Dear Tweeters;
Greetings, Washington State birders! Your favorite New York City
birder is back in town this week, and hoping for a little more friendly advice for
a few target birds. I'm mainly in town for social reasons, but I've built in
a day for chasing a few good birds this coming Monday. Number One (thru
infinity!) on my list is Snowy Owl, which has proven to be my nemesis bird here in
New York. Even in our rare irruption years, I have sought this species on
multiple occasions in locations where it has been seen by multiple observers, and
it continues to elude me! It seems that Washington is having a banner year
for Snowies, so I'm hoping I can break the spell. I would appreciate any
advice/directions regarding the best spots that are reasonable as a day trip from
Seattle/Shoreline (where I'm staying). Has the Discovery Park Snowy been
around lately? That would be a real gem, as I could share that bird with my
friend's daughter, who loves owls, and my stories about seeing them!
A secondary objective would be to find Rock Sandpiper and/or Ancient
Murrelet, either of which would be a U.S. bird for me. I'm very open to the
idea of a ferry ride with a chance of success- at worst, I will see some birds
that I've not seen often before! Again, I appreciate any tips you might share!
Thank you in advance for your advice and hospitality. I hope everyone
had a great holiday season, and that the year to come brings all the birds of
your dreams!
Happy Birding!
Ken Allaire
New York, NY
kallaire at cs.com
www.kenallaire.com