Tweeters:

>From about 12:15 to 3:30 pm today we were running around
the southern, older parts of Marysville and the birding was
surprisingly good. I had 36 species and the clear highlight
was the two W. SCRUB-JAYS that were pretty much heard
and seen on arrival at the site near the Marysville post office.
The spot is between 9th and 10th Streets and Columbia
Avenue, just south of the batting cage. Just east of
Columbia, there is an alley that allowed great views of both
birds, which were also quite loud and active. These hadbeen reported for Count Week on our local CBC also.

The other hot bird was a (SLATE-COLORED) FOX SPARROW
that turned up in Northpointe Park, accessed via 73rd Pl NE,
near the easternmost end of Grove on the west-facing
slopes below Whiskey Ridge. There were quite a number
of (SOOTY) FOX SPARROWS here, when this bird hopped
up on a weeping-willow branch--about as bright a rust
as I've ever seen on a Fox Sparrow, especially the breast
spotting and tail. There are three retention ponds in close
proximity here.

Other big news: a BURROWING OWL was photographed
today by Kathy Smith in a closed area of the Port of
Everett. Great bird for Snohomish County!

Complete list for Marysville today, 12:15-3:30 pm
(includes post office area, Northpointe Park and
neighborhood near Grove x 67th Ave, also 88th
and State Street vicinity, near Grove St. park and ride):

Trumpeter Swan 6Mallard 4
Ring-necked Duck 5
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 2a
GW Gull 8
GW x W. Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 19
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
N. (Red-sh) Flicker 5
Pileated Woodpecker 1
crow 84
Com. Raven 2 (not common in town)
W. SCRUB-JAY 2
Steller's Jay 4
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1
Bushtit 3
Brown Creeper 1
Pacific Wren 6
Bewick's Wren 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5
Am. Robin 33
Varied Thrush 6
Eur. Starling 58
Townsend's Warbler 1
Spotted Towhee 7
(Sooty) Fox Sparrow 15
(SLATE-COL) FOX SPARROW 1
Song Sparrow 9
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
DE (Oregon) Junco 8
Brewer's Blackbird 1
House Finch 3
Red Crossbill 3
House Sparrow 25

TOTAL, 36 SPECIES

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com