I've been seeing 3 parrots daily at Seward over the last week in the
trees around the upper parking lot. They were there today at about
2:15. Also saw three above the Seward Park PCC at around 4:30. Same
individuals?
The sky above Andrews Bay was thick with Violet-green Swallows today.
Catherine Alexander
Lakewood neighborhood
South Seattle
-----Original Message-----
From: Stewart Wechsler <ecostewart at quidnunc.net>
To: Stephen Graham <amdamgraham at msn.com>; josh at blarg.net;
tweeters at u.washington.edu
Cc: yardbirdrace at yahoo.com
Sent: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:46 pm
Subject: [Tweeters] Status of the Conures - (Parrots) at Seward
I'm not at Seward that often this year, but, if I
remember correctly the most Conures (genus Aratinga) I saw at Seward at
a time
last year (or was it the year before?) was 2 or 3. That is down from
about
20 or 30 maybe 30 years ago. (They are long lived, so it is
concievable
that these birds were the same individuals I saw decades ago. 50 year
old
individuals may be possible. Parrot Family - Psittacidae members are
generally social and long-lived for the same reason we are. They are
intelligent and pass on information to new flock members, even if they
may no
longer be breeding.) I'm not even sure if there are any left. I
never got a good record of any breeding success, but had a report or 2
of
suspected young from a while ago. If I remember correctly, the species
was
never confidently determined. It was between Aratinga mitrata -
Mitred Conure, A. wagleri - Wagler's Conure and a third Aratinga/
Conure
species, all of them all green, South (or Central?) American species
with pointy
tails, a red forehead spot and maybe 12 - 14" long. The best
place to observe them used to on the large snagged Dougfir between
the loop road and the main inner loop parking lot (up into the park the
first right before the 2 way road splits into a one-way loop). I
would be interested if they are still being heard and seen there. I
think
the former flock may be on its way out - better in my thinking than an
expanding flock of alien Psittacids (Parrot family members) that
displace
native organisms.
The flock historically usually wintered in the
north end of Seattle / South Shoreline and summered in and around
Seward Park -
a reverse migration, from a species that may live in the southern
hemisphere.
-Stewart
Stewart Wechsler
-Ecological Consultant - Nature
Guide
Naturalist - Botanist
West Seattle
206 932-7225
ecostewart at quidnunc.net
-Advice on
the most site-appropriate native plants to maximize the site's
potential for
native biodiversity
-Educational programs, nature walks, and field
trips for schools, public and private groups
-Botanical Surveys
----- Original Message --From: Stephen Graham
To: josh at blarg.net ; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Cc: yardbirdrace at yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 9:11
AM
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] Almost a new yard
bird today: Parrots!
Hi there,
could it be the conures
or are you talking about something bigger?
>From animaltourism.com
(birdweb.org seems to have removed their conure entry - database
error?
oversight?)
Seattle's Seward Park has a colony of
Chapman's mitred conure and scarlet-fronted conures, according to the
Friends of Seward
Park. The birds roost on north bluff of Pinoy Hill, but can be found
in
the Maple Leaf neighborhood in winter.
Steve
Graham
Greenlake, Seattle
amdamgraham at msn.com
>
From: josh at blarg.net
> Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:43:08 -0700
> CC:
yardbirdrace at yahoo.com
> Subject: [Tweeters] Almost a new yard bird
today: Parrots!
>
> I was taking out the compost this afternoon
around 4:30, and I heard a
> strange squawky, squeaky, "wheedle-wheekie
wheedle" kind of call coming
> toward my yard, and before I could grab
my binocs, a pair of large parrots
> flew by. They beat their way south
and turned gently eastward, angling off
> toward Maple Leaf.
>
> All I could tell was that they were about Amazon size, with pale
bellies,
> but beyond that I can't say. Gotta think that I couldn't have
counted them
> even if I HAD ID'ed them down to species! Still, it was a
strange flashback
> to our November trip to Costa Rica, where parrot
overflights were a common
> event.
>
> (Damn, I gotta get
my bird list together from that trip and post it!)
>
> So, if
you're in the North end, keep your eyes open for what appears to be a
>
pair of large parrots.
>
> -Josh (josh at blarg dot net)
>
> There is great chaos under heaven, and the situation is excellent. -
Mao-Tse
> Tung
>
>
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