This morning on the last day of April, I was standing in the bedroom of our North Everett home when, out the high windows behind the bed, I spotted some bird movement in the dense greenery crowding the window. Since we've been awash in Yellow-rumped Warblers lately I figured it was just another butterbutt. But just for the heck of it I opened the little window and pished a bit, and I was glad I did because the bird was a male MacGillivray's Warber - the only one I've ever seen in Everett. Also responding was a FOY Warbling Vireo eating a bug out in the nearby Holodiscus bush. Both birds so close that Binoculars Not Required!

That was cool, because the MacGillivray's is an old childhood friend of mine from days spent crawling around the shrubbery at Wildberry Lake in Mason county, where they are quite common. We were both sort of shy I guess, hiding in the shrubs.

I've seen a few over the years in places like Baker Lake, high thickets around Big Four Mountain in Snohomish Co., and at the summit of Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island. But never too often and it seems like I dont see them reported much on tweeters from the Puget Sound lowlands. Seems like they're a bit persnickety about habitat, or maybe I'm just not paying attention, or getting out enough. I've seen more Nashville's here (2) at home and they're Eastsiders mostly.

Also saw a pair of Raven's flying over the Lowell River Road just outside of Everett's city limits this afternoon, where occasionaly I see them, but rarely.

Jeff Gibson
Everett Wa.

P.S. : as I'm posting just saw the MacGillivray's again out in the yard.