Subject: [Tweeters] Male BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER among 11 warbler sp central
Date: Jun 19 20:58:01 2010
From: Scott Atkinson - scottratkinson at hotmail.com



Tweeters:



Found a male BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER along Corkindale Creek today, 6/19, near Marblemount in Skagit County, one of a surprising 11 warbler sp. Amazingly, this is the exact date of a male that turned up at nearby NP 213 Rd just to the northeast of Marblemount last year. This is Skagit County's third for June (there was another long ago at Ilabot Slough) and about 5th-6th overall.



For those of you that chased the Indigo Bunting last year, this warbler is almost at the exact same spot--along the north side of Hwy 20 and east side of the creek, there is a small road that heads north. Caution: this seems to be a shared private road and sometimes the gate is closed, but there are no No Trespassing signs. Several observers walked in and saw the bunting without incident last year, so it was for me today with the warbler, although I did not run into anyone either.



In any event, about 200 yards in, almost to where the road heads off to the right/ends, the bird was singing continuously before being finally spotted--high in some

alders bordering the creek. The good news is that it finally responded to "pishing" by dropping down for views within 30 ft--about as close as I've ever had one, and we lived in MD for six years. The bird got picked on a bit by one of several BH GROSBEAKS here. Listen for the high, ringing song up high.



There were about eight LAZULI BUNTINGS in the area. It took awhile for them to show, but 16 BANK SWALLOWS also flew through. No sign of either kingbird today, but thought I heard a Western once.



A LAZULI BUNTING was also singing at the Martin Rd "east 90" in Rockport, a traditional site. NASHVILLE WARBLERS were: on the hillside above the Rockport Quarry (1) and a short distance up the Cascade River Rd (just before Cascade River Park resort, 1 bird). Perhaps it was just not a good day for them, but Nashvilles were absent from the County Line ponds area where they've been regular in recent years.



The sign for the Ross Lake Rec Area (also below says "North Cascades National Park") with the pull-through right along 20 (northeast of Marblemount going towards Newhalem) was the spot this time for a pair of AM. REDSTARTS, warbler species #11. This sign/pulloff is just northeast of NP 213 Rd. For the 11 warblers, MacGillivray's was as usual most common (18), while Orange-crowned (1) proved the most difficult to locate.



Finally, among 83 species seen/heard in central Skagit Co today, a pair of singing RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were available at the Cascade Pass trailhead on territories. Breeding season records are few for Skagit Co. And about 1 mile up Hwy 20 from the NP 213 Rd, going very slowly with window down, I heard a VEERY call once (the down-slurred "phew" note) low in thickets on the far side of the river, at a spot where the river's roar is fairly minimal. Traffic and lack of pull-outs here precluded closer investigation. There are about six late May-to-early July encounters with this species in Skagit County, from Rockport upriver to County Line, but as yet no reliable single spot.



Final note for Skagit County bird record fans: Gary Bletsch's YB Chat from Concrete makes four total for Skagit County, joining other June birds from Bacon Creek and Martin Rd, and a late October bird at Beaver Lake long ago.



Scott Atkinson

Lake Stevens

mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com

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