Subject: [Tweeters] Tufted Duck update and more 4-5-06
Date: Apr 5 18:56:45 2006
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com


Hello Tweets,

Today we spent time looking for the Weyerhaeuser Tufted Duck and during the beginning portion of our searches were unable to locate the bird between 11:45am-1pm. We initially checked the main Weyerhaeuser Corporate Pond,as well as several vantage point around the entire shore of North Lake and a few detention-type ponds along Weyerhaeuser Way South. Upon arriving back during the afternoon to recheck for the bird we relocated it amongst a nice gathering of Ring-necked Ducks and Am.Wigeon at the extreme south end of North Lake. We watched the bird from 2 vantage points during this time between 2:30pm-4pm,but due to the distance and lighting were unable to produce any better quality photos. It was just nice to see the bird after searching earlier in the day for it,so it seems the bird has another hiding place it goes to. The Tufted Duck seems most comfortable on North Lake,but only as long as the Ring-necked Ducks are around it may stay awhile longer. We also noticed more ducks at both the Weyerhaeuser Corporate Pond and North Lake during the afternoon than earlier in the day,so we do believe the ducks are all coming and going to other area lakes,etc.

During our balmy,warm searches in and around North Lake our other main highlight away from the Tufted Duck was a singing PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER observed briefly in a heavily wooded area north of the main Weyerhaeuser Corporate building. The bird was very bright,but also very active and represented our persona earliest spring record of the species in WA. Perhaps other reports of this species will follow in upcoming days! A single PINE SISKIN was also noted at this same location,which is one of very few sightings for us for the season. Other highlights in the immediate Weyerhaeuser/North Lake area included the following:

3 Hooded Mergansers
1 Common Merganser
14 Ruddy Ducks
1 OSPREY(observed pursuing then catching a fish at North Lake with the bird landing in the water for 1 minute before flying off with it's prey)
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Hairy Woodpecker
5 Tree Swallows
10+ Violet-green Swallows
1 calling Hutton's Vireo
4 singing Purple Finches


During a break away from looking for the Tufted Duck we traveled over to Auburn and observed the BLACK PHOEBE with no effort at 1:30pm,where the bird kept very active flying to and from the bridge over Mill Creek. The bird flew to several trees north of the creek,but seemed to favor the large ash tree nearest the road and would also call occasionally.This location is same location described by other birds along 29th Street NW just west of the Emerald Downs complex.


We highly believe this is the same individual than was present last spring beginning on 26th of April and lingered through mid May. There could be great speculation about the bird's history,especially since there has been a general increase of Black Phoebe sightings. It just doesn't seem likely that a different bird would show up at the same location,behave in the same manner,etc. We recall a similar instance with a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher that was originally found Brendan McGarry and Tyler Davis on the 25th of May,2002 at Hardy Canyon in Yakima Co. This bird continued at a favor location and eventually made a "mock" nest with only one bird present and was well documented and studied. Most likely the same bird returned the following year(2003)at precisely the same location,but slightly later in the season as found by Gary Wiles on June 7th,2003. The bird continued at this location through the beginning portion of July that same year to our records.


Good spring birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at msn.com