Hello Tweets,

My mother and I relocated the Black Phoebe along "M" Street NW near Auburn in King Co. today that was originally located the evening before by Rosanne Becker and Joann Simms of Tacoma/University Place yesterday evening between 4-5pm. We arrived in foggy/cloudy conditions along "M" Street where the road crosses Mill Creek at 9:15am,where the bird immediately shot out from under the bridge above the creek and the bird flew to a nearby Oregon Ash tree immediately north of the road. The bird began to call constantly,as it foraged from tree to tree along the north side of the road bordering Mill Creek. The bird also wandered from the bridge location along the north side of the road west to the 90 degree turn along "M" Street that borders Hwy.167.,where it foraged from willow and birch clumps. The bird eventually retuned to where we were standing along the road side above the bridge and began actively calling more and singing too and seemed to favor the fairly large round Oregon Ash tree for perching purposes,as well as foraging from an alder clump just west of that tree. The bird would also return frequently to the bridge(usually after heavily foraging),where it flew underneath after foraging and it is assumed the bird favors that location for resting,etc. On two separate occasions we watched the bird catch and consume 2 bulky greenish-yellow caterpillars or moth/butterfly larvae and there are plenty of other insects for it to feed on too. We remained watching the bird until Rosanne and Joann arrived at 11am,where they also watched the bird as the sun began to break up the low clouds and fog. We all watched the bird until 11:15am when the bird retired and remained silent under the bridge. My mother and I returned to this location at 2:15pm after running into Marv Breece,who also viewed the bird at that time during bright,sunny conditions. The bird was observed on both sides of the road near the bridge and occasionally called,which is helps in locating this bird. This immediate location is very limited as far as parking with little shoulder edge and traffic was light during both visits we made during the day. A farmhouse/homestead property lies just south of this location and enters "M" Street near the bridge that crosses Mill Creek. We advise birders attempting to look for the Black Phoebe to park along the shoulder immediately west of the entrance road to the farmhouse or even at a pull-off further west of this location at the 90 degree turn in the road that borders Hwy.167,then walking along the road to the bridge. If the bird is not readily heard or seen upon your arrival please keep in mind that bird is probably resting under the bridge,which the bird seemed to really favor. Essentially the bird became most active soon after our arrival at 9:15am to just before the low clouds began to burn off and had several resting periods where the bird remained silent or inactive,then was made a showing again at 2:15pm but the bird didn't seem especially active.

This sighting represents the first record for King Co. and the most northerly record at that for Washington State along with being documented by photographs too so this sighting is especially noteworthy and an exceptional sighting for Rosanne and Joann! Again, the exact location for the Black Phoebe is along "M" Street between Hwy.167 and the entrance parking area for Emerald Downs. More specifically to access "M" Street from West Valley Hwy. to the west drive east on 15th Street SW passing over Hwy.167 and driving through 2 sets of traffic lights and immediately after the 2nd traffic light turn left from the left turning lane onto "M" Street. Proceed north of "M" Street around a couple bends in the road,as it straightens out and continues north bordering Hwy.167 to the east. You will soon come to a 90 degree turn in the road,then the road turns east and straightens out and soon eventually arriving to the bridge(with two guard rails on either side of the bridge)above Mill Creek. This is the location! Again respect the traffic along the road and people driving in and out from the farmhouse.

A pair of Western Kingbirds were also observed from this location on the farmhouse property during our morning visit,where the foraged together from fencelines and other obstructions in open fields near the farmhouse. A single fly-over Cooper's Hawk and Am.Pipit were also observed from this location. In a flooded area south of the location along "M" Street a large group of 200+ Least Sandpipers were tallied,as well as a single adult Peregrine Falcon and a Green Heron observed flying over during our afternoon visit. Further north in a flooded area along West Valley Hwy. viewed from 285th Street a pair of Blue-winged Teal were noted amongst flock of Green-winged Teal and up to 8 Cinnamon Teal. Shorebirds at this location included 2 Greater Yellowlegs and a single Western Sandpiper.

A thorough walk around the perimeter of the north or west Boeing "ponds" produced the following notable species(accessed along 59th Place NW):

1 Pied-billed Grebe
2 Cackling Geese
1 Blue-winged Teal
1 Cinnamon Teal
5 Buffleheads
8 Ruddy Ducks
12 Am.Coots
4 Spotted Sandpipers
5 Western Sandpipers
9 Least Sandpipers
4 Northern Rough-winged Swallows



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net