Hello Tweets,

Just to add to the conversation, I thought I would mention my sapsucker sightings in my own yard. This spring, I was privileged to be visited by a small group of Red-breasted Sapsuckers twice in my yard! I'm lucky enough to live beside a fine forest that supports many birds not usually found in such suburban environments, like the Olive-sided Flycatcher (or two) that sing(s) from the woods all summer.

In May, I heard a special gull-like call (I forget what it means), and in early to midsummer, I heard sapsucker drumming in the forest from time to time, so they were obviously around throughout the season. I last saw one in my yard two weeks ago, near a grove of trees with trunks covered in rows of holes!

Speaking of sapsuckers, last year in mid-October there was a rare female Red-naped Sapsucker (from across the mountains) that spent a week on Promontory Point in Magnuson Park. I went to see it, but I only ever heard it call two times. And of course there was the female Red-naped Sapsucker that spent the winter slurping sap among a "slurp" of Red-breasted Sapsuckers at the Washington Arboretum in Seattle last winter! Who knows what we can expect this year? Returnees, new rarities at new spots - birding is exciting year-round, for sure!

Good birding, Joshua Glant

Mercer Island, WA

Josh.n.glant at gmail.com

> On Oct 7, 2015, at 9:29 AM, Bobn Bernie <BobnBernie at outlook.com> wrote:
>
> Part of our property is in a wetland and/or buffer. About 20 years ago, a
> couple of cottonwood lost their tops in a wind storm. One landed on a
> neighbor's house. We petitioned the county to allow us to remove the other
> trees that could fall on their house. The county arborist determined the
> trees were a danger and gave us permission to remove them.
>
> His report stated, "When cottonwoods reached that age and height, Flicker
> make nests in them destroying the structural integrity causing the tops to
> break off at the nest site." When we cut up the trees, we found areas that
> were as the arborist described.
>
> The trees that were far enough away, were not taken down. Flickers still
> nest in them and the tops break off during wind storms.
>
> Bob & Bernie Meyer
> Renton
> BobnBernie at outlook.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
> [mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Christine
> Southwick
> Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2015 7:34 AM
> To: Larry Hubbell - www.unionbaywatch.blogspot.com
> Cc: tweeters at u.washington.edu; fbwood at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] RBSS
>
> I have Red-breasted Sapsuckers (RBSA) in my neighborhood (southeast
> Shoreline), all year round. After our big windstorm in September, the top
> twentyfive feet of the two next door cottonwoods blew off, and now I can see
> the RBSAs much easier. I also have a picture of a juvie RBSA
> drinking/bathing at my ground bird bath, so there is also some local
> breeding.
>
> Christine Southwick
> N Seattle/Shoreline
> clsouthwick at q.com
>
>> On Mon, 5 Oct 2015, Larry Hubbell - www.unionbaywatch.blogspot.com wrote:
>>
>> Date: Mon, 05 Oct 2015 21:09:04 -0700
>> From: Larry Hubbell - www.unionbaywatch.blogspot.com
>> <ldhubbell at comcast.net>
>> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu, fbwood at u.washington.edu
>> Subject: [Tweeters] RBSS
>>
>> Francis,
>> I saw my first RBSS in months, today, by the Montlake Bridge. Larry
>> Hubbell
>>
>>
>>
>> Sent from my Samsung device
>
> Christine Southwick
> Pharmacy Administration
> University of Washington Medical Center
> Box 356015
> 1959 NE Pacific Street
> Seattle, WA 98195-6015
> phone: 206-598-7398; fax 206-598-6075
>
>
>
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> Christine Southwick
> Pharmacy Administration
> University of Washington Medical Center
> Box 356015
> 1959 NE Pacific Street
> Seattle, WA 98195-6015
> phone: 206-598-7398; fax 206-598-6075
>
>
>
> This electronic message transmission contains information which may be
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