Subject: Northern Wheatear at Nisqually
Date: Sep 4 21:14:43 2004
From: David Flood - floodtax at earthlink.net




I watched a Northern Wheatear this afternoon from 6:30 until nearly 7pm. The
bird is in basic plumage with black bill, buffy eyestripe, breast and belly.
In the late afternoon sun the back and wings looked brownish to me. The rump
and upper half of the tail is bold white ending in a black terminal band.
The bird constantly wagged its tail.

Directions:
As you walk from the Refuge parking lot towards McAllister Creek go past the
first clump of willows on your right, past an open area, then in the middle
of the next clump of willows on the right there is an opening that looks
like it is an access for tractors to the field. About 100 feet in is a
freestanding bare bush in which the Wheatear was perched. The bird was
active and frequently dropped down to the ground to feed. For several short
intervals it remained on the ground and would sometimes run on the ground to
catch something.

Another birder whose name I unfortunately did not get told me of the bird.
He said that, to his chagrin, he did not have a field guide or good pair of
binoculars with him. He knew Wheatears were white above and below the tail
so he thought that was what he and his companion had seen. I had a copy of
Peterson in my back pocket and he confirmed that what he had seen was a
non-breeding plumage N. Wheatear. Following his directions I easily
relocated the bird.

Good Birding,
David Flood
Seattle