Yakkers,

While soaking sore muscles in our hot tub after a bike ride along Pumphouse
Road in the Toppenish NWR area, we observed a female Black-chinned
Hummingbird at our feeder here in Parker Heights. This is the earliest
record here by two weeks (30 April 1994, male at feeder here). There is a
very slight chance this hummer was a Ruby-throated, recorded only once
before in Washington.

This makes the third sighting of exceptionally early spring arrivals in the
Yakima area this year. The second is a Bullock's Oriole 4 April east of
Moxee (fide Denny Granstrand). This is the earliest record of this species
in Washington by eight days. "Birds of Washington" has the earliest record
being a sighting from Tacoma on April 12, 1978. The third is of a male
Lazuli Bunting was in a yard 11 April near Yakima Ave. and 36th Ave (fide
Denny Granstrand). This is 18 days earlier than Yakima County's previous
earliest record.

The only pattern I see emerging for these three early arrivals is their
primary wintering range is in the Neotropics of Mexico.

Andy and Ellen Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at nwinfo.net