Have been checking for Bullock's Orioles at the Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens (at Everett's Legion Park) as I saw a pair last may 26 - 30. (07). Saw a pair there today, the male very vocal and not too hard too spot.
At my yard nearby in north Everett saw the first Black-Headed Grosbeaks come to my feeder, a female and not fully breeding plumaged male. I can't get a close look at those gross beaks without remembering September 1978, when I was a visiting bander at the Kalamazoo nature center in Michigan: as I was removing a Rose -breasted Grosbeak from the net, it clamped down hard on my finger. The nice midwestern bird folks pretended not to notice the tears streaming down my face. Think vise-grip pliers. I imagine a scene in "Birders, the Movie", when in an attempt to get accurate rare bird details someone call's into the backroom, " bring in zee grosbeaks".
While I've been at my place in north Everett for seven year's, I've only had a feeder up since this christmas when my wife gave me one. It is interesting because it has changed the bird dynamic here. We never had Goldfinches here for example. Now we do- for the last several months our biggest feeder hogs. Junco's are still here - far later than before feeder.


Jeff Gibson
Everett Wa.