I heard an authentic-sounding (non-starling) Western Meadowlark song
yesterday morning from my yard near O'Grady Park on the Auburn-Enumclaw
plateau. I went to investigate and found a flock of 8, including 2 (maybe 3)
singing birds, in a large field pasture of 384th Avenue near O'Grady Park.
Their songs reminded me of hiking in the grasslands up on Saddle Mountain in
eastern Washington. They may be moving through since I haven't heard them
before, and I also heard two singing on Saturday on Whidbey Island near Dike
Road along Dugualla Bay.



Also saw a Northern Shrike in the same pasture as the meadowlarks, my third
NORSHR on the plateau this winter after not seeing any for a decade or so.

Brian Pendleton

Auburn, WA

Kc7wpd at hotmail.com