Thanks for this detail Louise. At 3:30 this afternoon I made a dash from downtown Seattle to the Kent Valley, pulled into the R.W. Scott Construction Co. parking lot (4005 W. Valley Highway) and right above me in pine trees were the two Tropical Kingbirds. They hopped on the wires, I took a quick "bird on the wire" snap, and they flew east across the highway to the small fenced wetland, settling on top of a snag. With the sun sinking fast, I made a stop at Kent Ponds on Russell Road and enjoyed watching a Short-Eared Owl making lazy-8s over the central meadow with two Harriers patrolling the edges.

Tom Mansfield, Seattle


From: louise.rutter at eelpi.gotdns.orgTo: tweeters at u.washington.eduDate: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:16:08 -0800Subject: [Tweeters] Kent Valley Tropical Kingbirds - yes




With the weather conducive to fly-catching, and the timing conducive to the residents hopefully being out at work, I went down to 287th St this morning to look for the tropical kingbirds, and met Mary Frances Mathis on the same mission. I took Charlie Wright?s advice and parked 100 yards further south along W Valley Hwy , in a construction company car park right by the Auburn sign. The car park was nearly empty, and there were no posted notices about customers only or towing, so I didn?t suppose anyone would mind.

We searched 287th St for about half an hour with no success. Mary Frances spotted the northern shrike, perched on a fence post in a field several hundred yards north of 287th. At that point, mindful of the reputation of the locals (who were around and active) and assuming that the kingbirds would be easily visible if they were still around, we gave up and decided they?d probably moved on.

I went back to my car, and there on the wires above the car park sat a tropical kingbird, with bright yellow belly and breast and nicely notched tail. There?s an area of wasteland with brambles and scattered trees and a ruined house that stretches between 287th and the construction yard along the Valley Hwy, and the bird was fly-catching over the scrub. One high speed rush to retrieve Mary Frances later, staggering along 287th St waving my scarf over my head like a lunatic, we found the two tropical kingbirds perched close together in a bush. We lost sight of one early on, and as we watched, the other slowly worked his way deeper into the scrub, back in the direction of 287th.

If anyone tries for these birds, it?s worth scanning that whole area, and given that the locals aren?t entirely welcoming, it might be easier to check from the south end or from the Valley Hwy itself before embarking on 287th. Many thanks to Charlie for his post from yesterday, without which I wouldn?t have parked where I did and we?d have missed the birds!

Louise Rutter
Kirkland