Hi Tweeters,

Heard the Swamp Sparrow calling on on 2-6 but could not see it and went back again yesterday to the location below and finally was able to get some semi-decent looks. The Swamp Sparrow called some yesterday and once in direct association with one of my quick looks. The call is nothing like any of the other sparrows and I found that to be very helpful. I did not note the rusty tinged cap but was able to see just how much it looks like a Lincoln's Sparrow--a lot, enough for me to maybe think of it as Lincoln's evil twin. Noted the white chin and the same tone of gray from the face extending down the breast. Both marks differ from Lincoln's. I was expecting more red tones to the wings, the Song Sparrows were redder than the Swamp Sparrow. It ate some of the small soft red fruit things the other sparrows like too. I think they are nightshade fruit but I am not positive.

I can finally say I have had a good enough look to add it my "life list". This is really my last true nemesis bird. The other Wa birds I haven't seen yet are for most part tough for everyone to see or pelagics which is the same difference in a way. Just as a FYI only, I was able to finally see it without tapes or pishing in case that might help anyone. But it did take 5 trips to JBP to see it. I don't know how many times I have been to Carnation Marsh, that place near Monroe and the Fill when Connie saw one there....oh yeah, and Fir Island too chasing after this sparrow. Once I even asked Brian Bell how much it would cost for him to find me one! He didn't bite on that one.

Thank you Evan and Ryan and Tweeters.

I nestled a triangle shaped rock into a broken forked branch at the spot I heard and saw the bird the most, this is about 100 feet past the first telephone pole and looking towards Lk Wa. Good luck!

Kathy
Roosting in Kent, near Lake Meridian
(chukarbird at yahoo dot com)
Any driving directions contained within this message are given as a courtesy, beware, author is directionally challenged and will not vouch for them.


--- On Sat, 1/16/10, Evan Houston <evanghouston at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Evan Houston <evanghouston at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [Tweeters] Juanita Bay Park Swamp Sparrow continues
> To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 12:14 PM
> Hi
> Tweeters,
>
> This morning (1-16), I observed a Swamp Sparrow at Juanita
> Bay Park in Kirkland, likely the same bird found by Ryan
> Merrill over a month ago.? In addition to calling a
> couple of times, it allowed respectable viewing, letting me
> see its mainly gray face, with a cap showing a tinge of
> rustiness.? It seems that it has been hanging out in a
> fairly restricted area, around the end of the short trail
> that heads north from Forbes Creek Dr. and dead ends at the
> marsh, just east of the main portion of the park.
>
> Also at Juanita, Virginia Rails called from the marsh, and
> once the fog lifted, I was able to see the continuing
> Trumpeter and Tundra Swans on the bay.
>
> A quick stop at Heritage Park, a mile to the south, yielded
> a male Red-breasted Merganser on the
> lake, and a Slate-colored Junco.
>
> Good birding,
> Evan Houston
> Seattle, WA
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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