While not at all common, Eastern Kingbirds are not very rare in Western
Washington. I first saw one in Myrtle Edwards Park in Seattle several years
ago perched on the top of a lombardy poplar, as they frequently did where I
grew up on Long Island, N.Y.. I was surprised at first, but looked it up in
Hunn and saw that they were relatively rare on the west side of the
Cascades, but have been recorded breeding here. I'm fairly sure I've seen a
few others in western WA, though I can't remember when and where right now
(may have been the south Sound prairies?).

The flowers and butterflies are 2 weeks to 2 months early this year and it
wouldn't seem very surprising to me to see an Eastern Kingbird by now this
year even though Hunn lists them as starting to appear in mid-May. The
telephone wire perch is much more typical than the earlier sighting on a
blade of grass or in grass.

Stewart Wechsler

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