Subject: [Tweeters] Belted Kingfisher Sightings
Date: Nov 5 15:43:19 2004
From: Margaret Parkinson - margparkie at comcast.net


I often see Belted Kingfisher at the Fill including last week (Wednesday I
think).



Margaret Parkinson

University District, Seattle





_____

From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Brew
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2004 1:44 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Belted Kingfisher Sightings



Hi:



Believe that at one time someone in the Seattle area was keeping a log of
Belted Kingfisher sightings. Also remember that "winter" sightings of
females in the Puget Sound area were rather unusual, so don't know whether
or not my sighting this morning of a female Belted Kingfisher is normal or
not. This bird sat on the tallest pilling in the group between The Lobster
Shop and Marine Park on Ruston Way in Tacoma for at least half an hour
during the time I watched it. Had a good profile and the burnt orange on
the chest was prominent. Then west of the Lobster Shop saw a Belted
Kingfisher in flight but couldn't ID the sex. Also on my return walk past
the pilling where the female had been, there were three Belted Kingfishers
flying together just above the surface of the water, the most that I've seen
in that area at one time.



In the same time frame saw three Bonaparte's Gulls in the water just off the
dock by the pillings and that is where I've seen one or two in the past.
This is where last week I saw a Franklin's Gull in flight with about six Mew
Gulls but haven't seen it since then. They were flying together against a
strong wind and no more than 20-30 feet away from the end of the dock so got
a good look at it and from Sibley's determined that it was a Franklin's
Gull. After many years of having a casual interest in trying to identify
birds I see on my walks, have finally started a birding class given by the
Tahoma Audubon and mentioned this sighting to the instructor who said it was
a "possible" but couldn't confirm it. I walk that area quite often and
haven't seen the Franklin's Gull since last weeks sighting.



Jim Brewster
Tacoma
BrewsHome at thewiredcity.net