Hi tweets,

Sorry I neglected to post this sooner, but better late than never. When I say today in this email, I mean Thursday, 5/3/07.

The past few days, including each of the last 3 days, I have been out at the UW Arboretum for a class, but have also been paying attention to the birds. Lots of goodies starting to migrate in.

On Tuesday & today, I got Western Tanagers. In each case, I had multiple males and females both. Yesterday, I was near the 520, having crossed under from Marsh Island. There is a bench near a Pinus ponderosa that is right on the trail. I heard Cassin's Vireos in the area (they were there last week too), but wasn't actively looking for them, as I was trying to do some reading. All of a sudden, the Cassin's Vireo was above my head, so I looked up, but the only thing I saw was the underside of a male Western Tanager. Then the vireo sang again and I realized it was lower and to the right of the tanager. As I started looking around, I had at least 5 Western Tanagers (3 male, 2 female) in that general area, as well as at least 2 Cassin's Vireos.

Today, I was hanging out near the parking lot that is by the corner of Interlaken and Lake Washington Drive. I heard and saw Western Tanagers again, 2 males and one female confirmed visuals.

I also started hearing a soft "Whit" sound, so went looking. Unfortunately, I never heard an actual song, but I did find an Empidonax flycatcher. It was very light buffy in the breast, no yellow at all that I could see from various angles. Two nice wing bars, a very noticeable eye ring, soft call notes, and hanging out in some maples and birches/poplars near the pond that is right by that parking lot. The back seemed more brownish than greenish. My overall impression from years of trying to tell empids apart when they don't sing and I don't have them in hand for measurements, was Willow Flycatcher. Pretty sure, but not 100%.

One bird that I did get a 100% ID on was a Black-throated Grey Warbler. This was in the same vicinity, and the bird was moving in some tall conifers above a large grove of Yews. Heard it singing it's rising buzz and soon had it in my viewsights. Very handsome!

Between these guys the past few days, plus the Solitary Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper yesterday at the Union Bay Natural Area / Montlake Fill, I'd have to say spring has truly sprung! Good birding y'all. I am heading to Dusty Lake near Quincy tomorrow!

Brett A. Wolfe
Seattle, WA
m_lincolnii at yahoo.com


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