Subject: [Tweeters] Whatcom County (Homesteader Road) American Redstart PLUS
Date: May 27 18:34:26 2012
From: Blair Bernson - blair at washingtonadvisorygroup.com


I was heading up north to Mount Baker to see
scenery and see what alpine birds might be around
and saw Ken Lane's post about an American Redstart
"on the way". Stopped at the end of Homesteader
Road this morning around 9:00. The first 30
minutes was pretty disappointing as most of what
were seen and heard were American Robins and Cliff
Swallows. Did pick up a Pacific Slope Flycatcher
and Western Wood Pewee but otherwise heard calls
that my poor ear could not identify and was not
able to figure out if I was in the right spot.
Around 9:30 a car pulled up and asked if I was
"looking for the Redstart". Turned out it was Ken
and his son Fanter (spelling?) who is already a
very avid and capable birder and a neat kid
(excuse me "young man"). They explained that they
had seen the bird on private property about a
quarter or mile or so from where we were (at the
end of the public road). We got permission to
head into the "swamp" to see if we could find it
but were warned that it was a wet, muddy and tough
bushwhack.

Turned out to not be so bad but we did not go all
the way to the end of the field/swamp (extreme
south end) which may have been a challenge. The
reason for stopping was because we found a female
AMERICAN REDSTART in the trees/brush/shrubs on the
East sid of the field next to the private road.
The bird was spotted first with most fieldmarks
seen and then it buried itself in the brush. I
played the male's song and the bird immediately
came back out in response and then buried itself
again. This was repeated twice and then the bird
no longer responded and could not be relocated.
In the same general vicinity there were many
COMMON YELLOWTHROATS and a MacGILLIVRAY's warbler
that was clearly heard singing but never spotted.
Ken returned just as we were leaving and we
updated him on our find. Shortly thereafter we
found a couple of Yellow Warbler on the part of
the road that runds Est-West.

We pushed on to Mt. Baker in spectacular weather.
After a brief stop at Nooksack Falls (LOTS of
water!!!) we went to the ski area at Heather
Meadows. There were not a lot of birds...but some
very good ones. Two spectacular male RED BREASTED
SAPSUCKERS, a dozen GRAY JAYS, PINE SISKINS, DARK
EYED JUNCOS, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER in fabulous
full breeding plumage, a couple of RAVENS and best
of all at least two and possibly four SOOTY GROUSE
- booming continuously and a short distant glimpse
in a short flight.