much
sleep that, in desperation, he tried to shoot the bird! The story is
funny because it is almost believable.

Perhaps nocturnal singing by Sage Thrashers is well known to some of
you like Scott Downes, who have studied the species. However, it was
news to me. I've never heard Sage Thrashers sing so constantly and
vigorously in the daytime, and it occurred to me that the best time to
census them might be on a full moon night like May 2nd.

For the record, at least 3 COMMON SNIPE were also winnowing along this
stretch of highway, which follows East Foster Creek.


Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net