Tweeters: Despite deep-freeze conditions leading up to the count, and postponement of the CBC by eight days, the skies broke on December 28th and provided Everett-Marysville CBC counters with decent weather and even a bit of of mid-day sunshine. The result was an amazing 140 species, with two more within a quarter-mile of the circle's limit, and another seen count week only. This high species count was the last thing anyone expected, especially given the pre-count weather; temperatures had been down into the single digits in some areas. We were also without our usual boat party, but shore-based observers did a nice job of compensating with scope studies, resulting in a clean sweep of the offshore marine species like the four regular alcids that the boat has usually been best at finding. The total individuals count (a bit above 24,000) was, on the other hand, the 2nd lowest in 14 years of data base coverage, but both pulling over onto shoulders and on-foot coverage were impeded by the snowfall. Rarities were, however, surprisingly plentiful. At the Everett STP were an ad. SLATY-BACKED GULL (seen by two different observers on two occasions, first detected on Dec 26) and a 2nd-winter GLAUCOUS GULL as first reported and found by Rick Taylor, and since relocated. In general, gulls had a better-than-average showing, with 10 species present, including above-average numbers of uncommon winterers CALIFORNIA, THAYER'S, HERRING, and BONAPARTE'S. In the immediate vicinity of the Everett STP there were other goodies. Singles of both BLUE-WINGED and CINNAMON TEAL were found, the 2nd in five years for the first and fourth consecutive year for the second. Then, yours truly got nice looks at a female RUSTY BLACKBIRD on the flooded-out horse pasture visible from I-5 just before the Harnden Tree Farm, and accessible by 12th Street SE (this is the road that goes over I-5 right by Dagmar's Landing). The flooded pasture here had a veritable horde of birds, with ducks, gulls, geese, starlings and blackbirds competing for highest numbers. LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER and WILSON'S SNIPE were here also, and were found in many other places, with record-highs for our 14-year data base at 52 and 82 respectively. But the shorebird rarity of the day was a WHIMBREL (!) reported a bit south of Silvana at a flooded farm pond near Portage Creek along Knudsen Road (Art Wait and Virginia Clark); the bird accompanied 18 WILSON'S SNIPE and a variety of ducks. I'm not aware of another wWA CBC entry, at least in recent memory, although I feel like the Grays Harbor CBC has had a few. The last rarity was a BOHEMIAN WAXWING well described by an observer from the circle's eastern region, near 123rd Ave in the Getchell Hill Rd area. Both WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and COM. REDPOLL were found by Russ Caniff and Joyce Kelley at a residence feeder just east of our northeast boundary at 204th Stree NE and Hwy 9 in Arlington, but, alas, were just outside our count circle, as we subsequently decided. I had a SWAMP SPARROW at the Biringer Farm.

We also had a 5-goose day for the 2nd year in a row. And night owling was surprisingly productive, given a new moon and just 2.75 hours spent--we managed to detect 12 owls of 5 species. One always enjoys up-close encounters with nature along the way of the CBC. I spooked a SHORT-EARED OWL, COYOTE and BEAVER at Biringer Farm, each at point-blank range and allowing incredible views. The latter showed his/her displeasure by very loudly slapping the tail on Ebey Slough's surface subsequently! This year's misses were all in the forest birds category: Ruffed Grouse, N. Pygmy-Owl, Red Crossbill and Hutton's Vireo, although I managed a count-week bird of the latter. All told, however, this was a very memorable count, although we are still thin in several territories.
Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com
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