Hi All,



The 2nd Press Release for the 2005 YardBirdRace, is going out soon, and it would be even more unbearably exciting with one, two or three more entries. Everyone is totally invited to enter but anyone who has been keeping a year-2005 Yard list (any bird seen from the yard or in the yard) is pleaded with to enter it. The prizes, which will go to the top 25, that is everyone so far, include either a Violet Green Swallow nest box, a 1 year sub to Washington Birder, a 1 year sub to BirdLife International, a 1 year sub to your local Audubon Society, and I hope to have some copies of Kaufman?s Bird available. Plus money will be donated in winners names to organizations like & including the Skagit Land Trust, and this is money that wouldn?t otherwise go there.



Here?s the copy of the official YardBirdRace ad and update that will appear in the next issue of Earthcare Northwest:



You can forget about Seasonal Affective Disorder now that the YardBirdRace is heading into its 2nd Nothwest winter, generating ever more excitement as it goes--quite unlike this year?s Mariner season or the Tour de France, both of which, well... I?m yawning. But back to YBR! In Class Residential in the big city, Jeanne Marrazo & Jo Hoffman of Upper Rainier Beach lead with 54, including Kestrel, but Becky Herb of West Seattle remains in striking distance with 50. Hillman City-(Bobby & Curt Pearson, Purple Finch & 2 Grosbeaks) is dead even with Queen Anne (last year?s Seattle R winner Don McVay w/ a Snow Goose.) at 41ea. Todd Haas has brought Capitol Hill into the fray after it?s embarassing failure to field an entry last year and his 34 includes a Kingfisher. Sharon Baker leads Sea. Class W w/ 56, even without Orca & Dall Porpoise which were ruled not birds. In King Co the Class R YBR record is under threat this year from Guy McWethy with 69 including Pygmy Owl. !
In
Pierce, Dawn Bailey?s 54 boasts a White Pelican and in Snohomish, Liz & Brook Tayler?s list of 52 sports a Sandhill Crane. Kurt Ranta is Class R Skagit leader w/47. The overall YBR yellow jersey has been held most of the year by Carolyn Eagan of Jefferson Co. w/ a cool 93 inc. a Western Bluebird, but don?t expect Maxine Reid of Tulalip Bay, w/ 87 inc. a Bullock?s Oriole, to quit looking. No lead is safe in YBR, as anyone who has been keeping a yardlist may enter at any time. But looking beyond the excitement, YBR beckons as a pastime that is refreshingly scandal-free. Oh sure, there was the case of the Double Counted Cormorant, but that was deftly ironed out, and what speaks volumes about the quality of these contestants is how none balked when informed of the tough YBR reg known as the ?Kenny Rogers Rule:? No contestant may yell expletives at press photographers & absolutely no hurling of their cameras to the pavement!

That was a paired down to fit the space, and somewhat randomly failed to mention some of the contestants sorry about that.



To enter the YardBirdRace, email me at yardbirdrace at yahoo.com with your name, list, and general neighborhood, plus residential, waterview, multifamily, or combo of those.



to see more about the YardBirdRace and the Leaderboard, Google YardBirdRace and hit "I'm Feeling Lucky"



Ednewbold1 at yahoo.com residential Beacon Hill. Hermit Thrush & Yellow Rumped Warblers are in and out of the yard these days.



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