Subject: [Tweeters] still another Townsend's Solitaire
Date: Apr 21 14:08:33 2007
From: Kelly McAllister - mcallisters4 at comcast.net


I've seen a handful of Townsend's Solitaires, during April, around Bald
Hill, over the past 5 years. They've been at 1,400 to 2,000 feet in
elevation. I've seen solitaires along Sunday Creek (on the former
Weyerhaeuser Snoqualmie Tree Farm), also during April, at around 1,500 feet.

I saw a single bird in the Capitol Forest along Waddell Creek, on March 25,
2006, at about 375 feet elevation.

The one I saw yesterday was also at relatively low elevation, about 425
feet. I was thinking, like Stewart, that the number of low elevation
observations represented something unusual about spring, 2007, but now that
I've given it some thought, I think it could just be increased interest in
reporting sightings on Tweeters.

Anybody else have an opinion? (I'd better go dig out Birds of Washington and
get educated)

Kelly McAllister
Olympia, Washington

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stewart Wechsler" <ecostewart at quidnunc.net>
To: "Kelly McAllister" <mcallisters4 at comcast.net>;
<tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2007 12:51 PM
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] still another Townsend's Solitaire


> When I saw a Townsend's Solitaire maybe 2 to 3 weeks ago at McDonald Park
> (in Carnation, WA, east King County, under 300' elevation, near the edge
> of
> the Snoqualmie River) I thought it noteworthy to see in the lowlands, but
> didn't know if it was particularly noteworthy, especially as it is close
> to
> the base of the Cascades where I would expect them to be seen regularly.
> With all of these reports of Townsend's Solitaires I'm not sure whether we
> are experiencing an unusual flurry of lowland sightings or whether one or
> two reports has spurred on an unusual level of reporting of the usual
> scattering of lowland occurrences of Townsend's Solitaires in the spring
> (and possibly an unusual level of people keeping an eye out for this
> species
> leading to additional sightings / identifications). In Eugene Hunn's
> birding in Seattle and King Co (1982) he says they pass through the
> lowlands
> and foothills in the spring, making me wonder more if it may be a flurry
> of
> additional reporting than an unusual number of lowland occurances of this
> bird more typical of montane habitats. Any thoughts from our more
> seasoned
> birders?
>
> Stewart Wechsler
> Ecological Consulting
> West Seattle
> 206 932-7225
> ecostewart at quidnunc.net
>
> -Advice on the most site-appropriate native plants
> and how to enhance habitat for the maximum diversity
> of plants and animals
> -Educational programs, nature walks and field trips
> -Botanical Surveys
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kelly McAllister
>
>
> Yesterday, I saw a single Townsend's Solitaire in the South Weir Prairie
> (known on USGS maps as Tenalquot Prairie) just north of the town of
> Rainier
> in Thurston County, Washington. ...
> --
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 269.5.7/771 - Release Date: 4/21/2007
> 11:56 AM
>
>