Subject: [Tweeters] Northern Mockingbird in Kittitas County
Date: May 21 13:21:20 2008
From: Wayne Weber - contopus at telus.net


Tweeters and Inland Birders,

On May 17, while enjoying a brief combined birding/botany trip to Chelan and
Kittitas Counties, I found a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD along Bettas Road, not far
north of its junction with Hayward Road. This locality is west of Highway 97
and about halfway between Cle Elum and Ellensburg. The area is grassland
with scattered houses and clumps of trees, and scattered serviceberry
bushes.

The Mockingbird was seen rather briefly as it made 3 flights from one
serviceberry bush to another, gradually getting farther from the road.
However, I got good views of the bird in flight. It was similar in shape to
a Gray Catbird or Sage Thrasher, but larger, with a long tail. The color was
whitish on the underparts and gray above. The white sides on the tail were
obvious in flight, and the large white wing patches were very conspicuous.
The bird appeared to be on the move, and I doubt that it will remain in the
area.

This is only my third NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD in Washington (yes, I've missed
lots of previous birds which stayed put for awhile), and my first east of
the Cascades.

The following morning, May 18, I briefly bumped into Dennis Paulson and
MaryFrances Mathis with a Seattle Master Birder group at the famous Bar 14
ponds in Ellensburg. There wasn't much out of the ordinary there, but they
said they had seen a BURROWING OWL along the Old Vantage Highway the
previous day, a good bird for that area.

I found the birding to be definitely below par on the 17th and 18th, which I
am blaming on the heat on the 17th and strong winds all day on the 18th. I
did find a few other birds of interest on the 18th (YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
singing along McManamy Road near Ellensburg, lots of BULLOCK'S ORIOLES and
LAZULI BUNTINGS at various localities.) Oh yes, the whole county seemed
overrun with EVENING GROSBEAKS, almost wherever there were trees-- a welcome
relief after the relative scarcity of this species through much of
Washington in recent years.

Good luck and good birding,

Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
ciontopus at telus.net