I have to agree with Brad. I bird Clark Co pretty hard and although I am only talking about Clark Co, WA it is somewhat representative of western WA. Over the last 3-4 years this is what I have found.

Sighting Record Listing - Clark Co - W



7 records



Nashville Warbler Ridgefield NWR WA US Apr 20, 2008

= 1 = L. River Rd

Nashville Warbler Ridgefield NWR WA US Apr 26, 2008

= 1 = L. River Rd

Nashville Warbler Ridgefield NWR WA US May 3, 2008

= 2 = Carty Unit Admin Unit 0920-1030 hrs

Nashville Warbler Ridgefield NWR WA US Apr 26, 2009

= 1 = Carty Unit trees along RR tracks

Nashville Warbler Clark Co - W WA US May 9, 2009

= 1 = Bachelor Is

Nashville Warbler Ridgefield NWR WA US May 5, 2010

= 3 = Roth-Dairy Unit

Nashville Warbler Ridgefield NWR WA US May 8, 2010

= 1 = Bachelor Is 0700-1115 hrs

I have had a Nashville on the Columbia River last week in Clark Co.


Note NO birds in Fall as Brad notes to be rare.

Bob Flores
Ridgefield, WA


From: Brad Waggoner
Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2011 6:36 PM
To: tweeters
Subject: [Tweeters] RE: Nashville Warblers


Brien, Wayne, Randy, John, and all,

Here's my take on Nashville Warblers here in western Washington, both as a compiler for North American Birds and as a birder who gets a kick out of finding one or more each spring in my local haunts;

1) Nashville Warblers are an uncommon migrant in the lowlands of western Washington in spring. I only track high counts (6 is tops so far this spring), or early or late migration dates for them. John Tubb's Nashville in Discovery Park last June was indeed of interest to me.

2) They are RARE(!) as a fall migrant here in the lowlands in western Washington and I do keep track of them during fall. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they are almost as rare in fall as Semipalmated Sandpipers are in spring. Confusion with orestera or "gray-headed" Orange-crowned Warblers is the possible source of some of the fall-reported Nashville's. I have never detected a fall Nashville in w. Washington, but each fall I try unsuccessfully to make orestera Orange-crowned Warblers into Nashvilles.

3) As far as the change in spring status of Nashville Warblers, I think the increase in spring sightings in the last several years is likely due to increased birder effort. I now try to find them every spring in Kitsap. Randy is now down there in the Ridgefield area working the trees for Warblers. Charlie Wright is seeing when they first arrive in Pierce County and looking for high counts to put in his eBird records. I bet Brien wasn't searching for them prior to 2007 as he does these days. And on it goes. Were efforts like this done prior to 10 years ago? Maybe, but not with the numbers of birders that make such efforts as today.

4) Wayne, you do have excellent hearing! I only have to go back to last June's WOS conference and how you miraculously found the group a Black-backed Woodpecker that none of the rest of us heard. That said though, I'm with Randy as far as spring detection of Nashvilles. In the last 10 years, I can recall only one time that I found a west-side migrant Nashville by its song. I have located them mostly in fair-sized, mixed-species flocks. And I often cheat by pishing. I do think, however, that some of the young super-birders with great hearing can detect Nashville's by their call note.

That's my take.

Cheers and good birding,
Brad Waggoner
Bainbridge Island
mailto:wagtail at sounddsl.com



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