Stewart et al.,

I would think the date is far more unusual for Eastern Kingbird than the
west side location. They would be a full two months early. I believe Eastern
Kingbirds migrate north via the eastern United States, thus arrive here a
few week later generally than Western Kingbirds, which migrate up through
the western US.

Gene Hunn
18476 47th Pl NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
enhunn323 at comcast.net.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stewart Wechsler" <ecostewart at quidnunc.net>
To: "Inga Holmquist" <ingawh at yahoo.com>; "Tweeters"
<tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 7:10 PM
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] Eastern Kingbird invasion?


> 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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