Hi Tweets,

I was looking for other birds along the road where the Say's Phoebe is hanging out. Didn't find much so stopped for a second look at the phoebe before leaving. The property owner was around so we visited. He had wondered why people were parking near his horse paddock or just cruising by slowly. He was intrigued by having a bird rare to Western Washington on his property and I let him use my bins to see it. It was a pleasant visit. He explained that horse owners get a little skittish because there are about ten theft operations in our state. If your horse gets stolen, you never see it again. Law enforcement efforts are ineffective, he said. Usually the thieves drive up in the middle of the night to load up horses, but they can be casing out a property during the day. He would appreciate some variance in parking as several birder vehicles have created a muddy rut in the grass on his side of the road. The phoebe is continuing, so if you see the owner, just smile and wave your bins.

Carol Riddell
Edmonds, WA