Subject: [Tweeters] Swainson's Thrush Arrival in Western Washington
Date: Apr 11 22:40:19 2012
From: amy schillinger - schillingera at hotmail.com



Brad, et al., I will be looking back through my field trip records from Rainier Audubon because I have had them in the third and fourth week of April in years past at Lake Sammamish in Issaquah, especially in the Salmon Berries along Issaquah Creek. This thread motivates me to be more diligent in entering my sightings of migrants from now on in E-bird, as I admit I am lazy about it. I do verify 'whit' call notes of early Swainson's by sight as I too have heard that they can sound similar to Song Sparrow's. I've also had very good success 'whit'ing them into view but have never heard them sing prior to late May at the earliest. It will be interesting to see if the records begin to show their arrival dates a bit earlier in the year as more sightings (not just call notes) are verified in E-bird, etc. I'm no photographer but now I have a goal to get one, hopefully with several witnesses. :) Cheers, Amy Schillingerschillingera at hotmail.comRenton, WA
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:46:41 -0700
From: wagtail at sounddsl.com
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Swainson's Thrush Arrival in Western Washington









Hi All,



Just a word of note as far as to the arrival of Swainson's
Thrushes here in Western Washington. As one that attempts to
keep bird records here in the state of Washington, any
Swainson's Thrush reported before the 3rd week in April would
need to be fully documented for it to make a state record. I
would personally probably make that even later in the month just
based on my experience. They just do not arrive in our area
really until the first of May.



What I have noticed is that Song Sparrows do an absolutely
perfect Swainson's Thrush-like call note. Whether this is a note
uttered prior to the start of a song or is just a one note call,
I can't say for sure. I just know that I have been fooled many
times by this imitation.



Another thing I have noticed is that if I am lucky enough to
detect or see a Swainson's Thrush in the early days of May, they
have not been singing. Uttering their call notes, perhaps, but
not singing. I normally don't hear them until mid May or after
when they are establishing territories.



Just my two cents worth...............



Cheers and good birding,

Brad Waggoner

Bainbridge Island

mailto:wagtail at sounddsl.com









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