Subject: [Tweeters] Fwd: Pine Grosbeak in Covington
Date: Dec 30 16:34:40 2008
From: Dan Victor - dvictor06 at comcast.net


Begin forwarded message:
>>
>> > Tweets,
>> >
>> > Yesterday while participating in the Rainier Audubon Christmas Bird
>> &g t; Count (in Covington), I was fortunate to stumble upon a female
>> > pine grosbeak! I had decided to walk along 196th Ave SE,
>> > which has a few scattered houses trees on the west side, and an
>> > undeveloped park on the east side. The park is comprised of mixed
>> > deciduous and coniferous forest with a mosaic of wetlands. When I
>> > heard a "chip" of chickadee, I decided to pish to see if there was a
>> > mixed flock. Instead I heard, several hundred feet to the east, a
>> > musical "chee-DIP, chee-DIP, chee-DIP". This was not dry like a
>> > flycatcher's call notes, but rather liquid and pretty. However, I
>> did
>> > not recognize the call (having seen this species only a few times,
>> and
>> > the last time was 25 years ago!), so I pished again in the hope of
>> > drawing it closer. Much to my surprise and delight, within seconds
>> > she came down to a bare shrub about 30 feet from me, givin g me a
>> > wonderf ul chance to observe her. I was once again struck at how
>> > beautifully the soft gray underparts complement the almost radiant
>> > golden-olive of the rump, back, and head--the paintings in the books
>> > do not do it justice! Unfortunately, she stayed for only about two
>> > minutes, then flew off out of sight to the west. I birded here for
>> > another 45 minutes but neither saw nor heard another pine grosbeak.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Only later did I learn that the "chee-DIP" call is this species'
>> alarm
>> > note--so she was in fact responding to my pishing--this gives some
>> > hope that she may be found again, though I fear that she is timid
>> and
>> > will not put up with pishing for long.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > This location along 196th Ave SE is south of Covington-Sawyer Road,
>> > just northeast of Lake Morton. There are extensive forests in the
>> > area, so the bird could be most anywhere, But it is worth the
>> > search! Also, at Lake Morton, I saw three swans fly overhead, but I
>> > wasn't able to identify them to species.
>> >
>> > Ken Brunner
>> > Kent, Washington
>> > mailto: valvb1 at comcast.net
>> >
>> > 253-852-7523

Forwarded by

Dan Victor, Wallingford district, Seattle
dcv at scn dot org ___.-////
http://home.comcast.net/~dvictor06/ \_>