Hi all,


The 3rd annual 2006 YardBirdRace is up and running and promises to be bigger than ever. Early totals are welcome, email yardbirdrace at yahoo.com with early reports!

(In early news from this year?s very young race, Bellevue is emerging as a battleground. LOU ANN HARRIS reports 22 sp as of Jan 6 from the Woodridge neighborhood including a flyover TRUMPETER SWAN while last year?s B?vue winner BRIAN PENDLETON posted in with 16 on the same date. Meanwhile CAROLYN EAGAN reports ?nothing special? from Port Ludlow but was already at 34 by the 6th while ROB CONWAY relays a total of 39 including two warblers & a HAIRY WOODPECKER from Newcastle. Check the 2006 leaderboard at http://www.ednewbold.com/yardbird.htm )

The 2nd Annual 2005 YardBirdRace is over but not forgotten. A tiny ad will appear to congratule a very few of the many winners in the SEATTLE TIMES & POST INTELLIGENCER this Friday in the local section, and an ad will congratulate a slightly larger few in the Seattle Audubon?s paper next month and in Washington Birder.

Prizes are just starting to go out to participants. WASHINGTON BIRDER, the great publication by Laurie & Ken Knittle tied for most popular prize along with VIOLET GREEN SWALLOW NEST BOXES by Chickadee Hut of Abbotsford, BC with World Bird Club memberships next. All of the bird guides, (Kaufman) quickly disappeared so I had to get an extra one from the fine local bookstore/resource that anyone living near Seattle should cherish in Pioneer Square called Flora & Fauna Books.

And now begging everyone?s indulgence on a very long post on this rainy (actually, sunny now) winter weekday, here is the final & complete recapitulation of last year?s FANTASTICALLY EXCITING race.

2005 YARDBIRDRACE: THE FINAL, COMPLETE REPORT

SEATTLE

In Yard-type Residential Seattle, JEANNE MARRAZZO & JO HOFMAN of UPPER RAINIER BEACH cruised to a fairly easy win with 62 which they attributed to ?spending an awful lot of time out in the yard.? COMMON RAVEN on their list was also on the list of CURT & BOBBY PEARSON of HILLMAN CITY. Does this portend an invasion of our city by these charismatic birds? The Pearson?s 46, btw, won Hillman City & also included a PURPLE FINCH, now rare in Seattle.

In Yardtype- adj--Greenbelt SAM TERRY of LESCHI ended up with 61 tying for 2nd overall with SHARON BAKER of WEST SEATTLE in yard-type waterfront. Baker had a late start, Terry had an early end to their YardBirdRacing. In the Tour de France you worry a racer will crash?in the YardBirdRace you worry they?ll move.

In Seattle Class M (Multifamily, also office & Commercial) TODD HASS put CAPITOL HILL on the ybr map with 40, edging out last year?s M winner PATRICIA LOTT of GREENWOOD who?s list of 38 sported a HUTTON?S VIREO, BARRED OWL, & TOWNSEND?S WARBLER.

Runnerup in Res. in Seattle was BECKY HERB, who racked up an impressive 53 species in WEST SEATTLE despite being fairly new to birding. 2nd Runner up SIMONE LUPSON-COOK, with 49, snagged an OLIVE SIDED FLYCATCHER and a RED CROSSBILL.

Speaking of GREAT BIRDS, a HOODED ORIOLE graced CATHY CONOLLY?S MAGNOLIA-winning list of 44. While not quite so unusual here, a COMMON NIGHTHAWK is highly significant, and was a welcome appearance on the list of AMY COLE of MADRONA who had 45.

DON MCVAY seemed disappointed in this NORTH QUEEN ANNE list of 41?he won Seattle R last year with 55?but it?s all relative as he had SNOW GOOSE, OLIVE SIDED FLYCATCHER& WESTERN TANAGER.

Lots of neighborhoods now have winners and brand new records on the books. MATT DUFORT managed to see a WINTER WREN in WALLINGFORD and set a record there of 31. ANN ROOT brought BALLARD in from the ybr wilderness with a record-setting 18 including CHESTNUT BACKED CHICKADEE. CATHERINE ALEXANDER racked up 39 to set a LAKEWOOD record with TOWNSEND?S WARBLER & OLIVE SIDED FLYCATHER. PHINNEY RIDGE has a new record, 29 thanks to GARET MUNGER who found TREE SWALLOW & RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, edging out BRETT WOLFE?s 25: Brett moved?at least he didn?t crash. LICTON SPRINGS, last but not least, is now on the ybr boards with 22 including BLACK HEADED GROSBEAK & LINCOLN?S SPARROW, courtesy of an entry from REBECCA GALLOWAY.

CLARK COUNTY

JIM DANZENBAKER moved to BATTLEGROUND in August and didn?t waste any time amassing large numbers of yardbirds. 61 is a new Clark Co. record including MACGILLIVRAY?S WARBLER & AMERICAN PIPIT.

JEFFERSON COUNTY

In a race that featured dizzyingly high totals, DIANE MULHOLLAND of PORT HADLOCK with 108 including YELLOW BILLED LOON edged out CAROLYN EAGAN of PORT LUDLOW whose 98 included WESTERN BLUEBIRD & the coveted COMMON NIGHTHAWK. Entries from Jeffco from yard-types such as residential are also welcome: Let?s see some lower numbers out of this county next year!

KITSAP COUNTY/ OVERALL

VIC NELSON toppled his old Yardbirdrace Overall & Kitsap Co. record of 133 with 138 species, winning the YardBirdRace overall for the the second year of its two year existence. With a list like that, it may be more appropriate to ask what?s not on it than what is on it. CASSIN?S AUKLET is on it, we haven?t asked Vic for a list of his ?most wanted.?

KING COUNTY

All fall YBR watchers were wondering, would GUY MCWETHY break the old KingCo Residential mark of 71 set last year? Well, we?re all taught that sharing is a good thing so it?s wonderful that GUY will have to share the record, which he made from RENTON with the aid of cameo appearances by NORTHERN PYGMY OWL, RED EYED VIREO, PURPLE FINCH, TURKEY VULTURE & HUTTON?S VIREO. NANCY LANDER & BOB BENNETT also of RENTON win first runnerup in KingCo R with 57 including the winsome COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.

In yard-type Greenbelt, ROBIN CONWAY of NEWCASTLE ran away with a new KingCo- record of 91 including birds that don?t always show up even on my state list: CASSIN?S VIREO, SANDHILL CRANE, BLACK CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD, CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD, BLACK SWIFT & GOLDEN EAGLE.

LINDA DAVEY of Pine Lake won KingCo W with 68, 3 off from her 2004 pace, but including the much-sought-after GREEN HERON.

BRIAN PENDLETON picked up a PEREGRINE FALCON on the last day of eligibility to move his BELLEVUE-winning Class M total to 51. HUGE JENNINGS wins 1st runnerup with an un-updated total of 26. REDMOND was won with 54 by GRACE OLIVER for the second year in a row, with a list that included BARN & GREAT HORNED OWLS. CHRISTINE SOUTHWICK set a new record and won SHORELINE with 51 including a PURPLE FINCH.

PACIFIC COUNTY

ANN MUSCHE & ALAN RICHARDS had 93 species in Acreage yard-type in NASELLE with a SAW WHET OWL, SANDHILL CRANE, & 6 WARBLER SPECIES winning PAC Co and 1st runnerup in A.

PIERCE COUNTY

In Pierce Co. R RUTH & PATRICK SULLIVAN repeated their 2004 win and set a new record with a cool 90 species including LEAST FLYCATCHER, BLACK CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD, AMERICAN KESTREL, SOLITARY SANDPIPER & AMERICAN PIPIT. 90 is also a new overall record for R.

DAWN BAILEY won in Pierce A & Eatonville with 56 including a GREAT HORNED OWL picked up on Halloween night, a WHITE PELICAN, & a PYGMY OWL.

SKAGIT COUNTY

KURT RANTA won Skagit Residential with a 60 list out of downtown MT. VERNON that sported a HAMMOND?S & PACIFIC SLOPE FLYCATCHERS & YELLOW WARBLER

Two species separated GARY BLETCH from a tie in the new Acreage-Yard-type category overall which was added long after the race got underway. 95 species is the new record to beat there and Bletch?s list from the LOWER UPPER SKAGIT included EASTERN KINGBIRD, GREEN HERON, SCRUB JAY, CASPIAN TERN & ROUGH LEGGED HAWK.

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

LIZ & TAYLER BROOK of BRIER are SnoCo Residential winners for the second year running, with a list of 55 that included SANDHILL CRANE & PURPLE FINCH. CARLEEN & NEIL ZIMMERMAN won first runnerup in Brier with 51 including RED CROSSBILL, EVENING GROSBEAK & HUTTON?S VIREO.

MAXINE REID won SnoCo overall, W and was 1st runnerup in the YBR out of TULALIP BEACH with 113?a list that included CASSIN?S AUKLET, 2 GODWITS, & RED KNOT.

ROB SANDELIN won SnoCo G from MALTBY with 59 including GREAT HORNED & BARRED OWL, and might have won had there been a "great anecdotes on tweeters" category as well.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE saw a new record of 28 set by ANN MARIE WOOD, who picked up a yardbird many of us are wishing for unrequitedly at this moment: VARIED THRUSH.

THURSTON COUNTY

Though off from the torrid pace they set last year, ERIC & LAURA KRAIG of the NISQUALLY REACH easily won Thurston W & overall again with 100 species including the COMMON NIGHTHAWK.


WAHKIAKUM COUNTY

ANDREW EMLEN virtually created the Acreage yard-type category of the YardBirdRace by entering in frustration despite having a yard 31.8 acres over the upper size limit. But seeing the profound error of our ways, YBR immediately adjusted and EMLEN has now won Wahkiakum, SKAMOKAWA, & second runnerup overall in what turned out to be an extremely hotly contested category A with 84 species including the aforementioned COMMON NIGHTHAWK, HAMMOND?S FLYCATCHER, SAW WHET, BARN & NORTHERN PYGMY OWLS.

OVENBIRD is the other of the two most exotic birds overall in the 2nd YardBirdRace and it came on a list from CATHLAMET that won R Wahkiakum?GEORGE EXUM?S list of 75 that also featured a NORTHERN SHRIKE.

WHATCOM COUNTY

NICK PAGE set new records for Whatcom, Ferndale, in A with 54 including YELLOWTHROAT, YELLOW HEADED BLACKBIRD, BARN & GREAT HORNED OWLS.

EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS

Supposedly, the YBR doesn?t go east of the Cascades. But don?t tell SCOTT & DENISE RAY of MOXEE who reported no less than 81 species in A out of Yakima County. And another entry that may help to bring down this arbitrary curtain: 9-year old MADISON MARIE WOOD picked up 30 species including BULLOCK?S ORIOLE, LEWIS?S WOODPECKER, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, ACORN WOODPECKER, & CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD out of her yard in LYLE in Klickitat County



Well, that was the 2005 second annual YardBirdRace. Thanks to everyone for its success. Thanks especially to Tweeters?owner and members-- without which there would and could be no YardBirdRace of any kind

Ed Newbold, residential Beacon Hill, Seattle, ednewbold1 at yahoo.com





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