Hi All,

With Spring Migration over, the 2nd Annual Puget Sound area YardBirdRace is going into the summer ?backstretch? and is getting exciting! Unlike a horse race, however, anyone who?s been yard listing can enter the YardBirdRace until Dec 31, 2005 at midnight, so the YardBirdRace can never sink to the mind-numbing boredom of most sports where the pool of possible winners is finite and has usually dwindled drastically by mid-season.

Current Overall leaders are Eric & Laura Kraig, of the Nisqually Reach, THURSTON CO., with 79 (Hutton?s Vireo, Great Horned Owl, Common Murre) and Carolyn EAGAN of Port Ludlow, JEFFERSON COUNTY with 74 (Western Bluebird), both Class Waterview.

Leading in SEATTLE Residential class are Curt & Bobbi Pearson with 40, including a Purple Finch and Evening & Black Headed Grosbeaks. Close on their heels is last year?s Seattle Class R winner Don McVay, who is reporting a slower-than-normal year but has 37 including Olive Sided Flycatcher, Fox Sparrow, & Snow Goose on North Queen Anne. Patricia Lott, last years winner in Seattle Class Multifamily has 26 species with three fledged Flickers a Yard-nest-bird bonus. Sharon Baker is leading class W with 40 from West Seattle, including a Marbled Murrelet. Unfortunately for Sharon, Orcas and Dall Porpoise don?t count.

47 birds gives Guy McWethy of Renton the KING COUNTY lead. Great Horned Owl and Red Crossbill are just two of the 47.

In SNOHOMISH Co. last year?s winners, Liz & Tayler (age 14) Brook are ahead of last year?s pace with 52 species, including a Sandhill Crane that was a flyover. Another spectacular yardbird is PIERCE Co. leading Dawn Bailey?s White Pelican. Bailey, who was at 46 at last report, also has a Northern Pygmy Owl.
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The SKAGIT Co. lead is currently held by Kurt Ranta of Mt. Vernon (in town) with 47 as of last report.

Anyone is welcome to enter, there are lots of towns, classes, etc, that remain winnable with the shortest of lists, and lists that are only begun today. A Crow would win Capitol Hill--you wouldn?t need a Starling. And there is always the summer, the fall migration and winter to build up any list.

Yardbirds are defined as any bird seen this year on or from your yard of less than 1.2 acres, the only other onerous rules are no Double Counted Cormorants and you must be willing to speak to the press if they call!

The top up-to-at-least 25 winners will receive their choice of any one of these three choices of prizes: A Violet Green Swallow nest box, a one year subscription to Washington Birder, a one year membership in your local Audubon Society chapter.

(To enter email YardBirdRace officials at Yardbirdrace at yahoo.com with your list total and location. To see the leaderboard, google yardbirdrace and hit ?I?m feeling lucky? (alternatively visit ednewbold.com and click on YardBirdRace.))

IN other news, June 20 was fledging day for our BARN SWALLOWS, so the mom & dad were in high anxiety mode. I had to laugh as an amiable-looking big red dog came trotting up the street, not realizing he was headed for the Barn Swallow?s free-fire zone. Dad busted me looking into the nest, so I?m public enemy number 1 for him and I got strafed all day, while mom didn?t see this and gives me the ?things are ok/danger is gone? whistle (the sweet upward-in-pitch whistle that they usually give after they have sounded their alarm call and the culprit has left.). As I was about to send this, they called me out to help get rid of a cat and I may have redeemed myself.

P.S. Keep the Nighthawk-sightings postings coming! Pat & Ruth?s 45 over Mud Lake was really nice to read. I?m still hoping the inscription on my gravestone can read ?He was a total Chicken Little about Nighthawks, worrying needlessly?

But I doubt it.

Ed Newbold, residential Beacon Hill newboldwildlife at nescape.net



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