From louiserutter1000 at gmail.com Tue Feb 1 11:19:21 2022 From: louiserutter1000 at gmail.com (Louise Rutter) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Crows learn to clean up Swedish cities Message-ID: <06fe01d817a0$9eb15e60$dc141b20$@gmail.com> Wild crows get a small food reward every time they drop a cigarette butt in a special machine. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/01/swedish-crows-pick-up-ci garette-butts-litter It sounds very clever, but I imagine this sort of thing would be very difficult to optimally control. If there are too many crows getting well fed, will the crow population of the city rise until they're considered an urban pest, like pigeons? Or will the crows run out of cigarette butts before it becomes an issue? Louise Rutter Kirkland -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From joemccracken3 at gmail.com Tue Feb 1 11:34:45 2022 From: joemccracken3 at gmail.com (Joey McCracken) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Skagit Gyrfalcon Message-ID: A Gyrfalcon was spotted 1/31/2022 on Sullivan rd in the skagit flats across the road of the Prairie Falcon. It was sitting on a fence post at (48.5398507, -122.4667139) plucking feathers from its lunch. I have photos that are now up on ebird showing it on the post. Just after it flew away, other birders arrived and I told them about the Gyrfalcon. After about an hour it was still no where to be seen. I hope that others are able to find it. -Joey McCracken -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cariddellwa at gmail.com Tue Feb 1 12:51:25 2022 From: cariddellwa at gmail.com (Carol Riddell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Skagit Gyr Message-ID: <37C0E7F4-CA17-4D6B-BF9C-0B9FEE645267@gmail.com> The Gyrfalcon is just north of the West 90 in a clump of deciduous trees on the west side of the road. Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA From jennjarstad at gmail.com Tue Feb 1 13:44:15 2022 From: jennjarstad at gmail.com (J J) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Crows learn to clean up Swedish cities Message-ID: Interesting. Apparently it's easier to teach crows to pick up butts than it is to teach humans not to dispose of their butts on the streets. I just hope this doesn't turn into the spread of illness among crows handling narcotic waste. Jennifer Jarstad Seattle, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pdickins at gmail.com Tue Feb 1 13:57:41 2022 From: pdickins at gmail.com (Philip Dickinson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Gyrfalcon Message-ID: <95FB14D8-A408-43E1-AD04-5F06F0B78463@gmail.com> Currently west side of bay view Edison opposite Sullivan. On mound at edge of flats by grass Phil Dickinson Sent from my iPhone From stevechampton at gmail.com Tue Feb 1 17:29:10 2022 From: stevechampton at gmail.com (Steve Hampton) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Marbled Murrelets: 800 outbound Message-ID: Just to put a coda on this, this afternoon I estimated 800 MARBLED MURRELETS northbound in Admiralty Inlet from Pt Wilson, the opposite of my observations in previous days. Such are the vagaries of seabird densities at sea. It's all about the food. While about 50 birds were visible on the water, most were northbound at a rate of 5 to 20 per minute during the 80 minutes I was watching. All alcids were northbound today as well. I did pick up 8 ANCIENT MURRELETS among the mix. In flight, they are easily distinguished from MAMU even at long range because the MAMU fly much faster than them (or any other species out there). Full list and a few pics at https://ebird.org/checklist/S101871741 good birding, -- Steve Hampton Port Townsend, WA (qat?y) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From byers345 at comcast.net Tue Feb 1 19:46:46 2022 From: byers345 at comcast.net (byers345@comcast.net) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Pilchuck Audubon Society 4 falcon day! Message-ID: <001801d817e7$819e5070$84daf150$@comcast.net> Hi Tweeters, After reading the account yesterday of birders who saw 5 species of falcons in the Samish Flats in one day, the Pilchuck Audubon Society fieldtrip group headed up to the same area today hopeful, but with some trepidation. The morning started off slow and cold with two or three Kestrels and one Peregrine Falcon, both in the area northwest of Conway. Just before noon a report came in that the almost mythical Gyrfalcon had been spotted near the intersection of Sullivan Rd and Bayview Edison Rd, Samish Flats, in the same area in which it had been seen yesterday. Our group moved up there expeditiously and met Neil and Carleen Zimmerman and some of their birding friends. They had already seen the Prairied Falcon, also on our want list, and were hanging around in case it came back. In a matter of 15 minutes someone in Neil's group signaled that a falcon had shown up, but it was the Gyr! This was a lifer for many of the people in the Pilchuck group and always a good bird for the rest of us. General jubilation ensued. Following that we headed to T Loop Road to try for the Prairie Falcon. One of our group did find a Prairie Falcon there and probably has great photos. Alas, I don't. Interesting here is that Neil Z had also found a Prairie Falcon about the same time at the West 90, leading to the interesting speculation that there may be 2 Prairie Falcons in the Samish Flats. So, although we didn't match the 5 falcons of yesterday's top birders, we did get 4. That's probably the best I will ever do, so I am pleased. Charlotte Byers, Edmonds -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From constancesidles at gmail.com Wed Feb 2 07:42:23 2022 From: constancesidles at gmail.com (Constance Sidles) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Off topic: Youth Farm at Montlake Fill Message-ID: <6E7B5091-00B0-454B-BE29-B3C795844E79@gmail.com> Hey tweets, for those of you who bird UBNA (aka Montlake Fill), we have an opportunity to voice our support/concerns about this use of habitat at the Fill. The UW Farm Advisory Committee wants to hear from the community about its 5-year strategic plan for the farm. They have created a survey that you can access at: https://tinyurl.com/uwfarm The survey must be completed by Feb. 9th. It takes about 5 minutes to complete. FYI, when I completed the survey, I voiced a concern about expanding the Youth Farm south into the grasslands between the Youth Farm and the Loop Trail. I asked that future considerations of land use be mindful that we need to preserve the grasslands for ground-nesting prairie birds (mainly Savannah Sparrows). This is particularly important now, given how much of the former grasslands have been converted into unneeded scrubby bushes, due to the disastrous (IMO) WSDOT miitigation plan. - Connie, Seattle constancesidles@gmail.com csidles@constancypress.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davearm at uw.edu Wed Feb 2 14:37:07 2022 From: davearm at uw.edu (davearm@uw.edu) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Horned lark, Deer Lagoon Message-ID: <5D78AC0E-BEED-468F-A461-098ACB651505@uw.edu> A cold day at Deer Lagoon but a good cross section of species. Lots of pine Siskin in the alders along the foot path out to the lagoon. But the highlight was a male horned lark in the driftwood and on the beach near the mouth of the estuary where it empties into Useless Bay. My wife, Jan, and I watched it at close range for about 10 minutes, foraging at the previous high tide line. EBird required notes since it listed horned larks as ?unreported? at Deer Lagoon. We?ve seen a fair # of western meadow larks through the fall-early winter, but never a horned lark. david armstrong Sent from my iPhone From skepsou at icloud.com Wed Feb 2 14:58:34 2022 From: skepsou at icloud.com (Debbie Mcleod) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Yard birds Message-ID: <16C2B577-CEBC-42C7-99EA-75CEC70419F6@icloud.com> In October I moved to an apartment complex where bird feeding is verboten, so I am no longer able to participate in Project FeederWatch. But I am looking forward to the Great Backyard Bird Count! The complex is in a very birdy location, on the Sammamish River. I have a ground level patio with a grassy area and trees between me and the river/trail. I have been exploring my new patch, and compiling a new "neighbor bird" list, organized by degree of proximity. How do I define my backyard? Just the area I can see from my patio? All of the property of the apartment complex? What about the section of river and trail along the edge of the property? And It would be tempting to include the parks that are at either end of the property... After I draw my invisible boundary, do I count the birds I can see through it? Overhead? Flying by? I would love to hear how others "draw the line"! Debbie Sent from my iPhone From benedict.t at comcast.net Wed Feb 2 15:50:55 2022 From: benedict.t at comcast.net (THOMAS BENEDICT) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Yard birds In-Reply-To: <16C2B577-CEBC-42C7-99EA-75CEC70419F6@icloud.com> References: <16C2B577-CEBC-42C7-99EA-75CEC70419F6@icloud.com> Message-ID: <1261490375.188011.1643845855393@connect.xfinity.com> According to The Great Backyard Birdcount https://www.birdcount.org/tools/counting-instructions, you can define your backyard however you wish. Their only guideline is "Count birds anywhere you like for at LEAST 15 minutes?or for as long as you wish". Is that the answer you were looking for? Or were you hoping for a little bit tighter guidance along the lines of competitive birding? The ABA has a few rules for Big Day Counts https://www.aba.org/aba-big-day-count-rules/, but there isn't a geographic restriction. I think the GBBC is looking for maximum engagement and participation rather than competition. Others in the community may have better guidance. Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA > On 02/02/2022 2:58 PM Debbie Mcleod wrote: > In October I moved to an apartment complex where bird feeding is verboten, so I am no longer able to participate in Project FeederWatch. But I am looking forward to the Great Backyard Bird Count! > > The complex is in a very birdy location, on the Sammamish River. I have a ground level patio with a grassy area and trees between me and the river/trail. I have been exploring my new patch, and compiling a new "neighbor bird" list, organized by degree of proximity. > > How do I define my backyard? Just the area I can see from my patio? All of the property of the apartment complex? What about the section of river and trail along the edge of the property? And It would be tempting to include the parks that are at either end of the property... > > After I draw my invisible boundary, do I count the birds I can see through it? Overhead? Flying by? > > I would love to hear how others "draw the line"! > > Debbie > > Sent from my iPhone > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From downess at charter.net Wed Feb 2 15:59:38 2022 From: downess at charter.net (downess@charter.net) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Yard birds In-Reply-To: <1261490375.188011.1643845855393@connect.xfinity.com> References: <16C2B577-CEBC-42C7-99EA-75CEC70419F6@icloud.com> <1261490375.188011.1643845855393@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <005e01d81890$f0eb2850$d2c178f0$@charter.net> I would expand on this that the GBBC is now linked with , ebird.org, (has been for several years), so anything you submit to eBird during regular eBird protocols for this weekend will go into the same database as those lists you submit directly to the GBBC site. https://ebird.org/news/great-backyard-bird-count-2021 Scott Downes downess@charter.net Yakima WA -----Original Message----- From: Tweeters On Behalf Of THOMAS BENEDICT Sent: Wednesday, February 2, 2022 3:51 PM To: Debbie Mcleod ; Tweeters Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Yard birds According to The Great Backyard Birdcount https://www.birdcount.org/tools/counting-instructions, you can define your backyard however you wish. Their only guideline is "Count birds anywhere you like for at LEAST 15 minutes?or for as long as you wish". Is that the answer you were looking for? Or were you hoping for a little bit tighter guidance along the lines of competitive birding? The ABA has a few rules for Big Day Counts https://www.aba.org/aba-big-day-count-rules/, but there isn't a geographic restriction. I think the GBBC is looking for maximum engagement and participation rather than competition. Others in the community may have better guidance. Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA > On 02/02/2022 2:58 PM Debbie Mcleod wrote: > In October I moved to an apartment complex where bird feeding is verboten, so I am no longer able to participate in Project FeederWatch. But I am looking forward to the Great Backyard Bird Count! > > The complex is in a very birdy location, on the Sammamish River. I have a ground level patio with a grassy area and trees between me and the river/trail. I have been exploring my new patch, and compiling a new "neighbor bird" list, organized by degree of proximity. > > How do I define my backyard? Just the area I can see from my patio? All of the property of the apartment complex? What about the section of river and trail along the edge of the property? And It would be tempting to include the parks that are at either end of the property... > > After I draw my invisible boundary, do I count the birds I can see through it? Overhead? Flying by? > > I would love to hear how others "draw the line"! > > Debbie > > Sent from my iPhone > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From jerry.n.k at gmail.com Wed Feb 2 18:03:37 2022 From: jerry.n.k at gmail.com (Jerry Neufeld-Kaiser) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Semiahmoo birds Wednesday Message-ID: Comrades. I had a nice trip to Birch Bay, Semiahmoo and the Blaine marina today. Highlights included a flock of ~ 1000 Pacific loons (more than I've ever seen!), a dozen or so long tailed ducks, 9 black scoters, and a 5-pack of black oystercatchers screaming to each other on the pebbles at the Semiahmoo resort. The resort has caution-taped off the dock/boardwalk around the yellow building, unfortunately. 3 bald eagles seemed to be hunting scaup in coordination off the Semiahmoo north side, and one of them came up successful. The disappointment for me was finding zero alcids, which I can't remember ever achieving there before. Also for the first time ever, there were no seals lazing on the dock -- tho correspondingly there were a dozen or more seal heads visible amid the sea birds. It was chilly and breezy with on-and-off snow flurries, and I was glad for the chance to face away from the wind each time. Lunch at the Mexican food place right near the Blaine roundabout - recommended. Jerry Neufeld-Kaiser (Whitney's driver) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From garybletsch at protonmail.com Wed Feb 2 18:41:26 2022 From: garybletsch at protonmail.com (Gary Bletsch) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] odd message from Tweeters Message-ID: Dear Tweeters, Just now (Groundhog Day in the evening) I got a message to my other e-mail address, purporting to be a response to a request to remove my e-mail address from Tweeters. I had made no such request. The sender was this: tweeters-request@mailman11.u.washington.edu I have pasted the text of the message below. Could I have accidentally clicked something? Or could this be the result of some sort of hack? My other e-mail address is a Yahoo address; maybe that has something to do with it? I could not figure out how to write to the list administrator, or I would not be sending this to th list as a whole. Oh, I had a Varied Thrush at my feeder today, during an afternoon snow squall! Yours truly, Gary Bletsch <<<<<<<<<<<<<< Mailing list removal confirmation notice for mailing list Tweeters We have received a request for the removal of your email address, "garybletsch@yahoo.com" from thetweeters@u.washington.edumailing list. To confirm that you want to be removed from this mailing list, simply reply to this message, keeping the Subject: header intact. Or visit this web page: http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/confirm/tweeters/a3280c6e51076197d4ed9b13541d3d9a81230dbe Or include the following line -- and only the following line -- in a message totweeters-request@mailman11.u.washington.edu: confirm a3280c6e51076197d4ed9b13541d3d9a81230dbe Note that simply sending a `reply' to this message should work from most mail readers, since that usually leaves the Subject: line in the right form (additional "Re:" text in the Subject: is okay). If you do not wish to be removed from this list, please simply disregard this message. If you think you are being maliciously removed from the list, or have any other questions, send them to tweeters-owner@mailman11.u.washington.edu. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From shepthorp at gmail.com Wed Feb 2 19:53:09 2022 From: shepthorp at gmail.com (Shep Thorp) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Informal Wednesday Walk 2/2/2022 at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR Message-ID: Hi Tweets, a chilly but productive day at the Refuge with temperatures in the 30's degrees Fahrenheit, overcast skies and fortunately no rain. Highlights included the SWAMP SPARROW contact note being heard along the west side of the Visitor Center Pond along the west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail, a quick sighting of COMMON REDPOLL in the Alder Stand between the slough that runs along the Twin Barns and the south side of the Nisqually Estuary Trail or new dike, two RED-SHOULDERED HAWK - one adult and one immature along the line of trees adjacent to the access road in the restricted sanctuary between the Twin Barns and the old McAllister Creek Access Road. Starting out at the Visitor Center Pond overlook at 8am we had nice looks of RING-NECKED DUCK and PIED-BILLED GREBE. The flooded fields along the Access Road are good for viewing NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIGEON and GREEN-WINGED TEAL. We had good numbers of CACKLING GEESE, most minima with several taverners. There is a pair of BALD EAGLE routinely perched in a nest tree, Cottonwood, over the Twin Barns. The west side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail was slow, with exception to hearing the contact call of the SWAMP SPARROW along the west side of the Visitor Center Pond and MARSH WREN. Out on the new dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail, we observed many GADWALL in the surge plain north and had an intergrade NORTHERN FLICKER in a snag in the grassy canary reed grass area. The COMMON REDPOLL was seen briefly in Indian Plumb in a short Alder Stand south of the dike and north of the slough adjacent to the Twin Barns. In this same area we had nice flocks of GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW and BUSHTIT. Two RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS continue on the Refuge. An adult California type and an immature bird. Both were working the line of trees along the central access road in the restricted sanctuary between the Twin Barns and old McAllister Creek Viewing Platform. With the falling tide, we had nice looks of GREATER YELLOWLEGS and DUNLIN. We had a FOY, first of the year, SAVANNAH SPARROW along Leschi Slough. NORTHERN HARRIER, several RED-TAILED HAWK, and many BALD EAGLES were seen. The Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail was good for BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, three EURASIAN WIGEON mixed in with the American Wigeon, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, SURF SCOTER, HORNED GREBE and a COMMON LOON. From the Puget Sound Viewing Platform we picked up BRANT GEESE and BRANDT'S CORMORANT. We had good numbers of SHORT-BILLED GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, and WESTERN/GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. The Nisqually River Overlook was good for COMMON MERGANSER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET and BROWN CREEPER. We were not able to relocate the Northern Saw-whet Owl seen the previous two weeks. We observed 62 species for the day with 90 species for the year. Mammals seen included Long-tailed Weasel, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Coyote, Harbor Seal, and Eastern Gray Squirrel. Happy birding, Shep -- Shep Thorp Browns Point 253-370-3742 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From meetings at wos.org Thu Feb 3 08:39:12 2022 From: meetings at wos.org (meetings@wos.org) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?b?UkVNSU5ERVI6wqDCoEZlYi4gNyBXT1MgTW9udGhseSBN?= =?utf-8?q?eeting_to_feature_Cornell_Lab=E2=80=99s_Birds_of_the_Wor?= =?utf-8?q?ld_and_the_Washington_Birders_Dashboard?= Message-ID: <20220203163912.34290.qmail@s401.sureserver.com> The Washington Ornithological Society (WOS) warmly invites you to join us on Feb. 7 when we?ll learn about two powerful online birding resources:??Cornell Lab?s Birds of the World and the Washington Birders Dashboard.?? WOS members now enjoy free access to Birds of the World, the world?s most comprehensive ornithology resource.??Laura Kammermeier, our guest speaker from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, will show how this authoritative but accessible resource can help us deepen our understanding of birds? life histories, learn families and subspecies, examine songs, calls and identification features, and find updated range maps.??Laura will give us a tour of this impressively dynamic resource and demonstrate some of its lesser-known features. Our second speaker will be WOS member and Zella M. Schultz Award recipient, Randy Robinson.??Randy created the Washington Birders Dashboard that went live in 2015.??It is based on sightings submitted to eBird from anywhere in Washington State and it makes those sightings available within a few hours.??Randy will show us how to take full advantage of this wonderful, user-friendly resource.??The most recent WOS Newsletter, available at WOS.org, has an interesting and informative interview with Randy about how he came to create the Washington Birders Dashboard.??I highly recommend it. WOS Monthly Meetings remain open to all as we continue to welcome the wider birding community to join us online. PLEASE NOTE:??This program begins at 7:00 pm; sign-in begins at 6:45 pm. FOR LOGIN INFORMATION, go to http://wos.org/about-wos/monthly-meetings/.??While there, if you are not yet a member of WOS, I hope you will consider joining. ?? Vicki King WOS Program Coordinator From shepthorp at gmail.com Thu Feb 3 11:24:13 2022 From: shepthorp at gmail.com (Shep Thorp) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Scout Trip report for Okanogan Highlands and Waterville Plateau 1/28-1/31 Message-ID: Hi Tweets, last weekend, 1/28-1/31 we had our scout trip in the Okanogan Highlands and Waterville Plateau for the WOS Winter Trip coming up Presidents' Day Weekend. The weather was cold with temperatures in the 20's degree Fahrenheit. Mostly cloudy with some fog. And plowed snow covered roads on the plateau, in the highlands and in Conconully. On Friday, we located three SNOWY OWL around Atkins Lake, Woods Rd NE and 1st Rd NE, and one between H Road NE and G Road NE northeast of Mansfield. We saw a PRAIRIE FALCON on H Road NE as well. Tree Sparrows could be found in thickets on the plateau when scanned from the road. There were three NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL in Bridgeport State Park, but they can be very hard to find and take some time to locate. Please be very careful not to disturb these roosts as they are a real treat for all of us to enjoy. Saturday, we birded the Okanogan Highlands. Fancher Road was good for CHUKAR and GOLDEN EAGLE. With the cold temperatures and all the snow, it as a very good year for seeing Chukar everywhere. The lower section of Siwash Creek Road had two areas where we located SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. The upper section of Siwash Creek Road was good for many RED CROSSBILLS, CLARK'S NUTCRACKER, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, HAIRY WOODPECKER and PILEATED WOODPECKER. We picked up a WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER on Havillah Road near Oberg Road, and may have heard a White-winged Crossbill. The Highland Sno-Park was slow, with MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE and a fly over of a Woodpecker sp., probably a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER. Scott Downes reported a Northern Goshawk in Havillah and Common Redpoll on Bolster that we missed. Chesaw, Bolster Road, and the Nealy Road Feeders (Highland Meadows) were slow. We did have great views of a NORTHERN PYGMY OWL on Mary Ann Creek Road between Chesaw Road and Fields Road. We dipped on Common Redpoll, Gray Crowned Rosy Finch, Pine Grosbeak and Bohemian Waxwing. There were plenty of NORTHERN SHRIKE around. On a very sad note, the feeder on Hungry-Hollow Road or the Knob Hill Forge, was not active. Gary Eagle, the home and forge owner, passed away in September from cancer. I spoke with his girlfriend who still lives in the home, she'll put out the seed I delivered in his memory. I don't anticipate the feeders will remain active in the future. Sunday we birded the Conconully and Cameron Lake Road area. We skipped Scotch Creek Wildlife area, as we had great looks at Sharp-tailed Grouse on Siwash Creek. Happy Hill Road and Salmon Creek Road were great habitat for Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Chickadees and Crossbills. We had great looks at RUFFED GROUSE on Salmon Creek Road. Conconully was slow, but we had fabulous looks at EVENING GROSBEAKS and probably 4-5 GOLDEN EAGLE. The butte along Riverside Cut-off is excellent for Chukar and CANYON WREN. We watched two Golden Eagle hunting the Chukar on the butte, very cool! Cameron Lake Road had about a dozen SNOW BUNTING between the loop road and Timentwa Flats. No big flocks. Scott Downes reported a Lapland Longspur mixed in with about 8 HORNED LARK on the south side of the road between Timentwa and the south entrance - the road was passable. Monday we birded around Lake Pateros and the Waterville Plateau. We skipped Bridgeport Hill, as this area was burned in 2020. In the morning Washburn Island was very productive. We relocated the HARRIS SPARROW that half our team found the evening before at the grain feeder on the far right of the Island. There were probably a hundred WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, with other sparrow, so we patiently waited to get quick looks of the Harris. There were four COMMON REDPOLL in the Alders near the feeder, and another hunting Northern Shrike. We had a fly over of 30 plus Bohemian Waxwing. The lake views were great for CANVASBACK, REDHEAD, RUDDY DUCK, HORNED GREBE, COMMON LOON, GREATER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD COMMON-GOLDENEYE and HOODED MERGANSER. On State Route 17 between SR 97 (Truck Scales) and Bridgeport State Park, we bumped into a nice large flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWING (48.0423783, -119.6730715). Some roosting in Lombardy Poplars on the east side of the road, and many foraging on rotten apples in the orchard on the west side of the road. It was nice to see a big flock like this, and it's been a few years for me on these scout trips and field trips since I've seen one. Central Ferry Canyon Road, although not passable to the plateau, was good for additional Common Redpoll, Bohemian Waxwing, Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee and Hairy Woodpecker. We also had a beautiful HARLAN'S variety of RED-TAILED HAWK fly over. To end our day on the plateau, we found an excellent active scraping in the snow with active dumping of treated waste near the intersection of 15 Road NW and C Road NW on the northwest plateau. Here we observed 300+ SNOW BUNTING, 1000 HORNED LARK, 6 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH and 1 LAPLAND LONGSPUR (probably more as we heard them). Usually we see dozens of Rough-legged Hawks, this year we only observed 4-5 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK over our entire trip which I think is a low count. Perhaps this species hunting strategies are just as nomadic as many of the other species we've come to enjoy in this area. I'll put together another trip report after the WOS Winter Trip, and I hope you have a chance to enjoy Douglas and Okanogan Counties this winter. There is a lot of fun stuff to see. Many thanks to all my contributors, Scott Ramos, Laurel Parshall, Jon Anderson, Ken Brown-Olympia and Ken Brown-Tacoma, Kyle Leader, DJ Trillium, Gary Kelsberg and Sarah Safranek, Liam Hutchinson and Elizabeth McManus, Tom Bowden, Dale Goebel, Bruce LaBar, Ed Pullen, Jacob Miller, Scott Downes and Sierra Downes, and Meredith Spencer. Be well, check the weather and the passes, and safe winter birding. Shep -- Shep Thorp Browns Point 253-370-3742 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From vikingcove at gmail.com Thu Feb 3 20:18:21 2022 From: vikingcove at gmail.com (Kevin Lucas) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] White-morph Varied Thrush Message-ID: Today I saw a white-morph (?) Varied Thrush. I was totally flummoxed at the striking sight. Ignorant of what many birds look like, the names wagtail and wheatear bounced around in my excited noggin. I fired off a really cruddy phone photo of my camera's display to a couple of friends, then called one -- Jeff Kozma. He rapidly realized it was a Varied Thrush without the colors. Thanks yet again Jeff. I posted a photo on Flicker. It's still rough, but gives a hint. I don't know what the appropriate term is for this plumage. It seems carotinoids didn't make it into the feathers. I also found and photographed yet another Intergrade Northern Flicker that could very easily be mistaken for, or passed off as, a Yellow-shafted Flicker using my photos. Another good day. https://www.flickr.com/photos/58148027@N07/51860953456/in/datetaken/ Good Birding, https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/ Kevin Lucas Yakima County, WA *Qui tacet consentire videtur* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From peggy_busby at yahoo.com Thu Feb 3 20:29:44 2022 From: peggy_busby at yahoo.com (peggy_busby) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] White-morph Varied Thrush In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <1404394482.252966.1643948987252@yahoo.com> Very pretty leucistic thrush!Peggy MundyBothellSent from my Galaxy -------- Original message --------From: Kevin Lucas Date: 2/3/22 8:19 PM (GMT-08:00) To: Tweeters Subject: [Tweeters] White-morph Varied Thrush Today I saw a white-morph (?) Varied Thrush. I was totally flummoxed at the striking sight. Ignorant of what many birds look like, the names wagtail and wheatear bounced around in my excited noggin. I fired off a really cruddy phone photo of my camera's display to a couple of friends, then called one -- Jeff Kozma. He rapidly realized it was a Varied Thrush without the colors. Thanks yet again Jeff. I posted a photo on Flicker. It's still rough, but gives a hint.I don't know what the appropriate term is for this plumage. It seems carotinoids didn't make it into the feathers.I also found and photographed yet another Intergrade Northern Flicker that could very easily be mistaken for, or passed off as, a Yellow-shafted Flicker using my photos. Another good day.https://www.flickr.com/photos/58148027@N07/51860953456/in/datetaken/Good Birding,https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/Kevin LucasYakima County, WAQui tacet consentire?videtur -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From wagen at uw.edu Fri Feb 4 07:51:57 2022 From: wagen at uw.edu (Mike Wagenbach) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Orange-crowned Warbler on humminbird feeder Message-ID: We've had an Orange-crowned Warbler visiting one of our hummingbird feeders regularly for a couple of months. Syrup consumption on that feeder is higher than the other two. Haven't seen the orange crown yet! Mike Wagenbach Ballard -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birdmarymoor at gmail.com Fri Feb 4 09:11:35 2022 From: birdmarymoor at gmail.com (birdmarymoor@gmail.com) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2022-02-03 Message-ID: Tweets ? Yesterday?s weather wasn?t quite as bad as the forecast: we merely had a misty, mizzly, drizzly morning. But except for ducks there was little see or hear. Except for predawn Barn Owl instead of predawn Screech-Owl, the day?s species list was a perfect subset of last week?s list, only with fewer birds and fewer sightings. Highlights: a.. Wood Duck ? A pretty pair b.. Green-winged Teal ? Again, a large number at the Rowing Club c.. Ruddy Duck ? One in the NE corner of the lake, seen on a late scan of the lake d.. Wilson?s Snipe ? Maybe as many as ten below the weir e.. Western Meadowlark ? One at the Compost Piles actually sang a couple of times Mason Flint had a COYOTE, and we had a couple of RIVER OTTERS in the slough. >From the Rowing Club dock, Matt and I saw a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS swim past an adult GREAT BLUE HERON. That ? that ? was the visual highlight of the morning. One nice 3-second view of some common birds. But they were pretty. Okay, okay, some of the snipe looks were pretty good too. Misses included Cackling Goose, Rock Pigeon, Ring-billed Gull, Cooper?s Hawk (might have glimpsed one), Hairy Woodpecker (might have heard one), Bushtit, any finch besides House Finch. For the day, 51 species. But that included at least 9 species either Heard-only, or seen by only one person. Exciting, though, is that eBird user ?D/P Stanford? photographed a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK on 2022-01-31. A great bird for Marymoor; to my knowledge this would be either the 4th or 5th sighting at the park! = Michael Hobbs = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm = BirdMarymoor@gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cariddellwa at gmail.com Fri Feb 4 09:51:11 2022 From: cariddellwa at gmail.com (Carol Riddell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Kenmore Probable Glaucous Gull Message-ID: <4FE94E2E-293C-4EA0-9A13-48916CE9816D@gmail.com> Standing on the public dock ay Village Marina near Logboom Park. Just watched a large whitish gull fly in with a pinkish bill with dark tip. Landed on the water near a red marker toward the east side of the lake. Photos look good for GLGU. It?s a bot larger than nearby Western/Glaucous-winged Gulls. Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA From stropkimike at gmail.com Fri Feb 4 10:24:28 2022 From: stropkimike at gmail.com (Mike Stropki) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Scout Trip report for Okanogan Highlands and Waterville Plateau 1/28-1/31 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Really appreciate On Thu, Feb 3, 2022 at 11:25 AM Shep Thorp wrote: > > Hi Tweets, > > last weekend, 1/28-1/31 we had our scout trip in the Okanogan Highlands > and Waterville Plateau for the WOS Winter Trip coming up Presidents' Day > Weekend. The weather was cold with temperatures in the 20's degree > Fahrenheit. Mostly cloudy with some fog. And plowed snow covered roads on > the plateau, in the highlands and in Conconully. > > On Friday, we located three SNOWY OWL around Atkins Lake, Woods Rd NE and > 1st Rd NE, and one between H Road NE and G Road NE northeast of Mansfield. > We saw a PRAIRIE FALCON on H Road NE as well. Tree Sparrows could be found > in thickets on the plateau when scanned from the road. There were three > NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL in Bridgeport State Park, but they can be very hard > to find and take some time to locate. Please be very careful not to > disturb these roosts as they are a real treat for all of us to enjoy. > > Saturday, we birded the Okanogan Highlands. Fancher Road was good for > CHUKAR and GOLDEN EAGLE. With the cold temperatures and all the snow, it > as a very good year for seeing Chukar everywhere. The lower section of > Siwash Creek Road had two areas where we located SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. The > upper section of Siwash Creek Road was good for many RED CROSSBILLS, > CLARK'S NUTCRACKER, MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, HAIRY > WOODPECKER and PILEATED WOODPECKER. We picked up a WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER > on Havillah Road near Oberg Road, and may have heard a White-winged > Crossbill. The Highland Sno-Park was slow, with MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE and a > fly over of a Woodpecker sp., probably a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER. Scott > Downes reported a Northern Goshawk in Havillah and Common Redpoll on > Bolster that we missed. Chesaw, Bolster Road, and the Nealy Road Feeders > (Highland Meadows) were slow. We did have great views of a NORTHERN PYGMY > OWL on Mary Ann Creek Road between Chesaw Road and Fields Road. We dipped > on Common Redpoll, Gray Crowned Rosy Finch, Pine Grosbeak and Bohemian > Waxwing. There were plenty of NORTHERN SHRIKE around. > > On a very sad note, the feeder on Hungry-Hollow Road or the Knob Hill > Forge, was not active. Gary Eagle, the home and forge owner, passed away > in September from cancer. I spoke with his girlfriend who still lives in > the home, she'll put out the seed I delivered in his memory. I don't > anticipate the feeders will remain active in the future. > > Sunday we birded the Conconully and Cameron Lake Road area. We skipped > Scotch Creek Wildlife area, as we had great looks at Sharp-tailed Grouse on > Siwash Creek. Happy Hill Road and Salmon Creek Road were great habitat for > Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Chickadees and Crossbills. We had great looks at > RUFFED GROUSE on Salmon Creek Road. Conconully was slow, but we had > fabulous looks at EVENING GROSBEAKS and probably 4-5 GOLDEN EAGLE. The > butte along Riverside Cut-off is excellent for Chukar and CANYON WREN. We > watched two Golden Eagle hunting the Chukar on the butte, very cool! > Cameron Lake Road had about a dozen SNOW BUNTING between the loop road and > Timentwa Flats. No big flocks. Scott Downes reported a Lapland Longspur > mixed in with about 8 HORNED LARK on the south side of the road between > Timentwa and the south entrance - the road was passable. > > Monday we birded around Lake Pateros and the Waterville Plateau. We > skipped Bridgeport Hill, as this area was burned in 2020. In the morning > Washburn Island was very productive. We relocated the HARRIS SPARROW that > half our team found the evening before at the grain feeder on the far right > of the Island. There were probably a hundred WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, with > other sparrow, so we patiently waited to get quick looks of the Harris. > There were four COMMON REDPOLL in the Alders near the feeder, and another > hunting Northern Shrike. We had a fly over of 30 plus Bohemian Waxwing. > The lake views were great for CANVASBACK, REDHEAD, RUDDY DUCK, HORNED > GREBE, COMMON LOON, GREATER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD > COMMON-GOLDENEYE and HOODED MERGANSER. On State Route 17 between SR 97 > (Truck Scales) and Bridgeport State Park, we bumped into a nice large flock > of BOHEMIAN WAXWING (48.0423783, -119.6730715). Some roosting in Lombardy > Poplars on the east side of the road, and many foraging on rotten apples in > the orchard on the west side of the road. It was nice to see a big flock > like this, and it's been a few years for me on these scout trips and field > trips since I've seen one. Central Ferry Canyon Road, although not > passable to the plateau, was good for additional Common Redpoll, Bohemian > Waxwing, Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee and Hairy Woodpecker. We also > had a beautiful HARLAN'S variety of RED-TAILED HAWK fly over. To end our > day on the plateau, we found an excellent active scraping in the snow with > active dumping of treated waste near the intersection of 15 Road NW and C > Road NW on the northwest plateau. Here we observed 300+ SNOW BUNTING, 1000 > HORNED LARK, 6 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH and 1 LAPLAND LONGSPUR (probably > more as we heard them). > > Usually we see dozens of Rough-legged Hawks, this year we only observed > 4-5 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK over our entire trip which I think is a low count. > Perhaps this species hunting strategies are just as nomadic as many of the > other species we've come to enjoy in this area. > > I'll put together another trip report after the WOS Winter Trip, and I > hope you have a chance to enjoy Douglas and Okanogan Counties this winter. > There is a lot of fun stuff to see. Many thanks to all my contributors, > Scott Ramos, Laurel Parshall, Jon Anderson, Ken Brown-Olympia and Ken > Brown-Tacoma, Kyle Leader, DJ Trillium, Gary Kelsberg and Sarah Safranek, > Liam Hutchinson and Elizabeth McManus, Tom Bowden, Dale Goebel, Bruce > LaBar, Ed Pullen, Jacob Miller, Scott Downes and Sierra Downes, and > Meredith Spencer. > > Be well, check the weather and the passes, and safe winter birding. > Shep > -- > Shep Thorp > Browns Point > 253-370-3742 > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -- Sent from Gmail Mobile -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birder4184 at yahoo.com Fri Feb 4 11:57:40 2022 From: birder4184 at yahoo.com (B B) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding "Slams" References: <1779260037.3298952.1644004660844.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1779260037.3298952.1644004660844@mail.yahoo.com> Grand Slams in Baseball, Golf and Tennis are well defined.? Not so much for birding.? This Blogpost details 2 recent Birding Slams for me:? 5 Falcon species in a day and the 4 Zonotrichia Sparrow species at a single place - and a "sorta slam" - Four Finch species on the four perches on a feeder at the same time. http://blairbirding.com/2022/02/04/slamming/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From wagen at uw.edu Fri Feb 4 17:06:46 2022 From: wagen at uw.edu (Mike Wagenbach) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Light morph Red-tailed Hawk on San Juan Island Message-ID: Late report: Sunday, January 30 we had a light-morph Red-tailed Hawk ridge-soaring close over Cattle Point Road in the eastern part of American Camp on San Juan Island. Unfortunately it was harassed by a Raven and moved away before we could pull out a camera. The photo below looks very similar in any details I can remember. https://live.staticflickr.com/5520/11258911063_f3f121c2f6_b.jpg -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From garybletsch at protonmail.com Fri Feb 4 17:56:31 2022 From: garybletsch at protonmail.com (Gary Bletsch) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] leucistic Red-tailed Hawk in Skagit Message-ID: Dear Tweeters, Today, the fourth of February, there was a strikingly pale Red-tailed Hawk on Minkler Road in Skagit County. This is about five minutes east of Sedro-Woolley. The roadway was damaged during the floods in November, so it is closed a few hundred meters west of Hoehn Road. The closure makes the road much quieter than it normally would be on this 50-mph thoroughfare. The bird was perched on a telephone wire along Minkler Road, just west of Hoehn Road. This is within the eBird hotspot known as Minkler Flats. I was able to get a few photos. The bird was very pale, with a white tail, much white on the head, and a mostly pure-white underside. The belly band was reduced to just a few streaks. The relatively small size made me suspect that this was a male. I will put the photos on my eBird checklist soon. Yours truly, Gary Bletsch Sent with [ProtonMail](https://protonmail.com/) Secure Email. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cariddellwa at gmail.com Sat Feb 5 09:47:51 2022 From: cariddellwa at gmail.com (Carol Riddell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Edmonds 2022 Checklist Available Message-ID: <9CAF0469-57A9-465C-BEDD-FE5891B7B1F4@gmail.com> Hi Tweets, Thanks to Laurie Knittle for making the revisions to our city checklist with Microsoft Publisher, a program I don?t have. The new checklist reflects 279 species. Three new species in 2021 were Red-naped Sapsucker, White-rumped Sandpiper, and Tropical Kingbird. We made several abundance code revisions. If you would like a pdf copy of the checklist, which is in the same format as the county checklists from Washington Birder, please request it at checklistedmonds at gmail dot com. I have been reviewing January sightings in Edmonds and we hope to post a January Roundup tomorrow or Monday. Good birding, Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA From dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com Sat Feb 5 11:22:57 2022 From: dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com (Steven Dammer) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Loons at Rosario Head Message-ID: Hey Tweets, Am currently scoping at Rosario Head and there are a good amount of Pacific Loons just to the right of the island. I did encounter one that stood out. I'm not foolish enough to fully believe that what I saw was an Arctic Loon among the crowd, but when seen side by side with so many other PALO I couldn't help but notice how much white was visible along the flanks showing above the water line. I observed it til it dove and have not been able to relocate yet. Are any of y'all adept at Loon ID and can possibly help me out here? Best, Steven Dammer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com Sat Feb 5 11:22:57 2022 From: dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com (Steven Dammer) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Loons at Rosario Head Message-ID: Hey Tweets, Am currently scoping at Rosario Head and there are a good amount of Pacific Loons just to the right of the island. I did encounter one that stood out. I'm not foolish enough to fully believe that what I saw was an Arctic Loon among the crowd, but when seen side by side with so many other PALO I couldn't help but notice how much white was visible along the flanks showing above the water line. I observed it til it dove and have not been able to relocate yet. Are any of y'all adept at Loon ID and can possibly help me out here? Best, Steven Dammer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From garybletsch at yahoo.com Sat Feb 5 12:00:39 2022 From: garybletsch at yahoo.com (Gary Bletsch) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Loons at Rosario Head In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <492544995.131773.1644091239553@mail.yahoo.com> Dear Steven and Tweeters, I don't want to step on toes here, but I hope that you are certain about the ID of the Pacific Loons. I have been out there at Rosario quite a few times when there were the usual large numbers of Red-throated Loons. Then I come home, look at eBird, and see that there were other birders there at the same time that I was there--but those birders had called the loons Pacific Loons, and did not even have the Red-throated Loon on their eBird checklist. This has happened as recently as a few weeks ago. About 25 years ago, a friend of mine bought himself a brand-new video recorder, a big and clunky one that was state-of-the-art at the time. He and I had discussed a set of CBC data that had included large numbers of Pacific Loons at Rosario Head, and hardly any Red-throated Loons. Even back then, we were both of the opinion that the large winter flocks of loons at Rosario Head were almost always Red-throated Loons, not Pacifics. We went out to Rosario Head with the new-fangled video camera and "filmed" the large flock of loons. Then we went back to his house and viewed the video on his television set. Just as we had concluded while viewing the flock through our scopes, all of the loons that we could see on the tape were Red-throated Loons.? On the infrequent occasions that I see large flocks of Pacific Loons in Skagit County, they are most often at Washington Park, March Point, or Samish Island. Checking my own personal records for the two species, I find that I have seen "large" flocks (> 5) of Pacific Loons only 8 times in Skagit County over the past 30+ years. Only one of those occurrences was at Rosario Head, 8 birds on 11-03-2018. By contrast, I have seen flocks of over 5 Red-throated Loons at least 85 times in Skagit. The great majority of those were at Rosario Head. One thing that I look for on Pacific Loons is the shape of the head. I like to call them "Puffy-Heads." They often seem to have extra-thick feathers on the crown, making their head seem plush or puffy. There is often also a subtly distinct color to the head, a slaty grey that looks different to me than the color on the head of the RTLO. This can be seen sometimes even when the birds are so distant that it becomes difficult to judge the shape of the bill. I have not birded all that much at Semiahmoo, but I have seen large flocks of Pacific Loons twice in fourteen visits there, which makes me think that Semiahmoo is a far better place to observe large numbers of Pacific Loons than anywhere in Skagit. All of this of course is a necessary prelude to any discussion of the ID of an Arctic Loon in Washington. Yours truly Gary Bletsch On Saturday, February 5, 2022, 11:24:01 AM PST, Steven Dammer wrote: Hey Tweets,? Am currently scoping at Rosario Head and there are a good amount of Pacific Loons just to the right of the island. I did encounter one that stood out.? I'm not foolish enough to fully believe that what I saw was an Arctic Loon among the crowd, but when seen side by side with so many other PALO I couldn't help but notice how much white was visible along the flanks showing above the water line. I observed it til it dove and have not been able to relocate yet.? Are any of y'all adept at Loon ID and can possibly help me out here?? Best, Steven Dammer?_______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com Sat Feb 5 12:26:18 2022 From: dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com (Steven Dammer) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Loons at Rosario Head In-Reply-To: <492544995.131773.1644091239553@mail.yahoo.com> References: <492544995.131773.1644091239553@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Hi Gary, I've noticed that too actually, since I often hit Rosario for scoping. I did certainly pick several RTLOs out of the crowd but I'm certain about the rest being Pacific. Slender, puffy headed as you stated, very dark backs with white visible on the neck and chin. Had good looks at Common, RT, and the massive flock of Pacific mingling. Though I did think it odd as well, I typically get between 3 and 10 RTs and maybe 1 Pacific. I'm sure it's wishful thinking on my part about an Arctic, but it just stood out so much I couldn't ignore it. Best, Steven Dammer On Sat, Feb 5, 2022, 12:00 Gary Bletsch wrote: > Dear Steven and Tweeters, > > I don't want to step on toes here, but I hope that you are certain about > the ID of the Pacific Loons. I have been out there at Rosario quite a few > times when there were the usual large numbers of Red-throated Loons. Then I > come home, look at eBird, and see that there were other birders there at > the same time that I was there--but those birders had called the loons > Pacific Loons, and did not even have the Red-throated Loon on their eBird > checklist. This has happened as recently as a few weeks ago. > > About 25 years ago, a friend of mine bought himself a brand-new video > recorder, a big and clunky one that was state-of-the-art at the time. He > and I had discussed a set of CBC data that had included large numbers of > Pacific Loons at Rosario Head, and hardly any Red-throated Loons. Even back > then, we were both of the opinion that the large winter flocks of loons at > Rosario Head were almost always Red-throated Loons, not Pacifics. We went > out to Rosario Head with the new-fangled video camera and "filmed" the > large flock of loons. Then we went back to his house and viewed the video > on his television set. Just as we had concluded while viewing the flock > through our scopes, all of the loons that we could see on the tape were > Red-throated Loons. > > On the infrequent occasions that I see large flocks of Pacific Loons in > Skagit County, they are most often at Washington Park, March Point, or > Samish Island. > > Checking my own personal records for the two species, I find that I have > seen "large" flocks (> 5) of Pacific Loons only 8 times in Skagit County > over the past 30+ years. Only one of those occurrences was at Rosario Head, > 8 birds on 11-03-2018. By contrast, I have seen flocks of over 5 > Red-throated Loons at least 85 times in Skagit. The great majority of those > were at Rosario Head. > > One thing that I look for on Pacific Loons is the shape of the head. I > like to call them "Puffy-Heads." They often seem to have extra-thick > feathers on the crown, making their head seem plush or puffy. There is > often also a subtly distinct color to the head, a slaty grey that looks > different to me than the color on the head of the RTLO. This can be seen > sometimes even when the birds are so distant that it becomes difficult to > judge the shape of the bill. > > I have not birded all that much at Semiahmoo, but I have seen large flocks > of Pacific Loons twice in fourteen visits there, which makes me think that > Semiahmoo is a far better place to observe large numbers of Pacific Loons > than anywhere in Skagit. > > All of this of course is a necessary prelude to any discussion of the ID > of an Arctic Loon in Washington. > > Yours truly > > Gary Bletsch > > On Saturday, February 5, 2022, 11:24:01 AM PST, Steven Dammer < > dammerecologist1990@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Hey Tweets, > > Am currently scoping at Rosario Head and there are a good amount of > Pacific Loons just to the right of the island. I did encounter one that > stood out. > > I'm not foolish enough to fully believe that what I saw was an Arctic Loon > among the crowd, but when seen side by side with so many other PALO I > couldn't help but notice how much white was visible along the flanks > showing above the water line. I observed it til it dove and have not been > able to relocate yet. > > Are any of y'all adept at Loon ID and can possibly help me out here? > > Best, > > Steven Dammer > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From plkoyama at comcast.net Sat Feb 5 14:51:57 2022 From: plkoyama at comcast.net (PENNY & DAVID KOYAMA) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Kenmore Glaucous Gull Message-ID: <667874797.360085.1644101517810@connect.xfinity.com> Tweets, We headed down to Log Boom Park in Kenmore for another try at the Glaucous Gull, having missed it last weekend. There was a recent eBird report spotting it on the roof of the Cairn Brewery, and Carol Riddell had also seen it at the park. We had no luck at the park, with just Ring-billed, Short-billed, and Glaucous-winged Gulls on the marina roof and lake. (25 Canvasbacks were nice.) But on the way back home, David spotted a white gull on a light post near the McDonald's, opposite the brewery. Flipping a U and pulling into St. Vincent's, we had a great scope view, including the yellow eye. It flew off after a few minutes, then returned to land on the neighboring light post. So it's still in the 'hood, and check along Bothell Way, as well as the park, if you're looking. This was less than a half hr ago. Penny Koyama, Bothell -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mj.cygnus at gmail.com Sat Feb 5 17:08:08 2022 From: mj.cygnus at gmail.com (Martha Jordan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Trumpeter Swans Message-ID: As many of you are aware there are currently 14 Trumpeter Swans using the north side of Union Bay around the UW rowing/and other docks all the way east to Yesler Slough by Laurelhurt. One of the swans is ill. Today, a rescue capture was attempted. Thank you to those on shore helping spot the swan and Larry in the kayak who helped us maneuver to determine if a capture was possible. That said, the swan is ill but still able to fly well enough (joined the main flock) to evade our capture efforts. For those of you who bird in this area this week, please keep an eye out for the sick swan. If you see it up on shore, please note where. We would like to try again in a few days. If you find it deceased then we do want to come out and retrieve that as well. Please call me directly as I can respond faster than going through the WDFW Swan Hotline. If you see swans elsewhere that are in trouble, please use the hotline: 360-466-4345 x266 Direct line for me: 206-713-3684 Thank you. Martha Jordan Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stephenplatz at pm.me Sat Feb 5 19:23:09 2022 From: stephenplatz at pm.me (Steve Platz) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Semipalmated Sandpipers Message-ID: Today at Useless Bay at a low tide I noticed six sandpiper-like birds on the flats that, when I looked later at the bad shots I got, had shorter thicker bills and were a little taller than shots I've seen of Western Sandpipers. The eyes were large and dark, dark long legs. I regret not getting any shots in flight. From what I understand, Semipalmated Sandpipers would be uncommon here, but I'm wondering what others think, maybe just Westerns, like I thought. Here's the shot I added to the checklist https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/413340801. I have a few others if someone would be interested to further identify, maybe I'm making something out of nothing. Warmly, Steve Platz Sent with ProtonMail Secure Email. ------- Original Message ------- On Saturday, February 5th, 2022 at 12:05 PM, wrote: > Send Tweeters mailing list submissions to > > tweeters@u.washington.edu > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > > tweeters-request@mailman11.u.washington.edu > > You can reach the person managing the list at > > tweeters-owner@mailman11.u.washington.edu > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > > than "Re: Contents of Tweeters digest..." > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Light morph Red-tailed Hawk on San Juan Island (Mike Wagenbach) > 2. leucistic Red-tailed Hawk in Skagit (Gary Bletsch) > 3. Edmonds 2022 Checklist Available (Carol Riddell) > 4. Loons at Rosario Head (Steven Dammer) > 5. Loons at Rosario Head (Steven Dammer) > 6. Re: Loons at Rosario Head (Gary Bletsch) > > > Message: 1 > > Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2022 17:06:46 -0800 > > From: Mike Wagenbach wagen@uw.edu > > To: Tweeters Tweeters tweeters@u.washington.edu > > Subject: [Tweeters] Light morph Red-tailed Hawk on San Juan Island > > Message-ID: > > CAO8p4TGKhwA3g_X4GdgFV4VHX-zFYbjrujXYNqUG4cVkDD_WDg@mail.gmail.com > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Late report: Sunday, January 30 we had a light-morph Red-tailed Hawk > > ridge-soaring close over Cattle Point Road in the eastern part of American > > Camp on San Juan Island. Unfortunately it was harassed by a Raven and > > moved away before we could pull out a camera. The photo below looks very > > similar in any details I can remember. > > https://live.staticflickr.com/5520/11258911063_f3f121c2f6_b.jpg > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20220204/5a23fce0/attachment-0001.html > > Message: 2 > > Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2022 01:56:31 +0000 > > From: Gary Bletsch garybletsch@protonmail.com > > To: "tweeters@u.washington.edu" tweeters@u.washington.edu > > Subject: [Tweeters] leucistic Red-tailed Hawk in Skagit > > Message-ID: > > tUsft5i1yVD0O7kM2B2RgRSR9_ruFAN2fgwF7DP11-4-sm5JDSW4d-yN3X6jTs067qkdNYO9YyCju7RuEex-2bBY2r4znckapV-HkvN8bl8=@protonmail.com > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Dear Tweeters, > > Today, the fourth of February, there was a strikingly pale Red-tailed Hawk on Minkler Road in Skagit County. This is about five minutes east of Sedro-Woolley. The roadway was damaged during the floods in November, so it is closed a few hundred meters west of Hoehn Road. The closure makes the road much quieter than it normally would be on this 50-mph thoroughfare. > > The bird was perched on a telephone wire along Minkler Road, just west of Hoehn Road. This is within the eBird hotspot known as Minkler Flats. I was able to get a few photos. The bird was very pale, with a white tail, much white on the head, and a mostly pure-white underside. The belly band was reduced to just a few streaks. The relatively small size made me suspect that this was a male. I will put the photos on my eBird checklist soon. > > Yours truly, > > Gary Bletsch > > Sent with ProtonMail Secure Email. > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20220205/6d5851d4/attachment-0001.html > > Message: 3 > > Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2022 09:47:51 -0800 > > From: Carol Riddell cariddellwa@gmail.com > > To: Tweeters Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > Subject: [Tweeters] Edmonds 2022 Checklist Available > > Message-ID: 9CAF0469-57A9-465C-BEDD-FE5891B7B1F4@gmail.com > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Hi Tweets, > > Thanks to Laurie Knittle for making the revisions to our city checklist with Microsoft Publisher, a program I don?t have. The new checklist reflects 279 species. Three new species in 2021 were Red-naped Sapsucker, White-rumped Sandpiper, and Tropical Kingbird. We made several abundance code revisions. If you would like a pdf copy of the checklist, which is in the same format as the county checklists from Washington Birder, please request it at checklistedmonds at gmail dot com. > > I have been reviewing January sightings in Edmonds and we hope to post a January Roundup tomorrow or Monday. > > Good birding, > > Carol Riddell > > Edmonds, WA > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 4 > > Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2022 11:22:57 -0800 > > From: Steven Dammer dammerecologist1990@gmail.com > > To: Tweeters tweeters@u.washington.edu, tweeters@uw.edu > > Subject: [Tweeters] Loons at Rosario Head > > Message-ID: > > CAGp0QUCKnR3j1kA=UdZKk5y1RFPEEn8=aFWPSew3tx4efikpTQ@mail.gmail.com > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Hey Tweets, > > Am currently scoping at Rosario Head and there are a good amount of Pacific > > Loons just to the right of the island. I did encounter one that stood out. > > I'm not foolish enough to fully believe that what I saw was an Arctic Loon > > among the crowd, but when seen side by side with so many other PALO I > > couldn't help but notice how much white was visible along the flanks > > showing above the water line. I observed it til it dove and have not been > > able to relocate yet. > > Are any of y'all adept at Loon ID and can possibly help me out here? > > Best, > > Steven Dammer > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20220205/2b0fb528/attachment-0002.html > > Message: 5 > > Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2022 11:22:57 -0800 > > From: Steven Dammer dammerecologist1990@gmail.com > > To: Tweeters tweeters@u.washington.edu, tweeters@uw.edu > > Subject: [Tweeters] Loons at Rosario Head > > Message-ID: > > CAGp0QUCKnR3j1kA=UdZKk5y1RFPEEn8=aFWPSew3tx4efikpTQ@mail.gmail.com > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Hey Tweets, > > Am currently scoping at Rosario Head and there are a good amount of Pacific > > Loons just to the right of the island. I did encounter one that stood out. > > I'm not foolish enough to fully believe that what I saw was an Arctic Loon > > among the crowd, but when seen side by side with so many other PALO I > > couldn't help but notice how much white was visible along the flanks > > showing above the water line. I observed it til it dove and have not been > > able to relocate yet. > > Are any of y'all adept at Loon ID and can possibly help me out here? > > Best, > > Steven Dammer > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20220205/2b0fb528/attachment-0003.html > > Message: 6 > > Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2022 20:00:39 +0000 (UTC) > > From: Gary Bletsch garybletsch@yahoo.com > > To: Steven Dammer dammerecologist1990@gmail.com, "tweeters@uw.ed" > > , "tweeters@u.washington.edu" > > > > > Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Loons at Rosario Head > > Message-ID: 492544995.131773.1644091239553@mail.yahoo.com > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Dear Steven and Tweeters, > > I don't want to step on toes here, but I hope that you are certain about the ID of the Pacific Loons. I have been out there at Rosario quite a few times when there were the usual large numbers of Red-throated Loons. Then I come home, look at eBird, and see that there were other birders there at the same time that I was there--but those birders had called the loons Pacific Loons, and did not even have the Red-throated Loon on their eBird checklist. This has happened as recently as a few weeks ago. > > About 25 years ago, a friend of mine bought himself a brand-new video recorder, a big and clunky one that was state-of-the-art at the time. He and I had discussed a set of CBC data that had included large numbers of Pacific Loons at Rosario Head, and hardly any Red-throated Loons. Even back then, we were both of the opinion that the large winter flocks of loons at Rosario Head were almost always Red-throated Loons, not Pacifics. We went out to Rosario Head with the new-fangled video camera and "filmed" the large flock of loons. Then we went back to his house and viewed the video on his television set. Just as we had concluded while viewing the flock through our scopes, all of the loons that we could see on the tape were Red-throated Loons.? > > On the infrequent occasions that I see large flocks of Pacific Loons in Skagit County, they are most often at Washington Park, March Point, or Samish Island. > > Checking my own personal records for the two species, I find that I have seen "large" flocks (> 5) of Pacific Loons only 8 times in Skagit County over the past 30+ years. Only one of those occurrences was at Rosario Head, 8 birds on 11-03-2018. By contrast, I have seen flocks of over 5 Red-throated Loons at least 85 times in Skagit. The great majority of those were at Rosario Head. > > One thing that I look for on Pacific Loons is the shape of the head. I like to call them "Puffy-Heads." They often seem to have extra-thick feathers on the crown, making their head seem plush or puffy. There is often also a subtly distinct color to the head, a slaty grey that looks different to me than the color on the head of the RTLO. This can be seen sometimes even when the birds are so distant that it becomes difficult to judge the shape of the bill. > > I have not birded all that much at Semiahmoo, but I have seen large flocks of Pacific Loons twice in fourteen visits there, which makes me think that Semiahmoo is a far better place to observe large numbers of Pacific Loons than anywhere in Skagit. > > All of this of course is a necessary prelude to any discussion of the ID of an Arctic Loon in Washington. > > Yours truly > > Gary Bletsch > > On Saturday, February 5, 2022, 11:24:01 AM PST, Steven Dammer dammerecologist1990@gmail.com wrote: > > Hey Tweets,? > > Am currently scoping at Rosario Head and there are a good amount of Pacific Loons just to the right of the island. I did encounter one that stood out.? > > I'm not foolish enough to fully believe that what I saw was an Arctic Loon among the crowd, but when seen side by side with so many other PALO I couldn't help but notice how much white was visible along the flanks showing above the water line. I observed it til it dove and have not been able to relocate yet.? > > Are any of y'all adept at Loon ID and can possibly help me out here?? > > Best, > > Steven Dammer?_______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20220205/d18bc37a/attachment-0001.html > > Subject: Digest Footer > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@mailman11.u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > End of Tweeters Digest, Vol 210, Issue 5 From chandirah at gmail.com Sun Feb 6 12:42:03 2022 From: chandirah at gmail.com (Chandira H) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Pintail ducks at Bayview Park yesterday Message-ID: <354AED97-F599-498B-9DC3-AB9B6B38E32C@gmail.com> Hi all, We went out to Fir Island yesterday, no Prairie Falcon in sight, sadly, but we headed to Bayview Park in Padilla Bay after that, and found about 200 Northern Pintails, at a rough guess. A delight! And a lifer for me.. 200 of them.. :) Such a lovely beach walk. Worth a visit if you?re out that way. From mj.cygnus at gmail.com Sun Feb 6 17:20:11 2022 From: mj.cygnus at gmail.com (Martha Jordan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay swans - again Message-ID: Does anyone know who was out on the water today with 2 kayaks and a Zodiac inflatable. They were chasing the swans from Canoe Island toward the cove. Unless they were authorized to make a capture, then this is wildlife harassment and detrimental for the swans and all other waterfowl in the area. If you know more information please contact me off list. Thanks. Martha Jordan 206-713-3684 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hank.heiberg at yahoo.com Sun Feb 6 20:47:28 2022 From: hank.heiberg at yahoo.com (Hank Heiberg) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Dipper Eating Fish Eggs? References: <0E4D85E5-C082-4D03-947D-15A031A9F9D0@gmail.com> Message-ID: <9F34FFB0-59A6-435B-8EFD-B454640810A9@yahoo.com> > ? > ?Today we saw 3 American Dippers at Tokul Creek (King County, WA). One of them landed about 3 feet from us and appeared to be eating fish (salmon?) eggs. Here is a video and a screenshot from the video. > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/51866060647/in/dateposted/ Video > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/51867334869/in/dateposted/ Screenshot > > Here is an album of the 2 videos and many photos from this encounter. > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/albums/72177720296504638 > > Warning: Tokul Creek is rather loud. You could turn your sound down by 50%. > > Hank & Karen Heiberg > Issaquah, WA > > Sent from my iPad -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ksnyder75 at gmail.com Mon Feb 7 08:07:58 2022 From: ksnyder75 at gmail.com (Kathleen Snyder) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terns, Cormorants, and Salmon - Oh My! Zoom Thursday Feb 10 Message-ID: Join Dr. Daniel Roby, Oregon State University, in reviewing the steps taken in the Columbia River to halt predation of salmon and steelhead by Caspian Terns and Double-crested Cormorants. Dr. Roby specializes in ecology and conservation of seabirds. We will explore what management techniques were used to reduce predation as well as the outcome to birds and fish. This free program from Black Hills Audubon is Thursday, Feb 10th, at 7 pm. Registration is required at www.blackhills-audubon.org. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jonbirder at comcast.net Mon Feb 7 11:26:57 2022 From: jonbirder at comcast.net (Jon Houghton) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Okanogan this week? Message-ID: <47777259.298946.1644262017478@connect.xfinity.com> Hi Tweeterdom - We're heading for the Waterville Plateau, Conconully, and the Highlands tomorrow through Thursday and would like share sightings in real time with anyone else on the loose over there! Phone is (206) 601-0773; texting is probably best in some areas. Happy Birding! - Jon Houghton, Edmonds -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cariddellwa at gmail.com Mon Feb 7 17:26:16 2022 From: cariddellwa at gmail.com (Carol Riddell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Edmonds Roundup - January 2022 Message-ID: <5AAB4B25-C5C5-4A0B-A09D-646D81239365@gmail.com> Hi Tweets, First of all, I want to correct our final count for 2021. It was 193, not 192. I unbelievably forgot to include the White-rumped Sandpiper of June 2021 in my final count. Okay, on to January 2022. There were a respectable 99 species reported in Edmonds, which was lower than last year?s 104 January species, but still an excellent start given the weather conditions at the beginning of the month. Most expected waterfowl were reported in January with the exceptions of Northern Shoveler (code 1), Greater Scaup (code 2), and Wood Duck (code 3). Highlights include Greater White-fronted Goose (code 3), three in Edmonds Lake Ballinger neighborhood 1-11-22 and one on Caspers Street 1-16-22; Cackling Geese (code 3) were seen at the marsh and the waterfront 1-1-22 and the following two days; two Trumpeter Swans (code 4) flew over the marsh 1-7-22; a single immature Snow Goose (code 3) accompanied a flock of Canada Geese around the Edmonds Bowl for several days beginning 1-27-22 at the marsh. The expected grebes were Pied-billed, Horned, Red-necked, and Western. Of interest was the persistent presence of a single Pied-billed Grebe (code 2) on the exposed waterfront throughout the month. Two reports of four and six birds could have been data entry errors in eBird checklists as Horned Grebe is next to Pied-billed Grebe on the checklist. Reports of multiple birds of that species could be better evaluated with comments on field marks or photographs. Regardless, at least one bird was present throughout the month in an unexpected location. All of the pigeons/doves were reported with the exception of Eurasian Collared-Dove (code 3). The highlight here was a Mourning Dove (code 3) on Puget Drive 1-1-22 and one other day during January. A Virginia Rail (code 2) was heard calling at Goodhope Pond in Pine Ridge park 1-6-22. There were two reports of calling rails in the marsh during the second half of the month. Presumably the very high water level in the marsh the first two weeks of January kept them at a distance or drove them away temporarily. It?s a challenge to hear them now with all of the dog barking six days a week by the canine business adjacent to the boardwalk. An American Coot (code 2) finally showed up at the marsh 1-30-22. Shorebird sightings through January were Killdeer (code 1), Black Turnstone (code 3), Surfbird (code 3), Sanderling (code 2), and Dunlin (code 3). All of the expected winter alcids were reported. Along with the expected gulls was one Western Gull (code 4) 1-17-22 on a buoy in the Underwater Park. There continue to be lots of undocumented reports of Ring-billed Gull (code 3). This is a commonly mistaken species (confused with early cycle Short-billed Gull in winter and California Gull in summer) and difficult to find on the exposed Edmonds waterfront. We don?t add it to the year list unless there is a photograph or a credible description of the key field marks. There would rarely be more than one seen at a time. All three loon species (Red-throated, Pacific, Common) were reported at various spots along the Edmonds waterfront 1-1-22. All three cormorant species (Brandt?s, Pelagic, Double-crested) were also reported 1-1-22. Raptors reported during January were Sharp-shinned Hawk (code 2), Cooper?s Hawk (code 2), Bald Eagle (code 1), and Red-tailed Hawk (code 2). There were no owl reports. The Great Horned and Barred Owls must have been silent. For the falcons, there was a Peregrine (code 3) at Haines Wharf 1-17-22 and a Merlin (code 2) reported in the Westgate neighborhood 1-24-22. All of the expected Woodpeckers were reported during January: Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, as well as Hairy, Downy, and Pileated Woodpeckers. There was one report of a Hutton?s Vireo (code 2) calling in Pine Ridge Park 1-19-22. The three corvids expected at this time of year have been seen or heard. Common Ravens (code 3) were reported in a south Edmonds neighborhood and near the marsh 1-4-22. There have been other reports around Pine Ridge Park where they often can be heard calling. All of the expected smaller birds were reported: chickadees, kinglets, nuthatch, creeper, and wrens. No Cedar Waxwings yet. American Robin and Varied Thrush reports continued through the month. The first Hermit Thrush (code 2), a sometimes difficult bird to find, showed up in a bird bath in the Lake Ballinger neighborhood 1-3-22. There were later sightings in Yost Park and at the marsh. Among the finches, there was only one report of one Purple Finch (code 3) in the Lake Ballinger neighborhood 1-2-22. All of the expected sparrows were reported. The best were White-throated Sparrows (code 3) appearing throughout the month, as early as 1-1-22, at feeders near Pine Ridge Park and the 7th & Elm Park. One was also reported by several birders around the marsh. A Lincoln?s Sparrow (a difficult code 2) was finally seen in the Lake Ballinger neighborhood 1-31-22. Red-winged Blackbirds have been reported at Pine Ridge Park 1-4-22 and throughout the month at the marsh and the Lake Ballinger neighborhood. Unfortunately, there were no reports of the lone female Brewer?s Blackbird that has lived along the waterfront, first at the former Senior Center (Olympic Beach) and then at Brackett?s Landing North, for a number of years. She persisted in Edmonds long after her mate disappeared. If she is now gone, good luck on finding another Brewer?s in the city. Hopefully she just retreated during the inclement weather conditions of early January and will return. Among the warblers, there have been reports of one Orange-crowned Warbler (code 1) at the marsh 1-14-22, multiple Yellow-rumped Warblers (code 1) beginning 1-1-22 at Puget Drive, the marsh, and the Lake Ballinger neighborhood, as well as at other private yards. Townsend?s Warbler (code 2) has been reported since 1-6-22 at Pine Ridge Park and the Lake Ballinger neighborhood. Although we have not added it to the year list, honorable mention goes to the finding of a single Common Redpoll in a mixed flock at Esperance Park 1-2-22 in unincorporated Edmonds. A migratory bird cannot enter this small unincorporated neighborhood without passing through Edmonds but since the sighting was not inside Edmonds, we?re going to leave that species off the year list for now. As always, I appreciate it when birders get in touch with me to share sightings, photos, or audio. It helps us build our collective year list. If you would like a copy of our 2022 city checklist, please request it from checklistedmonds at gmail dot com. I will get a 2022 checklist posted in the bird information box at the Visitor Station at the base of the public pier by Tuesday. Good birding, Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA Abundance codes: (1) Common, (2) Uncommon, (3) Harder to find, usually seen annually, (4) Rare, 5+ records, (5) Fewer than 5 records From scottratkinson at hotmail.com Mon Feb 7 20:17:01 2022 From: scottratkinson at hotmail.com (Scott Atkinson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Eurasian Collared-Dove sightings Message-ID: Tweeters: For the Everett-Marysville CBC, our first 2 came in 2011; numbers climbed steadily to a peak of 74 in 2017. We stayed close for the two next years, with 72 in 2019. We had no CBC in 2020. On the recent CBC, held January 1st, the count had decreased to 53 birds. This decline was a notable, especially in view of a record-high count of participants. Scott Atkinson -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com Tue Feb 8 00:17:25 2022 From: dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com (Dan Reiff) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] In October last year, an engine on a Spirit Airlines Inc. flight caught fire after it ingested a bald eagle during a takeoff from Atlantic City International Airport : Airlines Face Unexpected Safety Issue in Pandemic: More Bird Strikes - WSJ Message-ID: <813905F4-CC7D-41FB-9210-C528B8BCDA01@gmail.com> Forty-four Bald eagle bird strikes of jets last year: https://www.wsj.com/articles/airlines-face-unexpected-safety-issue-in-pandemic-more-bird-strikes-11644148801 Sent from my iPhone From steamboatwilleys at yahoo.com Tue Feb 8 10:04:00 2022 From: steamboatwilleys at yahoo.com (Stan and Irene Willey) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Dipper eating eggs References: <2FAF466E-AC48-4E05-AAEF-2B66A9683663.ref@yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2FAF466E-AC48-4E05-AAEF-2B66A9683663@yahoo.com> Hank, from the ? marks on your post I gather you think this is unusual. Not so for me. I have observed American dippers eating salmon eggs on several, at least 4, occasions, both in SE Alaska and E Washington. I just figured that if the fish are actively spawning, any dippers on the river would be chowing down. Sorry about the late reply; I?m traveling and missed this earlier. Stan Poulsbo Sent from my iPhone From joshm at seattleaudubon.org Tue Feb 8 12:57:12 2022 From: joshm at seattleaudubon.org (Josh Morris) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Volunteer for Bird Conservation: Seattle Bird Collision Monitors In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Tweeters, I'm new to this list-hello, nice to meet you! I manage the Seattle Bird Collision Monitoring Project at Seattle Audubon. Our goal is to document, understand, and prevent bird window collisions. The spring 2022 monitoring season begins April 15th and we are recruiting volunteers. If you're in the Seattle area and would be interested to learn more about the project or how to get involved, I'll be holding an online prospective volunteer information session on Feb. 15 from 6-7 pm. Register here for the Zoom meeting access information. Sincerely, Josh Joshua Morris (he/him) Urban Conservation Manager (206) 523-8243 x112 [SeattleAudubon_primary_color] Found a dead or injured bird? Submit a report at dbird.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 10769 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From jeffo4297 at gmail.com Tue Feb 8 14:26:00 2022 From: jeffo4297 at gmail.com (jeff o) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Found Lens hood Message-ID: Posting for Rich Schwab who found a lens hood today in the Samish area. If it is yours, contact Rich at lbp.schwab@yahoo.com Rich has a picture of the lens hood if you would like to look. Olympus LH-115 I think the picture posting ban is still in effect for Tweeters. JeffO Stanwood Inside each mystery, there is always a new one waiting to be found. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bluedarner1 at seanet.com Tue Feb 8 16:39:09 2022 From: bluedarner1 at seanet.com (Caryn Schutzler) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest "boxes" Message-ID: <3C8B1042-625D-4157-A869-B6A0FAC07479@seanet.com> Hello Birders, Anyone out there ever used a hummingbird nesting platform? With success? I?m thinking of experimenting with one? They are out there plucking fluff! And they sure are enjoying the sarcococca and witch hazel in bloom now. I?d sure like to ?encourage nesting in a more observable location?wouldn?t we all. Just curious. Caryn / Wedgwood backyard birder From plkoyama at comcast.net Tue Feb 8 16:33:57 2022 From: plkoyama at comcast.net (Penny L Koyama) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Kenmore Glaucous Gull In-Reply-To: <667874797.360085.1644101517810@connect.xfinity.com> References: <667874797.360085.1644101517810@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <781044C8-7204-41B0-B6A7-6032FECB9CB5@comcast.net> Just now saw the GLGU on a light post at 68th on Bothell Way in Kenmore on our way into Seattle for dinner. It seems to love this area! Penny Koyama Sent from my iPhone > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From birdbooker at zipcon.net Tue Feb 8 20:19:54 2022 From: birdbooker at zipcon.net (Ian Paulsen) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan Message-ID: <2289bc4b-1fc7-a296-809-2012c62fad9@zipcon.net> HI ALL: A Whooper Swan was reported today at the Monroe Prison Farm Pond. See details here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S102286503 Second state record if accepted. sincerely Ian Paulsen Bainbridge Island, WA, USA Visit my BIRDBOOKER REPORT blog here: https://birdbookerreport.blogspot.com/ From pdickins at gmail.com Tue Feb 8 20:25:53 2022 From: pdickins at gmail.com (Philip Dickinson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan In-Reply-To: <2289bc4b-1fc7-a296-809-2012c62fad9@zipcon.net> References: <2289bc4b-1fc7-a296-809-2012c62fad9@zipcon.net> Message-ID: Actually in a field on the south side of the road across from the Prison farm pond. Seen by several in a Pilchuck Audubon group. Initially assumed to be Bewick?s tundra but in reality as big if not bigger than the trumpeters. Phil Dickinson Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 8, 2022, at 8:21 PM, Ian Paulsen wrote: > > ?HI ALL: > A Whooper Swan was reported today at the Monroe Prison Farm Pond. See details here: > > https://ebird.org/checklist/S102286503 > > Second state record if accepted. > > sincerely > Ian Paulsen > Bainbridge Island, WA, USA > Visit my BIRDBOOKER REPORT blog here: > https://birdbookerreport.blogspot.com/ > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From sowersalexander1 at gmail.com Wed Feb 9 07:35:05 2022 From: sowersalexander1 at gmail.com (Xander Sowers) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Monroe WHOOPER SWAN continues Message-ID: Hey tweets, Eric Hope and I are currently watching the continuing WHOOPER SWAN on the S side of 203rd st SE in Monroe, WA. It?s approximately right here (47.8113341, -121.9840628) with a small group of Trumpeter and Tundra Swans. - Alex Sowers and Eric Hope -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mombiwheeler at gmail.com Wed Feb 9 09:19:59 2022 From: mombiwheeler at gmail.com (mombiwheeler) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper still present Message-ID: <6203f7c2.1c69fb81.16d69.07f4@mx.google.com> Hi Tweeters,The Whooper Swan is still present at the location noted by Xander.Lonnie Somer?SeattleSent from my T-Mobile 5G Device -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From xtenter at comcast.net Wed Feb 9 10:37:19 2022 From: xtenter at comcast.net (RW Hamlyn) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Eurasian Wigeon Video Message-ID: <33A37F05-AC55-460F-AA5E-DFAFEAA4B1EA@comcast.net> I recently put together a new video on the Eurasian Wigeon. Dory and I have seen a few Eurasian Wigeon?s every year for at least the last decade or more, both locally (Normandy Park) and up in the Skagit. I suspect there is a growing population wintering in our general area, but I have never found any reports of them nesting in North America. This is a bird that fascinates both of us. I have sprinkled Dory's great photos through out to help tell our story of interacting this interesting and elegant bird. Ray Hamlyn https://youtu.be/_y5rJPmZTUM -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From xjoshx at gmail.com Wed Feb 9 11:29:27 2022 From: xjoshx at gmail.com (Josh Adams) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] More Whooper Swan Message-ID: Hello Tweets, When I left the Whooper Swan about an hour ago it was still located in the field just south of 203rd St SE (47.81310885870749, -121.9853303380763). Access here is parking on the side of the road and everything during the morning rush worked out fine (both local farmers and law enforcement passed by without raising any questions), and visibility of the Whooper was excellent. Please be mindful that trying to get closer looks or photos will likely flush these birds and not only cause them stress, but also make it harder for other birders to enjoy them from a safe and legal location. If the swans raise their heads to look at you instead of feeding, or start making agitated noises you're likely too close and should back up. Additionally, please be mindful to try to park responsibly. 203rd is a pretty major thoroughfare and gets a lot of large truck traffic. Currently it's fairly easy to park off the street while not blocking the road, but if the bird moves to adjacent fields this will become more difficult. Keep in mind that other than the three public parking areas at Crescent Lake WMA (one being a pullout along Crescent Lake Rd) all parking in this area is private. From previous rarities in this area I know that local landowners are pretty hospitable to birders, but absolutely do not want them entering private land or driving down the private gravel roads in the area. In addition to the Whooper there were also the usual hundreds of Trumpeter swans and perhaps ~10 Tundra Swans in that flock along with multiple subspecies of Cackling Geese and other waterfowl species. Josh Adams Cathcart, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stevechampton at gmail.com Wed Feb 9 14:24:35 2022 From: stevechampton at gmail.com (Steve Hampton) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] over 2000 Marbled Murrelets today Message-ID: Excellent birding at Pt Wilson, Port Townsend, today. After several days of seeing them northbound (usually in the afternoon), and some days with fewer than 100 birds, today MAMU were streaming southbound, with many on the water. My conservative estimate was 2,100 birds in 90 minutes (and more still coming, and no doubt more preceded). There was a constant stream of southbound birds 15-39/minute the entire time. As is typical with this species, most were zipping by in pairs. They seemed to be going to a large offshore congregation of feeding birds between Point Wilson and Marrowstone/Flagler. Additionally, there were about 100 MAMU on the water between Point Wilson and the marine science center, nicely visible with a scope due to flat calm conditions. Many of these were vocalizing ?keeer!?. Given that this aggregation is approaching the total population for Washington, I assume these are predominantly birds from BC. RHINOCEROS AUKLET numbers are increasing significantly as well; large rafts were present out in the middle of Admiralty Inlet, along with COMMON MURRES and other species. Ancient Murrelet numbers have been very low and today I did not detect any. Of local interest, there was an EARED GREBE along the coast sw of the Marine Science Ctr pier. This species is quite scarce here. Full list and a few pics at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S102343978 good birding, -- Steve Hampton Port Townsend, WA (qat?y) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From wagen at uw.edu Wed Feb 9 15:17:03 2022 From: wagen at uw.edu (Mike Wagenbach) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest material Message-ID: Is it OK to put out dryer lint for birds to pick up for nesting? Ours is probably mostly cotton. Mike Wagenbach Seattle -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From constancesidles at gmail.com Wed Feb 9 16:01:08 2022 From: constancesidles at gmail.com (Constance Sidles) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest material In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear Mike, it's best not to use dryer lint for nesting material because when it gets wet, it gets soggy and cold, which is bad for eggs and nestlings. - Connie, Seattle csidles@constancypress.com > On Feb 9, 2022, at 3:17 PM, Mike Wagenbach wrote: > > Is it OK to put out dryer lint for birds to pick up for nesting? Ours is probably mostly cotton. > > Mike Wagenbach > Seattle > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From plkoyama at comcast.net Wed Feb 9 16:12:52 2022 From: plkoyama at comcast.net (PENNY & DAVID KOYAMA) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Kenmore Glaucous Gull In-Reply-To: <781044C8-7204-41B0-B6A7-6032FECB9CB5@comcast.net> References: <667874797.360085.1644101517810@connect.xfinity.com> <781044C8-7204-41B0-B6A7-6032FECB9CB5@comcast.net> Message-ID: <751878421.76981.1644451972752@connect.xfinity.com> And it was on a pole right in front of O'Reilly's Auto Store, Seattle-side of McDonald's, on Bothell Way at 2 when I was running errands, and at 4 when I returned home, apparently keeping close watch on it's empire. Penny Koyama, Bothell > On 02/08/2022 4:33 PM Penny L Koyama wrote: > > > Just now saw the GLGU on a light post at 68th on Bothell Way in Kenmore on our way into Seattle for dinner. It seems to love this area! > Penny Koyama > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From benedict.t at comcast.net Wed Feb 9 16:41:28 2022 From: benedict.t at comcast.net (THOMAS BENEDICT) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest material In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <401971073.512693.1644453688324@connect.xfinity.com> So would synthetics work better? I know cotton is not recommended for human outdoor gear because it holds onto water. Maybe the same thing for hummingbirds? Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA > On 02/09/2022 4:01 PM Constance Sidles wrote: > > Dear Mike, it's best not to use dryer lint for nesting material because when it gets wet, it gets soggy and cold, which is bad for eggs and nestlings. - Connie, Seattle > > csidles@constancypress.com > > > On Feb 9, 2022, at 3:17 PM, Mike Wagenbach wrote: > > > > Is it OK to put out dryer lint for birds to pick up for nesting? Ours is probably mostly cotton. > > > > Mike Wagenbach > > Seattle From danmcdt at gmail.com Wed Feb 9 16:45:11 2022 From: danmcdt at gmail.com (Dan McDougall-Treacy) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest material In-Reply-To: <401971073.512693.1644453688324@connect.xfinity.com> References: <401971073.512693.1644453688324@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: The microfibers from synthetics are bad news from the bottom to the top of the food chain. Dan McDougall-Treacy 206/402.9426 On Wed, Feb 9, 2022 at 4:42 PM THOMAS BENEDICT wrote: > So would synthetics work better? I know cotton is not recommended for > human outdoor gear because it holds onto water. Maybe the same thing for > hummingbirds? > > Tom Benedict > Seahurst, WA > > On 02/09/2022 4:01 PM Constance Sidles > wrote: > > > > Dear Mike, it's best not to use dryer lint for nesting material because > when it gets wet, it gets soggy and cold, which is bad for eggs and > nestlings. - Connie, Seattle > > > > csidles@constancypress.com > > > > > On Feb 9, 2022, at 3:17 PM, Mike Wagenbach wrote: > > > > > > Is it OK to put out dryer lint for birds to pick up for nesting? Ours > is probably mostly cotton. > > > > > > Mike Wagenbach > > > Seattle > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hikersammy at msn.com Wed Feb 9 16:58:24 2022 From: hikersammy at msn.com (Sammy Catiis) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest material In-Reply-To: <401971073.512693.1644453688324@connect.xfinity.com> References: <401971073.512693.1644453688324@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: It is not recommended to put out dryer lint. It contains chemicals and it's abrasive. The best thing is to go snap off a few cattails ? They use that right up and will love you for it. They also of course sell some fluff at Wild Birds Unlimited. Sammy Sequim ________________________________ From: Tweeters on behalf of THOMAS BENEDICT Sent: Wednesday, February 9, 2022 4:41 PM To: Constance Sidles ; Mike Wagenbach Cc: Tweeters Tweeters Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest material So would synthetics work better? I know cotton is not recommended for human outdoor gear because it holds onto water. Maybe the same thing for hummingbirds? Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA > On 02/09/2022 4:01 PM Constance Sidles wrote: > > Dear Mike, it's best not to use dryer lint for nesting material because when it gets wet, it gets soggy and cold, which is bad for eggs and nestlings. - Connie, Seattle > > csidles@constancypress.com > > > On Feb 9, 2022, at 3:17 PM, Mike Wagenbach wrote: > > > > Is it OK to put out dryer lint for birds to pick up for nesting? Ours is probably mostly cotton. > > > > Mike Wagenbach > > Seattle _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From wagen at uw.edu Wed Feb 9 16:58:27 2022 From: wagen at uw.edu (Mike Wagenbach) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest material In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: That's what I was afraid of. I should dig into my sock drawer and see if there isn't an old wool sock that I can shred. On Wed, Feb 9, 2022 at 4:02 PM Constance Sidles wrote: > Dear Mike, it's best not to use dryer lint for nesting material because > when it gets wet, it gets soggy and cold, which is bad for eggs and > nestlings. - Connie, Seattle > > csidles@constancypress.com > > > On Feb 9, 2022, at 3:17 PM, Mike Wagenbach wrote: > > > > Is it OK to put out dryer lint for birds to pick up for nesting? Ours > is probably mostly cotton. > > > > Mike Wagenbach > > Seattle > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From constancesidles at gmail.com Wed Feb 9 16:58:56 2022 From: constancesidles at gmail.com (Constance Sidles) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest material In-Reply-To: <401971073.512693.1644453688324@connect.xfinity.com> References: <401971073.512693.1644453688324@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <601847C2-802F-441E-99B1-8A2A46BAADA1@gmail.com> Hey tweets, the best thing to do to provide nesting materials for birds is to think about planting native plants that birds aleady use for nesting materials: ? thistledown ? cattail fluff ? spider silk (don't use pesticides to kill insects and arachnids in your yard) ? lichen and moss on trees ? dry grasses ? small sticks left on the ground ? cottonwood fluff ? mud (for swallows) - Connie, Seattle csidles@constancypress.com > On Feb 9, 2022, at 4:41 PM, THOMAS BENEDICT wrote: > > So would synthetics work better? I know cotton is not recommended for human outdoor gear because it holds onto water. Maybe the same thing for hummingbirds? > > Tom Benedict > Seahurst, WA >> On 02/09/2022 4:01 PM Constance Sidles wrote: >> >> Dear Mike, it's best not to use dryer lint for nesting material because when it gets wet, it gets soggy and cold, which is bad for eggs and nestlings. - Connie, Seattle >> >> csidles@constancypress.com >> >>> On Feb 9, 2022, at 3:17 PM, Mike Wagenbach wrote: >>> >>> Is it OK to put out dryer lint for birds to pick up for nesting? Ours is probably mostly cotton. >>> >>> Mike Wagenbach >>> Seattle From avnacrs4birds at outlook.com Wed Feb 9 17:29:32 2022 From: avnacrs4birds at outlook.com (Denis DeSilvis) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] WDFW Job: Conservation Social Scientist Message-ID: Tweeters, The WDFW has a new job posting, and it's not for a bio, but for something entirely different. It's something I heard talked about a couple years ago in a WDFW Commission side meeting. Looks as if it's now for real, and it appears as if it's a position that reports directly to the Director (not exactly certain). Check it out: Fyi, please share broadly with your networks ? we REALLY need a positive, strategic, situationally aware, and dynamic person in this role for our agency! https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3418008/conservation-social-scientist-wms-2-permanent-01993-2022?keywords=1993&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs If clicking on the link doesn't work, try pasting it in a browser. Thanks, and may all your birds be identified, Denis DeSilvis avnacrs 4 birds at outlook dot com Avian Acres Roy, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stevechampton at gmail.com Wed Feb 9 18:01:49 2022 From: stevechampton at gmail.com (Steve Hampton) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest material In-Reply-To: <601847C2-802F-441E-99B1-8A2A46BAADA1@gmail.com> References: <401971073.512693.1644453688324@connect.xfinity.com> <601847C2-802F-441E-99B1-8A2A46BAADA1@gmail.com> Message-ID: I suspect that nesting material is not a biologically-limiting factor such that birds need assistance with it. Last year, in cleaning out my chickadee nesting boxes, I could see that lawn moss made up 90% of the nests. I've since learned that lawn moss is a massive nitrogen fixer, so good for my apple trees. And you don't need to mow it and it's really soft. So now I'm trying to revert what little lawn I have to a lawn moss lawn. On Wed, Feb 9, 2022 at 5:00 PM Constance Sidles wrote: > Hey tweets, the best thing to do to provide nesting materials for birds is > to think about planting native plants that birds aleady use for nesting > materials: > > ? thistledown > > ? cattail fluff > > ? spider silk (don't use pesticides to kill insects and arachnids in your > yard) > > ? lichen and moss on trees > > ? dry grasses > > ? small sticks left on the ground > > ? cottonwood fluff > > ? mud (for swallows) > > - Connie, Seattle > > csidles@constancypress.com > > > On Feb 9, 2022, at 4:41 PM, THOMAS BENEDICT > wrote: > > > > So would synthetics work better? I know cotton is not recommended for > human outdoor gear because it holds onto water. Maybe the same thing for > hummingbirds? > > > > Tom Benedict > > Seahurst, WA > >> On 02/09/2022 4:01 PM Constance Sidles > wrote: > >> > >> Dear Mike, it's best not to use dryer lint for nesting material because > when it gets wet, it gets soggy and cold, which is bad for eggs and > nestlings. - Connie, Seattle > >> > >> csidles@constancypress.com > >> > >>> On Feb 9, 2022, at 3:17 PM, Mike Wagenbach wrote: > >>> > >>> Is it OK to put out dryer lint for birds to pick up for nesting? Ours > is probably mostly cotton. > >>> > >>> Mike Wagenbach > >>> Seattle > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -- ?Steve Hampton? Port Townsend, WA (qat?y) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From beckyg.sea at gmail.com Wed Feb 9 18:02:03 2022 From: beckyg.sea at gmail.com (Becky Galloway) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Fwd: Kenmore Glaucous Gull In-Reply-To: <751878421.76981.1644451972752@connect.xfinity.com> References: <667874797.360085.1644101517810@connect.xfinity.com> <781044C8-7204-41B0-B6A7-6032FECB9CB5@comcast.net> <751878421.76981.1644451972752@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: I saw the darn thing in almost the same place as Penny. I wasn't looking specifically for it (on my way to Monroe for the Whooper Swan); it just caught my eye and I thought, wow that gull is completely white, and then remembered... two lifers in one day! Been a long time since that happened. Gotta run, I gotta go buy a lottery ticket. -Rebecca Galloway Shoreline ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: PENNY & DAVID KOYAMA Date: Wed, Feb 9, 2022 at 4:14 PM Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Kenmore Glaucous Gull To: Tweeters And it was on a pole right in front of O'Reilly's Auto Store, Seattle-side of McDonald's, on Bothell Way at 2 when I was running errands, and at 4 when I returned home, apparently keeping close watch on it's empire. Penny Koyama, Bothell > On 02/08/2022 4:33 PM Penny L Koyama wrote: > > > Just now saw the GLGU on a light post at 68th on Bothell Way in Kenmore on our way into Seattle for dinner. It seems to love this area! > Penny Koyama > > Sent from my iPhone -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From krothnelson at yahoo.com Wed Feb 9 19:45:30 2022 From: krothnelson at yahoo.com (krothnelson@yahoo.com) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Upcoming Owl Webinar with Paul Bannick, February 16 References: <1416663231.649493.1644464730811.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1416663231.649493.1644464730811@mail.yahoo.com> Please join North Cascades Institute and Skagit Audubon Society as they welcome award-winning author and photographer Paul Bannick on Wednesday, February 16.? In A Year in the Life of North American Owls, Paul will use his intimate yet dramatic images to follow North American owls through the course of one year in their distinct habitats. Participants will follow along at the nest as each stage in an owl?s life is chronicled: courtship, mating, and nesting in spring; fledging and feeding of young in summer; dispersal and gaining independence in fall; and, finally, winter?s migrations and competitions for food.? For owls, every day brings a new challenge to survive, and this presentation will show us how owls use the unique resources available to them in their habitat to face those challenges. All 19 species found in Canada and the United States are featured in photos and narrative throughout the book, with a special focus on the Northern Pygmy-Owl, Great Gray Owl, Burrowing Owl and Snowy Owl. Paul will combine his breathtaking images, first-hand accounts, video, sound, and science to help inspire conservation and education efforts as well as to help spread awareness about the threats facing these owls and what we can do to protect them. You will also be given a chance to ask Paul all of your burning owl questions after his presentation. This event will be held virtually via Zoom from 7-8:15 PM and is only $10 to attend. You can sign up at the following link: https://ncascades.org/signup/programs/classes? *Please note that online registration will end a couple of days before the event, but you can still sign up by calling (360) 854-2599 during office hours. Hope to see you then!?? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From shepthorp at gmail.com Wed Feb 9 20:24:49 2022 From: shepthorp at gmail.com (Shep Thorp) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Informal Wednesday Walk, Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR, 2/9/2022 Message-ID: Hi Tweets, another beautiful day at the Refuge with sunny skies, temperature in the 40's-50's and a High 12ft Tide at 11:00am. Highlights included relocating the NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL along the trail, Eurasian GREEN-WINGED TEAL in the flooded field south of the Twin Barns, NORTHERN SHRIKE from the Twin Barns Overlook and two species of loon, RED-THROATED and COMMON, in McAllister Creek. The hunting closure is over, and the entire boardwalk or Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail is now open. We observed 69 species for the day, and have seen 94 species for the year. eBird list attached, with descriptions and embedded photos. Happy birding, Shep -- Shep Thorp Browns Point 253-370-3742 Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US Feb 9, 2022 7:48 AM - 4:32 PM Protocol: Traveling 6.67 mile(s) Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Sunny with temperatures in the 40?s to 50?s degree Fahrenheit with a High 12.62 Tide at 11:07am. Mammals seen Mink, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Harbor Seal, Eastern Gray Squirrel, and Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit. 69 species (+8 other taxa) Brant 54 Cackling Goose (minima) 500 Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 100 Canada Goose 6 Northern Shoveler 200 Gadwall 25 Eurasian Wigeon 2 American Wigeon 500 Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid) 1 Mallard 300 Northern Pintail 400 Green-winged Teal 600 Green-winged Teal (Eurasian) 1 Observed at 50 yards with 10x binoculars and 40 x spotting scope for 15 minutes foraging in flooded field with other American Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler and Northern Pintail. Distinctive male with bold horizontal white line between folded wing and side. No vertical white line on shoulder. White outline around green eyepatch. Observed by many in the group. Photos taken. Ring-necked Duck 10 Surf Scoter 20 Bufflehead 250 Common Goldeneye 50 Hooded Merganser 3 Common Merganser 7 Red-breasted Merganser 20 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Horned Grebe 2 Western Grebe 2 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 21 Mourning Dove 1 Anna's Hummingbird 4 Virginia Rail 1 American Coot 50 Killdeer 3 Dunlin 2500 Least Sandpiper 40 Wilson's Snipe 1 Spotted Sandpiper 4 Greater Yellowlegs 18 Short-billed Gull 50 Ring-billed Gull 75 Western Gull 1 Glaucous-winged Gull 5 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 35 Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 50 Larus sp. 200 Red-throated Loon 2 Common Loon 2 Brandt's Cormorant 3 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Great Blue Heron 30 Northern Harrier 2 Bald Eagle 10 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Two previously reported and seen. Adult California type vocalizing and hunting along the central access road between the Twin Barns and the McAllister Creek Access Road in the restricted sanctuary. Juvenile bird observed along the McAllister Creek Access Road just east of new dike in the restricted Sanctuary. Red-tailed Hawk 5 Northern Saw-whet Owl 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-breasted Sapsucker 4 Downy Woodpecker 4 Northern Flicker 4 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted) 1 Northern Shrike 1 American Crow 100 Common Raven 5 Black-capped Chickadee 8 Bushtit 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 8 Golden-crowned Kinglet 25 Brown Creeper 6 Pacific Wren 2 Marsh Wren 4 Bewick's Wren 4 European Starling 150 American Robin 30 Purple Finch 1 Fox Sparrow 3 Golden-crowned Sparrow 40 Song Sparrow 40 Spotted Towhee 4 Red-winged Blackbird 40 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1 View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S102360660 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From thefedderns at gmail.com Thu Feb 10 00:00:41 2022 From: thefedderns at gmail.com (Hans-Joachim Feddern) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] West Seattle Surfbirds and Brant Message-ID: We went to West Seattle this afternoon to look for Surfbirds. There were no Surfbirds nor Black Turnstones to be found anywhere on the eastside and up to Alki, however we got lucky on the westside and south of Lighthouse Point. It was low tide and we saw at least 6 Surfbirds associated with Black Turnstones. Also with them were 4 Sanderlings. In addition there was a large, noisy flock of Brants on the rocks and in the water. One of them was banded and a photographer was able to take a photo of the band and enlarge it. The bird had a white band on the right leg with the letters GLP in addition to the metal band on the left leg. Does anybody know who may be banding them? Good birding! Hans -- *Hans Feddern* Twin Lakes/Federal Way, WA thefedderns@gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From benedict.t at comcast.net Thu Feb 10 06:43:28 2022 From: benedict.t at comcast.net (THOMAS BENEDICT) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] West Seattle Surfbirds and Brant In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <98999399.523922.1644504208790@connect.xfinity.com> The location you describe sounds like Constellation Park. It's one of my favorite birding destinations. Harlequin Ducks are reliably seen, and Brant, in season, too. I also like the stellar constellations embedded in the sidewalk. They call it the "Avenue of the Stars". Its geography make it great for star-gazing. Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA > On 02/10/2022 12:00 AM Hans-Joachim Feddern wrote: > > We went to West Seattle this afternoon to look for Surfbirds. There were no Surfbirds nor Black Turnstones to be found anywhere on the eastside and up to Alki, however we got lucky on the westside and south of Lighthouse Point. It was low tide and we saw at least 6 Surfbirds associated with Black Turnstones. Also with them were 4 Sanderlings. > In addition there was a large, noisy flock of Brants on the rocks and in the water. One of them was banded and a photographer was able to take a photo of the band and enlarge it. The bird had a white band on the right leg with the letters GLP in addition to the metal band on the left leg. Does anybody know who may be banding them? > > Good birding! > > Hans > > -- > Hans Feddern > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From john.seiferth at icloud.com Thu Feb 10 09:07:55 2022 From: john.seiferth at icloud.com (John Seiferth) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan continues Message-ID: <6B215812-AA73-4399-876E-C1A5C116F5AB@icloud.com> Wanted to make sure the tweets know the Whooper is still there this morning. Hung out for a bit with a half dozen other folks on the North side of 203rd St SE near Hwy 203 in High Rock. Good birding - Seif From stkohl at msn.com Thu Feb 10 12:33:38 2022 From: stkohl at msn.com (STEVE KOHL M.D.) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Eurasian teal Message-ID: Being seen now. 12:30 pm Slough at south end of Padilla bay trail near Bayview in the Skagit Steve Kohl Sent from my iPhone From dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com Thu Feb 10 14:19:11 2022 From: dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com (Dan Reiff) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Golfing cockatoos reveal ability to use combined tools -- ScienceDaily Message-ID: <9A2CFB7A-4A05-48B2-ADF7-7E5D2227A9AA@gmail.com> https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220208105232.htm Sent from my iPhone From hank.heiberg at yahoo.com Thu Feb 10 14:28:17 2022 From: hank.heiberg at yahoo.com (Hank Heiberg) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Glaucous Gull References: Message-ID: On a light post East of the Kenmore McD?s parking lot. Street = 73rd Avenue NE just north of NE Bothell Way Hank Heiberg Issaquah WA Sent from my iPhone From stevechampton at gmail.com Thu Feb 10 16:00:51 2022 From: stevechampton at gmail.com (Steve Hampton) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Snowy Owl, YB Loon in Port Townsend Message-ID: <83700E7E-1169-431E-B5AC-D5533FCD5D1F@gmail.com> This is just a quick note to alert people that a SNOWY OWL was photographed this morning and posted on Ebird. I have since learned that the bird was near Lawrence and Tyler and was being harassed by crows. It is currently MIA but could be anywhere in the vicinity or neighboring beaches. Midday, John Piatt and I had a YELLOW-BILLED LOON at Point Wilson. This bird ended up flying southwest beyond Port Townsend and Indian Island towards Fort Townsend. If anyone sees the owl, please post to Tweeters. Thank you! Sent from my iPhone From birdmarymoor at gmail.com Thu Feb 10 16:33:30 2022 From: birdmarymoor at gmail.com (birdmarymoor@gmail.com) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2022-02-10 Message-ID: <22CE3F66D9964EA8BF347D53487925B8@DESKTOPER2GUVC> Tweets ? We had a moisty misty morning today, with only a brief clearing mid-morning but mostly a lot of gray. Not terribly birdy, and there were long stretches with virtually nothing seen or heard. But the relatively warm temps, the moderately dry conditions, and the low wind allowed us to track down a few birds. Highlights: a.. Greater White-fronted Goose ? one in a flock of 450+ Cackling Geese. First of Year (FOY) b.. Northern Pintail ? two drakes below the weir (FOY) c.. Ruddy Duck ? a late scan of the lake turned up two females in the NE corner d.. Twelve species of duck and three species of goose for 15 species of waterfowl total e.. Barn Owl ? Matt had one calling on the windmill at 5:30 ? first one there in a very long time f.. Red-breasted Sapsucker ? one east of the mansion g.. Bushtit ? more than a half-dozen being very elusive in the willows below the weir. Amazingly FOF h.. Western Meadowlark ? I think we had 3 total We also had 5 RIVER OTTERS seen from the Lake Platform in the slough, and our first turtles of the year ? one each of Red-eared Slider and Painted Turtle at the Rowing Club. The biggest highlight today was the number of species SINGING: Anna?s Hummingbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Marsh Wren, Bewick?s Wren, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, and Red-winged Blackbird. The Great Blue Herons were hanging around actually in the heronry trees (V ? Visiting Nest Site). Misses today included American Wigeon, Virginia Rail, Cooper?s Hawk, Northern Shrike, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin. Despite that long list of misses, we managed 56 species. More than usual were detected by only 1 or 2 people and/or were heard-only, however. Still, not a bad day. = Michael Hobbs = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm = BirdMarymoor@gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stevechampton at gmail.com Thu Feb 10 17:29:20 2022 From: stevechampton at gmail.com (Steve Hampton) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] PT SNOW refound Message-ID: Showing well perched on a 1? high fence at the Rothschild House garden 150 yards South east of the intersection of Franklin and Taylor. Apparently the local photographers have been on it all day! not so much the birders Sent from my iPhone From birdmarymoor at gmail.com Fri Feb 11 10:03:12 2022 From: birdmarymoor at gmail.com (Michael Hobbs) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan present south of Monroe this morning Message-ID: This beautiful bird is the nearest swan in the flock, right at the corner of Hwy 203 and 203rd St SE. - Michael Hobbs -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ksnyder75 at gmail.com Fri Feb 11 10:04:30 2022 From: ksnyder75 at gmail.com (Kathleen Snyder) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?Beginning_Birding_Class_=E2=80=93_via_Zoom?= Message-ID: Black Hills Audubon is offering a four session Beginning Birding class, Wednesday evenings, starting Feb 23rd, 7 pm. Dr. Kim Dolgin will cover the birds you are most likely to see in Western Washington including their habitats, behaviors, and vocalizations. More information and registration can be found at www.blackhills-audubon.org. The sessions will be recorded for later viewing. There is a fee to attend. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birder4184 at yahoo.com Fri Feb 11 11:14:01 2022 From: birder4184 at yahoo.com (B B) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Ecuador Anyone? References: <763624969.461574.1644606841040.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <763624969.461574.1644606841040@mail.yahoo.com> Greatly encouraged by the 550+ species and rave reviews for their 15 day trip to Ecuador last year by Messrs Tweit, LaBar, Revelas and Thorp, I am looking into the same full guided trip with the same company. It would be great (and cheaper) if 2 or 3 others would go as well.? Awesome birds, habitats and lodges.? Not including airfare, the all in price would be around $5000 per person depending on number in group.? The trip and price does not include the Galapagos which could be added on. If anyone is interested please contact me directly.? Thanks. Blair Bernson Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karen.w.mobile at gmail.com Fri Feb 11 11:23:12 2022 From: karen.w.mobile at gmail.com (Karen Wosilait) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Kenmore Glaucous Gull - yes Message-ID: Just seen at the Starbucks by Kenmore Lanes. Look for the congregation of gulls. Karen Wosilait (she/her) Seattle, WA karen.w.mobile@gmail.com From sowersalexander1 at gmail.com Fri Feb 11 11:23:12 2022 From: sowersalexander1 at gmail.com (Alex Sowers) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?Whooper_Swan_Update=3A_Keep_farmer=E2=80=99s?= =?utf-8?q?_lot_CLEAR?= Message-ID: Hey tweets, Just passing along a comment from Ruben Stoll that I was asked to share here: (Keep in mind that this was around 8:00am and it sounds like the swan is back in it?s usual location as of 9ish) ?There are no swans present at dawn this morning. There is, however, a farmer who says he doesn?t want to see any vehicles parked anywhere off the road on his property today at all. There really isn?t a shoulder along this road so folks have been pulling over at road entrances and grassy shoulders where it?s now quickly turning to mud. He also says there won?t be any swans around here for very long, he?s going to see to that. He says they?re nothing but a nuisance under the best of circumstances. We tried our best to work out some kind of an agreement but last I heard he?s still getting rid of the swans. Sorry folks. We?re just gonna drive these roads for now and see what we can figure out. It?s possible that the swans have already been disturbed and relocated.? Good birding, Alex Sowers -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From benedict.t at comcast.net Fri Feb 11 12:07:10 2022 From: benedict.t at comcast.net (THOMAS BENEDICT) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?Whooper_Swan_Update=3A_Keep_farmer=E2=80=99s?= =?utf-8?q?_lot_CLEAR?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <570492125.578987.1644610030220@connect.xfinity.com> This is yet another reason I don't chase birds. Others on the list can articulate it much better than I, but it's too hard to manage this kind of thing, so I figure it's best for me to simply not contribute to the problem. It's great to celebrate the discovery/observation of any wayward species, but the myriad issues related to how we do that more than outweigh any value the experience delivers, at least to me. Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA > On 02/11/2022 11:23 AM Alex Sowers wrote: > > Hey tweets, > > Just passing along a comment from Ruben Stoll that I was asked to share here: > > (Keep in mind that this was around 8:00am and it sounds like the swan is back in it?s usual location as of 9ish) > > ?There are no swans present at dawn this morning. There is, however, a farmer who says he doesn?t want to see any vehicles parked anywhere off the road on his property today at all. There really isn?t a shoulder along this road so folks have been pulling over at road entrances and grassy shoulders where it?s now quickly turning to mud. He also says there won?t be any swans around here for very long, he?s going to see to that. He says they?re nothing but a nuisance under the best of circumstances. We tried our best to work out some kind of an agreement but last I heard he?s still getting rid of the swans. Sorry folks. We?re just gonna drive these roads for now and see what we can figure out. It?s possible that the swans have already been disturbed and relocated.? > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stevechampton at gmail.com Fri Feb 11 12:53:51 2022 From: stevechampton at gmail.com (Steve Hampton) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] No PT SNOW today In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Just a follow-up. The owl was not present at this spot this morning and I've not heard of it being re-found. That's not a surprise given the rather urban nature of the spot -- and they often change roost spots. I searched Pt Hudson and Pt Wilson without success. It may still be around on some rooftop (where the local crows will alert us), but could also be at Flagler, Indian Island, or other more remote location. Based on eBird data, this was the 3rd or 4th record for Jefferson County, though I'm sure there are more records. good birding, -- Steve Hampton Port Townsend, WA (qat?y) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From peggy_busby at yahoo.com Fri Feb 11 14:02:51 2022 From: peggy_busby at yahoo.com (Peggy Mundy) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan present south of Monroe this morning In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <2002870909.1349657.1644616971990@mail.yahoo.com> Thanks for the prod!? I decided to drive out, according to the time stamp on my photos, I arrived about 11:45 and the swan was pretty far out, but worked its way back toward the road.? Several folks were there and got photos.? I left about 1pm and it was still there at the time.? Frequent trucks on the road, park and walk carefully. Peggy MundyBothellpeggy_busby@yahoo.dom On Friday, February 11, 2022, 10:04:04 a.m. PST, Michael Hobbs wrote: This beautiful bird is the nearest swan in the flock, right at the corner of Hwy 203 and 203rd St SE. - Michael Hobbs?_______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kloshewoods at outlook.com Fri Feb 11 14:45:30 2022 From: kloshewoods at outlook.com (Jerry Tangren) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] =?windows-1252?q?Whooper_Swan_Update=3A_Keep_farmer=92?= =?windows-1252?q?s_lot_CLEAR?= In-Reply-To: <570492125.578987.1644610030220@connect.xfinity.com> References: <570492125.578987.1644610030220@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: Just saying, we drove over from Wenatchee this morning, arrived at the swan site a little after ten. We were there for about 15 minutes during which at least a half other cars came and went to look at the swan. We found the swan almost immediately from the time our car stopped moving. It?s an impressive bird. However, for the sake of all, perhaps birders should try to keep their time at the site limited to what it takes to find the bird and get a photograph or two. ?Lorna & Jerry Tangren ________________________________ From: Tweeters on behalf of THOMAS BENEDICT Sent: Friday, February 11, 2022 12:07:10 PM To: tweeters@u.washington.edu Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan Update: Keep farmer?s lot CLEAR This is yet another reason I don't chase birds. Others on the list can articulate it much better than I, but it's too hard to manage this kind of thing, so I figure it's best for me to simply not contribute to the problem. It's great to celebrate the discovery/observation of any wayward species, but the myriad issues related to how we do that more than outweigh any value the experience delivers, at least to me. Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA On 02/11/2022 11:23 AM Alex Sowers wrote: Hey tweets, Just passing along a comment from Ruben Stoll that I was asked to share here: (Keep in mind that this was around 8:00am and it sounds like the swan is back in it?s usual location as of 9ish) ?There are no swans present at dawn this morning. There is, however, a farmer who says he doesn?t want to see any vehicles parked anywhere off the road on his property today at all. There really isn?t a shoulder along this road so folks have been pulling over at road entrances and grassy shoulders where it?s now quickly turning to mud. He also says there won?t be any swans around here for very long, he?s going to see to that. He says they?re nothing but a nuisance under the best of circumstances. We tried our best to work out some kind of an agreement but last I heard he?s still getting rid of the swans. Sorry folks. We?re just gonna drive these roads for now and see what we can figure out. It?s possible that the swans have already been disturbed and relocated.? Get Outlook for iOS -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mj.cygnus at gmail.com Fri Feb 11 17:01:55 2022 From: mj.cygnus at gmail.com (Martha Jordan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Swan- Lk WA or Lk Union Message-ID: We have been tracking a sick swan who has been in Union Bay for several days on an island. It moved today and was reported in "Lake Union". This is quite a swim for a sick bird. Could be it is really Portage Bay. It is clearly not in Uniion Bay near UW and Laurelhurst as that was searched really well by someone in a kayak. Thus, if anyone has any information to share on the whereabouts of a single swan, please call me: 206-713-3684. It obviously moved. Thanks Martha Jordan Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From florafaunabooks at hotmail.com Fri Feb 11 22:17:04 2022 From: florafaunabooks at hotmail.com (David Hutchinson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Black-headed Grosbeaks In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: To-day in the Capehart Section of Discovery Park were two Black-headed Grosbeaks in pre-adult plumage. Located by calls. Not really a call more like a "chirp". Assume they were males. They were close to zone where they are common in breeding season. David ________________________________ From: Tweeters on behalf of tweeters-request@mailman11.u.washington.edu Sent: Friday, February 11, 2022 12:08 PM To: tweeters@u.washington.edu Subject: Tweeters Digest, Vol 210, Issue 11 Send Tweeters mailing list submissions to tweeters@u.washington.edu To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to tweeters-request@mailman11.u.washington.edu You can reach the person managing the list at tweeters-owner@mailman11.u.washington.edu When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Tweeters digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Eurasian teal (STEVE KOHL M.D.) 2. Golfing cockatoos reveal ability to use combined tools -- ScienceDaily (Dan Reiff) 3. Glaucous Gull (Hank Heiberg) 4. Snowy Owl, YB Loon in Port Townsend (Steve Hampton) 5. Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2022-02-10 (birdmarymoor@gmail.com) 6. PT SNOW refound (Steve Hampton) 7. Whooper Swan present south of Monroe this morning (Michael Hobbs) 8. Beginning Birding Class ? via Zoom (Kathleen Snyder) 9. Ecuador Anyone? (B B) 10. Kenmore Glaucous Gull - yes (Karen Wosilait) 11. Whooper Swan Update: Keep farmer?s lot CLEAR (Alex Sowers) 12. Re: Whooper Swan Update: Keep farmer?s lot CLEAR (THOMAS BENEDICT) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 20:33:38 +0000 From: STEVE KOHL M.D. To: "tweeters@u.washington.edu" Subject: [Tweeters] Eurasian teal Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Being seen now. 12:30 pm Slough at south end of Padilla bay trail near Bayview in the Skagit Steve Kohl Sent from my iPhone ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 14:19:11 -0800 From: Dan Reiff To: Dear Tweeters Subject: [Tweeters] Golfing cockatoos reveal ability to use combined tools -- ScienceDaily Message-ID: <9A2CFB7A-4A05-48B2-ADF7-7E5D2227A9AA@gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220208105232.htm Sent from my iPhone ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 14:28:17 -0800 From: Hank Heiberg To: Tweeters Subject: [Tweeters] Glaucous Gull Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 On a light post East of the Kenmore McD?s parking lot. Street = 73rd Avenue NE just north of NE Bothell Way Hank Heiberg Issaquah WA Sent from my iPhone ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 16:00:51 -0800 From: Steve Hampton To: TWEETERS tweeters Subject: [Tweeters] Snowy Owl, YB Loon in Port Townsend Message-ID: <83700E7E-1169-431E-B5AC-D5533FCD5D1F@gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii This is just a quick note to alert people that a SNOWY OWL was photographed this morning and posted on Ebird. I have since learned that the bird was near Lawrence and Tyler and was being harassed by crows. It is currently MIA but could be anywhere in the vicinity or neighboring beaches. Midday, John Piatt and I had a YELLOW-BILLED LOON at Point Wilson. This bird ended up flying southwest beyond Port Townsend and Indian Island towards Fort Townsend. If anyone sees the owl, please post to Tweeters. Thank you! Sent from my iPhone ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 16:33:30 -0800 From: To: "Tweeters" Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2022-02-10 Message-ID: <22CE3F66D9964EA8BF347D53487925B8@DESKTOPER2GUVC> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Tweets ? We had a moisty misty morning today, with only a brief clearing mid-morning but mostly a lot of gray. Not terribly birdy, and there were long stretches with virtually nothing seen or heard. But the relatively warm temps, the moderately dry conditions, and the low wind allowed us to track down a few birds. Highlights: a.. Greater White-fronted Goose ? one in a flock of 450+ Cackling Geese. First of Year (FOY) b.. Northern Pintail ? two drakes below the weir (FOY) c.. Ruddy Duck ? a late scan of the lake turned up two females in the NE corner d.. Twelve species of duck and three species of goose for 15 species of waterfowl total e.. Barn Owl ? Matt had one calling on the windmill at 5:30 ? first one there in a very long time f.. Red-breasted Sapsucker ? one east of the mansion g.. Bushtit ? more than a half-dozen being very elusive in the willows below the weir. Amazingly FOF h.. Western Meadowlark ? I think we had 3 total We also had 5 RIVER OTTERS seen from the Lake Platform in the slough, and our first turtles of the year ? one each of Red-eared Slider and Painted Turtle at the Rowing Club. The biggest highlight today was the number of species SINGING: Anna?s Hummingbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Marsh Wren, Bewick?s Wren, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, and Red-winged Blackbird. The Great Blue Herons were hanging around actually in the heronry trees (V ? Visiting Nest Site). Misses today included American Wigeon, Virginia Rail, Cooper?s Hawk, Northern Shrike, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin. Despite that long list of misses, we managed 56 species. More than usual were detected by only 1 or 2 people and/or were heard-only, however. Still, not a bad day. = Michael Hobbs = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm = BirdMarymoor@gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 17:29:20 -0800 From: Steve Hampton To: TWEETERS tweeters Subject: [Tweeters] PT SNOW refound Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Showing well perched on a 1? high fence at the Rothschild House garden 150 yards South east of the intersection of Franklin and Taylor. Apparently the local photographers have been on it all day! not so much the birders Sent from my iPhone ------------------------------ Message: 7 Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 10:03:12 -0800 From: Michael Hobbs To: Tweeters Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan present south of Monroe this morning Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" This beautiful bird is the nearest swan in the flock, right at the corner of Hwy 203 and 203rd St SE. - Michael Hobbs -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: ------------------------------ Message: 8 Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 10:04:30 -0800 From: Kathleen Snyder To: tweeters@u.washington.edu Subject: [Tweeters] Beginning Birding Class ? via Zoom Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Black Hills Audubon is offering a four session Beginning Birding class, Wednesday evenings, starting Feb 23rd, 7 pm. Dr. Kim Dolgin will cover the birds you are most likely to see in Western Washington including their habitats, behaviors, and vocalizations. More information and registration can be found at www.blackhills-audubon.org. The sessions will be recorded for later viewing. There is a fee to attend. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: ------------------------------ Message: 9 Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 19:14:01 +0000 (UTC) From: B B To: Tweeters Subject: [Tweeters] Ecuador Anyone? Message-ID: <763624969.461574.1644606841040@mail.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Greatly encouraged by the 550+ species and rave reviews for their 15 day trip to Ecuador last year by Messrs Tweit, LaBar, Revelas and Thorp, I am looking into the same full guided trip with the same company. It would be great (and cheaper) if 2 or 3 others would go as well.? Awesome birds, habitats and lodges.? Not including airfare, the all in price would be around $5000 per person depending on number in group.? The trip and price does not include the Galapagos which could be added on. If anyone is interested please contact me directly.? Thanks. Blair Bernson Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: ------------------------------ Message: 10 Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:23:12 -0800 From: Karen Wosilait To: Tweeters Subject: [Tweeters] Kenmore Glaucous Gull - yes Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Just seen at the Starbucks by Kenmore Lanes. Look for the congregation of gulls. Karen Wosilait (she/her) Seattle, WA karen.w.mobile@gmail.com ------------------------------ Message: 11 Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:23:12 -0800 From: Alex Sowers To: tweeters@u.washington.edu Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan Update: Keep farmer?s lot CLEAR Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Hey tweets, Just passing along a comment from Ruben Stoll that I was asked to share here: (Keep in mind that this was around 8:00am and it sounds like the swan is back in it?s usual location as of 9ish) ?There are no swans present at dawn this morning. There is, however, a farmer who says he doesn?t want to see any vehicles parked anywhere off the road on his property today at all. There really isn?t a shoulder along this road so folks have been pulling over at road entrances and grassy shoulders where it?s now quickly turning to mud. He also says there won?t be any swans around here for very long, he?s going to see to that. He says they?re nothing but a nuisance under the best of circumstances. We tried our best to work out some kind of an agreement but last I heard he?s still getting rid of the swans. Sorry folks. We?re just gonna drive these roads for now and see what we can figure out. It?s possible that the swans have already been disturbed and relocated.? Good birding, Alex Sowers -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: ------------------------------ Message: 12 Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 12:07:10 -0800 (PST) From: THOMAS BENEDICT To: tweeters@u.washington.edu Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan Update: Keep farmer?s lot CLEAR Message-ID: <570492125.578987.1644610030220@connect.xfinity.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" This is yet another reason I don't chase birds. Others on the list can articulate it much better than I, but it's too hard to manage this kind of thing, so I figure it's best for me to simply not contribute to the problem. It's great to celebrate the discovery/observation of any wayward species, but the myriad issues related to how we do that more than outweigh any value the experience delivers, at least to me. Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA > On 02/11/2022 11:23 AM Alex Sowers wrote: > > Hey tweets, > > Just passing along a comment from Ruben Stoll that I was asked to share here: > > (Keep in mind that this was around 8:00am and it sounds like the swan is back in it?s usual location as of 9ish) > > ?There are no swans present at dawn this morning. There is, however, a farmer who says he doesn?t want to see any vehicles parked anywhere off the road on his property today at all. There really isn?t a shoulder along this road so folks have been pulling over at road entrances and grassy shoulders where it?s now quickly turning to mud. He also says there won?t be any swans around here for very long, he?s going to see to that. He says they?re nothing but a nuisance under the best of circumstances. We tried our best to work out some kind of an agreement but last I heard he?s still getting rid of the swans. Sorry folks. We?re just gonna drive these roads for now and see what we can figure out. It?s possible that the swans have already been disturbed and relocated.? > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: ------------------------------ Subject: Digest Footer _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@mailman11.u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters ------------------------------ End of Tweeters Digest, Vol 210, Issue 11 ***************************************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From baro at pdx.edu Fri Feb 11 23:18:23 2022 From: baro at pdx.edu (Robert O'Brien) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Black-headed Grosbeaks In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Wow, ebird shows a few records from Roseburg Oregon south in February, but none for Washington state. Seems likely they overwintered, I guess. Bob O'Brien Portland On Friday, February 11, 2022, David Hutchinson wrote: > To-day in the Capehart Section of Discovery Park were two Black-headed > Grosbeaks > in pre-adult plumage. Located by calls. Not really a call more like a > "chirp". Assume they > were males. They were close to zone where they are common in breeding > season. David > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Tweeters on behalf > of tweeters-request@mailman11.u.washington.edu < > tweeters-request@mailman11.u.washington.edu> > *Sent:* Friday, February 11, 2022 12:08 PM > *To:* tweeters@u.washington.edu > *Subject:* Tweeters Digest, Vol 210, Issue 11 > > Send Tweeters mailing list submissions to > tweeters@u.washington.edu > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > tweeters-request@mailman11.u.washington.edu > > You can reach the person managing the list at > tweeters-owner@mailman11.u.washington.edu > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Tweeters digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Eurasian teal (STEVE KOHL M.D.) > 2. Golfing cockatoos reveal ability to use combined tools -- > ScienceDaily (Dan Reiff) > 3. Glaucous Gull (Hank Heiberg) > 4. Snowy Owl, YB Loon in Port Townsend (Steve Hampton) > 5. Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2022-02-10 > (birdmarymoor@gmail.com) > 6. PT SNOW refound (Steve Hampton) > 7. Whooper Swan present south of Monroe this morning (Michael Hobbs) > 8. Beginning Birding Class ? via Zoom (Kathleen Snyder) > 9. Ecuador Anyone? (B B) > 10. Kenmore Glaucous Gull - yes (Karen Wosilait) > 11. Whooper Swan Update: Keep farmer?s lot CLEAR (Alex Sowers) > 12. Re: Whooper Swan Update: Keep farmer?s lot CLEAR (THOMAS BENEDICT) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 20:33:38 +0000 > From: STEVE KOHL M.D. > To: "tweeters@u.washington.edu" > Subject: [Tweeters] Eurasian teal > Message-ID: > namprd06.prod.outlook.com> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Being seen now. 12:30 pm > Slough at south end of Padilla bay trail near Bayview in the Skagit > Steve Kohl > > Sent from my iPhone > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 14:19:11 -0800 > From: Dan Reiff > To: Dear Tweeters > Subject: [Tweeters] Golfing cockatoos reveal ability to use combined > tools -- ScienceDaily > Message-ID: <9A2CFB7A-4A05-48B2-ADF7-7E5D2227A9AA@gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > > https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220208105232.htm > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 14:28:17 -0800 > From: Hank Heiberg > To: Tweeters > Subject: [Tweeters] Glaucous Gull > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > On a light post East of the Kenmore McD?s parking lot. Street = 73rd > Avenue NE just north of NE Bothell Way > > Hank Heiberg > Issaquah WA > > Sent from my iPhone > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 16:00:51 -0800 > From: Steve Hampton > To: TWEETERS tweeters > Subject: [Tweeters] Snowy Owl, YB Loon in Port Townsend > Message-ID: <83700E7E-1169-431E-B5AC-D5533FCD5D1F@gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > This is just a quick note to alert people that a SNOWY OWL was > photographed this morning and posted on Ebird. I have since learned that > the bird was near Lawrence and Tyler and was being harassed by crows. It is > currently MIA but could be anywhere in the vicinity or neighboring beaches. > > Midday, John Piatt and I had a YELLOW-BILLED LOON at Point Wilson. This > bird ended up flying southwest beyond Port Townsend and Indian Island > towards Fort Townsend. > > If anyone sees the owl, please post to Tweeters. Thank you! > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 16:33:30 -0800 > From: > To: "Tweeters" > Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2022-02-10 > Message-ID: <22CE3F66D9964EA8BF347D53487925B8@DESKTOPER2GUVC> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Tweets ? We had a moisty misty morning today, with only a brief clearing > mid-morning but mostly a lot of gray. Not terribly birdy, and there were > long stretches with virtually nothing seen or heard. But the relatively > warm temps, the moderately dry conditions, and the low wind allowed us to > track down a few birds. > > Highlights: > a.. Greater White-fronted Goose ? one in a flock of 450+ Cackling > Geese. First of Year (FOY) > b.. Northern Pintail ? two drakes below the weir (FOY) > c.. Ruddy Duck ? a late scan of the lake turned up two females in the NE > corner > d.. Twelve species of duck and three species of goose for 15 species of > waterfowl total > e.. Barn Owl ? Matt had one calling on the windmill at 5:30 ? first one > there in a very long time > f.. Red-breasted Sapsucker ? one east of the mansion > g.. Bushtit ? more than a half-dozen being very elusive in the willows > below the weir. Amazingly FOF > h.. Western Meadowlark ? I think we had 3 total > We also had 5 RIVER OTTERS seen from the Lake Platform in the slough, and > our first turtles of the year ? one each of Red-eared Slider and Painted > Turtle at the Rowing Club. > > The biggest highlight today was the number of species SINGING: Anna?s > Hummingbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Marsh Wren, Bewick?s Wren, American > Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, and Red-winged > Blackbird. The Great Blue Herons were hanging around actually in the > heronry trees (V ? Visiting Nest Site). > > Misses today included American Wigeon, Virginia Rail, Cooper?s Hawk, > Northern Shrike, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Purple Finch, and > Pine Siskin. > > Despite that long list of misses, we managed 56 species. More than usual > were detected by only 1 or 2 people and/or were heard-only, however. > Still, not a bad day. > > = Michael Hobbs > = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm > = BirdMarymoor@gmail.com > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: tweeters/attachments/20220210/fc9ca2eb/attachment-0001.html> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 6 > Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2022 17:29:20 -0800 > From: Steve Hampton > To: TWEETERS tweeters > Subject: [Tweeters] PT SNOW refound > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Showing well perched on a 1? high fence at the Rothschild House garden 150 > yards South east of the intersection of Franklin and Taylor. Apparently the > local photographers have been on it all day! not so much the birders > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 7 > Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 10:03:12 -0800 > From: Michael Hobbs > To: Tweeters > Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan present south of Monroe this morning > Message-ID: > mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > This beautiful bird is the nearest swan in the flock, right at the corner > of Hwy 203 and 203rd St SE. > > - Michael Hobbs > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: tweeters/attachments/20220211/83586679/attachment-0001.html> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 8 > Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 10:04:30 -0800 > From: Kathleen Snyder > To: tweeters@u.washington.edu > Subject: [Tweeters] Beginning Birding Class ? via Zoom > Message-ID: > 1V39k2GAqvrSw@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Black Hills Audubon is offering a four session Beginning Birding class, > Wednesday evenings, starting Feb 23rd, 7 pm. Dr. Kim Dolgin will cover the > birds you are most likely to see in Western Washington including their > habitats, behaviors, and vocalizations. More information and registration > can be found at www.blackhills-audubon.org. The sessions will be recorded > for later viewing. There is a fee to attend. > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: tweeters/attachments/20220211/f868b80e/attachment-0001.html> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 9 > Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 19:14:01 +0000 (UTC) > From: B B > To: Tweeters > Subject: [Tweeters] Ecuador Anyone? > Message-ID: <763624969.461574.1644606841040@mail.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Greatly encouraged by the 550+ species and rave reviews for their 15 day > trip to Ecuador last year by Messrs Tweit, LaBar, Revelas and Thorp, I am > looking into the same full guided trip with the same company. > It would be great (and cheaper) if 2 or 3 others would go as well.? > Awesome birds, habitats and lodges.? Not including airfare, the all in > price would be around $5000 per person depending on number in group.? The > trip and price does not include the Galapagos which could be added on. > If anyone is interested please contact me directly.? Thanks. > Blair Bernson > > Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: tweeters/attachments/20220211/c17834d1/attachment-0001.html> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 10 > Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:23:12 -0800 > From: Karen Wosilait > To: Tweeters > Subject: [Tweeters] Kenmore Glaucous Gull - yes > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Just seen at the Starbucks by Kenmore Lanes. Look for the congregation of > gulls. > > Karen Wosilait (she/her) > Seattle, WA > karen.w.mobile@gmail.com > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 11 > Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:23:12 -0800 > From: Alex Sowers > To: tweeters@u.washington.edu > Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan Update: Keep farmer?s lot CLEAR > Message-ID: > gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Hey tweets, > > Just passing along a comment from Ruben Stoll that I was asked to share > here: > > (Keep in mind that this was around 8:00am and it sounds like the swan is > back in it?s usual location as of 9ish) > > ?There are no swans present at dawn this morning. There is, however, a > farmer who says he doesn?t want to see any vehicles parked anywhere off the > road on his property today at all. There really isn?t a shoulder along this > road so folks have been pulling over at road entrances and grassy shoulders > where it?s now quickly turning to mud. He also says there won?t be any > swans around here for very long, he?s going to see to that. He says they?re > nothing but a nuisance under the best of circumstances. We tried our best > to work out some kind of an agreement but last I heard he?s still getting > rid of the swans. Sorry folks. We?re just gonna drive these roads for now > and see what we can figure out. It?s possible that the swans have already > been disturbed and relocated.? > > Good birding, Alex Sowers > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: tweeters/attachments/20220211/aa17f495/attachment-0001.html> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 12 > Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 12:07:10 -0800 (PST) > From: THOMAS BENEDICT > To: tweeters@u.washington.edu > Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan Update: Keep farmer?s lot CLEAR > Message-ID: <570492125.578987.1644610030220@connect.xfinity.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > This is yet another reason I don't chase birds. > > Others on the list can articulate it much better than I, but it's too hard > to manage this kind of thing, so I figure it's best for me to simply not > contribute to the problem. It's great to celebrate the > discovery/observation of any wayward species, but the myriad issues related > to how we do that more than outweigh any value the experience delivers, at > least to me. > > Tom Benedict > Seahurst, WA > > > On 02/11/2022 11:23 AM Alex Sowers > wrote: > > > > Hey tweets, > > > > Just passing along a comment from Ruben Stoll that I was asked to > share here: > > > > (Keep in mind that this was around 8:00am and it sounds like the > swan is back in it?s usual location as of 9ish) > > > > ?There are no swans present at dawn this morning. There is, however, > a farmer who says he doesn?t want to see any vehicles parked anywhere off > the road on his property today at all. There really isn?t a shoulder along > this road so folks have been pulling over at road entrances and grassy > shoulders where it?s now quickly turning to mud. He also says there won?t > be any swans around here for very long, he?s going to see to that. He says > they?re nothing but a nuisance under the best of circumstances. We tried > our best to work out some kind of an agreement but last I heard he?s still > getting rid of the swans. Sorry folks. We?re just gonna drive these roads > for now and see what we can figure out. It?s possible that the swans have > already been disturbed and relocated.? > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: tweeters/attachments/20220211/b0b0a358/attachment-0001.html> > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@mailman11.u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > ------------------------------ > > End of Tweeters Digest, Vol 210, Issue 11 > ***************************************** > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From amk17 at earthlink.net Sat Feb 12 08:14:46 2022 From: amk17 at earthlink.net (AMK17) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Bird pairs Message-ID: <2b2ff383-69af-5df4-78c1-344724553c09@earthlink.net> Seems a bit early but 2 weeks ago, I observed crows collecting twigs and found one new nest in Green Lake area. ?Yesterday, a pair of Bewick's?wrens seem to have bonded in the yard (usually have just a single wren until breeding season. ?Also a pair of black capped Chickadees seem bonded for this season. ?Seems early? ? Happy birding! ?AKopitov Seattle ? AMK17 From festuca at comcast.net Sat Feb 12 09:04:23 2022 From: festuca at comcast.net (Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?Whooper_Swan_Update=3A_Keep_farmer=E2=80=99s?= =?utf-8?q?_lot_CLEAR?= Message-ID: <68264857.591587.1644685463297@connect.xfinity.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From peggy_busby at yahoo.com Sat Feb 12 09:17:00 2022 From: peggy_busby at yahoo.com (Peggy Mundy) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?Whooper_Swan_Update=3A_Keep_farmer=E2=80=99s?= =?utf-8?q?_lot_CLEAR?= In-Reply-To: <68264857.591587.1644685463297@connect.xfinity.com> References: <68264857.591587.1644685463297@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <1632261125.1526913.1644686220797@mail.yahoo.com> I stopped "chasing" rarities after the Stanwood vermilion flycatcher, when a homeowner told a birder they were going to shoot the bird to put an end to the traffic--indeed the bird disappeared shortly thereafter.? I did cave and go see the whooper swan on Friday.? As far as I could tell, everyone while I was there (locals, truck drivers, and birders alike) was pleasant and there were no negative interactions.? I was very disturbed to come home and read that post on tweeters about the farmer interaction. Peggy MundyBothellpeggy_busbyATyahoo.com On Saturday, February 12, 2022, 09:05:40 a.m. PST, Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney wrote: It is best that we all practice our best Birding Etiquette while in the field, especially in situations where we might impact the non-birding public and landowners.? Certainly, we should always keep our vehicles from blocking gates and driveways, stay off the travelled portions of the public roads, and never - ever - trespass. But, I have to wonder what "farmer" interacted with Reuben about birders on 'his' property.? According to the Snohomish County Assessor's site, the lands on both sides of 203rd is owned by the Tulalip Tribes, with the taxpayer being Qualco Energy.? The "farm" where the swans were when I was there Thursday, is where Qualco operates an anaerobic digester, "taking animal waste, trap grease and other pollutants, keeping them from landfills, drains and illegal dumping, digesting them and then burning the methane gas produced to create renewable energy." https://qualco-energy.com/about-qualco/ A farmer or operator, who experiences issues with birders - or for that matter, who merely has crop damage from the birds - is certainly well within their rights to haze the birds from the property.? Can't shoot them, of course, as the birds are protected by State and Federal law. But, aggressive birders and photographers can certainly cause "public relations" problems for the rest of us in the local communities, unless we behave.? Thanks to all who go out of their way to ensure that we all can practice our hobby while maintaining the respect of others who may not share our passion. _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sedge.thrasher at gmail.com Sat Feb 12 15:22:19 2022 From: sedge.thrasher at gmail.com (Adam Sedgley) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan / local nonprofit? Message-ID: Hi tweets. I saw the Whooper Swan in dense fog this morning and I?m happy to report that all birders were parking at the intersection and walking in. Thankfully it was the closest swan to the road. I recently learned of a birder in Washington DC who makes a donation to a local environmental / conservation nonprofit whenever he chases a rarity and/or sees a lifer and notes the name(s) of the species in his donation. I love how this helps protect habitat for the species and builds awareness of the positive impact of bird-focused tourism. Does anyone have recommendations for *a nonprofit who protects farmlands or waterfowl habitat in Snohomish County*? Thank you. Adam Sedgley Tacoma, WA sedge.thrasher@gmail.com -- ------- Adam Sedgley S e a t t l e, WA sedge.thrasher [at] gmail [dot] com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hayncarl at gmail.com Sat Feb 12 16:19:38 2022 From: hayncarl at gmail.com (Carl Haynie) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan / local nonprofit? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Great idea, Adam. One that comes to mind is the Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance: https://svpa.us/ Carl Haynie Sammamish, WA On Sat, Feb 12, 2022 at 3:23 PM Adam Sedgley wrote: > Hi tweets. > > I saw the Whooper Swan in dense fog this morning and I?m happy to report > that all birders were parking at the intersection and walking in. > Thankfully it was the closest swan to the road. > > I recently learned of a birder in Washington DC who makes a donation to a > local environmental / conservation nonprofit whenever he chases a rarity > and/or sees a lifer and notes the name(s) of the species in his donation. I > love how this helps protect habitat for the species and builds awareness of > the positive impact of bird-focused tourism. > > Does anyone have recommendations for *a nonprofit who protects farmlands > or waterfowl habitat in Snohomish County*? > > Thank you. > > Adam Sedgley > Tacoma, WA > sedge.thrasher@gmail.com > -- > ------- > > Adam Sedgley > S e a t t l e, WA > sedge.thrasher [at] gmail [dot] com > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dennispaulson at comcast.net Sat Feb 12 16:53:04 2022 From: dennispaulson at comcast.net (Dennis Paulson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Tundra Swan at Meadowbrook Park Message-ID: <9F413793-ECF1-4A08-B620-45F226063582@comcast.net> Hello tweeters, We heard about a Tundra Swan at Meadowbrook Park late this afternoon, and we watched it until almost dark, in case there are Seattle area people who would like to look for it tomorrow. Dennis Paulson Seattle From mattxyz at earthlink.net Sat Feb 12 17:04:24 2022 From: mattxyz at earthlink.net (Matt Bartels) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] 2021 Washington Birder List and Big Day Reports Message-ID: <6ABCA807-B002-4C6A-A0FE-78051C21FD83@earthlink.net> Hi all - Happy to announce the 2021 Year List & Big Day report for Washington Birder is up and available. Check out the files at the following link to see how everyone did in 2021 - http://wabirder.com/online.html Highlights for the year include: A new State Big Year record - Will Brooks, with 376 species in 2021. 3 new county big year records and one tie w/ a previous county big year. Nancy LaFramboise in Benton County [239] Raphael Fennimore in King County [278] Ken Brown in Mason County [194] and Mark Selle in Spokane County [240] (matching the previous record) Raphael Fennimore?s King Co. big year total of 278 species is the highest single county big year total ever achieved. Two people reached 100+ species in all 39 counties on their life lists, Matt Dufort & Ruth Godding County Big Day records were set in Mason County [118] and Thurston County [84] All that and more is compiled in this year?s report. A direct link to the list report with all the state & county life and year list totals can be found here: http://wabirder.com/docs/listreport2021.pdf And a direct link to the Big Day report from 2021 is here: http://wabirder.com/docs/BigDayReport2021.pdf Thanks to everyone who sent in your totals, and here?s to many more updates and surprises in 2022. Matt Bartels Washington Birder -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mj.cygnus at gmail.com Sat Feb 12 18:51:32 2022 From: mj.cygnus at gmail.com (Martha Jordan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper whoopla backlash Message-ID: The situation where the whooper swan is visiting is very sad to hear. For clarity about this location at "Qualco", as some people think this is public land or this or that about this area. The property of what was formerly known as Honor Farm Prison (owned by WA State) now belongs to a tribal held entity called Qualco. It is, in fact, ALL PRIVATE LAND! This property has been leased to the Werkhoven Dairy and they control the use of the property, plant and harvest the crops, etc. Therefore, if anyone from the dairy says to stay off the property they have every legal right to say so. Please do not park or drive on their property. Meaning: only park on the road's meager shoulder where it is safe to do so and absolutely do not tresspass onto their property. While many of you that really want to just "take a quick look" are not really talking about (maybe not even thinking about) anything but their access to the site, their ability to park, how to best view the Whooper Swan. What you need to also know is the detrimental impact you are having on the swans and their agricultural dependence on this dairy with the highly nutritious grass and other crops. Also as important the proximity (just across Cresecent Lake Rd to the west) to a public owned lake night roost and public owned planted for waterfowl, including swans, food resources. The Qualco property (plus Werkhoven owned lands) and Crescent Lake Unit of the WDFW Snoqualmie Wildlife Area is of significant importance to wintering swans. The swans will soon or have begun to stage for the migration in this area. All of the human activity to view a rare swan has and is having a negative impact on the entire winter area and the relationship that has been built over time with the dairy farmers here and in other areas of this valley. Please consider this when making your decision if "getting it on your life list" is worth the negative impacts at one of the most significant wintering areas for swans in Snohomish/King counties. And a side note: swans like to sleep in a bit and do not come off the night roost until after dawn and sometimes well after as in 8:30-9:00 am plus at this time of year. Thank you for your consideration. And thank you to those who have spoken up about the concerns of the farmer and others. Respectfully, Martha Jordan Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From marvbreece at q.com Sat Feb 12 19:14:13 2022 From: marvbreece at q.com (Marv Breece) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Snohomish/Skagit birding Message-ID: <1671532086.23140186.1644722053751.JavaMail.zimbra@q.com> Today there was a PRAIRIE FALCON at the West 90 on the Samish Flats in Skagit County and another PRAIRIE FALCON along Thomle Rd in Snohomish County. The HARRIS'S SPARROW and the WHITE-THROATED SPARROW continue on Thomle Road. It was also a good day for Light Morph Harlan's Hawks as I saw 3 of them. Marv Breece Tukwila, WA marvbreece@q.com Pbase Images : https://www.pbase.com/marvbreece Flickr Videos : https://www.flickr.com/photos/138163614@N02/ Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHbkNzr4TaZ6ZBWfoJNvavw/featured -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From benedict.t at comcast.net Sat Feb 12 20:28:28 2022 From: benedict.t at comcast.net (THOMAS BENEDICT) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper whoopla backlash In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1108986051.618146.1644726508698@connect.xfinity.com> Thank you, Martha, for articulating the facts and impacts of chasing this bird. The details will vary from case to case, but this story is a common one. There's always a lot of unintended impacts to what seems, on the surface, to be an innocent endeavor. I, and I would guess many others monitoring this list, can't know of all the site facts of every reported chase worthy bird which gets posted. So, I'd like to suggest that, before we jump into our climate-change-mobiles and clog country roads and annoy locals in order to satisfy a need to ogle the poor freak-show bird which happened to take a wrong turn during migration, we consider resisting that urge and just stay home. I know that sounds drastic but it's an important question to ask ourselves. I'm sure some people are already doing this. I think a lot of participants in our avocation were attracted by the competitive aspects of it and have never considered that accumulating ever longer life lists is not the only metric of success. Maybe if we placed less emphasis on competitive birding and focused more on quality than quantity we could all be happier. Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA > On 02/12/2022 6:51 PM Martha Jordan wrote: > > The situation where the whooper swan is visiting is very sad to hear. > For clarity about this location at "Qualco", as some people think this is public land or this or that about this area. The property of what was formerly known as Honor Farm Prison (owned by WA State) now belongs to a tribal held entity called Qualco. It is, in fact, ALL PRIVATE LAND! > This property has been leased to the Werkhoven Dairy and they control the use of the property, plant and harvest the crops, etc. Therefore, if anyone from the dairy says to stay off the property they have every legal right to say so. Please do not park or drive on their property. > Meaning: only park on the road's meager shoulder where it is safe to do so and absolutely do not trespass onto their property. > While many of you that really want to just "take a quick look" are not really talking about (maybe not even thinking about) anything but their access to the site, their ability to park, how to best view the Whooper Swan. What you need to also know is the detrimental impact you are having on the swans and their agricultural dependence on this dairy with the highly nutritious grass and other crops. Also as important the proximity (just across Cresecent Lake Rd to the west) to a public owned lake night roost and public owned planted for waterfowl, including swans, food resources. The Qualco property (plus Werkhoven owned lands) and Crescent Lake Unit of the WDFW Snoqualmie Wildlife Area is of significant importance to wintering swans. The swans will soon or have begun to stage for the migration in this area. All of the human activity to view a rare swan has and is having a negative impact on the entire winter area and the relationship that has been built over time wi! th the dairy farmers here and in other areas of this valley. > Please consider this when making your decision if "getting it on your life list" is worth the negative impacts at one of the most significant wintering areas for swans in Snohomish/King counties. > And a side note: swans like to sleep in a bit and do not come off the night roost until after dawn and sometimes well after as in 8:30-9:00 am plus at this time of year. > Thank you for your consideration. And thank you to those who have spoken up about the concerns of the farmer and others. > > Respectfully, > > Martha Jordan > Everett, WA > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From louiserutter1000 at gmail.com Sun Feb 13 10:02:30 2022 From: louiserutter1000 at gmail.com (louiserutter1000) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper swan Message-ID: <620947b9.1c69fb81.515c6.5606@mx.google.com> On site again, great viewing conditions. Fortunately it does seem to like being closer to the road than the mass of swans.Louise Rutter?KirklandSent via the Samsung Galaxy A6, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tvulture at gmx.com Sun Feb 13 13:10:20 2022 From: tvulture at gmx.com (Diann MacRae) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Hummingbird nest material Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From plkoyama at comcast.net Sun Feb 13 13:29:24 2022 From: plkoyama at comcast.net (PENNY & DAVID KOYAMA) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Redpolls at Juanita Bay Park, Kirkland In-Reply-To: <620947b9.1c69fb81.515c6.5606@mx.google.com> References: <620947b9.1c69fb81.515c6.5606@mx.google.com> Message-ID: <2102192347.632009.1644787764551@connect.xfinity.com> Tweets, On a sunny morning I headed to Juanita Bay Park, and was surprised to see Mordor-like fog approaching the area from Bothell. I left my scope in the car, figuring it'd be useless. There were many birds to be heard, and ducks close to the east platform. The fog began to lift at about 11, by which time I was heading out to the causeway that parallels the road in hopes of seeing Common Redpolls, none of which were seen or heard around the platforms. Sure enough, I heard them chattering on the east side of the causeway and could make out red on the heads and black on the chin. When I briefly played their call, the flock quickly moved close enough for good binocular views. There must have been 15-20 redpolls, and, as usual, they were feeding on catkins in the alder. A dozen Wilson's Snipe were also seen, 9 at the far end of the causeway and 3 at the edge of the lake, very close to the west platform. It turned out to be a great morning, in spite of the outset's thickest fog! I've ever seen. Penny Koyama, Bothell > > _______________________________________________ > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bennetts10 at comcast.net Sun Feb 13 14:28:12 2022 From: bennetts10 at comcast.net (ANDREA BENNETT) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] swans, Seattle, King county Message-ID: <582358835.627763.1644791292522@connect.xfinity.com> I saw the Tundra Swan at Meadowbrook pond yesterday. This afternoon there were 3 Trumpeter Swans at Matthews Beach, also a Canvasback, Yesterday the Glaucous Gull was still in Kenmore, on light poles in the parking lot of Safeway and then St. Vincent thrift store. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jhoward at uw.edu Sun Feb 13 14:54:03 2022 From: jhoward at uw.edu (Judith A. Howard) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] rufous hummingbird Message-ID: <1E3C7648-02DC-471D-9E8E-2DC01D7A791C@uw.edu> Today we saw our first rufous of the season! I have been keeping track of arrival date for the past 15 or so years. The average is February 19 ? so this one is almost a week early. Judy Howard Whidbey Island -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From panmail at mailfence.com Sun Feb 13 17:04:37 2022 From: panmail at mailfence.com (pan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] close encounters Message-ID: <500329621.590394.1644800676948@ichabod.co-bxl> Tweets, This morning on my dawn walk in urban Seattle, I was surprised to get whacked in the face by a Song Sparrow.? It wasn't attacking, but fleeing, as a foot behind it was another.? The first ducked for cover, but the second perched up on a nearby shrub and sang.? Territorial or maybe sexual chase, but I'm glad it wasn't window-kill speed, or I might have eye damage.? Definitely a first for me. Later at the "Monroe Prison Farm Pond" (Snohomish County) a bit after 9, walking in from 203, the closest swans to the road included the easily visible adult Whooper Swan.? A few Tundras were in the farther group, a couple with more yellow than usual, but we didn't see anything suggesting Bewick's.? No negative encounters were noted. Then on West Snoqualmie River Road, Northeast (across from Duvall in King County -- seems like we could have gotten a "south" in that name if we'd tried), after birding the road and returning, I stood watching 15 minutes from the first 90 degree bend (a couple Rough-legged Hawks), after which I spotted the Red-shouldered Hawk in a small tree to the east.? I walked two thirds over toward the second corner for a better view, and a dark adult Red-tailed attacked the shouldered.? They ended up grasping talons, both with wings held open, the shouldered not having moved, the tailed hanging upside down.? It dropped to a nearby perch.? After a bit, it tried again, displacing the shouldered to a perch a couple feet away.? I got distracted, and looking back saw only the tailed, which soon flew off toward the river trees (southeast), I suspect following the path of the shouldered.? This probably explains why the Red-shouldered Hawk, reported for a week, is more often not found.? 13 February, 2022, Alan Grenon Seattle panmail AT mailfence.com -- Sent with https://mailfence.com Secure and private email -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tomboulian at comcast.net Sun Feb 13 19:42:49 2022 From: tomboulian at comcast.net (tomboulian@comcast.net) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper swan has a juvenile with it? Message-ID: <6A6C716C2C934381B7BB254972E7FD51@markPC2> I was intrigued by Scott A.?s observations on e-bird regarding the immature swan that has been continuously associating with the adult Whooper. I had the exact same reaction?that the immature was not like any of the other immature Trumpeters or Tundras, especially the bill shape and ?hairline?, but also the coloration and thin neck. It was a cloudy day, so any bill coloration was not noted, but looking back now I see several light-colored areas along the top ridge of the upper mandible. To me, the interaction between the two seemed to be one I would expect between a parent and child?constantly interacting, looking at each other, probing the same wheat grass, never more than a few feet apart. Occasionally the known adult Whooper would rebuff the youngster with raised wings and a chest-butt?as if to say ?that?s close enough, you need to learn how to feed on your own now? Either that or the smallest kid on the ?prison farm? yard was seeking protection from the biggest fellow.. I got swan-eyed looking at pictures on the internet and thought I reached out to an expert but didn?t get a response. I sense there?s a lot of variability in the timing of plumage changes, like puberty. The thought crossed my mind that a very late cygnet could be a reason an adult would stay too long at the nest site and then end up joining a different flock. Anyways, just somewhat encouraged to throw that out there now. I have a lot of photos of different angles from 4 days ago if anyone fancies themselves a swan expert. Lord knows I?m not?I was just happy to be able to differentiate TUSW from TRSW Mark Tomboulian Shoreline tomboulian at comcast dot net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sedge.thrasher at gmail.com Sun Feb 13 21:53:04 2022 From: sedge.thrasher at gmail.com (Adam Sedgley) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan / local nonprofit? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Thank you, Carl. I made a donation to the NW Swan Conservation Association ( https://nwswans.org/donate/) and will make a donation to the Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance once they fix the donate button on their website. I sent a note. I learned about this tradition on the ABA podcast: https://www.aba.org/a-big-year-and-a-bigger-purpose-with-tiffany-kersten/ I confused the facts earlier, however. The podcast mentioned a fundraiser started by a birder in DC (to commemorate a Snowy Owl) but the birder who makes a donation for each lifer / rarity is Matt Fraker from IL. Nate talks about it in the opening segment in the podcast. It?s definitely worth a listen. On Sat, Feb 12, 2022 at 4:19 PM Carl Haynie wrote: > Great idea, Adam. One that comes to mind is the Snoqualmie Valley > Preservation Alliance: https://svpa.us/ > > > Carl Haynie > > Sammamish, WA > > On Sat, Feb 12, 2022 at 3:23 PM Adam Sedgley > wrote: > >> Hi tweets. >> >> I saw the Whooper Swan in dense fog this morning and I?m happy to report >> that all birders were parking at the intersection and walking in. >> Thankfully it was the closest swan to the road. >> >> I recently learned of a birder in Washington DC who makes a donation to a >> local environmental / conservation nonprofit whenever he chases a rarity >> and/or sees a lifer and notes the name(s) of the species in his donation. I >> love how this helps protect habitat for the species and builds awareness of >> the positive impact of bird-focused tourism. >> >> Does anyone have recommendations for *a nonprofit who protects farmlands >> or waterfowl habitat in Snohomish County*? >> >> Thank you. >> >> Adam Sedgley >> Tacoma, WA >> sedge.thrasher@gmail.com >> -- >> ------- >> >> Adam Sedgley >> S e a t t l e, WA >> sedge.thrasher [at] gmail [dot] com >> _______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list >> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> > -- ------- Adam Sedgley S e a t t l e, WA sedge.thrasher [at] gmail [dot] com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cariddellwa at gmail.com Mon Feb 14 09:36:29 2022 From: cariddellwa at gmail.com (Carol Riddell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Conservation Donations Message-ID: Thanks to all for the suggestion of making a conservation donation every time we see a rare or life bird. Many of us regularly donate to conservation organizations but this is a fun way to up your game a bit. I just went to the Northwest Swan Conservation Association web site. It was easy and quick to make a donation. I will try to make similar donations with future sightings. Great idea. Good birding, Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA From jerry.n.k at gmail.com Mon Feb 14 10:39:46 2022 From: jerry.n.k at gmail.com (Jerry Neufeld-Kaiser) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] RFI: a birding guide to hire in Colombia Message-ID: Tweets, I'm looking for tips for a good birding guide in Colombia. I'm hoping for a person to hire, rather than a tour company to sign up with. Thanks for any tips you have. Jerry N-K -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From benedict.t at comcast.net Mon Feb 14 10:41:57 2022 From: benedict.t at comcast.net (THOMAS BENEDICT) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Conservation Donations In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <933085572.658014.1644864117507@connect.xfinity.com> Another option is to consider paying "Real Rent" to the Native American tribes who were the original stewards of the lands we use. I don't know how many other tribes in our region are set up to accept "Real Rent" payments, but the Duwamish Tribe does. You can read about it, and make payments, at https://www.realrentduwamish.org/. Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA > On 02/14/2022 9:36 AM Carol Riddell wrote: > > Thanks to all for the suggestion of making a conservation donation every time we see a rare or life bird. Many of us regularly donate to conservation organizations but this is a fun way to up your game a bit. I just went to the Northwest Swan Conservation Association web site. It was easy and quick to make a donation. I will try to make similar donations with future sightings. Great idea. > > Good birding, > > Carol Riddell > Edmonds, WA From mj.cygnus at gmail.com Mon Feb 14 14:22:15 2022 From: mj.cygnus at gmail.com (Martha Jordan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan plus Message-ID: I noted this swan and likely a juvenile about two days before it was reported by others. Now that lots of people have seen this swan and all the other swans in the field with it I have two questions. What color legs does the adult bird have: all black, partially with some mottling or something else such as mottled feet, not legs or ? What color legs does the suspected juvenile whooper have from legs to feet? I was not able to observe these clearly the times I was out. If anyone has photos that show this and are willing to share a higher resolution than most posts on the web, please let me know. I am wondering if what holds true for Trumpeter Swans is true in Whoopers, or not. Thanks. Martha Jordan Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dennispaulson at comcast.net Mon Feb 14 15:20:55 2022 From: dennispaulson at comcast.net (Dennis Paulson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] nest ID Message-ID: <39D2CD1B-A9A4-4B0A-B6C0-FE7067383FB7@comcast.net> Hello tweeters, Is there anyone out there who knows bird nests well? I was sent a photo of a nest that had fallen out of a shore pine at Twin Harbors State Park (near the coast) that I can?t identify. It?s 4-5 inches across and looks as if mud makes up a fair amount of it, but it is surely not a swallow or phoebe or robin. If anyone thinks they might have a chance at identifying it, please email me, and I will send you the photo. Dennis Paulson Seattle From zollejd at gmail.com Mon Feb 14 15:34:29 2022 From: zollejd at gmail.com (Jason Zolle) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding South Texas recs Message-ID: Hi tweets, I am planning a birding trip to South Texas in late March for a week and am wondering how I should split my time between staying in McAllen and Brownsville (or other places?) My default would just be 3 days in each, because I definitely want to hit both, but I'm wondering if someone who has been there would recommend a different split. For context, I'm definitely planning to chase some birds but I am generally more of a explore-a-couple-NWRs-the-whole-day-and-see-neat-stuff kind of guy. The furthest south I've ever birded in Texas was Corpus Christi, where I had just one day last year but it was one of the top three most exciting birding days of my life. Thanks in advance! Jason Olympia, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From blackburnian151 at gmail.com Mon Feb 14 15:50:28 2022 From: blackburnian151 at gmail.com (Ryan Justice) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding South Texas recs In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: That?s a good split which will allow ample time to bird all of the Valley hotspots. A morning at Estero Llano will yield most of the Valley specialties without too much problem. After that you will have a ton of time to explore places like Santa Ana NWR, S Padre Island, Valley Nature Center, Quinta Mazatlan, and Saline?o Nature Preserve (among others). Brownsville is good for the parrots and parakeets and hopefully the Social Flycatcher is still around. Santa Ana is good birding in general, but obviously the Bat Falcon has been the star of the show lately. You?ll have to go up river to Saline?o for Audubon?s Oriole and Morelet?s Seedeater. Ryan Justice Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 14, 2022, at 6:35 PM, Jason Zolle wrote: > > ? > Hi tweets, > > I am planning a birding trip to South Texas in late March for a week and am wondering how I should split my time between staying in McAllen and Brownsville (or other places?) My default would just be 3 days in each, because I definitely want to hit both, but I'm wondering if someone who has been there would recommend a different split. > > For context, I'm definitely planning to chase some birds but I am generally more of a explore-a-couple-NWRs-the-whole-day-and-see-neat-stuff kind of guy. > > The furthest south I've ever birded in Texas was Corpus Christi, where I had just one day last year but it was one of the top three most exciting birding days of my life. > > Thanks in advance! > Jason > Olympia, WA > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From aclark at wamail.net Mon Feb 14 20:40:00 2022 From: aclark at wamail.net (Al) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whooper Swan on Monday ??? Message-ID: I planned to head north Tuesday, but at 8pm, Monday, eBird has no reports for Monday. Anyone see it today? Al Clark Sent from Mail for Windows -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tsbrennan at hotmail.com Tue Feb 15 07:24:15 2022 From: tsbrennan at hotmail.com (Tim Brennan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Klickitat County Birding - February Message-ID: Hello! I made a weekend trip to Klickitat County, and enjoyed some beautiful weather, along with some nice birds. Notable birds were all continuing birds - Eared Grebe and Swamp Sparrow at Bingen pond, the latter calling from the marshy area just south of the pumphouse. At Swale Creek, I had Long-eared Owl pre-dawn, but missed the American Tree Sparrow that has been seen there. On Sunday, Catherine Creek was the highlight, with dozens of Lewis's Woodpeckers, and a pair of Acorn Woodpeckers diligently stuffing acorns into a granary tree. I seem to recall there used to be a pretty specific, and not easily viewed tree on Balch Road where they were traditionally seen, but they have started to expand their territory a little bit. I passed two other trees that looked like granary trees before sitting and waiting at the third. When the pair came in, the views were easy and fun. Catherine Creek also had some early wildflowers, a Hermit Thrush giving a brief song, and a half-dozen or more Western Bluebirds. 70 species for the trip, and 90 for the year. Updates will go up at klickitatcountybirding.blogspot.com within the week. Cheers, Tim Brennan Renton, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ucd880 at comcast.net Tue Feb 15 19:39:08 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding South Texas recs In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <225075484.567232.1644982748414@connect.xfinity.com> We've done that area a number of times. I think you should make a list of sites and see what is most central. >From McAllen we would hit Bentson and Estero Llano Grande State Parks and Santa Ana NWR. Plus the sod farm for Uppies; check out ebird before you go. Last time we stayed in Harlingen, the time before on S Padre. S. Padre has a number of great sites, two near the Convention Center that should be hot for migrant warblers and lots of water birds. Laguna Atascosa NWR is close by, and is a great choice. There are Aplomodo Falcons around there. I would also suggest heading up to the Corpus Cristi/Post Aransas/Aransas NWR. Again, lots of migrants plus Whoopers. Hal Michael Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/ Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/14/2022 3:34 PM Jason Zolle wrote: > > > Hi tweets, > > I am planning a birding trip to South Texas in late March for a week and am wondering how I should split my time between staying in McAllen and Brownsville (or other places?) My default would just be 3 days in each, because I definitely want to hit both, but I'm wondering if someone who has been there would recommend a different split. > > For context, I'm definitely planning to chase some birds but I am generally more of a explore-a-couple-NWRs-the-whole-day-and-see-neat-stuff kind of guy. > > The furthest south I've ever birded in Texas was Corpus Christi, where I had just one day last year but it was one of the top three most exciting birding days of my life. > > Thanks in advance! > Jason > Olympia, WA > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From avnacrs4birds at outlook.com Tue Feb 15 19:39:47 2022 From: avnacrs4birds at outlook.com (Denis DeSilvis) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] JBLM Eagles Pride Golf Course Monthly Birdwalk - Feb 17 Message-ID: Hi Tweeters, The Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) Eagles Pride Golf Course (GC) birdwalk is scheduled for Thursday, February 17. The JBLM Eagles Pride GC birders meet the third Thursday of each month at 8:00AM. Starting point is Bldg # 1514, Driving Range Tee, Eagles Pride Golf Course, I-5 Exit 116, Mounts Road Exit. Also, to remind folks that haven't been here before, you don't need any ID to attend these birdwalks. Hope you're able to make it! May all your birds be identified, Denis DeSilvis avnacrs 4 birds at outlook dot com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sallya at scattercreek.com Tue Feb 15 20:15:37 2022 From: sallya at scattercreek.com (Sally Alhadeff) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Turkey Vulture Message-ID: <1F7C4039-CC13-4308-8027-3A36D07ED328@scattercreek.com> I was surprised my FOY Turkey Vulture flying westbound, above Highway 101, just outside of Olympia today. Sally Alhadeff Tenino, WA Sallya@scattercreek.com Thank you, Sally Alhadeff From dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com Wed Feb 16 12:35:08 2022 From: dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com (Steven Dammer) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding South Texas recs In-Reply-To: <225075484.567232.1644982748414@connect.xfinity.com> References: <225075484.567232.1644982748414@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: Hi all, I definitely will throw in a plug for Estero Llano, as well as the Valley Nature Center. Santa Ana is always a great place to hit just before sunrise, as you will most certainly hear and potentially see Common Paraques next to the main entrance gate. Also drive over to South Padre and go to the convention center. Take the last entrance on the left, as that boardwalk is free and gives you access to the back of the convention center where warblers hang out. The first boardwalk incurs a fee and walks parallel with the free one. Really you can't go wrong anywhere, but the best hotspots are: Santa Ana NWR, Valley Nature Center, Estero Llano, Quinta Mazatlan (they have an amphitheatre with a feeder and fruits set up, TONS of clay colored thrushes), and Bentsen-Rio Grande SP. Laguna Atacosa is also good but covers a massive area. Happy birding! Steven Dammer On Tue, Feb 15, 2022 at 7:40 PM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > We've done that area a number of times. I think you should make a list of > sites and see what is most central. > > From McAllen we would hit Bentson and Estero Llano Grande State Parks and > Santa Ana NWR. Plus the sod farm for Uppies; check out ebird before you go. > > Last time we stayed in Harlingen, the time before on S Padre. S. Padre > has a number of great sites, two near the Convention Center that should be > hot for migrant warblers and lots of water birds. > > Laguna Atascosa NWR is close by, and is a great choice. There are > Aplomodo Falcons around there. > > I would also suggest heading up to the Corpus Cristi/Post Aransas/Aransas > NWR. Again, lots of migrants plus Whoopers. > > > > Hal Michael > Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders > Olympia WA > 360-459-4005 > 360-791-7702 (C) > ucd880@comcast.net > > > On 02/14/2022 3:34 PM Jason Zolle wrote: > > > Hi tweets, > > I am planning a birding trip to South Texas in late March for a week and > am wondering how I should split my time between staying in McAllen and > Brownsville (or other places?) My default would just be 3 days in each, > because I definitely want to hit both, but I'm wondering if someone who has > been there would recommend a different split. > > For context, I'm definitely planning to chase some birds but I am > generally more of a explore-a-couple-NWRs-the-whole-day-and-see-neat-stuff > kind of guy. > > The furthest south I've ever birded in Texas was Corpus Christi, where I > had just one day last year but it was one of the top three most exciting > birding days of my life. > > Thanks in advance! > Jason > Olympia, WA > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From avnacrs4birds at outlook.com Wed Feb 16 14:35:58 2022 From: avnacrs4birds at outlook.com (Denis DeSilvis) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] 93 Trumpeter Swans - Lewis County plus JBLM Lewis Lake 2-26-22 Message-ID: Tweeters, Decided to tootle out to Neat RD SE in Lewis County (don't think it's Thurston County) to see if a flock of swans a friend told me about was there. Found those (see below eBird report) and then went to Lewis Lake on Joint Base Lewis McChord to look ducks. Along the road to Lewis Lake (east side of the 91st Division artillery impact area) found a Western Meadowlark singing and two Western Bluebirds. Neat RD SE Lewis County WA, Lewis, Washington, US Feb 16, 2022 10:00 AM - 10:10 AM Protocol: Stationary Checklist Comments: Had a tip that swans were at this location - found 80 at this lat-long (46.50.49N - 222.32.18W) along Neat RD SE, and an additional 13 a bit further along at the intersection of Neat RD SE and Fennel RD SE. 1 species Trumpeter Swan 93 -- JBLM Area 16 Lewis Lake (restricted access), Pierce, Washington, US Feb 16, 2022 11:30 AM - 11:55 AM Protocol: Stationary Checklist Comments: Nice day at Joint Base Lewis McChord - Went to Lewis Lake (sightings listed for that), but on the way there found two Western Bluebirds and a singing Western Meadowlark along the road to that site. 13 species Canada Goose 8 Mallard 10 Green-winged Teal 6 Ring-necked Duck 40 Bufflehead 55 Common Goldeneye 4 Common Merganser 2 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Double-crested Cormorant 7 Bald Eagle 1 American Kestrel 1 California Scrub-Jay 1 Common Raven 2 May all your birds be identified, Denis DeSilvis Avnacrs 4 birds at outlook.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ethomas at salud.unm.edu Wed Feb 16 16:23:21 2022 From: ethomas at salud.unm.edu (Elaine Thomas) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] South Texas In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I'm no expert, but I went to Brownsville some years ago with a plan to hit a number of sites. I started at Sabal Palm Sanctuary and never left for any others! It's beautiful and the birds were amazing. Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@mailman11.u.washington.edu https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters__;!!KXH1hvEXyw!d4Ky8ylHOGECdkOqwQxWFJRogAkzqTDpAjAOxL8pizUSXjd1P__RBSuazK7TwInAxgKBqPvI9bre8544k4yS7aEKykZFI4js5a-Vq0hk5TrztMw$ ------------------------------ End of Tweeters Digest, Vol 210, Issue 16 ***************************************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ucd880 at comcast.net Wed Feb 16 16:41:37 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] South Texas In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <600385601.759500.1645058497452@connect.xfinity.com> We have been to Sabal palm a time or two and loved it. But the areas of state parks and NWRs around McAllen are worth the trip. There is so much to see; I really recommend both ebird and talking up the locals. Hal Michael Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/ Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/16/2022 4:23 PM Elaine Thomas wrote: > > > > I'm no expert, but I went to Brownsville some years ago with a plan to hit a number of sites. I started at Sabal Palm Sanctuary and never left for any others! It's beautiful and the birds were amazing. > > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@mailman11.u.washington.edu > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters__;!!KXH1hvEXyw!d4Ky8ylHOGECdkOqwQxWFJRogAkzqTDpAjAOxL8pizUSXjd1P__RBSuazK7TwInAxgKBqPvI9bre8544k4yS7aEKykZFI4js5a-Vq0hk5TrztMw$ > > ------------------------------ > > End of Tweeters Digest, Vol 210, Issue 16 > ***************************************** > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From shepthorp at gmail.com Wed Feb 16 20:47:13 2022 From: shepthorp at gmail.com (Shep Thorp) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Informal Wednesday Walk, Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 2/16/2022 Message-ID: Hi Tweets, we had a beautiful day at the Refuge and the birding was pretty good as well. Partly sunny skies with the temperatures in the 40's to 50's and a Low 6.69ft Tide at 12:10pm. Highlights included relocating the EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, some of our group observed the RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, and first of year TREE SWALLOW. Starting out at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook, we had nice looks of HOODED MERGANSER, RING-NECKED DUCK and PIED-BILLED GREBE. Large flocks of CACKLING GEESE, both minima and taverner's, were flushed from the flooded fields by BALD EAGLE. The Orchard was good for a large flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, along with SPOTTED TOWHEE, SONG SPARROW and BEWICK'S WREN. We found a nice mixed flock of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE and BROWN CREEPER. The flooded fields along the Access Road were great for enjoying waterfowl. We had beautiful looks of NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and AMERICAN WIGEON. We located an American Wigeon x Eurasian Wigeon hybrid feeding with the other wigeon. We also picked up an intergrade NORTHERN FLICKER. There are good numbers of AMERICAN COOT in the field and a pair of BALD EAGLE have been renovating a nest in the cottonwood trees over the Twin Barns. Some of our group observed first of year TREE SWALLOW. >From the Twin Barns Overlook we were able to relocate the EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL in the flooded fields. Out on the new dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail we observed 5 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS in the surge plain. Two were interacting by chasing each other around and flying higher into the air. We had nice looks at NORTHERN HARRIER and RED-TAILED HAWK. A BALD EAGLE was collecting grass from the field to line the nest in the cottonwoods. There was a large number, 20-30, GREAT BLUE HERONS, roosting in the freshwater marsh. Many in our group scoped out the RED-SHOULDERED HAWK hunting along the central access road in the restricted sanctuary west of the Twin Barns. The Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail was good for BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, SURF SCOTER and HORNED GREBE. We picked up BELTED KINGFISHER and SPOTTED SANDPIPER along the west bank of McAllister Creek. There were many GREATER YELLOWLEGS foraging the watersedge and a small group of LEAST SANDPIPER flew in. From the Puget Sound Viewing Platform we had nice looks of BRANT GEESE. On the reach we picked up all three Cormorants and a small flock of GREATER SCAUP off Luhr Beach. COMMON LOON came into the mouth of the McAllister Creek. On our return we picked up PACIFIC WREN, COMMON MERGANSER at the Nisqually River Overlook, and RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER near the Riparian Forest Overlook. Unfortunately we were not able to relocate the Northern Saw-whet Owl from last week. We observed 63 species for the day, and have seen 94 species for the year. Mammals seen were Muskrat and Harbor Seal. Until next week, happy birding, Shep -- Shep Thorp Browns Point 253-370-3742 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cmborre1 at gmail.com Thu Feb 17 09:39:37 2022 From: cmborre1 at gmail.com (Cara Borre) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Westport Seabirds Trip Report February 13, 2022 Message-ID: Westport Seabirds maiden voyage of 2022 was an alcid extravaganza despite some last minute shuffling to get the trip off. Our planned Saturday departure was postponed to Sunday due to predicted better wind and sea conditions. We enjoyed no rain and maybe too much bright sunshine at times. Bright sunshine can often make pelagic birding challenging as plumage colors are unreliable as reflection and eye strain become factors. After our chum stop, a fog bank rolled in briefly, lifting to a gentler overcast sky for the rest of the day. On board was a great group to usher in the start of our season, including several pelagic veterans. These winter trips are often desirable for those seeking to add certain rare species to their life or state lists such as Laysan or Short-tailed Albatross, Manx Shearwater, and Parakeet Auklet to name a few. While offering greater chances for certain coveted species, winter trips are not known for large overall bird numbers or high species diversity. As our season progresses, so does the fishing/shrimping season. These vessels concentrate and attract birds and we see jaw dropping overall bird numbers at times. Just as we know from terrestrial birding, Spring and Fall add the excitement of waves of migratory birds resulting in increased species diversity. Though we were unable to find or chum-in any albatross species, this day will long be remembered by what we were able to find, an astounding number of alcids, eight species for the day! Our first alcid of the day was shortly after our departure at 6:30am with a pair of Marbled Murrelets seen quickly flying away from us (this will be a common theme I?m afraid) while still in the harbor. As we know this is a near shore species. A small alcid with black upperparts and white underparts in winter can really be nothing else. A word of note which we often cover on these trips, an alcid is quickly distinguished from other pelagic, or in this case near-shore species, by their constant wing flapping in flight. By virtue of their relative weight and wing area (wing loading), they are incapable of gliding as the shearwaters and other pelagic species so aptly do. While high wing loading does require constant wing flapping for an alcid to stay aloft, this relationship also results in an enhanced ability for alcids to ?fly? underwater as they use their wings, not their feet for aquatic propulsion. Our next couple of alcid species, Common Murre (695 - parentheses numbers are totals for the day) and Rhinoceros Auklet (55) are expected and seen on most of our trips. It was nice to see examples of winter and breeding plumage for comparison in the various murres we encountered. Rhinoceros Auklet is also attaining breeding plumage at this time of year. Captain Phil stopped for a photo opp of a particularly cooperative bird with fresh plumes and horn for all to admire. Ancient Murrelet (26) is a common winter alcid in Washington and can be found in small groups even from shore in certain areas. We do get to see these birds at rest on the water at times, but on this trip they were always in flight, but not always flying directly away from us. The gray back, and light underwing helped us clinch the ID. We were thankful on this trip to have several photographers with quick reflexes on board to confirm the ID of the various small alcid species constantly in motion. Their LED screens showed the characteristic mostly black head and short bill with yellow tip. Cassin?s Auklet (17), another common alcid on most of our trips, was scarce on this day. Though we typically see them bouncing away from the advancing boat, usually we find one or two at rest that we can approach for better viewing; not on this trip. Parakeet Auklet (35), one of those winter species that many in Washington are looking to add to their state list, was seen in good numbers, but always flying directly away from the boat. Size can be helpful to distinguish this bird, somewhere between Cassin?s and Rhinoceros Auklet. The contrast of the dark back with extensively white underparts and dark underwings help differentiate it from Cassin?s. Though Cassin?s gray back can contrast remarkably with it?s lighter belly in bright sunshine, its underwings do show a light panel not found in Parakeet or Rhinoceros Auklet. Rhinos were seen well in profile and the contrast between the dark upperparts, extending onto the chest, and lighter underparts was not as dramatic as in Parakeet Auklet. The Rhinoceros Auklet's anvil shaped head and short, stout neck also helped us avoid confusion with Parakeet Auklet. Though never seen in profile, the rocking manner of flight in Parakeet Auklet allowed a glimpse of a relatively (compared to Rhino) long neck. Our alcid tally continued with a Tufted Puffin in winter plumage winging past the bow as they often do, too fast to get everyone on it. The most remarkable alcid of the day, seen by very few, was a Horned Puffin spotted and photographed by Carter Strope. Carter describes seeing a ?strange murre? flying in line with several Common Murre. When examining his picture, we noted orange feet and an orange bill attached to the face of a Horned Puffin! Alcids aside, we saw only three tubenoses, Northern Fulmar (129), Short-tailed Shearwater (9) and a fleeting glimpse of Manx Shearwater (1). Black-legged Kittiwake (96), another winter visitor, was seen often and well. The highlight of our mammal list included 3 Fin Whale and a rather rare behavior from a Gray Whale. This nearshore species was seen within Grays Harbor. It blew a few times and eventually surfaced. I took a spot on the starboard side preparing for shorebird scanning of the jetty. Spotter Gene Revelas remained at the stern and casually proclaimed to those still looking in the whale?s direction, ?gray whales never breach?. On que, this gray whale breached! I heard the ?oohs and wows? and turned to see the splash. Gene saw his first Gray Whale breach and has a great new story to accompany future sightings. Gene and I were joined by leader Scott Mills, Monte Carlo Captain Phil Anderson and First Mate Chris Anderson. Check out our season schedule at www.westportseabirds.com Hope to sea you out there! Cara Borre Gig Harbor -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com Thu Feb 17 15:27:08 2022 From: dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com (Steven Dammer) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] South Texas In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Man I'd almost completely forgotten about the Sabal Palm Sanctuary! That was a really good place to get some fantastic pictures of Least Grebes and a Prothonotary Warbler. And yes, it is really cool and beautiful as well. Worth the trip On Wed, Feb 16, 2022 at 4:25 PM Elaine Thomas wrote: > > I'm no expert, but I went to Brownsville some years ago with a plan to hit > a number of sites. I started at Sabal Palm Sanctuary and never left for > any others! It's beautiful and the birds were amazing. > > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@mailman11.u.washington.edu > > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters__;!!KXH1hvEXyw!d4Ky8ylHOGECdkOqwQxWFJRogAkzqTDpAjAOxL8pizUSXjd1P__RBSuazK7TwInAxgKBqPvI9bre8544k4yS7aEKykZFI4js5a-Vq0hk5TrztMw$ > > ------------------------------ > > End of Tweeters Digest, Vol 210, Issue 16 > ***************************************** > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From xtenter at comcast.net Thu Feb 17 15:48:30 2022 From: xtenter at comcast.net (RW Hamlyn) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] New Video: Snow Geese Blizzard Message-ID: <2B2FC114-A447-4505-AD5A-D36AF55EAAEB@comcast.net> We were up in the Skagit Feb 6 on what started out to be a very foggy day. As we waited at West 90, we could hear the sound of nearby geese. And when the fog started lifting, we found about a mile away, one of the largest flocks of Snow Geese we have ever seen. I shot about 30 minutes of video which I edited down to the 3 plus minutes. I used the sound of the birds in the beginning and the end, but thought their display went well with some blues guitar? with a little editing of course! This was the most we have ever seen at once? a real thrill to see as well as capture some of it on video! We have been doing winter Skagit trips for at least 15 years. One more interesting note, this was essentially the same location on Bayview Edison Rd where I shot ?Dance of the Dunlins? back in 2010. Hope you enjoy the show! Snow Geese Blizzard: https://youtu.be/QVuM7fFEfB4 Ray Hamlyn -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From merdave at homenetnw.net Thu Feb 17 16:37:57 2022 From: merdave at homenetnw.net (merdave@homenetnw.net) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Death of couple on Nealy Rd. Message-ID: <3aa4716fe91dd420faf120a30fcf3550.squirrel@mail.ifiber.tv> Tweeters: An elderly couple who lived on Nealy Rd. in Okanogan county, were found dead. A person of interest has not been located. It would probably be wise to not bird in that area for a while. You can find a link to this at the Okanogan sheriffs office. Meredith Spencer, Bridgeport From lea at mitcub.net Thu Feb 17 18:30:56 2022 From: lea at mitcub.net (Lea Mitchell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Rhino auklets Message-ID: Six jv auklets in south Budd Inlet today. Catching fish off Martin Marina. Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device Get Outlook for Android -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From benedict.t at comcast.net Thu Feb 17 18:40:41 2022 From: benedict.t at comcast.net (THOMAS BENEDICT) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] New Video: Snow Geese Blizzard In-Reply-To: <2B2FC114-A447-4505-AD5A-D36AF55EAAEB@comcast.net> References: <2B2FC114-A447-4505-AD5A-D36AF55EAAEB@comcast.net> Message-ID: <240848591.810661.1645152041405@connect.xfinity.com> That is an astounding display of avian life. Any estimate of the numbers? 15,000+ . Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA > On 02/17/2022 3:48 PM RW Hamlyn wrote: > > > We were up in the Skagit Feb 6 on what started out to be a very foggy day. As we waited at West 90, we could hear the sound of nearby geese. And when the fog started lifting, we found about a mile away, one of the largest flocks of Snow Geese we have ever seen. I shot about 30 minutes of video which I edited down to the 3 plus minutes. > I used the sound of the birds in the beginning and the end, but thought their display went well with some blues guitar? with a little editing of course! This was the most we have ever seen at once? a real thrill to see as well as capture some of it on video! We have been doing winter Skagit trips for at least 15 years. One more interesting note, this was essentially the same location on Bayview Edison Rd where I shot ?Dance of the Dunlins? back in 2010. Hope you enjoy the show! > > Snow Geese Blizzard: https://youtu.be/QVuM7fFEfB4 > > Ray Hamlyn > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From avnacrs4birds at outlook.com Thu Feb 17 18:42:53 2022 From: avnacrs4birds at outlook.com (Denis DeSilvis) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) Eagles Pride Golf Course (GC) monthly bird walk - 2-17-2022 Message-ID: Tweeters, Chilly (37-43degF), overcast, with a bit of a biting breeze at times at the monthly JBLM Eagles Pride GC birdwalk. The eight of us had slim pickings for birds but lots of good discussions as we toured the area. No real standouts for the birds, although the Pacific Wrens were definitely tuning up. With only 25 species, the misses were quite a few, so I won't even go there! Final bird of the day was a nice RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, which was our only woodpecker other than the ubiquitous Northern Flickers. The only bird of prey was an adult BALD EAGLE, that only two of us saw prior to the bulk of the group arriving. Other than that, it was a nice day for a walk! Mammal seen: One bllack-tailed deer; and no other furry critters. As I said, slim pickings. Wait until next month!! The JBLM Eagles Pride GC birders meet the third Thursday of each month at 8:00AM. Starting point is Bldg # 1514, Driving Range Tee, Eagles Pride Golf Course, I-5 Exit 116, Mounts Road Exit. Upcoming walks include the following: * March 17 * April 21 * May 19 Anyone is welcome to join us! >From the eBirdPNW report: 25 species American Wigeon 20 18 at 9th hole pond and 2 at Hodge Lake Ring-necked Duck 1 At 9th hole pond Bufflehead 9 2 at 9th hole pond and 7 at Hodge Lake Pied-billed Grebe 1 Hodge Lake Anna's Hummingbird 4 Glaucous-winged Gull 1 Bald Eagle 1 Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 Northern Flicker 7 Steller's Jay 5 American Crow 14 Black-capped Chickadee 9 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 11 Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch 4 Pacific Wren 17 European Starling 3 Varied Thrush 3 American Robin 17 Fox Sparrow 1 Dark-eyed Junco 18 Golden-crowned Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow 13 Spotted Towhee 10 Red-winged Blackbird 9 View this checklist online at https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Febird.org%2Fchecklist%2FS102821327&data=04%7C01%7C%7Cdd73e18cf0e04f9ae4f308d9f2864623%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637807480781007252%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=5T63rnHI%2B2nux6OGg7v6rV75NoqYWsrKUhTXX4F8P94%3D&reserved=0 May all your birds be identified, Denis DeSilvis Avnacrs 4 birds at outlook dot com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birdmarymoor at gmail.com Thu Feb 17 19:17:01 2022 From: birdmarymoor at gmail.com (birdmarymoor@gmail.com) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2022-02-17 Message-ID: <6CA3EB9E4A0744989CD9D77120AFED2A@DESKTOPER2GUVC> We had a pretty nice morning today. No sunshine, but otherwise the weather was great. Definitely still winter birding, but spring feels close. Highlights: a.. Northern Shoveler ? Female at Rowing Club. Our First of Year (FOY) b.. Twelve duck species, total c.. Horned Grebe - Five scattered across the lake, seen from the Lake Platform d.. Great Blue Heron ? They?re Back ? More than 60 were perched in the heronry, many sitting next to, or on nests e.. Cooper?s Hawk ? One across the slough below the weir f.. Varied Thrush ? Two called from straight above us on the slough trail, causing much confusion among birders (FOY) g.. White-throated Sparrow ? One amongst many sparrows in the NW corner of the Dog Area h.. Western Meadowlark ? Seven or more north of Fields 7-8-9, with some singing ?Singing? was the story of the day: Ring-necked Pheasant, Anna?s Hummingbird, Steller?s Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Pacific Wren, Marsh Wren, Bewicks?s Wren, Varied Thrush, American Robin, House Finch, Fox Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, and Red-winged Blackbird. Some of the songs were early-season and whispery (especially the Steller?s Jay). Misses today included Virginia Rail, Northern Shrike, and Purple Finch. For the day, 58 species. = Michael Hobbs = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm = BirdMarymoor@gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cmborre1 at gmail.com Fri Feb 18 08:36:39 2022 From: cmborre1 at gmail.com (Cara Borre) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Westport Seabirds Feb 13 Trip Addendum: No Horned Puffin, but... Message-ID: A humbling alcid ID trip became more so for me last night when my partner, Asta Tobiassen, discovered she had captured images of the "presumed Horned Puffin". Her images showed more of the bird, including the head and full bill which was light orange, like the feet, but morphologically that of a Common Murre, not a puffin. With some help from fellow Westport Seabirds spotters, this bird was recognized as a leucistic Common Murre. Few images exist of this mutation in murres, but if you search you will find a few. I found no images of the bird in flight and couldn't find much to explain the orange feet and bill. A lack of melanin appears to be responsible. While a Horned Puffin would have been awesome (I never saw it, so removed it from my list prior to this revelation) a leucistic Common Murre is rarer. This 7 alcid day, including one very uncommon murre, still qualifies as an alcid extravaganza, maybe more so. Cara Borre Gig Harbor -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hank.heiberg at yahoo.com Fri Feb 18 21:23:22 2022 From: hank.heiberg at yahoo.com (Hank Heiberg) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Do Not Try This at Home References: <2D0E15DA-FA56-4FA1-968E-B9D464E66B1E@yahoo.com> Message-ID: <525271F9-A7C3-4DF3-94F7-B4E6590DA572@yahoo.com> > ?Photo of Anna?s Hummingbird outside our kitchen window. > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/51890517144/in/dateposted/ > > Photo of the same hummingbird with its head rotated 180 degrees so that its throat is up and the top of its head is down. > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/51890182941/in/dateposted/ > > Hank Heiberg > Issaquah, WA > > Sent from my iPad -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cariddellwa at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 11:44:00 2022 From: cariddellwa at gmail.com (Carol Riddell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away Message-ID: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch somewhere. Thanks. Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA From ucd880 at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 11:53:51 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> References: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> Message-ID: <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> It is established in at least California. I haven't searched for it but how sure are folks that it is an escapee and not a wanderer from down South? Hal Michael Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/19/2022 11:44 AM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch somewhere. Thanks. > > Carol Riddell > Edmonds, WA > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From gas1 at uw.edu Sat Feb 19 11:55:30 2022 From: gas1 at uw.edu (Gordon A. Starkebaum) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck at Juanita Bay Park, 2-16-22 Message-ID: this handsome, unusual bird was clearly interested in the female Wood Ducks. see link to photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nZThVEQqT4w7KJoL9 Gordon Starkebaum [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lhHMAcBqF4F559KurrsI5OkM7f9QlccC01hpOdn_F8khXD31dnpigXTBc6e9doDQDdr1xdE6WPsKvWzXnq535R-flks66U5F7dUHm1jGhRSWSWl84sfF1nUj09x5AaWmLMEPgEv3a9c=w600-h315-p-k] Show-off Mandarin Duck at Juanita Bay Park 2-16-22 21 new items added to shared album photos.app.goo.gl -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From plkoyama at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 12:05:10 2022 From: plkoyama at comcast.net (PENNY & DAVID KOYAMA) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> References: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <815821385.649906.1645301110471@connect.xfinity.com> I was chuckling at the situation for a second until I thought of how I get irritated at the postings from Florida of the "rare" ducks seen in the Exotic Duck Pond. I have no idea if any of them are ever accepted. Then I recalled a birding friend from Orange Co who described how frustrated the CA listers were when the Muskovy Duck was accepted in FL but not in CA. The local Audubon requested that every sighting of a MUDU be formally reported so the species would be accepted as established in SO Cal and therefore accepted as countable. Penny Koyama, Bothell > On 02/19/2022 11:53 AM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > > It is established in at least California. I haven't searched for it but how sure are folks that it is an escapee and not a wanderer from down South? > > > > Hal Michael > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) > Olympia WA > 360-459-4005 > 360-791-7702 (C) > ucd880@comcast.net > > > On 02/19/2022 11:44 AM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > > > > If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch somewhere. Thanks. > > > > Carol Riddell > > Edmonds, WA > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From mollycvetovac at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 12:09:46 2022 From: mollycvetovac at gmail.com (Molly Cvetovac) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> References: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: I have not put it on my checklists for that reason, although it is kind of nice to record everything you see, escaped or otherwise. Thinking of keeping an off eBird list for that purpose. My question is though, how do I sign up for alerts about a specific species? I have been unable to figure this out. On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 11:55 AM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > It is established in at least California. I haven't searched for it but > how sure are folks that it is an escapee and not a wanderer from down South? > > > > Hal Michael > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) > Olympia WA > 360-459-4005 > 360-791-7702 (C) > ucd880@comcast.net > > > On 02/19/2022 11:44 AM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > > > > If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my > rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong > in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird > alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about > this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many > people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if > there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There > probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch > somewhere. Thanks. > > > > Carol Riddell > > Edmonds, WA > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dougsantoni at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 12:11:06 2022 From: dougsantoni at gmail.com (Doug Santoni) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> References: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> Message-ID: <6C5978C9-0DF4-4EBD-B378-571D3424379A@gmail.com> Carol ? I appreciate your frustration about the Mandarin Duck. I was equally frustrated when the dead Ross? Gull kept showing up on my e-bird alert list, for many days after it had been seized and eaten by a Bald Eagle. (This bird showed up in Seattle?s Montlake neighborhood a few years back.) It would be nice if you could toggle a switch in e-bird alerts to turn off uncountable, exotic birds, as well as to suppress alerts for dead birds! Doug Santoni Seattle, WA > On Feb 19, 2022, at 11:44 AM, Carol Riddell wrote: > > If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch somewhere. Thanks. > > Carol Riddell > Edmonds, WA > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From ucd880 at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 13:31:52 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away Message-ID: <557652209.732981.1645306312146@connect.xfinity.com> Similar to Mute Swan as they are getting established in many places. Hal Michael Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/19/2022 12:05 PM PENNY & DAVID KOYAMA wrote: > > > I was chuckling at the situation for a second until I thought of how I get irritated at the postings from Florida of the "rare" ducks seen in the Exotic Duck Pond. I have no idea if any of them are ever accepted. > > Then I recalled a birding friend from Orange Co who described how frustrated the CA listers were when the Muskovy Duck was accepted in FL but not in CA. The local Audubon requested that every sighting of a MUDU be formally reported so the species would be accepted as established in SO Cal and therefore accepted as countable. > Penny Koyama, Bothell > > > > On 02/19/2022 11:53 AM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > > > > > It is established in at least California. I haven't searched for it but how sure are folks that it is an escapee and not a wanderer from down South? > > > > > > > > Hal Michael > > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) > > Olympia WA > > 360-459-4005 > > 360-791-7702 (C) > > ucd880@comcast.net > > > > > On 02/19/2022 11:44 AM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > > > > > > > If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch somewhere. Thanks. > > > > > > Carol Riddell > > > Edmonds, WA > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Tweeters mailing list > > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From ucd880 at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 13:34:58 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: References: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <943295037.733048.1645306498647@connect.xfinity.com> Ebird allows you to put whatever you want on your list. I have reported Barnacle Goose, for example. It's provenance is debated so it is not reported publicly but it is on my personal list as a "possible escapee". same with Red Junglefowl (domestic). I am sure they are establishing in many places but "countable" in few. Hal Michael Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/ Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/19/2022 12:09 PM Molly Cvetovac wrote: > > > I have not put it on my checklists for that reason, although it is kind of nice to record everything you see, escaped or otherwise. Thinking of keeping an off eBird list for that purpose. > > My question is though, how do I sign up for alerts about a specific species? I have been unable to figure this out. > > On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 11:55 AM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > > > It is established in at least California. I haven't searched for it but how sure are folks that it is an escapee and not a wanderer from down South? > > > > > > > > Hal Michael > > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) > > Olympia WA > > 360-459-4005 > > 360-791-7702 (C) > > ucd880@comcast.net mailto:ucd880@comcast.net > > > > > On 02/19/2022 11:44 AM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > > > > > > > If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch somewhere. Thanks. > > > > > > Carol Riddell > > > Edmonds, WA > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Tweeters mailing list > > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dennispaulson at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 13:42:43 2022 From: dennispaulson at comcast.net (Dennis Paulson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <943295037.733048.1645306498647@connect.xfinity.com> References: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> <943295037.733048.1645306498647@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <142200B7-55F2-4032-A66C-C14A3E877E50@comcast.net> Here?s a different sort of question. Why are Rock Pigeons reported with some regularity from different parts of Washington on eBird?s rare bird alert? And this species is not the only one that makes me think that the ?rare bird? algorithm needs some tweaking. Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Feb 19, 2022, at 1:34 PM, HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > Ebird allows you to put whatever you want on your list. I have reported Barnacle Goose, for example. It's provenance is debated so it is not reported publicly but it is on my personal list as a "possible escapee". > > same with Red Junglefowl (domestic). I am sure they are establishing in many places but "countable" in few. > > Hal Michael > Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders > Olympia WA > 360-459-4005 > 360-791-7702 (C) > ucd880@comcast.net > > >> On 02/19/2022 12:09 PM Molly Cvetovac wrote: >> >> >> I have not put it on my checklists for that reason, although it is kind of nice to record everything you see, escaped or otherwise. Thinking of keeping an off eBird list for that purpose. >> >> My question is though, how do I sign up for alerts about a specific species? I have been unable to figure this out. >> >> On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 11:55 AM HAL MICHAEL > wrote: >> It is established in at least California. I haven't searched for it but how sure are folks that it is an escapee and not a wanderer from down South? >> >> >> >> Hal Michael >> Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/ ) >> Olympia WA >> 360-459-4005 >> 360-791-7702 (C) >> ucd880@comcast.net >> >> > On 02/19/2022 11:44 AM Carol Riddell > wrote: >> > >> > >> > If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch somewhere. Thanks. >> > >> > Carol Riddell >> > Edmonds, WA >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Tweeters mailing list >> > Tweeters@u.washington.edu >> > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> _______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list >> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ucd880 at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 13:47:55 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <142200B7-55F2-4032-A66C-C14A3E877E50@comcast.net> References: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> <943295037.733048.1645306498647@connect.xfinity.com> <142200B7-55F2-4032-A66C-C14A3E877E50@comcast.net> Message-ID: <952851848.733372.1645307275656@connect.xfinity.com> Dennis Is it possible that the poster clicks on the wild Rock Pigeon rather than domestic? But, yeah, the devil is in the details as to why some things are posted as "rare" Hal Michael Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/ Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/19/2022 1:42 PM Dennis Paulson wrote: > > > Here?s a different sort of question. Why are Rock Pigeons reported with some regularity from different parts of Washington on eBird?s rare bird alert? And this species is not the only one that makes me think that the ?rare bird? algorithm needs some tweaking. > > Dennis Paulson > Seattle > > > > > On Feb 19, 2022, at 1:34 PM, HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > Ebird allows you to put whatever you want on your list. I have reported Barnacle Goose, for example. It's provenance is debated so it is not reported publicly but it is on my personal list as a "possible escapee". > > > > same with Red Junglefowl (domestic). I am sure they are establishing in many places but "countable" in few. > > > > Hal Michael > > Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/ > > Olympia WA > > 360-459-4005 > > 360-791-7702 (C) > > ucd880@comcast.net mailto:ucd880@comcast.net > > > > > > > > > > > On 02/19/2022 12:09 PM Molly Cvetovac wrote: > > > > > > > > > I have not put it on my checklists for that reason, although it is kind of nice to record everything you see, escaped or otherwise. Thinking of keeping an off eBird list for that purpose. > > > > > > My question is though, how do I sign up for alerts about a specific species? I have been unable to figure this out. > > > > > > On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 11:55 AM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > > > > > > > > > It is established in at least California. I haven't searched for it but how sure are folks that it is an escapee and not a wanderer from down South? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hal Michael > > > > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) > > > > Olympia WA > > > > 360-459-4005 > > > > 360-791-7702 (C) > > > > ucd880@comcast.net mailto:ucd880@comcast.net > > > > > > > > > On 02/19/2022 11:44 AM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch somewhere. Thanks. > > > > > > > > > > Carol Riddell > > > > > Edmonds, WA > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Tweeters mailing list > > > > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Tweeters mailing list > > > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From coddler at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 13:54:56 2022 From: coddler at gmail.com (Bruce Barrett) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <943295037.733048.1645306498647@connect.xfinity.com> References: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> <943295037.733048.1645306498647@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: True. This is why the "Top eBirders" lists are next to useless for any list serious comparisons, as we all use different criteria for including a sighting on an eBird list. I hear rumours that eBird will soon offer an option to include, or not include, a listing on your eBird list, with guidelines, but still based on what each of us think is countable. This should at least remove some of the Red Junglefowl and Ostriches - although some may still choose to include them! However, until there is some sort of forced alignment with the ABA list and "official" countable introduced populations the problem will remain. One may or may not agree with the ABA list or their inclusion criteria, but at least when the ABA was formed (in 1969) one of its specific goals was to define "countable" and thus level the list comparison playing field. Bruce Barrett San Jose, CA On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 1:36 PM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > Ebird allows you to put whatever you want on your list. I have reported > Barnacle Goose, for example. It's provenance is debated so it is not > reported publicly but it is on my personal list as a "possible escapee". > > same with Red Junglefowl (domestic). I am sure they are establishing in > many places but "countable" in few. > > Hal Michael > Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders > Olympia WA > 360-459-4005 > 360-791-7702 (C) > ucd880@comcast.net > > > On 02/19/2022 12:09 PM Molly Cvetovac wrote: > > > I have not put it on my checklists for that reason, although it is kind of > nice to record everything you see, escaped or otherwise. Thinking of > keeping an off eBird list for that purpose. > > My question is though, how do I sign up for alerts about a specific > species? I have been unable to figure this out. > > On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 11:55 AM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > It is established in at least California. I haven't searched for it but > how sure are folks that it is an escapee and not a wanderer from down > South? > > > > Hal Michael > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) > Olympia WA > 360-459-4005 > 360-791-7702 (C) > ucd880@comcast.net > > > On 02/19/2022 11:44 AM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > > > > If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my > rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong > in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird > alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about > this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many > people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if > there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There > probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch > somewhere. Thanks. > > > > Carol Riddell > > Edmonds, WA > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rogermoyer1 at hotmail.com Sat Feb 19 13:58:04 2022 From: rogermoyer1 at hotmail.com (Roger Moyer) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Manderin Duck Message-ID: These kind of discussions always fascinate me. I think Dennis may be right. I don't think the provenance of the duck has been established. If it's an escapee or something that got lost in transit. I remember one showed ul around Shelton some years ago. A buddy amd I went up to see it. It was hanging out with a flock of wood ducks. I don't know if the provenance of that one was ever established either. The Rock Dove isn't the only one that shows up as a rarity. I've seen others that are listed on the rare bird alert for Lewis County that aren't rare at all and wonder wh they are listed. It might be time to make some adjustments to the ebird algrothim. Roger -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ucd880 at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 14:45:42 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: References: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> <943295037.733048.1645306498647@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <148501273.803288.1645310742550@connect.xfinity.com> That idea works if one is consistent in determining what is countable and what isn't. I S Texas, for example, you have truly "wild" Muscovy Ducks and feral Muscovies that also are self sustaining. What counts and what doesn't? I see in Hawaii, at least, that "domestic Mallard" is included. Seems to me, as someone who has worked in natural resource management for my career, that I want an all-inclusive list. If it was seen and properly identified it gets listed. From there, tags can be attached as "likely escapee (as identified by bands, clips, or jesses), "provenance unknown" (wild looking but who knows), "likely natural occurrence", and maybe others. Back a few decades ago, probably about the time the Barnacle Goose was seen in Lacey (one was seen for a couple of winters in the Willamette Valley) there was a pretty good flood in western WA/western BC and a number of Smew showed up. They were all considered "wild" and eminently countable even though my sources told me of a number of aviculturists who lost Smew in the floods. I also think that much of the satellite tagging being done is showing us how much we don't know about bird movement. Hal Michael Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/ Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/19/2022 1:54 PM Bruce Barrett wrote: > > > True. > This is why the "Top eBirders" lists are next to useless for any list serious comparisons, as we all use different criteria for including a sighting on an eBird list. > I hear rumours that eBird will soon offer an option to include, or not include, a listing on your eBird list, with guidelines, but still based on what each of us think is countable. > This should at least remove some of the Red Junglefowl and Ostriches - although some may still choose to include them! > However, until there is some sort of forced alignment with the ABA list and "official" countable introduced populations the problem will remain. > One may or may not agree with the ABA list or their inclusion criteria, but at least when the ABA was formed (in 1969) one of its specific goals was to define "countable" and thus level the list comparison playing field. > > Bruce Barrett > San Jose, CA > > On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 1:36 PM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > > > Ebird allows you to put whatever you want on your list. I have reported Barnacle Goose, for example. It's provenance is debated so it is not reported publicly but it is on my personal list as a "possible escapee". > > > > same with Red Junglefowl (domestic). I am sure they are establishing in many places but "countable" in few. > > > > Hal Michael > > Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/ > > Olympia WA > > 360-459-4005 > > 360-791-7702 (C) > > ucd880@comcast.net mailto:ucd880@comcast.net > > > > > > > > > > > On 02/19/2022 12:09 PM Molly Cvetovac wrote: > > > > > > > > > I have not put it on my checklists for that reason, although it is kind of nice to record everything you see, escaped or otherwise. Thinking of keeping an off eBird list for that purpose. > > > > > > My question is though, how do I sign up for alerts about a specific species? I have been unable to figure this out. > > > > > > On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 11:55 AM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > > > > > > > > > It is established in at least California. I haven't searched for it but how sure are folks that it is an escapee and not a wanderer from down South? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hal Michael > > > > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) > > > > Olympia WA > > > > 360-459-4005 > > > > 360-791-7702 (C) > > > > ucd880@comcast.net mailto:ucd880@comcast.net > > > > > > > > > On 02/19/2022 11:44 AM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > If the Seattle Times Rant and Rave column were to come to Tweeters, my rant would be the Mandarin Duck. It?s an escaped bird that doesn?t belong in eBird any more than back yard chicken do. Since I subscribe to life bird alerts for King County, I have spent a year deleting email alerts about this escaped duck. It isn?t ABA countable so I?m not sure why so many people feel a need to put it in their eBird checklists. Does anyone know if there is a way to turn off eBird alerts for a specific species? There probably isn?t but thought I?d ask in case I have missed a toggle switch somewhere. Thanks. > > > > > > > > > > Carol Riddell > > > > > Edmonds, WA > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Tweeters mailing list > > > > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Tweeters mailing list > > > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From john.seiferth at icloud.com Sat Feb 19 15:02:59 2022 From: john.seiferth at icloud.com (John Seiferth) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <148501273.803288.1645310742550@connect.xfinity.com> References: <148501273.803288.1645310742550@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <33263D1B-2984-4F28-B3F4-E22DC3666EEA@icloud.com> +1 > On Feb 19, 2022, at 14:47, HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > Seems to me, as someone who has worked in natural resource management for my career, that I want an all-inclusive list. If it was seen and properly identified it gets listed. From plkoyama at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 15:22:38 2022 From: plkoyama at comcast.net (PENNY & DAVID KOYAMA) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <33263D1B-2984-4F28-B3F4-E22DC3666EEA@icloud.com> References: <148501273.803288.1645310742550@connect.xfinity.com> <33263D1B-2984-4F28-B3F4-E22DC3666EEA@icloud.com> Message-ID: <1493815334.655427.1645312958075@connect.xfinity.com> I realize one's list is whatever one wants it to be, but isn't it the AOU/Cornell gang that determines what is "countable?" You know, after lots of meetings, discussions, and voting? Just as with our own State Bird Records Committee (BRC), which decides what species will be accepted for state records, and which will be rejected for lack of evidence? I know their rules are complicated and changing (e.g., you no longer have to strike an exotic species from your list if it has been extirpated from the area in which you saw it) but there are rules for uniformity, and, I suppose competitive comparisons. So, wouldn't the State BRC be the folks who determine the status of the Mandarin Duck? Or does that AOU make the first move? Penny Koyama, Bothell > On 02/19/2022 3:02 PM John Seiferth wrote: > > > +1 > > > > On Feb 19, 2022, at 14:47, HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > > > Seems to me, as someone who has worked in natural resource management for my career, that I want an all-inclusive list. If it was seen and properly identified it gets listed. > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From ucd880 at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 18:11:14 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <1493815334.655427.1645312958075@connect.xfinity.com> References: <148501273.803288.1645310742550@connect.xfinity.com> <33263D1B-2984-4F28-B3F4-E22DC3666EEA@icloud.com> <1493815334.655427.1645312958075@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <48074442.843904.1645323074557@connect.xfinity.com> In talking with members of the RBC I was asked to report a rare bird that I saw. While the "look" was pretty good it wasn't definitive and there were no pictures. But they wanted the record, even rejected, because if a number of even "rejects" show up in a given area it might be worth a look. Hal Michael Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/19/2022 3:22 PM PENNY & DAVID KOYAMA wrote: > > > I realize one's list is whatever one wants it to be, but isn't it the AOU/Cornell gang that determines what is "countable?" You know, after lots of meetings, discussions, and voting? Just as with our own State Bird Records Committee (BRC), which decides what species will be accepted for state records, and which will be rejected for lack of evidence? > > I know their rules are complicated and changing (e.g., you no longer have to strike an exotic species from your list if it has been extirpated from the area in which you saw it) but there are rules for uniformity, and, I suppose competitive comparisons. > > So, wouldn't the State BRC be the folks who determine the status of the Mandarin Duck? Or does that AOU make the first move? > Penny Koyama, Bothell > > > > On 02/19/2022 3:02 PM John Seiferth wrote: > > > > > > +1 > > > > > > > On Feb 19, 2022, at 14:47, HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > > > > > Seems to me, as someone who has worked in natural resource management for my career, that I want an all-inclusive list. If it was seen and properly identified it gets listed. > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From stevechampton at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 18:28:53 2022 From: stevechampton at gmail.com (Steve Hampton) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <48074442.843904.1645323074557@connect.xfinity.com> References: <148501273.803288.1645310742550@connect.xfinity.com> <33263D1B-2984-4F28-B3F4-E22DC3666EEA@icloud.com> <1493815334.655427.1645312958075@connect.xfinity.com> <48074442.843904.1645323074557@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: eBird says they are working on this issue but it seems they've been saying that for several years. On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 6:12 PM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > In talking with members of the RBC I was asked to report a rare bird that > I saw. While the "look" was pretty good it wasn't definitive and there > were no pictures. But they wanted the record, even rejected, because if a > number of even "rejects" show up in a given area it might be worth a look. > > > Hal Michael > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) > Olympia WA > 360-459-4005 > 360-791-7702 (C) > ucd880@comcast.net > > > On 02/19/2022 3:22 PM PENNY & DAVID KOYAMA wrote: > > > > > > I realize one's list is whatever one wants it to be, but isn't it the > AOU/Cornell gang that determines what is "countable?" You know, after lots > of meetings, discussions, and voting? Just as with our own State Bird > Records Committee (BRC), which decides what species will be accepted for > state records, and which will be rejected for lack of evidence? > > > > I know their rules are complicated and changing (e.g., you no longer > have to strike an exotic species from your list if it has been extirpated > from the area in which you saw it) but there are rules for uniformity, and, > I suppose competitive comparisons. > > > > So, wouldn't the State BRC be the folks who determine the status of the > Mandarin Duck? Or does that AOU make the first move? > > Penny Koyama, Bothell > > > > > > > On 02/19/2022 3:02 PM John Seiferth wrote: > > > > > > > > > +1 > > > > > > > > > > On Feb 19, 2022, at 14:47, HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > > > > > > > Seems to me, as someone who has worked in natural resource > management for my career, that I want an all-inclusive list. If it was > seen and properly identified it gets listed. > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Tweeters mailing list > > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -- ?Steve Hampton? Port Townsend, WA (qat?y) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cariddellwa at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 18:47:24 2022 From: cariddellwa at gmail.com (Carol Riddell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons Message-ID: Dennis Paulson raised a great question about why some pigeon sightings turn up as rare birds in eBird. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) is the listing on the basic checklist. If you want to report a wild type, you have to add a species to the checklist and select Rock Pigeon (wild type). That is considered a rare bird. But how are we to determine what is a feral pigeon and what is a wild type Rock Pigeon? There is no guidance in eBird that I can find. When should we consider using the wild type category and what evidence of a rare pigeon sighting would eBird reviewers want to consider when deciding whether to include the report in the public data? I think knowing this would be as useful to birders who do not use eBird as it would be to eBirders. We all want to improve our birding skills and learn how to distinguish things in the field. Any answers from any local eBird reviewer who might feel so inclined? Thanks. Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA From bill.tweit at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 18:55:39 2022 From: bill.tweit at gmail.com (Bill Tweit) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl 1930-2022 Message-ID: I am so sorry to be the bearer of the news that Terry Wahl passed away on Feb 17, peacefully, at home, surrounded by family. For many of us, Terry was the father of birding as we know it in Washington. He and Dennis Paulson produced one of the first birdfinding guides in the nation, he started Westport Seabirds, he urged the creation of a Bird Records Committee, he birded the entire state when few others were, as well as many other contributions. To me, he was a mentor, colleague and friend, and I miss him greatly. Like many other west coast birders, I learned so much from him about field ornithology and birding, thanks to him Westport Seabirds has a amassed a half century database of seabird abundance and distribution off Washington. There is nowhere else in the world that can make this claim. Following is the obituary his family has prepared. At this time, I do not think there are any plans for a memorial service. His family suggests donations in his name to the Whatcom Land Trust. I also suggest that contributions to the Western Field Ornithologists scholarship or research grants program, or contributions to the Pacific Seabird Group funds supporting student research or conservation projects, would be fitting memorials. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Terence R. Wahl, 91, ornithologist, environmentalist, and patriarch to many, died at home on Thursday, February 17th, 2022. Born in Bellingham on March 18, 1930 to Ralph Wahl and Jean Kennedy Wahl, Terry graduated from the University of Washington, earning a degree in business, and attended New York University in Manhattan. In 1951 he married Robin Geske, and entered the long-lived family business, Wahl?s department store in Bellingham. In 1972 he changed occupations and became a full-time field ornithologist. For over thirty years following his departure from retail, he worked at what he called ?the equivalent of three part-time jobs for half pay,? writing environmental impact statements concerning breeding bird habitats, for both state and federal governments. He was a pioneer in bird census on the west coast, and started one of the earliest ecotourism businesses in the state ? leading ocean-going tours out of Gray?s Harbor, educating his clients in the identification and ways of pelagic birds. He taught ornithology classes and conducted local birding trips for many years. In the mid 1970s he was a bird observer on a NOAA ship sailing to Peru and west to find the origin of La Nina, and on other trips across the North Pacific and Bering Sea, several aboard Japanese research vessels. His connections in the birding world brought many people to the Washington coast and to Bellingham, and he started many long friendships through this work. He published ?Guide to Bird Finding in Washington? in 1977, then ?Birds of Whatcom County,? last edition in 1995, and ?Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution,? published by Oregon State University Press in 2005, compiled and edited with two fellow ornithologists. Terry imbued in his children a great love of the natural world, through camping trips in all kinds of weather, days spent in the woods and salt-marshes, memorable road trips throughout the west, in seeking and finding bird species. He taught them basic carpentry, beekeeping, how to shoot a basketball, how to make a pun that would leave others groaning in despair. His innermost concerns were to take care of the environment. He was one of the stewards of the world who didn?t mind being called a curmudgeon. He will be missed. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Whatcom Land Trust. Bill Tweit -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rjm284 at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 18:56:19 2022 From: rjm284 at gmail.com (Ryan Merrill) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: This link on eBird explains the Rock Pigeon situation: https://ebird.org/news/rock-pigeon/ To briefly summarize, all Rock Pigeons in North America should be reported using the ?Feral Pigeon? option. Good birding, Ryan Merrill Seattle ---------- Forwarded message --------- > From: Carol Riddell > Date: Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 18:47 > Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons > To: Tweeters > > > Dennis Paulson raised a great question about why some pigeon sightings > turn up as rare birds in eBird. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) is the listing > on the basic checklist. If you want to report a wild type, you have to add > a species to the checklist and select Rock Pigeon (wild type). That is > considered a rare bird. But how are we to determine what is a feral pigeon > and what is a wild type Rock Pigeon? There is no guidance in eBird that I > can find. When should we consider using the wild type category and what > evidence of a rare pigeon sighting would eBird reviewers want to consider > when deciding whether to include the report in the public data? > > I think knowing this would be as useful to birders who do not use eBird as > it would be to eBirders. We all want to improve our birding skills and > learn how to distinguish things in the field. Any answers from any local > eBird reviewer who might feel so inclined? Thanks. > > Carol Riddell > Edmonds, WA > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stevechampton at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 18:57:34 2022 From: stevechampton at gmail.com (Steve Hampton) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I'm not an eBird reviewer but I can tell you that native wild Rock Pigeons generally occur in rocky habitats in arid regions from Spain and Morocco across southern Europe and northern Africa and the Middle East to India and Mongolia. Anywhere else they are considered feral and come in a variety of color patterns. Birders in North America should use the "Rock Pigeon (feral)" option. On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 6:48 PM Carol Riddell wrote: > Dennis Paulson raised a great question about why some pigeon sightings > turn up as rare birds in eBird. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) is the listing > on the basic checklist. If you want to report a wild type, you have to add > a species to the checklist and select Rock Pigeon (wild type). That is > considered a rare bird. But how are we to determine what is a feral pigeon > and what is a wild type Rock Pigeon? There is no guidance in eBird that I > can find. When should we consider using the wild type category and what > evidence of a rare pigeon sighting would eBird reviewers want to consider > when deciding whether to include the report in the public data? > > I think knowing this would be as useful to birders who do not use eBird as > it would be to eBirders. We all want to improve our birding skills and > learn how to distinguish things in the field. Any answers from any local > eBird reviewer who might feel so inclined? Thanks. > > Carol Riddell > Edmonds, WA > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -- ?Steve Hampton? Port Townsend, WA (qat?y) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ucd880 at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 19:11:52 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <845060595.844653.1645326712931@connect.xfinity.com> Pigeons were introduced/escaped into North America. It's like Red Junglefowl; any seen in N America will be feral. I also doubt that there are any populations in N America that are pure wild Rock Pigeon. Hal Michael Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/19/2022 6:47 PM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > Dennis Paulson raised a great question about why some pigeon sightings turn up as rare birds in eBird. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) is the listing on the basic checklist. If you want to report a wild type, you have to add a species to the checklist and select Rock Pigeon (wild type). That is considered a rare bird. But how are we to determine what is a feral pigeon and what is a wild type Rock Pigeon? There is no guidance in eBird that I can find. When should we consider using the wild type category and what evidence of a rare pigeon sighting would eBird reviewers want to consider when deciding whether to include the report in the public data? > > I think knowing this would be as useful to birders who do not use eBird as it would be to eBirders. We all want to improve our birding skills and learn how to distinguish things in the field. Any answers from any local eBird reviewer who might feel so inclined? Thanks. > > Carol Riddell > Edmonds, WA > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 19:47:33 2022 From: dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com (Steven Dammer) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Okanogan Highlands trip report Message-ID: Hey Tweets, Just returned from birding the Okanogan Highlands today followed by a (sadly) uneventful Waterville Plateau jaunt. I joined a group of birders from Tri-Cities to locate the fabled Sharp-Tailed Grouse. The Sharp-Tailed Grouse were present this morning as of about 0930, there were 10 that we could count. Seen about 50 yards East of the intersection of Siwash Creek and Rehmke as previously reported. Lifer for myself and 2 of the others! Very exciting to put eyes on this odd tree chicken. They were hitting the very tops of the ponderosas as they flew, until finally making their last move over the hill. We had a good 5-10 minutes of viewing pleasure! Additional species at the intersection were the usual Chickadees/Nuthatches and 2 Mountain Bluebirds heard calling from further up the hill. I personally came across a group of Wild Turkeys much further down Siwash Creek, and encountered a Clark's Nutcracker about a half mile up Rehmke. Many many Red Crossbills and Red-Breasted Nuthatches were scattered alongside both roads, but the bulk was seen with the group roughly 1.5-2.0 miles up Rehmke. We did have a nice treat with 2 White-Winged Crossbills that were seen at a distance but picked up by their calls coming through the cacophony of Pygmy Nuthatch, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, and Red Crossbill calls. LOTS of activity! Also heard were a pack of coyotes howling in the distance. I later tracked up toward Chesaw and took the Davies Rd loop. Some decent activity bearing toward noon, Red Crossbills, RB Nuthatches, Mountain and Black-Capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, and a single Pileated Woodpecker. Was REALLY hoping for Pine Grosbeaks, and thought I might get luckier still to catch a Boreal Chickadee (hah..) Though activity was localized to one spot in particular, still a nice drive-thru. I wish I could report more activity on the Waterville Plateau, though expected being as it was around 3pm. I had 1 Rough-Legged Hawk and 100s of Horned Larks, but no Snow Buntings (grrr). All in all a wonderful, cold, and early morning of birding! Happy Birding, Steven Dammer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From thefedderns at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 19:55:15 2022 From: thefedderns at gmail.com (Hans-Joachim Feddern) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: <845060595.844653.1645326712931@connect.xfinity.com> References: <845060595.844653.1645326712931@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: Years ago, when we lived in Denver, Colorado. I watched some Rock Pigeons at the Red Rock Amphitheater. They all looked like the original wild Rock Pigeons with no color variations, even though they were likely from feral stock. They sure looked like they were in their natural habitat! Not to date myself, but if I correctly recall, they were not "countable" at that time. Now the Magnificent Frigatebird I found, was a first for the Colorado list! Good Birding! Hans On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 7:12 PM HAL MICHAEL wrote: > Pigeons were introduced/escaped into North America. It's like Red > Junglefowl; any seen in N America will be feral. I also doubt that there > are any populations in N America that are pure wild Rock Pigeon. > > Hal Michael > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) > Olympia WA > 360-459-4005 > 360-791-7702 (C) > ucd880@comcast.net > > > On 02/19/2022 6:47 PM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > > > > Dennis Paulson raised a great question about why some pigeon sightings > turn up as rare birds in eBird. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) is the listing > on the basic checklist. If you want to report a wild type, you have to add > a species to the checklist and select Rock Pigeon (wild type). That is > considered a rare bird. But how are we to determine what is a feral pigeon > and what is a wild type Rock Pigeon? There is no guidance in eBird that I > can find. When should we consider using the wild type category and what > evidence of a rare pigeon sighting would eBird reviewers want to consider > when deciding whether to include the report in the public data? > > > > I think knowing this would be as useful to birders who do not use eBird > as it would be to eBirders. We all want to improve our birding skills and > learn how to distinguish things in the field. Any answers from any local > eBird reviewer who might feel so inclined? Thanks. > > > > Carol Riddell > > Edmonds, WA > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -- *Hans Feddern* Twin Lakes/Federal Way, WA thefedderns@gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cariddellwa at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 20:21:10 2022 From: cariddellwa at gmail.com (Carol Riddell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: References: <845060595.844653.1645326712931@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: This is quoted from Cornell?s Birds of the World data base: "Introduced to North America in the early 17th-century by colonists who brought domestic pigeons to Atlantic coast settlements (Schorger 1952a ), the Rock Pigeon (formerly the Rock Dove) is now feral and lives broadly on the continent. Wild Rock Pigeons, native to Europe, North Africa, and western, southwestern, west-central, and southern Asia, gave rise to domestics as a result of artificial selection by humans (Darwin 1868 ). Domestics readily go feral, and have done so widely throughout the world (Long 1981 ).? It would appear that it is never appropriate to use Rock Pigeon (Wild type) on an eBird checklist for a North American location, even if you see a wild population living on cliffs. That would explain why, when you make a species map in eBird for Rock Pigeon (Wild type), no records exist for North America. eBird shows Wild type sightings mostly in Iceland, the UK, most of the countries bordering the Mediterranean, the Near East, Middle East, and India. They would still be Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) on this continent. Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA > On Feb 19, 2022, at 7:55 PM, Hans-Joachim Feddern wrote: > > Years ago, when we lived in Denver, Colorado. I watched some Rock Pigeons at the Red Rock Amphitheater. They all looked like the original wild Rock Pigeons with no color variations, even though they were likely from feral stock. They sure looked like they were in their natural habitat! Not to date myself, but if I correctly recall, they were not "countable" at that time. Now the Magnificent Frigatebird I found, was a first for the Colorado list! > > Good Birding! > > Hans > > On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 7:12 PM HAL MICHAEL > wrote: > Pigeons were introduced/escaped into North America. It's like Red Junglefowl; any seen in N America will be feral. I also doubt that there are any populations in N America that are pure wild Rock Pigeon. > > Hal Michael > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/ ) > Olympia WA > 360-459-4005 > 360-791-7702 (C) > ucd880@comcast.net > > > On 02/19/2022 6:47 PM Carol Riddell > wrote: > > > > > > Dennis Paulson raised a great question about why some pigeon sightings turn up as rare birds in eBird. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) is the listing on the basic checklist. If you want to report a wild type, you have to add a species to the checklist and select Rock Pigeon (wild type). That is considered a rare bird. But how are we to determine what is a feral pigeon and what is a wild type Rock Pigeon? There is no guidance in eBird that I can find. When should we consider using the wild type category and what evidence of a rare pigeon sighting would eBird reviewers want to consider when deciding whether to include the report in the public data? > > > > I think knowing this would be as useful to birders who do not use eBird as it would be to eBirders. We all want to improve our birding skills and learn how to distinguish things in the field. Any answers from any local eBird reviewer who might feel so inclined? Thanks. > > > > Carol Riddell > > Edmonds, WA > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > -- > Hans Feddern > Twin Lakes/Federal Way, WA > thefedderns@gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From enhunn323 at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 21:19:36 2022 From: enhunn323 at comcast.net (NANCY AND EUGENE HUNN) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl 1930-2022 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1550393440.797906.1645334376522@connect.xfinity.com> Bill, et al. Terry was my gateway to Washington birds. I hadn't seen him in some years but always wondered what he was up to, how he was doing, as the years piled up. I recall his annoyed comment on a pelagic boat when some rare bird was spotted and we were all screaming and jumping up and down: "Too much enthusiasm." Low key was his style, but he welcomed all us young upstarts. A fond farewell. Gene Hunn Petaluma, CA > On 02/19/2022 6:55 PM Bill Tweit wrote: > > > I am so sorry to be the bearer of the news that Terry Wahl passed away on Feb 17, peacefully, at home, surrounded by family. For many of us, Terry was the father of birding as we know it in Washington. He and Dennis Paulson produced one of the first birdfinding guides in the nation, he started Westport Seabirds, he urged the creation of a Bird Records Committee, he birded the entire state when few others were, as well as many other contributions. To me, he was a mentor, colleague and friend, and I miss him greatly. Like many other west coast birders, I learned so much from him about field ornithology and birding, thanks to him Westport Seabirds has a amassed a half century database of seabird abundance and distribution off Washington. There is nowhere else in the world that can make this claim. > > Following is the obituary his family has prepared. At this time, I do not think there are any plans for a memorial service. His family suggests donations in his name to the Whatcom Land Trust. I also suggest that contributions to the Western Field Ornithologists scholarship or research grants program, or contributions to the Pacific Seabird Group funds supporting student research or conservation projects, would be fitting memorials. > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Terence R. Wahl, 91, ornithologist, environmentalist, and patriarch to many, died at home on Thursday, February 17th, 2022. > > Born in Bellingham on March 18, 1930 to Ralph Wahl and Jean Kennedy Wahl, Terry graduated from the University of Washington, earning a degree in business, and attended New York University in Manhattan. In 1951 he married Robin Geske, and entered the long-lived family business, Wahl?s department store in Bellingham. > > In 1972 he changed occupations and became a full-time field ornithologist. For over thirty years following his departure from retail, he worked at what he called ?the equivalent of three part-time jobs for half pay,? writing environmental impact statements concerning breeding bird habitats, for both state and federal governments. He was a pioneer in bird census on the west coast, and started one of the earliest ecotourism businesses in the state ? leading ocean-going tours out of Gray?s Harbor, educating his clients in the identification and ways of pelagic birds. He taught ornithology classes and conducted local birding trips for many years. In the mid 1970s he was a bird observer on a NOAA ship sailing to Peru and west to find the origin of La Nina, and on other trips across the North Pacific and Bering Sea, several aboard Japanese research vessels. His connections in the birding world brought many people to the Washington coast and to Bellingham, and he started many long friendships through this work. > > He published ?Guide to Bird Finding in Washington? in 1977, then ?Birds of Whatcom County,? last edition in 1995, and ?Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution,? published by Oregon State University Press in 2005, compiled and edited with two fellow ornithologists. > > Terry imbued in his children a great love of the natural world, through camping trips in all kinds of weather, days spent in the woods and salt-marshes, memorable road trips throughout the west, in seeking and finding bird species. He taught them basic carpentry, beekeeping, how to shoot a basketball, how to make a pun that would leave others groaning in despair. His innermost concerns were to take care of the environment. He was one of the stewards of the world who didn?t mind being called a curmudgeon. > > He will be missed. > > In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Whatcom Land Trust. > > Bill Tweit > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ucd880 at comcast.net Sat Feb 19 21:26:55 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away In-Reply-To: <165A2CFB-6385-439B-978D-382EAA06B3DA@earthlink.net> References: <17A11039-D3A5-41FE-BA39-FF8E3F13893D@gmail.com> <1997485223.866263.1645300431970@connect.xfinity.com> <165A2CFB-6385-439B-978D-382EAA06B3DA@earthlink.net> Message-ID: <2063286797.846302.1645334815260@connect.xfinity.com> It's funny that Mandarins are "know" to be escapees when they have been breeding in CA for decades. Hal Michael Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/19/2022 9:23 PM Matt Bartels wrote: > > > Mandarin Duck is not considered countable anywhere in the ABA - it is not on the CA list. > > All Mandarin Ducks in the ABA area are pretty much assumed to be escapees. > > On the eBird front, it will be a while but eBird central is at work on an ?exotics? status marking for birds like Mandarin Duck -once implemented we?ll no longer see these on eBird alerts, I believe ? they can be listed by observers and will not be counted on list totals - I think they?ll still show up on lists, but down at the bottom in a different list. > It is a big endeavor to get the codes right for all different regions in the world, and the codes are more complex than a yes/no binary. Last I heard, the hope is still to get this done this year?. > > Matt Bartels > Seattle, WAA > > > > On Feb 19, 2022, at 11:53 AM, HAL MICHAEL wrote: > > > > It is established in at least California. I haven't searched for it but how sure are folks that it is an escapee and not a wanderer from down South? > > > > > > > > Hal Michael > > Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) > > Olympia WA > > 360-459-4005 > > 360-791-7702 (C) > > ucd880@comcast.net From cgar.bird at gmail.com Sat Feb 19 22:34:49 2022 From: cgar.bird at gmail.com (Carol Pinegar) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Magpie, Seattle, noon 2.19.22 Message-ID: I'm a Portland birder reporting this on behalf of Sarah Swanson, Oregon Birding Assoc. She has a friend who got video of a Magpie in Seattle today at noon. 47.539140 -122.296418 -- Carol Pinegar (she/her/ella) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dennispaulson at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 07:55:06 2022 From: dennispaulson at comcast.net (Dennis Paulson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: And Rock Pigeons breed in just those rocky areas widely in eastern Washington. They nest on cliff ledges exactly as they do in their native range. I think they commute in flocks between their nesting habitat and nearby croplands, just as I saw them doing in Israel. I wonder if anyone has paid much attention to those populations. Are they variable like so many populations of Rock Pigeons, or have they reverted to the original plumage type? Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Feb 19, 2022, at 6:57 PM, Steve Hampton wrote: > > I'm not an eBird reviewer but I can tell you that native wild Rock Pigeons generally occur in rocky habitats in arid regions from Spain and Morocco across southern Europe and northern Africa and the Middle East to India and Mongolia. Anywhere else they are considered feral and come in a variety of color patterns. > > Birders in North America should use the "Rock Pigeon (feral)" option. > > > > > > On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 6:48 PM Carol Riddell > wrote: > Dennis Paulson raised a great question about why some pigeon sightings turn up as rare birds in eBird. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) is the listing on the basic checklist. If you want to report a wild type, you have to add a species to the checklist and select Rock Pigeon (wild type). That is considered a rare bird. But how are we to determine what is a feral pigeon and what is a wild type Rock Pigeon? There is no guidance in eBird that I can find. When should we consider using the wild type category and what evidence of a rare pigeon sighting would eBird reviewers want to consider when deciding whether to include the report in the public data? > > I think knowing this would be as useful to birders who do not use eBird as it would be to eBirders. We all want to improve our birding skills and learn how to distinguish things in the field. Any answers from any local eBird reviewer who might feel so inclined? Thanks. > > Carol Riddell > Edmonds, WA > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > -- > ?Steve Hampton? > Port Townsend, WA (qat?y) > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dennispaulson at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 09:04:45 2022 From: dennispaulson at comcast.net (Dennis Paulson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl 1930-2022 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I will echo Bill?s comments about Terry Wahl. He was one of the first people who I was told to contact when I moved to Washington in 1967 as an enthusiastic birder. We became good friends, and I went out on virtually every pelagic trip for quite a few years with him. He would pick me up in Seattle, and we would drive down to sleep in either a handy motel in Westport or his van in Twin Harbors State Park. Up early the next morning and onto one of the boats we used in those days, out onto the ocean not knowing what we would see, an exciting day of birding, and then back on shore to drive home. Some of Terry?s friends from Bellingham would often be with him, and we were never at a loss for conversations about birds and other things on those drives. Those were great times, and although I haven?t seen Terry for quite a while, I often think of him, and Bill has kept me up to date on him. When he decided to retire from the birding scene a decade ago, it was the end of an era and a real loss to Washington ornithology. Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Feb 19, 2022, at 6:55 PM, Bill Tweit wrote: > > I am so sorry to be the bearer of the news that Terry Wahl passed away on Feb 17, peacefully, at home, surrounded by family. For many of us, Terry was the father of birding as we know it in Washington. He and Dennis Paulson produced one of the first birdfinding guides in the nation, he started Westport Seabirds, he urged the creation of a Bird Records Committee, he birded the entire state when few others were, as well as many other contributions. To me, he was a mentor, colleague and friend, and I miss him greatly. Like many other west coast birders, I learned so much from him about field ornithology and birding, thanks to him Westport Seabirds has a amassed a half century database of seabird abundance and distribution off Washington. There is nowhere else in the world that can make this claim. > > Following is the obituary his family has prepared. At this time, I do not think there are any plans for a memorial service. His family suggests donations in his name to the Whatcom Land Trust. I also suggest that contributions to the Western Field Ornithologists scholarship or research grants program, or contributions to the Pacific Seabird Group funds supporting student research or conservation projects, would be fitting memorials. > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Terence R. Wahl, 91, ornithologist, environmentalist, and patriarch to many, died at home on Thursday, February 17th, 2022. > > Born in Bellingham on March 18, 1930 to Ralph Wahl and Jean Kennedy Wahl, Terry graduated from the University of Washington, earning a degree in business, and attended New York University in Manhattan. In 1951 he married Robin Geske, and entered the long-lived family business, Wahl?s department store in Bellingham. > > In 1972 he changed occupations and became a full-time field ornithologist. For over thirty years following his departure from retail, he worked at what he called ?the equivalent of three part-time jobs for half pay,? writing environmental impact statements concerning breeding bird habitats, for both state and federal governments. He was a pioneer in bird census on the west coast, and started one of the earliest ecotourism businesses in the state ? leading ocean-going tours out of Gray?s Harbor, educating his clients in the identification and ways of pelagic birds. He taught ornithology classes and conducted local birding trips for many years. In the mid 1970s he was a bird observer on a NOAA ship sailing to Peru and west to find the origin of La Nina, and on other trips across the North Pacific and Bering Sea, several aboard Japanese research vessels. His connections in the birding world brought many people to the Washington coast and to Bellingham, and he started many long friendships through this work. > > He published ?Guide to Bird Finding in Washington? in 1977, then ?Birds of Whatcom County,? last edition in 1995, and ?Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution,? published by Oregon State University Press in 2005, compiled and edited with two fellow ornithologists. > > Terry imbued in his children a great love of the natural world, through camping trips in all kinds of weather, days spent in the woods and salt-marshes, memorable road trips throughout the west, in seeking and finding bird species. He taught them basic carpentry, beekeeping, how to shoot a basketball, how to make a pun that would leave others groaning in despair. His innermost concerns were to take care of the environment. He was one of the stewards of the world who didn?t mind being called a curmudgeon. > > He will be missed. > > In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Whatcom Land Trust. > > Bill Tweit > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From isseki.ryotoku at gmail.com Sun Feb 20 09:16:16 2022 From: isseki.ryotoku at gmail.com (Stephen T Bird) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: This goes to the mandarin duck conversation as well, what IS ?nature?? Awhile back I recall there were some reports of finch species on San Cristibol island. They?d adapted to life there but clearly didn?t ?belong,? as such I question if they should have been reportable. I wonder the same for the invaders of the Hawaiian chain. By some odd wind, the reportable but freakishly odd dusky warblers (Stellar?s Sea Eagle, and Bat Falcon) blown in too small a population to establish a founder population illicit excitement. As flotsam, various established populations of munias, whiteyes, bishops on the southern US West Coast are on the cusp of establishment. I?ve heard some of the smartest eBird reviewers I?ve known describe Canada Geese as ?domesticated freaks? that aren?t ?countable? (they approve others, but don?t count their own) (there are beautiful papers describing the adaptation of Canada geese to migrating via sky scraper rooftops!) with disgust. I?ll admit I don?t count every house finch and yellow-rumped warbler. What if! Chuck Darwin had caught the FIRST pioneering finch on the islands and watched with geologic patience for its pair, ? what if he?d had eBird and citizen science to do the work for him! What if he?d missed it because of differentially applied definitions? Someone smarter and more creative than I would make the best of it. This is only to say, poor definitions in science leads to poor science, and perhaps where Cornell has fallen short in it?s ?citizen? science project. Evolution uses the dinglehoppers, snarfblatts, and thingamabobs you give to it. But ditto, clarification, perhaps by adding categories might be nice. I?ve been known to request ?leave unconfirmed? in the notes section on a rarity I couldn?t double verify to my personal satisfaction (by sight and sound), it?d be nice to leave those off the list, and tune reports manually. I digress? Stephen On Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 7:56 AM Dennis Paulson wrote: > And Rock Pigeons breed in just those rocky areas widely in eastern > Washington. They nest on cliff ledges exactly as they do in their native > range. I think they commute in flocks between their nesting habitat and > nearby croplands, just as I saw them doing in Israel. I wonder if anyone > has paid much attention to those populations. Are they variable like so > many populations of Rock Pigeons, or have they reverted to the original > plumage type? > > Dennis Paulson > Seattle > > On Feb 19, 2022, at 6:57 PM, Steve Hampton > wrote: > > I'm not an eBird reviewer but I can tell you that native wild Rock Pigeons > generally occur in rocky habitats in arid regions from Spain and Morocco > across southern Europe and northern Africa and the Middle East to India and > Mongolia. Anywhere else they are considered feral and come in a variety of > color patterns. > > Birders in North America should use the "Rock Pigeon (feral)" option. > > > > > > On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 6:48 PM Carol Riddell > wrote: > >> Dennis Paulson raised a great question about why some pigeon sightings >> turn up as rare birds in eBird. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) is the listing >> on the basic checklist. If you want to report a wild type, you have to add >> a species to the checklist and select Rock Pigeon (wild type). That is >> considered a rare bird. But how are we to determine what is a feral pigeon >> and what is a wild type Rock Pigeon? There is no guidance in eBird that I >> can find. When should we consider using the wild type category and what >> evidence of a rare pigeon sighting would eBird reviewers want to consider >> when deciding whether to include the report in the public data? >> >> I think knowing this would be as useful to birders who do not use eBird >> as it would be to eBirders. We all want to improve our birding skills and >> learn how to distinguish things in the field. Any answers from any local >> eBird reviewer who might feel so inclined? Thanks. >> >> Carol Riddell >> Edmonds, WA >> _______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list >> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> > > > -- > ?Steve Hampton? > Port Townsend, WA (qat?y) > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gorgebirds at juno.com Sun Feb 20 09:55:42 2022 From: gorgebirds at juno.com (Wilson Cady) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl 1930-2022 Message-ID: <20220220.095542.10718.0@webmail03.vgs.untd.com> I am sorry to hear of Terry's passing. I too had my introduction to pelagic birding on Terry Wahl led trips and have many memories of the birds we saw. One of the most vivid was when a Mottled Petrel easily caught up with the running boat and passed closely by giving us all a great view. In my mind's eye I see Terry's image with the petrel in the background and he did seem excited that time. I still have my copies of his bird finding guides, he was a pioneer birder. Wilson Cady Columbia River Gorge, WA ---------- Original Message ---------- From: NANCY AND EUGENE HUNN To: Bill Tweit , tweeters@u.washington.edu Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl 1930-2022 Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2022 21:19:36 -0800 (PST) Bill, et al. Terry was my gateway to Washington birds. I hadn't seen him in some years but always wondered what he was up to, how he was doing, as the years piled up. I recall his annoyed comment on a pelagic boat when some rare bird was spotted and we were all screaming and jumping up and down: "Too much enthusiasm." Low key was his style, but he welcomed all us young upstarts. A fond farewell. Gene HunnPetaluma, CAOn 02/19/2022 6:55 PM Bill Tweit wrote: I am so sorry to be the bearer of the news that Terry Wahl passed away on Feb 17, peacefully, at home, surrounded by family. For many of us, Terry was the father of birding as we know it in Washington. He and Dennis Paulson produced one of the first birdfinding guides in the nation, he started Westport Seabirds, he urged the creation of a Bird Records Committee, he birded the entire state when few others were, as well as many other contributions. To me, he was a mentor, colleague and friend, and I miss him greatly. Like many other west coast birders, I learned so much from him about field ornithology and birding, thanks to him Westport Seabirds has a amassed a half century database of seabird abundance and distribution off Washington. There is nowhere else in the world that can make this claim. Following is the obituary his family has prepared. At this time, I do not think there are any plans for a memorial service. His family suggests donations in his name to the Whatcom Land Trust. I also suggest that contributions to the Western Field Ornithologists scholarship or research grants program, or contributions to the Pacific Seabird Group funds supporting student research or conservation projects, would be fitting memorials.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Terence R. Wahl, 91, ornithologist, environmentalist, and patriarch to many, died at home on Thursday, February 17th, 2022. Born in Bellingham on March 18, 1930 to Ralph Wahl and Jean Kennedy Wahl, Terry graduated from the University of Washington, earning a degree in business, and attended New York University in Manhattan. In 1951 he married Robin Geske, and entered the long-lived family business, Wahl’s department store in Bellingham. In 1972 he changed occupations and became a full-time field ornithologist. For over thirty years following his departure from retail, he worked at what he called “the equivalent of three part-time jobs for half pay,” writing environmental impact statements concerning breeding bird habitats, for both state and federal governments. He was a pioneer in bird census on the west coast, and started one of the earliest ecotourism businesses in the state – leading ocean-going tours out of Gray’s Harbor, educating his clients in the identification and ways of pelagic birds. He taught ornithology classes and conducted local birding trips for many years. In the mid 1970s he was a bird observer on a NOAA ship sailing to Peru and west to find the origin of La Nina, and on other trips across the North Pacific and Bering Sea, several aboard Japanese research vessels. His connections in the birding world brought many people to the Washington coast and to Bellingham, and he started many long friendships through this work. He published “Guide to Bird Finding in Washington” in 1977, then “Birds of Whatcom County,” last edition in 1995, and “Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution,” published by Oregon State University Press in 2005, compiled and edited with two fellow ornithologists. Terry imbued in his children a great love of the natural world, through camping trips in all kinds of weather, days spent in the woods and salt-marshes, memorable road trips throughout the west, in seeking and finding bird species. He taught them basic carpentry, beekeeping, how to shoot a basketball, how to make a pun that would leave others groaning in despair. His innermost concerns were to take care of the environment. He was one of the stewards of the world who didn’t mind being called a curmudgeon. He will be missed. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Whatcom Land Trust. Bill Tweit_______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jill.freidberg at gmail.com Sun Feb 20 11:19:01 2022 From: jill.freidberg at gmail.com (Jill Freidberg) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Songbird talon affliction? Message-ID: I?m in Seattle?s Central District. This year, I have seen a nuthatch, a chickadee, a bushtit, and a junco all with the same deformity on one talon. In each case, the talon is curled up tight against their body and sort of misshapen. They don?t use it at all. This is not Avian Keratin Disorder. I?ve seen that, and it doesn?t look anything like this. Unfortunately, it is pretty close to impossible to get a photo of what I?m describing. Anyway, is this just a coincidence, or is there a virus/disease that could cause songbird talons to curl up and lose their function? Thanks Jill From constancesidles at gmail.com Sun Feb 20 11:25:58 2022 From: constancesidles at gmail.com (Constance Sidles) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl 1930-2022 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <3A24E6E3-C8BD-4DAA-8F0A-A2263B69F412@gmail.com> I knew Terry only through his books, and yet that gave me - and all of us - so much. Terry taught us about pelagic birding, of course, and about good birding spots in our area. But he also showed us how to be thoughtful birders who share our knowledge with everyone. There is an ethic of birding that encompasses honor, generosity, kindness, growth, and care. Terry set the standard in all these areas. It is his legacy to us, and we are grateful. - Connie Sidles, Seattle > On Feb 19, 2022, at 6:55 PM, Bill Tweit wrote: > > I am so sorry to be the bearer of the news that Terry Wahl passed away on Feb 17, peacefully, at home, surrounded by family. For many of us, Terry was the father of birding as we know it in Washington. He and Dennis Paulson produced one of the first birdfinding guides in the nation, he started Westport Seabirds, he urged the creation of a Bird Records Committee, he birded the entire state when few others were, as well as many other contributions. To me, he was a mentor, colleague and friend, and I miss him greatly. Like many other west coast birders, I learned so much from him about field ornithology and birding, thanks to him Westport Seabirds has a amassed a half century database of seabird abundance and distribution off Washington. There is nowhere else in the world that can make this claim. > > Following is the obituary his family has prepared. At this time, I do not think there are any plans for a memorial service. His family suggests donations in his name to the Whatcom Land Trust. I also suggest that contributions to the Western Field Ornithologists scholarship or research grants program, or contributions to the Pacific Seabird Group funds supporting student research or conservation projects, would be fitting memorials. > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Terence R. Wahl, 91, ornithologist, environmentalist, and patriarch to many, died at home on Thursday, February 17th, 2022. > > Born in Bellingham on March 18, 1930 to Ralph Wahl and Jean Kennedy Wahl, Terry graduated from the University of Washington, earning a degree in business, and attended New York University in Manhattan. In 1951 he married Robin Geske, and entered the long-lived family business, Wahl?s department store in Bellingham. > > In 1972 he changed occupations and became a full-time field ornithologist. For over thirty years following his departure from retail, he worked at what he called ?the equivalent of three part-time jobs for half pay,? writing environmental impact statements concerning breeding bird habitats, for both state and federal governments. He was a pioneer in bird census on the west coast, and started one of the earliest ecotourism businesses in the state ? leading ocean-going tours out of Gray?s Harbor, educating his clients in the identification and ways of pelagic birds. He taught ornithology classes and conducted local birding trips for many years. In the mid 1970s he was a bird observer on a NOAA ship sailing to Peru and west to find the origin of La Nina, and on other trips across the North Pacific and Bering Sea, several aboard Japanese research vessels. His connections in the birding world brought many people to the Washington coast and to Bellingham, and he started many long friendships through this work. > > He published ?Guide to Bird Finding in Washington? in 1977, then ?Birds of Whatcom County,? last edition in 1995, and ?Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution,? published by Oregon State University Press in 2005, compiled and edited with two fellow ornithologists. > > Terry imbued in his children a great love of the natural world, through camping trips in all kinds of weather, days spent in the woods and salt-marshes, memorable road trips throughout the west, in seeking and finding bird species. He taught them basic carpentry, beekeeping, how to shoot a basketball, how to make a pun that would leave others groaning in despair. His innermost concerns were to take care of the environment. He was one of the stewards of the world who didn?t mind being called a curmudgeon. > > He will be missed. > > In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Whatcom Land Trust. > > Bill Tweit > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birdbooker at zipcon.net Sun Feb 20 12:33:22 2022 From: birdbooker at zipcon.net (Ian Paulsen) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] The Birdbooker Report Message-ID: HI ALL: This week's titles are: 1) The Social Wasps of North America 2) Japan: The Natural History... 3) Plants of the Inland NW... 4) Small World 5) The Swallowtail Legacy https://birdbookerreport.blogspot.com/2022/02/new-titles.html sincerely Ian Paulsen Bainbridge Island, WA, USA Visit my BIRDBOOKER REPORT blog here: https://birdbookerreport.blogspot.com/ From dennispaulson at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 12:49:29 2022 From: dennispaulson at comcast.net (Dennis Paulson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] The Birdbooker Report In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <5157FDA8-1BA6-4763-B8F0-275BE5471D96@comcast.net> Ian, thanks for bringing all these wonderful books to our attention week after week, much appreciated! Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Feb 20, 2022, at 12:33 PM, Ian Paulsen wrote: > > HI ALL: > This week's titles are: > > 1) The Social Wasps of North America > 2) Japan: The Natural History... > 3) Plants of the Inland NW... > 4) Small World > 5) The Swallowtail Legacy > > https://birdbookerreport.blogspot.com/2022/02/new-titles.html > > sincerely > Ian Paulsen > Bainbridge Island, WA, USA > Visit my BIRDBOOKER REPORT blog here: > https://birdbookerreport.blogspot.com/ > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From ldhubbell at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 13:03:18 2022 From: ldhubbell at comcast.net (Hubbell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW Message-ID: <1AC040BE-FF57-41C0-98C2-6E02869B9AF9@comcast.net> Tweeters, This week?s post tells the story of a Trumpeter Swan in need of help. The story demonstrates the phrase, ?An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.? https://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/2022/02/save-our-swans.html Actually, "a pound" may very well understate the value. Sincerely, Larry Hubbell ldhubbell at comcast dot net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dennispaulson at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 13:19:47 2022 From: dennispaulson at comcast.net (Dennis Paulson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW In-Reply-To: <1AC040BE-FF57-41C0-98C2-6E02869B9AF9@comcast.net> References: <1AC040BE-FF57-41C0-98C2-6E02869B9AF9@comcast.net> Message-ID: Larry, the amount of time and effort and care you put into your blog is truly inspiring. Keep it up! And you?re right, Google won?t let me enter that comment directly into the blog. It seems that it is insisting that I can do so only through my Google account. The big companies really do let us down. Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Feb 20, 2022, at 1:03 PM, Hubbell wrote: > > Tweeters, > > This week?s post tells the story of a Trumpeter Swan in need of help. The story demonstrates the phrase, ?An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.? > > https://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/2022/02/save-our-swans.html > > Actually, "a pound" may very well understate the value. > > Sincerely, > Larry Hubbell > ldhubbell at comcast dot net > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldhubbell at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 13:24:10 2022 From: ldhubbell at comcast.net (Larry Hubbell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dennis, Thank you! You are very kind. Larry Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 20, 2022, at 1:20 PM, Dennis Paulson wrote: > > ?Larry, the amount of time and effort and care you put into your blog is truly inspiring. Keep it up! > > And you?re right, Google won?t let me enter that comment directly into the blog. It seems that it is insisting that I can do so only through my Google account. The big companies really do let us down. > > Dennis Paulson > Seattle > >> On Feb 20, 2022, at 1:03 PM, Hubbell wrote: >> >> Tweeters, >> >> This week?s post tells the story of a Trumpeter Swan in need of help. The story demonstrates the phrase, ?An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.? >> >> https://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/2022/02/save-our-swans.html >> >> Actually, "a pound" may very well understate the value. >> >> Sincerely, >> Larry Hubbell >> ldhubbell at comcast dot net >> _______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list >> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cveldink at gmail.com Sun Feb 20 13:34:29 2022 From: cveldink at gmail.com (Connie Veldink) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Everett heronry Message-ID: The Great Blue Herons that have nested near Everett's 10th street boat launch may have departed. They were on the pilings as usual yesterday morning, February 19. A short while later, from the bluff at Legion Park, we saw a flock of about 40 herons circling north of the heronry. They eventually headed northeast up the Snohomish River. This morning no herons were at the nesting site. The Canada Geese that have a nesting spot there were also gone. Connie Veldink Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldhubbell at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 14:43:01 2022 From: ldhubbell at comcast.net (Hubbell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW In-Reply-To: <002b01d826a4$b674f580$235ee080$@olympus.net> References: <002b01d826a4$b674f580$235ee080$@olympus.net> Message-ID: Jan, Thank you! I can honestly say I use the education that Dennis provided in every post. Larry > On Feb 20, 2022, at 1:56 PM, wrote: > > An huge thank you to both Dennis and Larry. > > Wings, > Jan > > > Jan Stewart > 922 E Spruce Street > Sequim, WA 98382-3518 > jstewart@olympus.net > > From: Tweeters > On Behalf Of Larry Hubbell > Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2022 1:24 PM > To: Dennis Paulson > > Cc: TWEETERS tweeters > > Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW > > Dennis, > > Thank you! You are very kind. > > Larry > > Sent from my iPhone > > >> On Feb 20, 2022, at 1:20 PM, Dennis Paulson > wrote: >> >> ?Larry, the amount of time and effort and care you put into your blog is truly inspiring. Keep it up! >> >> And you?re right, Google won?t let me enter that comment directly into the blog. It seems that it is insisting that I can do so only through my Google account. The big companies really do let us down. >> >> Dennis Paulson >> Seattle >> >> >>> On Feb 20, 2022, at 1:03 PM, Hubbell > wrote: >>> >>> Tweeters, >>> >>> This week?s post tells the story of a Trumpeter Swan in need of help. The story demonstrates the phrase, ?An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.? >>> >>> https://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/2022/02/save-our-swans.html >>> >>> Actually, "a pound" may very well understate the value. >>> >>> Sincerely, >>> Larry Hubbell >>> ldhubbell at comcast dot net >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Tweeters mailing list >>> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mercator1948 at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 15:17:32 2022 From: mercator1948 at comcast.net (Scott Morrison) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl 1930-2022 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <788312743.456904.1645399052132@connect.xfinity.com> I took my first pelagic trip with Terry. It was at a time when Murphy's Petrel had been sighted. A fantastic bird and Terry was very patient with me as he noted the bird's field marks. It was a wonderful introduction to the world of pelagic birding. A wonderful individual. Scott Morrison Mercator1948 at comcast dot net > On 02/19/2022 6:55 PM Bill Tweit wrote: > > > I am so sorry to be the bearer of the news that Terry Wahl passed away on Feb 17, peacefully, at home, surrounded by family. For many of us, Terry was the father of birding as we know it in Washington. He and Dennis Paulson produced one of the first birdfinding guides in the nation, he started Westport Seabirds, he urged the creation of a Bird Records Committee, he birded the entire state when few others were, as well as many other contributions. To me, he was a mentor, colleague and friend, and I miss him greatly. Like many other west coast birders, I learned so much from him about field ornithology and birding, thanks to him Westport Seabirds has a amassed a half century database of seabird abundance and distribution off Washington. There is nowhere else in the world that can make this claim. > > Following is the obituary his family has prepared. At this time, I do not think there are any plans for a memorial service. His family suggests donations in his name to the Whatcom Land Trust. I also suggest that contributions to the Western Field Ornithologists scholarship or research grants program, or contributions to the Pacific Seabird Group funds supporting student research or conservation projects, would be fitting memorials. > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Terence R. Wahl, 91, ornithologist, environmentalist, and patriarch to many, died at home on Thursday, February 17th, 2022. > > Born in Bellingham on March 18, 1930 to Ralph Wahl and Jean Kennedy Wahl, Terry graduated from the University of Washington, earning a degree in business, and attended New York University in Manhattan. In 1951 he married Robin Geske, and entered the long-lived family business, Wahl?s department store in Bellingham. > > In 1972 he changed occupations and became a full-time field ornithologist. For over thirty years following his departure from retail, he worked at what he called ?the equivalent of three part-time jobs for half pay,? writing environmental impact statements concerning breeding bird habitats, for both state and federal governments. He was a pioneer in bird census on the west coast, and started one of the earliest ecotourism businesses in the state ? leading ocean-going tours out of Gray?s Harbor, educating his clients in the identification and ways of pelagic birds. He taught ornithology classes and conducted local birding trips for many years. In the mid 1970s he was a bird observer on a NOAA ship sailing to Peru and west to find the origin of La Nina, and on other trips across the North Pacific and Bering Sea, several aboard Japanese research vessels. His connections in the birding world brought many people to the Washington coast and to Bellingham, and he started many long friendships through this work. > > He published ?Guide to Bird Finding in Washington? in 1977, then ?Birds of Whatcom County,? last edition in 1995, and ?Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution,? published by Oregon State University Press in 2005, compiled and edited with two fellow ornithologists. > > Terry imbued in his children a great love of the natural world, through camping trips in all kinds of weather, days spent in the woods and salt-marshes, memorable road trips throughout the west, in seeking and finding bird species. He taught them basic carpentry, beekeeping, how to shoot a basketball, how to make a pun that would leave others groaning in despair. His innermost concerns were to take care of the environment. He was one of the stewards of the world who didn?t mind being called a curmudgeon. > > He will be missed. > > In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Whatcom Land Trust. > > Bill Tweit > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com Sun Feb 20 15:19:25 2022 From: dammerecologist1990 at gmail.com (Steven Dammer) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Tennessee Warbler stakeout Message-ID: Hi tweets. Today I came down to Vancouver in the hopes of seeing the famed Warbler. I was able to observe it from 1345-1430 between the suet feeders out front and the backyard. Wonderful bird and views! For anyone still interested in chasing, the preferred move is to park out front and watch the suet feeders. I met Erik, and he was very welcoming and opened the backyard gate for me to observe more. He does ask that birders do not enter the yard, but are ok walking along the side of the house. Fortunately it seems as though visitors have been very respectful of his property and I hope that continues. Erik, if you're reading this then many thanks to you and your wife for allowing birders to come see this unique Warbler! Happy birding, Steven Dammer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From houstojc at plu.edu Sun Feb 20 16:08:18 2022 From: houstojc at plu.edu (houstojc@plu.edu) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW In-Reply-To: <1AC040BE-FF57-41C0-98C2-6E02869B9AF9@comcast.net> References: <1AC040BE-FF57-41C0-98C2-6E02869B9AF9@comcast.net> Message-ID: <004a01d826b7$2179ca10$646d5e30$@plu.edu> Thank you. I always love reading your blog and seeing your photos. This one is heartbreaking; the story, however, is really important. Janeanne Houston From: Tweeters On Behalf Of Hubbell Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2022 1:03 PM To: tweeters@u.washington.edu Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW Tweeters, This week?s post tells the story of a Trumpeter Swan in need of help. The story demonstrates the phrase, ?An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.? https://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/2022/02/save-our-swans.html Actually, "a pound" may very well understate the value. Sincerely, Larry Hubbell ldhubbell at comcast dot net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From baro at pdx.edu Sun Feb 20 16:45:06 2022 From: baro at pdx.edu (Robert O'Brien) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: My $0.02 I have long believed Rock Pigeon to be fully naturalized in the US and long-time breeding in wild, rocky, isolated places, same as city environments.. I think that the ABA designation is just one of convenience and/or definition because there are weightier issues about. For instance, I believe the ABA requirement for 'counting' is that the species has been reliably breeding for some period of time, forget the exact number of years. Of course, Macaulay/Cornell/eBird doesn't follow the ABA. Not sure the situation with AOS. As to the great idea of documenting Rock Pigeons breeding in remote, isolated desertous regions of the west, here is an example flock I found randomly in the Macaulay Library. These appear all normal,'wild blue' plumaged, but with some variation. https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=rocpig1®ion=Nevada,%20United%20States%20(US)®ionCode=US- NV&q=Rock%20Pigeon%20(Feral%20Pigeon)%20-%20Columba%20livia%20(Feral%20Pigeon) Here is the whereabouts of this particular flock: https://www.traillink.com/trail/pitman-wash-trail/ And then here is a flock I photographed a few years ago at the remote Fort Rock in Lake County OR. (The ~15,000 year old sandals were found near here). https://www.flickr.com/photos/159695762@N07/ All these images appear mostly the 'blue form' with quite a bit of variation. Seems like Cornell is waiting for the regression, if it occurs at all, to be completel Bob OBrien Portland PS As to my Rock Pigeon photos, the third is a Prairie Falcon in attendance at the 'Fort'. Looks pretty tiny to take down a Rock Pigeon, but who knows? As to the 'piece of paper' image. This is to illustrate telephoto distortion of images. This photo taken of an 8.5x11" standard sheet of paper facing with the LONG WAY away from the camera. This viewpoint was suggested by an expert on ID Frontiers. Amazing isn't it! Comments on the two warblers would be welcomed off Tweeters. On Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 7:56 AM Dennis Paulson wrote: > And Rock Pigeons breed in just those rocky areas widely in eastern > Washington. They nest on cliff ledges exactly as they do in their native > range. I think they commute in flocks between their nesting habitat and > nearby croplands, just as I saw them doing in Israel. I wonder if anyone > has paid much attention to those populations. Are they variable like so > many populations of Rock Pigeons, or have they reverted to the original > plumage type? > > Dennis Paulson > Seattle > > On Feb 19, 2022, at 6:57 PM, Steve Hampton > wrote: > > I'm not an eBird reviewer but I can tell you that native wild Rock Pigeons > generally occur in rocky habitats in arid regions from Spain and Morocco > across southern Europe and northern Africa and the Middle East to India and > Mongolia. Anywhere else they are considered feral and come in a variety of > color patterns. > > Birders in North America should use the "Rock Pigeon (feral)" option. > > > > > > On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 6:48 PM Carol Riddell > wrote: > >> Dennis Paulson raised a great question about why some pigeon sightings >> turn up as rare birds in eBird. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) is the listing >> on the basic checklist. If you want to report a wild type, you have to add >> a species to the checklist and select Rock Pigeon (wild type). That is >> considered a rare bird. But how are we to determine what is a feral pigeon >> and what is a wild type Rock Pigeon? There is no guidance in eBird that I >> can find. When should we consider using the wild type category and what >> evidence of a rare pigeon sighting would eBird reviewers want to consider >> when deciding whether to include the report in the public data? >> >> I think knowing this would be as useful to birders who do not use eBird >> as it would be to eBirders. We all want to improve our birding skills and >> learn how to distinguish things in the field. Any answers from any local >> eBird reviewer who might feel so inclined? Thanks. >> >> Carol Riddell >> Edmonds, WA >> _______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list >> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> > > > -- > Steve Hampton > Port Townsend, WA (qat?y) > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ucd880 at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 16:55:23 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1932125647.485655.1645404923269@connect.xfinity.com> I just went to various parts of the California list, because this Pigeon issue kind of dovetails with the Mandarin. CA maintains a watch list of exotics that have in some cases naturalized with populations over 1,000 but as yet all the "requirements" have not been met for acceptance to the list. The Mandarin is included as are the Mute Swan, many parrots, and many finches. They also requested that such birds be reported on ebird so that their actual status can be monitored and tracked. Hal Michael Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/ Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/20/2022 4:45 PM Robert O'Brien wrote: > > > My $0.02 > I have long believed Rock Pigeon to be fully naturalized in the US and long-time breeding in wild, rocky, isolated places, same as city environments.. I think that the ABA designation is just one of convenience and/or definition because there are weightier issues about. For instance, I believe the ABA requirement for 'counting' is that the species has been reliably breeding for some period of time, forget the exact number of years. Of course, Macaulay/Cornell/eBird doesn't follow the ABA. Not sure the situation with AOS. > > As to the great idea of documenting Rock Pigeons breeding in remote, isolated desertous regions of the west, here is an example flock I found randomly in the Macaulay Library. These appear all normal,'wild blue' plumaged, but with some variation. > > https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=rocpig1®ion=Nevada,%20United%20States%20(US)®ionCode=US- > NV&q=Rock%20Pigeon%20(Feral%20Pigeon)%20-%20Columba%20livia%20(Feral%20Pigeon) > > Here is the whereabouts of this particular flock: > https://www.traillink.com/trail/pitman-wash-trail/ > > And then here is a flock I photographed a few years ago at the remote Fort Rock in Lake County OR. (The ~15,000 year old sandals were found near here). > https://www.flickr.com/photos/159695762@N07/ > All these images appear mostly the 'blue form' with quite a bit of variation. Seems like Cornell is waiting for the regression, if it occurs at all, to be completel > > Bob OBrien Portland > PS As to my Rock Pigeon photos, the third is a Prairie Falcon in attendance at the 'Fort'. Looks pretty tiny to take down a Rock Pigeon, but who knows? > As to the 'piece of paper' image. This is to illustrate telephoto distortion of images. This photo taken of an 8.5x11" standard sheet of paper facing with the LONG WAY away from the camera. This viewpoint was suggested by an expert on ID Frontiers. Amazing isn't it! > Comments on the two warblers would be welcomed off Tweeters. > > > > On Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 7:56 AM Dennis Paulson wrote: > > > > And Rock Pigeons breed in just those rocky areas widely in eastern Washington. They nest on cliff ledges exactly as they do in their native range. I think they commute in flocks between their nesting habitat and nearby croplands, just as I saw them doing in Israel. I wonder if anyone has paid much attention to those populations. Are they variable like so many populations of Rock Pigeons, or have they reverted to the original plumage type? > > > > Dennis Paulson > > Seattle > > > > > > > > > On Feb 19, 2022, at 6:57 PM, Steve Hampton wrote: > > > > > > I'm not an eBird reviewer but I can tell you that native wild Rock Pigeons generally occur in rocky habitats in arid regions from Spain and Morocco across southern Europe and northern Africa and the Middle East to India and Mongolia. Anywhere else they are considered feral and come in a variety of color patterns. > > > > > > Birders in North America should use the "Rock Pigeon (feral)" option. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 6:48 PM Carol Riddell wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Dennis Paulson raised a great question about why some pigeon sightings turn up as rare birds in eBird. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) is the listing on the basic checklist. If you want to report a wild type, you have to add a species to the checklist and select Rock Pigeon (wild type). That is considered a rare bird. But how are we to determine what is a feral pigeon and what is a wild type Rock Pigeon? There is no guidance in eBird that I can find. When should we consider using the wild type category and what evidence of a rare pigeon sighting would eBird reviewers want to consider when deciding whether to include the report in the public data? > > > > > > > > I think knowing this would be as useful to birders who do not use eBird as it would be to eBirders. We all want to improve our birding skills and learn how to distinguish things in the field. Any answers from any local eBird reviewer who might feel so inclined? Thanks. > > > > > > > > Carol Riddell > > > > Edmonds, WA > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Tweeters mailing list > > > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Steve Hampton > > > Port Townsend, WA (qat?y) > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Tweeters mailing list > > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From canyoneagle at mycci.net Sun Feb 20 18:31:55 2022 From: canyoneagle at mycci.net (LMarkoff) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <00b101d826cb$3357ac70$9a070550$@mycci.net> Bob, regarding your p.s. about the possibility of the Prairie Falcon that you saw taking a Rock Pigeon, I would say that there is a good chance that it could. When I was visiting the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, CO, in February, 2000, I saw a Prairie Falcon hunting the Rock Pigeons that were on the cliffs. I didn?t see it catch one, but it sure was trying. And for a comparison, a Cooper?s Hawk is smaller than a Prairie Falcon. When I lived in Virginia I had a good number of hawks winter in my yard. One time a Cooper?s Hawk took a Rock Dove off my feeder, and then struggling, flew with it to the bottom of the hill that was my back yard. There on the ground the Coop and the Rock Dove wrestled, desperately. It was a wild, lengthy tussle, but in the end the Coop won. The Coop then ate on the Dove until full, so full that the Coop could hardly move. Eventually it managed to hop up on the nearby fence. There it sat for a few hours before eventually flying away. So if an overachieving Coop can take a Rock Dove, I would guess that a Prairie Falcon could too. Lori Markoff Citrus Heights, CA From: Tweeters On Behalf Of Robert O'Brien Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2022 4:45 PM To: Dennis Paulson Cc: TWEETERS tweeters Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons And then here is a flock I photographed a few years ago at the remote Fort Rock in Lake County OR. (The ~15,000 year old sandals were found near here). https://www.flickr.com/photos/159695762@N07/ All these images appear mostly the 'blue form' with quite a bit of variation. Seems like Cornell is waiting for the regression, if it occurs at all, to be completel Bob OBrien Portland PS As to my Rock Pigeon photos, the third is a Prairie Falcon in attendance at the 'Fort'. Looks pretty tiny to take down a Rock Pigeon, but who knows? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldhubbell at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 19:23:37 2022 From: ldhubbell at comcast.net (Hubbell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW In-Reply-To: <004a01d826b7$2179ca10$646d5e30$@plu.edu> References: <1AC040BE-FF57-41C0-98C2-6E02869B9AF9@comcast.net> <004a01d826b7$2179ca10$646d5e30$@plu.edu> Message-ID: Janeanne, You are welcome. The sadness of the story made it difficult to set down and focus on writing it. Martha provided some encouragement and then once I got started the story seemed to flow much easier than I expected. Hopefully, it will change some behaviors and save some Swans. Future generations are going to need all positive nature opportunities they can find. Observing Swans certainly qualifies in my book. Sincerely, Larry > On Feb 20, 2022, at 4:08 PM, wrote: > > Thank you. I always love reading your blog and seeing your photos. This one is heartbreaking; the story, however, is really important. > > Janeanne Houston > > From: Tweeters > On Behalf Of Hubbell > Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2022 1:03 PM > To: tweeters@u.washington.edu > Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW > > Tweeters, > > This week?s post tells the story of a Trumpeter Swan in need of help. The story demonstrates the phrase, ?An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.? > > https://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/2022/02/save-our-swans.html > > Actually, "a pound" may very well understate the value. > > Sincerely, > Larry Hubbell > ldhubbell at comcast dot net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pmand001 at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 19:26:48 2022 From: pmand001 at comcast.net (PHIL ANDERSON) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl 1930-2022 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1101525956.617414.1645414008547@connect.xfinity.com> It is with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of Terry Wahl the founder of Westport Seabirds. Terry's vision for Westport Seabirds was founded on his belief that if he could unlock the mystery of birds that inhabit the open ocean to others it would bring awareness of a world few knew was even there. The birds of the open ocean are truly amazing as they migrate through different continents during their annual migrations. Terry wanted to help tell their story and teach others the wonder of the sea. His vision has resulted in over 10,000 people being introduced to the birds and other marine life of the sea by way of Westport Seabirds. Those of us who carry on his vision at Westport Seabirds will always be mindful and hold as our highest priority his goal of introducing others the birds of the open ocean with enthusiasm and the desire to teach others the importance of protecting these precious creations for future generations to enjoy. Terry took me, a long-time charter fishing captain, and with patience, taught me to appreciate what I had been seeing all those years before I met him and how to use my skills to place my vessel in the ideal position so that others could get "great looks" of sea birds. I will miss him but I will always remember him and value what he taught me. Phil Anderson > On 02/19/2022 6:55 PM Bill Tweit wrote: > > > I am so sorry to be the bearer of the news that Terry Wahl passed away on Feb 17, peacefully, at home, surrounded by family. For many of us, Terry was the father of birding as we know it in Washington. He and Dennis Paulson produced one of the first birdfinding guides in the nation, he started Westport Seabirds, he urged the creation of a Bird Records Committee, he birded the entire state when few others were, as well as many other contributions. To me, he was a mentor, colleague and friend, and I miss him greatly. Like many other west coast birders, I learned so much from him about field ornithology and birding, thanks to him Westport Seabirds has a amassed a half century database of seabird abundance and distribution off Washington. There is nowhere else in the world that can make this claim. > > Following is the obituary his family has prepared. At this time, I do not think there are any plans for a memorial service. His family suggests donations in his name to the Whatcom Land Trust. I also suggest that contributions to the Western Field Ornithologists scholarship or research grants program, or contributions to the Pacific Seabird Group funds supporting student research or conservation projects, would be fitting memorials. > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Terence R. Wahl, 91, ornithologist, environmentalist, and patriarch to many, died at home on Thursday, February 17th, 2022. > > Born in Bellingham on March 18, 1930 to Ralph Wahl and Jean Kennedy Wahl, Terry graduated from the University of Washington, earning a degree in business, and attended New York University in Manhattan. In 1951 he married Robin Geske, and entered the long-lived family business, Wahl?s department store in Bellingham. > > In 1972 he changed occupations and became a full-time field ornithologist. For over thirty years following his departure from retail, he worked at what he called ?the equivalent of three part-time jobs for half pay,? writing environmental impact statements concerning breeding bird habitats, for both state and federal governments. He was a pioneer in bird census on the west coast, and started one of the earliest ecotourism businesses in the state ? leading ocean-going tours out of Gray?s Harbor, educating his clients in the identification and ways of pelagic birds. He taught ornithology classes and conducted local birding trips for many years. In the mid 1970s he was a bird observer on a NOAA ship sailing to Peru and west to find the origin of La Nina, and on other trips across the North Pacific and Bering Sea, several aboard Japanese research vessels. His connections in the birding world brought many people to the Washington coast and to Bellingham, and he started many long friendships through this work. > > He published ?Guide to Bird Finding in Washington? in 1977, then ?Birds of Whatcom County,? last edition in 1995, and ?Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution,? published by Oregon State University Press in 2005, compiled and edited with two fellow ornithologists. > > Terry imbued in his children a great love of the natural world, through camping trips in all kinds of weather, days spent in the woods and salt-marshes, memorable road trips throughout the west, in seeking and finding bird species. He taught them basic carpentry, beekeeping, how to shoot a basketball, how to make a pun that would leave others groaning in despair. His innermost concerns were to take care of the environment. He was one of the stewards of the world who didn?t mind being called a curmudgeon. > > He will be missed. > > In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Whatcom Land Trust. > > Bill Tweit > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jstephens62 at comcast.net Sun Feb 20 19:31:08 2022 From: jstephens62 at comcast.net (Jack Stephens) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whither the Snow Geese? Message-ID: <92de351b-952b-a6f6-f070-44fd571eb2c0@comcast.net> I have been fortunate to be able to make it up to the Skagit/Samish flats fairly frequently this year. On Feb 12th, there were an astounding number of Snow Geese up there. I found one large flock and one huge flock on Fir Island, one medium sized flock near La Conner, and a huge flock up by Samish Island. A week later on Feb 19th, large skeins were seen flying over Wylie Slough, but none on the ground between Fir Island and the West 90. I eventually found a medium sized group south of Stanwood. My question is, when there are thousands of Snow Geese in the area, but not in the "usual locations", where do they go? Did anyone find large numbers in the area on Feb 19? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks for any and all information. Jack Stephens Edmonds, WA From hal at catharus.net Sun Feb 20 21:05:01 2022 From: hal at catharus.net (Hal Opperman) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl 1930-2022 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <49F07305-982F-427E-BBA9-F9DE66B5060E@catharus.net> Like many other Washington birders, I came to know Terry first through his and Dennis Paulson's birdfinding guide. After a long dormancy, my interest in birding reawakened in the mid-1980s, and a revised edition of this already classic book was one of my first acquisitions (along with Gene Hunn?s then recently published Birding in Seattle and King County, itself destined to be a classic). One thing led to another. The Washington Ornithological Society was founded in 1988; at their second annual conference in Ocean Shores in September 1990 one of the field trips was a pelagic organized by Terry, with two boatloads of enthusiastic birders heading out of Westport early one stormy day. This was my first pelagic trip, and as such stands out vividly in my memory among many later ones. We were treated to a good array of the expected species, plus Manx Shearwater (first state record) and a Pterodroma petrel observed in flight that many of the experienced hands on board ? Terry among them ? identified as a probable Juan Fernandez Petrel. A good share of the participants saw the bird well enough to describe it, but most had limited experience of similar species and photography was impossible due strong wind, rough seas, and spray. The WBRC reviewed the reports twice, and ultimately voted No ? the proper decision, surely, but if general enthusiasm alone could have carried the day, this species would now be on the state list. Terry was a true believer and as enthusiastic that day as anyone, but in the end, reason prevailed. That was Terry. At another annual WOS conference in Mount Vernon, held in February 1998, Bill Tweit and Dennis presented the second Zella M. Schultz Lifetime Achievement Award to Terry, to sustained applause from the banquet audience. Terry followed with an impressive address on trends in the status of seabird species based on the scrupulously compiled data from 200-plus trips going back to the beginnings of Westport Seabirds in 1971. This talk left a lasting impression on those present, and raised concerns that caught and continue to engage the attention of the conservation community. Here again, vintage Terry. Terry was a bedrock member of our birding community in the last third of the 20th century and on into the 21st. He was also a genuine leader, in the fullest (and rarest) sense of the word. He quietly shaped, and his legacy still informs in so many good ways, Washington birding as we conceive of it and practice it today. Hal Opperman Seattle > On Feb 19, 2022, at 6:55 PM, Bill Tweit wrote: > > I am so sorry to be the bearer of the news that Terry Wahl passed away on Feb 17, peacefully, at home, surrounded by family. For many of us, Terry was the father of birding as we know it in Washington. He and Dennis Paulson produced one of the first birdfinding guides in the nation, he started Westport Seabirds, he urged the creation of a Bird Records Committee, he birded the entire state when few others were, as well as many other contributions. To me, he was a mentor, colleague and friend, and I miss him greatly. Like many other west coast birders, I learned so much from him about field ornithology and birding, thanks to him Westport Seabirds has a amassed a half century database of seabird abundance and distribution off Washington. There is nowhere else in the world that can make this claim. > > Following is the obituary his family has prepared. At this time, I do not think there are any plans for a memorial service. His family suggests donations in his name to the Whatcom Land Trust. I also suggest that contributions to the Western Field Ornithologists scholarship or research grants program, or contributions to the Pacific Seabird Group funds supporting student research or conservation projects, would be fitting memorials. > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Terence R. Wahl, 91, ornithologist, environmentalist, and patriarch to many, died at home on Thursday, February 17th, 2022. > > Born in Bellingham on March 18, 1930 to Ralph Wahl and Jean Kennedy Wahl, Terry graduated from the University of Washington, earning a degree in business, and attended New York University in Manhattan. In 1951 he married Robin Geske, and entered the long-lived family business, Wahl?s department store in Bellingham. > > In 1972 he changed occupations and became a full-time field ornithologist. For over thirty years following his departure from retail, he worked at what he called ?the equivalent of three part-time jobs for half pay,? writing environmental impact statements concerning breeding bird habitats, for both state and federal governments. He was a pioneer in bird census on the west coast, and started one of the earliest ecotourism businesses in the state ? leading ocean-going tours out of Gray?s Harbor, educating his clients in the identification and ways of pelagic birds. He taught ornithology classes and conducted local birding trips for many years. In the mid 1970s he was a bird observer on a NOAA ship sailing to Peru and west to find the origin of La Nina, and on other trips across the North Pacific and Bering Sea, several aboard Japanese research vessels. His connections in the birding world brought many people to the Washington coast and to Bellingham, and he started many long friendships through this work. > > He published ?Guide to Bird Finding in Washington? in 1977, then ?Birds of Whatcom County,? last edition in 1995, and ?Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution,? published by Oregon State University Press in 2005, compiled and edited with two fellow ornithologists. > > Terry imbued in his children a great love of the natural world, through camping trips in all kinds of weather, days spent in the woods and salt-marshes, memorable road trips throughout the west, in seeking and finding bird species. He taught them basic carpentry, beekeeping, how to shoot a basketball, how to make a pun that would leave others groaning in despair. His innermost concerns were to take care of the environment. He was one of the stewards of the world who didn?t mind being called a curmudgeon. > > He will be missed. > > In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Whatcom Land Trust. > > Bill Tweit > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From ednewbold1 at yahoo.com Sun Feb 20 21:13:33 2022 From: ednewbold1 at yahoo.com (Ed Newbold) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl was a giant in my mental landscape References: <836342570.377055.1645420413219.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <836342570.377055.1645420413219@mail.yahoo.com> Hi all, I was sad to hear about Terry's passing from the post by Bill Tweit that was pitch perfect. I did not get to spend a lot of time withTerry Wahl, but he was a definite presence in my life as I signed up, beginningin 1977, for trips in the ocean as well as the Salish Sea?trips that existed solelybecause of him. I tended to join thecrowd around him at the back of the boat. It was evident that his wealth ofknowledge about the Sea, birds and ecosystems was immense, and it was so clearhe cared deeply, and what he said was always interesting. I had also picked up acopy of the book that he wrote with Dennis Paulson, Bird-Finding in WA state, andthat was my weekend guide then?I ran across my copy the other day. I remember his response when someone remarked in awe at theexcellent numbers we were seeing of some seabird, I can't remember or deduce which seabird. He said, ?But the world is finite?this habitatzone doesn?t go on forever and they are restricted to it.? Once Terry was atthe back of the boat and some incident being discussed caused him to say,?People aren?t as unique as they think they are.? He pointed to me?for rhetoricalpurposes (I?m sure!)--and said he could predict what I would say or think aboutvarious subjects.The latter quote stuck in my mind. It may have helped topropel me on a course I was already starting on, toward some beliefs and opinions that Terry might not have predicted, and itbrings a tear to my eye to think I?ll never get to hear Terry?s thoughts on thoseor any other subject?while keeping one eye out seabirds of course. Thanks Terry, Ed Newbold? ?ednewbold1@yahoo.com? ?Beacon Hill -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birdmarymoor at gmail.com Sun Feb 20 21:22:13 2022 From: birdmarymoor at gmail.com (Michael Hobbs) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whither the Snow Geese? In-Reply-To: <92de351b-952b-a6f6-f070-44fd571eb2c0@comcast.net> References: <92de351b-952b-a6f6-f070-44fd571eb2c0@comcast.net> Message-ID: We had huge numbers on the 19th. There was an enormous flock in the NE corner of Fir Island. A second gigantic flock was just SE of the bridge over the Swinomish Channel approaching Anacortes. And there was another flock of thousands somewhere in the Samish, though exactly where I can't remember. Many, many more scattered here and there in flocks of merely hundreds. Seemed notably numerous for us. Trumpeter Swans were also EVERYWHERE, as of course were Bald Eagles. - Michael Hobbs On Sun, Feb 20, 2022, 7:32 PM Jack Stephens wrote: > I have been fortunate to be able to make it up to the Skagit/Samish > flats fairly frequently this year. On Feb 12th, there were an astounding > number of Snow Geese up there. I found one large flock and one huge > flock on Fir Island, one medium sized flock near La Conner, and a huge > flock up by Samish Island. A week later on Feb 19th, large skeins were > seen flying over Wylie Slough, but none on the ground between Fir Island > and the West 90. I eventually found a medium sized group south of Stanwood. > > My question is, when there are thousands of Snow Geese in the area, but > not in the "usual locations", where do they go? Did anyone find large > numbers in the area on Feb 19? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks for > any and all information. > > Jack Stephens > > Edmonds, WA > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dennispaulson at comcast.net Mon Feb 21 07:28:32 2022 From: dennispaulson at comcast.net (Dennis Paulson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whither the Snow Geese? In-Reply-To: <92de351b-952b-a6f6-f070-44fd571eb2c0@comcast.net> References: <92de351b-952b-a6f6-f070-44fd571eb2c0@comcast.net> Message-ID: <6B70D335-F72A-4AC4-B9B3-4D9C1E37E389@comcast.net> Jack, on 18 February there were thousands, almost surely tens of thousands, along Polson Road east of Dry Slough Road, W of Conway. The photo ops were magnificent, and I think there were as many as I have ever seen in one view. Some were feeding next to Polson Road, and we were able to stop within 30 feet of the geese and carefully get out of the car while they continued to feed. At one point a whole flock walked across the road, stopping traffic (just a few cars). Many of them were far to the east, making long white swatches across fields and lines of white specks everywhere in the air. It was a scenic spectacle and a spectacular scene. We looked in vain in the nearest flock for Blue and Ross?s Geese. Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Feb 20, 2022, at 7:31 PM, Jack Stephens wrote: > > I have been fortunate to be able to make it up to the Skagit/Samish flats fairly frequently this year. On Feb 12th, there were an astounding number of Snow Geese up there. I found one large flock and one huge flock on Fir Island, one medium sized flock near La Conner, and a huge flock up by Samish Island. A week later on Feb 19th, large skeins were seen flying over Wylie Slough, but none on the ground between Fir Island and the West 90. I eventually found a medium sized group south of Stanwood. > > My question is, when there are thousands of Snow Geese in the area, but not in the "usual locations", where do they go? Did anyone find large numbers in the area on Feb 19? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks for any and all information. > > Jack Stephens > > Edmonds, WA > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From timothy.barksdale at gmail.com Mon Feb 21 08:19:16 2022 From: timothy.barksdale at gmail.com (Timothy Barksdale) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Terry Wahl- Message-ID: The birding community has lost a dear friend through this sad event. I met Terry Wahl in 1974 by phone and came back out to Washington State several times in 1975 when I was doing my national Big Year which got cut short. Stayed up near him if not on a couch. Pelagics were an adventure in those days and many national birders would show up for some of the early Westport trips. I too remember one exciting trip when we had a group of the first- records of Xantus's Murrelets. Dennis, you were on that trip for sure. Terry had a way of 'not showing' his emotions when he was truly excited. When I was doing research for my work on Thayers' Gull in 1976 & 1977, Terry was very helpful then too with great advice on locations and helped me dig up a few specimens in Collections. Later in the 1990's when I began filming birds professionally, Terry helped get me to interesting places. One in particular was Whatcom Falls, I filmed Dippers diving and thrashing small fish, gosh- many years ago. That footage along with many, many other clips were purchased by Cornell Lab when they decided to expand Macaulay Library from Sound only into Video and images. So his legacy extends beyond the simple physical into the ether now... each of us truly touch many lives. Terry Wahl was a gem. Timothy Barksdale Choteau, MT and Mokane Missouri -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cariddellwa at gmail.com Mon Feb 21 08:31:18 2022 From: cariddellwa at gmail.com (Carol Riddell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Whither the Snow Geese Message-ID: <78F9BF80-5759-4370-AEA8-9F4686D587AE@gmail.com> Yesterday, 2-20-2022, there were 2000-3000 Snow Geese at Boe Road. No hunters so perhaps there is a pause in goose hunting or it is over for the season. The flock was quite near the road until a Bald Eagle flew low overhead and startled the geese into flight. The flock then retreated to the far south of that field. While the flock was near the road, I spent about half an hour panning it with my scope, looking for a Blue or Ross?s Goose. Couldn?t find either. Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA From mj.cygnus at gmail.com Mon Feb 21 09:08:00 2022 From: mj.cygnus at gmail.com (Martha Jordan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Swans at Union Bay Message-ID: For all of those that were following the events of the past few weeks regarding the Trumpeter Swans and a Tundra or two, at Union Bay...... the sick Trumpeter was captured. It was very ill from lead poisoning from ingesting a fishing lure with lead weight. Thank you to all who assisted with monitoring, assisting and, especially to Larry Hubbell for documenting the event and writing about. You can read the story and see the pictures at his blog Union Bay Watch https://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/ While the usual lead poisoning culprit is lead shot ingestion, this year we have seen at least 5 swans killed from lead fishing sinkers in various locations on fresh water lakes. PLEASE: protect loons, swans and more by using only non-lead fishing sinkers. Martha Jordan Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kmanderson35 at hotmail.com Mon Feb 21 11:03:52 2022 From: kmanderson35 at hotmail.com (Kris Anderson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Everett heronry Message-ID: I am really sorry to hear the herons have moved on. Just became aware of it last year but didn't get around to visiting and was planning to do so this spring. Anyone aware of another heronry with similar visibility? There's a large heronry at Marymoor which is amazing to visit, but in terms of visibility there are lots of branches in the way of most of the nests, and not possible to get a clean background. Sun Feb 20 13:34:29 PST 2022 * Previous message: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW * Next message: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW * Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] ________________________________ The Great Blue Herons that have nested near Everett's 10th street boat launch may have departed. They were on the pilings as usual yesterday morning, February 19. A short while later, from the bluff at Legion Park, we saw a flock of about 40 herons circling north of the heronry. They eventually headed northeast up the Snohomish River. This morning no herons were at the nesting site. The Canada Geese that have a nesting spot there were also gone. Connie Veldink Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jyearsle at uw.edu Mon Feb 21 11:06:06 2022 From: jyearsle at uw.edu (John R. Yearsley) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Leucistic Red Tail? Message-ID: While doing the raptor survey organized by Jeff Fleischer yesterday on a route that follows Highway 9 north of Sedro Woolley, we found a hawk that was very light colored and almost orangish. It showed a red tail when it flew. Any thought --------------------------------------------------------------- John Yearsley Affiliate Professor UW-Hydro|Computational Hydrology University of Washington jyearsle@uw.edu uw-hydro.github.io/current_member/john_yearsley -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From meetings at wos.org Mon Feb 21 11:10:11 2022 From: meetings at wos.org (meetings@wos.org) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?WOS_Monthly_Meeting=2C_Mon=2E=2C_March_7=2C_?= =?utf-8?q?7=3A30_pm=3A_The_Secret_Life_of_the_Deserts_of_the_Pacif?= =?utf-8?q?ic_Northwest_with_Mike_Denny_and__Daniel_Biggs?= Message-ID: <20220221191011.5605.qmail@s401.sureserver.com> The Washington Ornithological Society is delighted to invite you to join our March 7 Monthly Meeting when our program will feature The Secret Life of the Deserts of the Pacific Northwest.?? This presentation will introduce us to a unique series that covers the desert regions of Oregon and Washington.??During the last three years of filming, over 450 species (plants, animals, and fish) were recorded, revealing the many treasures, the incredible beauty, and the secrets of this vast area. This educational production consists of eighteen episodes.??It is narrated by Mike Denny who brings to the series not only a lifetime of natural history knowledge but also a message of conservation and relationships.??Daniel Biggs of Blue Mountain Television filmed and edited the series.??Their presentation will include one 28-minute episode in the series that will be released to the public in 2022.?? When???On Monday, February 7, 7:30 pm via Zoom (Sign-in begins at 6:45 pm), WOS Monthly Meetings remain open to all as we continue to welcome the wider birding community to join us online. For login information, go to http://wos.org/about-wos/monthly-meetings/.??While there, if you are not yet a member of WOS, I hope you will consider becoming one. Please join us! Vicki King WOS Program Coordinator From john.seiferth at icloud.com Mon Feb 21 11:27:44 2022 From: john.seiferth at icloud.com (John Seiferth) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Everett heronry In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <44EBEBDB-50E5-4DE3-80AE-47C16B61309A@icloud.com> The heronry at Hiram M. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks (at Commodore Park, south side) is viewable from an elevated position from across the way at Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden (north side). Haven?t been yet this year, but in the past the views were great. > On Feb 21, 2022, at 11:04, Kris Anderson wrote: > > ? > I am really sorry to hear the herons have moved on. Just became aware of it last year but didn't get around to visiting and was planning to do so this spring. Anyone aware of another heronry with similar visibility? There's a large heronry at Marymoor which is amazing to visit, but in terms of visibility there are lots of branches in the way of most of the nests, and not possible to get a clean background. > > > Sun Feb 20 13:34:29 PST 2022 > Previous message: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW > Next message: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW > Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] > The Great Blue Herons that have nested near Everett's 10th street boat > launch may have departed. They were on the pilings as usual yesterday > morning, February 19. A short while later, from the bluff at Legion Park, > we saw a flock of about 40 herons circling north of the heronry. They > eventually headed northeast up the Snohomish River. > > This morning no herons were at the nesting site. The Canada Geese that > have a nesting spot there were also gone. > > Connie Veldink > Everett, WA > -------------- next part -------------- > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From beckyg.sea at gmail.com Mon Feb 21 11:58:42 2022 From: beckyg.sea at gmail.com (Becky Galloway) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Everett heronry In-Reply-To: <44EBEBDB-50E5-4DE3-80AE-47C16B61309A@icloud.com> References: <44EBEBDB-50E5-4DE3-80AE-47C16B61309A@icloud.com> Message-ID: The Kenmore Park-N-Ride has had a nice heronry with good views in years past. -Becky Galloway Shoreline On Mon, Feb 21, 2022 at 11:28 AM John Seiferth wrote: > The heronry at Hiram M. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks (at Commodore Park, > south side) is viewable from an elevated position from across the way at > Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden (north side). Haven?t been yet this > year, but in the past the views were great. > > > On Feb 21, 2022, at 11:04, Kris Anderson wrote: > > ? > I am really sorry to hear the herons have moved on. Just became aware of > it last year but didn't get around to visiting and was planning to do so > this spring. Anyone aware of another heronry with similar visibility? > There's a large heronry at Marymoor which is amazing to visit, but in terms > of visibility there are lots of branches in the way of most of the nests, > and not possible to get a clean background. > > > *Sun Feb 20 13:34:29 PST 2022* > > > - Previous message: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW > > - Next message: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW > > - *Messages sorted by:* [ date ] > > [ thread ] > > [ subject ] > > [ author ] > > > ------------------------------ > The Great Blue Herons that have nested near Everett's 10th street boat > launch may have departed. They were on the pilings as usual yesterday > morning, February 19. A short while later, from the bluff at Legion Park, > we saw a flock of about 40 herons circling north of the heronry. They > eventually headed northeast up the Snohomish River. > > This morning no herons were at the nesting site. The Canada Geese that > have a nesting spot there were also gone. > > Connie Veldink > Everett, WA > -------------- next part -------------- > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -- -- Becky Galloway Seattle, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From florafaunabooks at hotmail.com Mon Feb 21 12:50:50 2022 From: florafaunabooks at hotmail.com (David Hutchinson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Discovery Park Bird Anniversary Message-ID: Hi all, if anyone is interested in receiving the results of 10 years of bird census work in an ecologically restored habitat site called Capehart, please let me know. Being the simple soul I am it went into a PDF which is slightly too large for Tweeters. There is also some interesting info about Discovery Park therein. David H. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dougsantoni at gmail.com Mon Feb 21 13:10:55 2022 From: dougsantoni at gmail.com (Doug Santoni) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Everett heronry In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The visibility at the heronry at the Hiram Chittenden Locks in Seattle is pretty good. It?s on the south side of the ship Canal just west of the locks. Doug Santoni Seattle > On Feb 21, 2022, at 11:59 AM, Becky Galloway wrote: > > ? > The Kenmore Park-N-Ride has had a nice heronry with good views in years past. > > -Becky Galloway > Shoreline > >> On Mon, Feb 21, 2022 at 11:28 AM John Seiferth wrote: >> The heronry at Hiram M. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks (at Commodore Park, south side) is viewable from an elevated position from across the way at Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden (north side). Haven?t been yet this year, but in the past the views were great. >> >> >>>> On Feb 21, 2022, at 11:04, Kris Anderson wrote: >>>> >>> ? >>> I am really sorry to hear the herons have moved on. Just became aware of it last year but didn't get around to visiting and was planning to do so this spring. Anyone aware of another heronry with similar visibility? There's a large heronry at Marymoor which is amazing to visit, but in terms of visibility there are lots of branches in the way of most of the nests, and not possible to get a clean background. >>> >>> >>> Sun Feb 20 13:34:29 PST 2022 >>> Previous message: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW >>> Next message: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Save Our Swans - TRSW >>> Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] >>> The Great Blue Herons that have nested near Everett's 10th street boat >>> launch may have departed. They were on the pilings as usual yesterday >>> morning, February 19. A short while later, from the bluff at Legion Park, >>> we saw a flock of about 40 herons circling north of the heronry. They >>> eventually headed northeast up the Snohomish River. >>> >>> This morning no herons were at the nesting site. The Canada Geese that >>> have a nesting spot there were also gone. >>> >>> Connie Veldink >>> Everett, WA >>> -------------- next part -------------- >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Tweeters mailing list >>> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> _______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list >> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > -- > -- > Becky Galloway > Seattle, WA > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From elstonh at yahoo.com Mon Feb 21 14:13:27 2022 From: elstonh at yahoo.com (Elston Hill) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Everette and Ballard Locks rookeries References: Message-ID: Darn. Just heard about Everett a few months ago. So wanted to go there after hearing chicks were at eye level. My wife and I were at Ballard Locks yesterday. No sign of the herons in the rookery there. They were great last year. Lots of guano below as the cormorants have been hanging out there to fish all winter. But so far they have not nested either. From cveldink at gmail.com Mon Feb 21 14:25:38 2022 From: cveldink at gmail.com (Connie Veldink) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Everett heronry--Update Message-ID: Good news--this morning six herons were back on the pilings near Everett's 10th street boat launch. Perhaps the entire colony will soon return. Conne Veldink Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From vlmoffatt3 at gmail.com Tue Feb 22 06:36:47 2022 From: vlmoffatt3 at gmail.com (Victoria Moffatt) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding in the Dominican Republic and eastern Caribbean Message-ID: We are taking a very last minute cruise to the easten caribbean and at a loss for birding information. Checked several places on board for info on where to bird at the different ports but no one seems to understand what it means. If there is anyone here who has ideas of where to go or specific hot spots. I have checked ebird If not allowed on this forum, my apologies -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From isseki.ryotoku at gmail.com Tue Feb 22 06:51:59 2022 From: isseki.ryotoku at gmail.com (Stephen T Bird) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding in the Dominican Republic and eastern Caribbean In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: For eBird You can look either where the most species have been seen https://ebird.org/region/DO/hotspots?yr=all&m= Or go through and look where the locals are completing the most lists This Dominican top eBirder lists their phone number and email you could always text Jorge Brocca jbrocca@soh.org.do 809-753-1388 Personally I would look up the endemics you can?t see anywhere else, figure out where to see them using Google and eBird, and start there https://caribbeanbirdingtrail.org/sites/dominican-republic/ On Tue, Feb 22, 2022 at 6:38 AM Victoria Moffatt wrote: > We are taking a very last minute cruise to the easten caribbean and at a > loss for birding information. Checked several places on board for info on > where to bird at the different ports but no one seems to understand what it > means. > > If there is anyone here who has ideas of where to go or specific hot > spots. I have checked ebird > > If not allowed on this forum, my apologies > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mch1096 at hotmail.com Tue Feb 22 14:34:58 2022 From: mch1096 at hotmail.com (mary hrudkaj) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] FOY Band-tailed Pigeons Message-ID: Just counted 11 Band-tailed pigeons in a bare poplar tree on my south lot line. Usually it's only 2-4 that come back to see if the food station is still here. This is a bit early but they can clean up the uneaten seeds the juncos leave behind if they get hungry before the morning rations are put out. Last year by late May there were over 90 BTP's here. If the 4 early returnees that became 93 in May is a sign of things to come this year, I'll need to start buying seed by the pallet. A handful of Mountain Quail come by from time to time but are nowhere near consistant in their visits. If they do I will let everyone know. Mary Hrudkaj Belfair/Tahuya -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From shepthorp at gmail.com Tue Feb 22 22:23:42 2022 From: shepthorp at gmail.com (Shep Thorp) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] WOS Winter Trip to Okanogan Highlands and Waterville Plateau Friday 2/18-Monday 2/21 Message-ID: Hi Tweets, another memorable winter trip to beautiful north central Washington. Highlights included BLUEJAY, GOLDEN EAGLE, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, HARLAN'S variety of RED-TAILED HAWK, and high counts of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and SAYS PHOEBE. We had cold to moderate temperatures in the 20's to 40's degrees Fahrenheit with a mix of snow, rain, wind and sun. Overall conditions were good for winter birding, with frozen roads and good visibility. We only got stuck in the mud once. As per the usual we put time and work into our sightings with misses and unexpected surprises. We had a group of 10 wonderful birders, and Scott Ramos and myself enjoyed the collaboration as we observed 96 species. A majority of us met in North Bend Friday morning 2/18. Our first stop was Debbie Sutherland's home in Cashmere where we had numerous LESSER GOLDFINCH at the feeders. We stopped by the Confluence Park in Wenatchee which was quiet, most of the snow from January had melted. Calliope Crossing on Badger Mountain was very quiet in comparison to January, a few PINE SISKIN mixed in with Dark-eyed Junco and Spotted Towhee. Once on the plateau we worked on getting our target bird, Snowy Owl. Overall, we probably put 9 hours into trying to locate this species. 4 hours on Friday and 5 hours on Monday. On the scout trip, we observed three SNOW around Atkins Lake and a fourth on G Road NE of Mansfield. We could not relocate a single bird in the Atkins Lake area or NE of Mansfield. Interestingly, a group of other birders did find SNOW on the plateau on I Road south of 172, so I'll remember to check this road as well in the future. We had good looks of HORNED LARK, SNOW BUNTING, ROUGH LEGGED HAWK, and GREAT HORNED OWL. Our group found a perched PRAIRIE FALCON on Heritage Road south of 172 that provided great looks and observation of flying low while hunting for HOLA. On Saturday we decided to bird Conconully. We stopped by the Scotch Creek Wildlife area twice, but were not able to locate any Sharp-tailed Grouse. We did see our first of many WESTERN BLUEBIRD and two GREAT HORNED OWL. We made a loop of Happy Hill Road and Salmon Creek Road, the habitat is fabulous through this area, and we had upclose looks of MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, PYGMY NUTHATCH, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, HAIRY WOODPECKER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, RED CROSSBILL and CASSIN'S FINCH. There was a small flock of AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL in Salmon Creek and we flushed a RUFFED GROUSE for quick flight views half-way between Happy Hill Road and Conconully Road. In town we relocated a BLUEJAY, previously reported by other birders, feeding with STELLER JAYS at a feeder on the east side of Main Street just north of the bridge over North Fork Salmon Creek. What an unexpected surprise. We also had nice views of SAYS PHOEBE. We stopped by the butte along the Riverside cut-off between Conconully Road and highway 97, and got to enjoy an eagle show. We watched two GOLDEN EAGLES, an adult and an immature bird, soaring over the butte closely as they hunted Chukar. Further along the butte, there were six BALD EAGLE, both adult and immature sitting on the rocks. We searched for carrion and could not find what the BAEG were eating, perhaps there was a deceased Deer nearby. We moved on to Cameron Lake Road, where we had great views of HORNED LARK, 300+, and SNOW BUNTING, 60+. Between Cameron Lake Loop Road and Timentwa Road, there is a creek that runs under the road with a cat tail marsh on the east and small riparian area on the west, this was good for finally locating an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. We ended our day in Bridgeport State Park. While driving on the entrance road, Half Sun Way, we observed approximately 100 BOHEMIAN WAXWING, flying over the orchard between us and the road north, Jack Wells Road. We had additional looks at Says Phoebe. Fortunately with the help of others, we were able to relocate a single NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, in a conifer in the park. We had seen three owls on our scout, so to find only one on the trip was unexpected. On Sunday, we headed to the highlands with our first stop at the butte on Fancher Road. We were greeted with great looks of additional GOLDEN EAGLE, and it took us a while to find several CHUKAR. Additional Says Phoebe were observed. One of our falcon eyed birders spotted a beautiful CANYON WREN along the rim rock. Driving up the lower or south side of Siwash Creek, we located one dozen SHARP-TAILED GROUSE well above Rehmke Road. The birds were feeding on Water Birch catkins on the right hand side of the road and we got to observe the birds fly overhead downslope. The entirety of Siwash Creek is excellent habitat and we had great views of RED CROSSBILLS, CASSIN'S FINCH and CLARK'S NUTCRACKER. My overall impression is that we had high counts of Crossbills and Finch. Along with that impression, north of Oberg Road we found a previously reported large flock of 20-30 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS. We enjoyed the WWCR foraging in Engelmann Spruce and observed some stunningly beautiful red males with crisp plumage. We had really nice long looks of GRAY PARTRIDGE along Hungry Hollow Road. 60+ additional WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL were seen in Engelmann Spruce on Chesaw Road between Hungry-Hollow and Mary Ann Creek Road. Unfortunately, we were not able to relocate Northern Pygmy Owl on Mary Ann Creek Road. We did find a roosting RUFFED GROUSE on Havillah Road just south of Chesaw Road in riparian habitat. A big thank you to Meredith Spencer for her notification of the horrible news about the double homicide at a home on Nealy Road. We did leave seed at Highland Meadows, but did not have any notable sightings on our way. We bumped into a local resident who cautioned us about the tense environment and anxiety and fear of folks who live in the area. My well wishes to the community for a quick resolution to this terrible situation. We ended our day at 7pm in the Highland Sno-Park, where we heard hooting owls. I'm convinced I heard several hoots and an irritation call of GREAT GRAY OWL south of the upper meadow, a few in our group agreed, but Scott was not convinced. A GREAT HORNED OWL was also calling. On our going home day, Monday, we birded Washburn Island. We had great looks of waterfowl including COMMON LOON, HORNED GREBE, PIED-BILLED GREBE, COMMON MERGANSER, HOODED MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, GREATER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCK, REDHEAD, CANVASBACK, RUDDY DUCK, MALLARD, NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and AMERICAN COOT. The feeders were empty, and sparrows were hard to find, so we did not relocate the Harris Sparrow seen on the scout. He did have nice looks at a Harlan's variety of RED-TAILED HAWK. We spent the remainder of the morning hunting for Snowy Owl, without success, on the Waterville Plateau. There was wind and snow, so the surroundings were perfect for a sighting that we dipped on. We did see several more ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and found a LONG-EARED OWL in a thicket of Willow Trees. Normally we might see 30+ RLHA, I think we observed approximately 10 birds for this trip. Overall we had a great trip. While on the plateau one of our cars got stuck in the mud, but was easily pulled out with a tow rope and traction matts for the tires. We had numerous sightings that were really special, simply for the view and behavior observed. A special thank you to all our birders on the trip. They did a great job spotting birds from the caravan of carpools, and we really enjoyed the collaboration. Additional thanks to local birders enhancing the trip by allowing us to stop by their homes to check their feeders, and the important tips on where some species might be found. Thank you! We delivered 160lbs of black oil sunflower seed to various birder friendly homes. Be well, be safe during winter travel, and happy birding! Shep Thorp (and Scott Ramos) -- Shep Thorp Browns Point 253-370-3742 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dennispaulson at comcast.net Wed Feb 23 09:10:07 2022 From: dennispaulson at comcast.net (Dennis Paulson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: <00b101d826cb$3357ac70$9a070550$@mycci.net> References: <00b101d826cb$3357ac70$9a070550$@mycci.net> Message-ID: <5210F8F4-353F-4F01-BC2A-BF206217C22A@comcast.net> I will add to that that Cooper?s Hawks take pigeons regularly. I photographed one eating a Rock Pigeon at Magnuson Park in Seattle some years ago, and I have actually seen 5 Band-tailed Pigeons killed by Cooper?s Hawks in our yard in the 30 years we have lived here. All but one of the hawks were females, but a male took one by causing it to fly into a window, which stunned it enough for the hawk to capture and kill it. Male Cooper?s Hawks are the same weight as Band-tailed Pigeons, females considerably larger. Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Feb 20, 2022, at 6:31 PM, LMarkoff wrote: > > Bob, regarding your p.s. about the possibility of the Prairie Falcon that you saw taking a Rock Pigeon, I would say that there is a good chance that it could. When I was visiting the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, CO, in February, 2000, I saw a Prairie Falcon hunting the Rock Pigeons that were on the cliffs. I didn?t see it catch one, but it sure was trying. > > And for a comparison, a Cooper?s Hawk is smaller than a Prairie Falcon. When I lived in Virginia I had a good number of hawks winter in my yard. One time a Cooper?s Hawk took a Rock Dove off my feeder, and then struggling, flew with it to the bottom of the hill that was my back yard. There on the ground the Coop and the Rock Dove wrestled, desperately. It was a wild, lengthy tussle, but in the end the Coop won. The Coop then ate on the Dove until full, so full that the Coop could hardly move. Eventually it managed to hop up on the nearby fence. There it sat for a few hours before eventually flying away. So if an overachieving Coop can take a Rock Dove, I would guess that a Prairie Falcon could too. > > Lori Markoff > Citrus Heights, CA > > From: Tweeters > On Behalf Of Robert O'Brien > Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2022 4:45 PM > To: Dennis Paulson > > Cc: TWEETERS tweeters > > Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons > > > And then here is a flock I photographed a few years ago at the remote Fort Rock in Lake County OR. (The ~15,000 year old sandals were found near here). > https://www.flickr.com/photos/159695762@N07/ > All these images appear mostly the 'blue form' with quite a bit of variation. Seems like Cornell is waiting for the regression, if it occurs at all, to be completel > > Bob OBrien Portland > PS As to my Rock Pigeon photos, the third is a Prairie Falcon in attendance at the 'Fort'. Looks pretty tiny to take down a Rock Pigeon, but who knows? > > > >> > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From teresa at avocetconsulting.com Wed Feb 23 09:18:31 2022 From: teresa at avocetconsulting.com (Teresa Michelsen) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: <5210F8F4-353F-4F01-BC2A-BF206217C22A@comcast.net> References: <00b101d826cb$3357ac70$9a070550$@mycci.net> <5210F8F4-353F-4F01-BC2A-BF206217C22A@comcast.net> Message-ID: <4e24b31f0ee148e3a21ed68044db8f75@avocetconsulting.com> My first sighting of a Peregrine Falcon ever was of one eating a rock pigeon on top of a light pole in front of my house in Seattle. Teresa Michelsen Hoodsport From: Tweeters On Behalf Of Dennis Paulson Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2022 9:10 AM To: TWEETERS tweeters Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons I will add to that that Cooper?s Hawks take pigeons regularly. I photographed one eating a Rock Pigeon at Magnuson Park in Seattle some years ago, and I have actually seen 5 Band-tailed Pigeons killed by Cooper?s Hawks in our yard in the 30 years we have lived here. All but one of the hawks were females, but a male took one by causing it to fly into a window, which stunned it enough for the hawk to capture and kill it. Male Cooper?s Hawks are the same weight as Band-tailed Pigeons, females considerably larger. Dennis Paulson Seattle On Feb 20, 2022, at 6:31 PM, LMarkoff > wrote: Bob, regarding your p.s. about the possibility of the Prairie Falcon that you saw taking a Rock Pigeon, I would say that there is a good chance that it could. When I was visiting the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, CO, in February, 2000, I saw a Prairie Falcon hunting the Rock Pigeons that were on the cliffs. I didn?t see it catch one, but it sure was trying. And for a comparison, a Cooper?s Hawk is smaller than a Prairie Falcon. When I lived in Virginia I had a good number of hawks winter in my yard. One time a Cooper?s Hawk took a Rock Dove off my feeder, and then struggling, flew with it to the bottom of the hill that was my back yard. There on the ground the Coop and the Rock Dove wrestled, desperately. It was a wild, lengthy tussle, but in the end the Coop won. The Coop then ate on the Dove until full, so full that the Coop could hardly move. Eventually it managed to hop up on the nearby fence. There it sat for a few hours before eventually flying away. So if an overachieving Coop can take a Rock Dove, I would guess that a Prairie Falcon could too. Lori Markoff Citrus Heights, CA From: Tweeters > On Behalf Of Robert O'Brien Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2022 4:45 PM To: Dennis Paulson > Cc: TWEETERS tweeters > Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons And then here is a flock I photographed a few years ago at the remote Fort Rock in Lake County OR. (The ~15,000 year old sandals were found near here). https://www.flickr.com/photos/159695762@N07/ All these images appear mostly the 'blue form' with quite a bit of variation. Seems like Cornell is waiting for the regression, if it occurs at all, to be completel Bob OBrien Portland PS As to my Rock Pigeon photos, the third is a Prairie Falcon in attendance at the 'Fort'. Looks pretty tiny to take down a Rock Pigeon, but who knows? _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From krtrease at gmail.com Wed Feb 23 10:28:54 2022 From: krtrease at gmail.com (Kenneth Trease) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Peregrine Falcon in Lynnwood Message-ID: On my morning walk on the loop trail around the Lynnwood golf course I observed an adult Peregrine Falcon on the ground right in the middle of one of the fairways. It was feeding on what looked like an American Wigeon. I didn't witness the kill but it was very recent since the bird was busy plucking the duck. I carry my 10 power bins on my walk most days and today I had a great view in perfect morning light-easily my best view ever of a Peregrine Falcon. Ken Trease, Edmonds -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ucd880 at comcast.net Wed Feb 23 10:56:18 2022 From: ucd880 at comcast.net (HAL MICHAEL) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons In-Reply-To: <5210F8F4-353F-4F01-BC2A-BF206217C22A@comcast.net> References: <00b101d826cb$3357ac70$9a070550$@mycci.net> <5210F8F4-353F-4F01-BC2A-BF206217C22A@comcast.net> Message-ID: <1199642745.785249.1645642578896@connect.xfinity.com> Don't know what species chased it, but the window in a conference at my old office had the oiled image of a pigeon's head (eye, beak) and wings (even the alulae) where it crashed into the window. Like seals that chase salmon into gill nets, even a "small" hawk can eat pigeon if there are good windows around. Hal Michael Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/ Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 02/23/2022 9:10 AM Dennis Paulson wrote: > > > I will add to that that Cooper?s Hawks take pigeons regularly. I photographed one eating a Rock Pigeon at Magnuson Park in Seattle some years ago, and I have actually seen 5 Band-tailed Pigeons killed by Cooper?s Hawks in our yard in the 30 years we have lived here. All but one of the hawks were females, but a male took one by causing it to fly into a window, which stunned it enough for the hawk to capture and kill it. Male Cooper?s Hawks are the same weight as Band-tailed Pigeons, females considerably larger. > > Dennis Paulson > Seattle > > > > > On Feb 20, 2022, at 6:31 PM, LMarkoff wrote: > > Bob, regarding your p.s. about the possibility of the Prairie Falcon that you saw taking a Rock Pigeon, I would say that there is a good chance that it could. When I was visiting the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, CO, in February, 2000, I saw a Prairie Falcon hunting the Rock Pigeons that were on the cliffs. I didn?t see it catch one, but it sure was trying. > > > > And for a comparison, a Cooper?s Hawk is smaller than a Prairie Falcon. When I lived in Virginia I had a good number of hawks winter in my yard. One time a Cooper?s Hawk took a Rock Dove off my feeder, and then struggling, flew with it to the bottom of the hill that was my back yard. There on the ground the Coop and the Rock Dove wrestled, desperately. It was a wild, lengthy tussle, but in the end the Coop won. The Coop then ate on the Dove until full, so full that the Coop could hardly move. Eventually it managed to hop up on the nearby fence. There it sat for a few hours before eventually flying away. So if an overachieving Coop can take a Rock Dove, I would guess that a Prairie Falcon could too. > > > > Lori Markoff > > Citrus Heights, CA > > > > From: Tweeters On Behalf Of Robert O'Brien > > Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2022 4:45 PM > > To: Dennis Paulson > > Cc: TWEETERS tweeters > > Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Feral vs. Wild Rock Pigeons > > > > > > And then here is a flock I photographed a few years ago at the remote Fort Rock in Lake County OR. (The ~15,000 year old sandals were found near here). > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/159695762@N07/ > > All these images appear mostly the 'blue form' with quite a bit of variation. Seems like Cornell is waiting for the regression, if it occurs at all, to be completel > > > > Bob OBrien Portland > > PS As to my Rock Pigeon photos, the third is a Prairie Falcon in attendance at the 'Fort'. Looks pretty tiny to take down a Rock Pigeon, but who knows? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Tweeters mailing list > > Tweeters@u.washington.edu mailto:Tweeters@u.washington.edu > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dennispaulson at comcast.net Wed Feb 23 12:29:08 2022 From: dennispaulson at comcast.net (Dennis Paulson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Fwd: Gull without webbing References: Message-ID: <46754DC4-F2A1-4F76-B880-459C10E71EBD@comcast.net> Has anyone heard of anything like this? I haven?t. Dennis Paulson Seattle > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Alexandra MacKenzie > Subject: Gull without webbing > Date: February 23, 2022 at 12:10:40 PM PST > To: dennispaulson > > Hello Dennis, > > I retired to Richland in 2018, where there's been a Slaty-backed Gull wintering over for the past few years. Today I ran into one of the birders (Elke Davis) who has taken tons of photos of it, and she was curious about an anomaly -- it has no webbing on either foot. Genetic abnormality? I said that I'd ask the expert if he had ever run across such a thing, so here I am, asking you! There is a great pic on Elke's ebird of one of the feet: > > https://ebird.org/checklist/S96132278 > > She says both feet look the same. Wonder if it would have trouble swimming? It seems to be surviving just fine! > > Any info would be greatly appreciated. > I always enjoy seeing your FB posts. > > Best wishes, > Alex MacKenzie -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bennetts10 at comcast.net Wed Feb 23 12:56:59 2022 From: bennetts10 at comcast.net (ANDREA BENNETT) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Osprey population in greater Seattle area Message-ID: <472767109.1057258.1645649819129@connect.xfinity.com> I recently visited Juanita Bay where apparently the nesting pair of Ospreys was driven away by Bald Eagles. According to the Urban Raptor Conservancy there were 20 breeding pairs of Ospreys in 2018. The most recent survey of Ospreys was conducted in 1991, according to the Conservancy. Does anyone know how the Ospreys are currently faring? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pdickins at gmail.com Wed Feb 23 13:07:06 2022 From: pdickins at gmail.com (Philip Dickinson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Osprey population in greater Seattle area In-Reply-To: <472767109.1057258.1645649819129@connect.xfinity.com> References: <472767109.1057258.1645649819129@connect.xfinity.com> Message-ID: <72BB04F3-06E8-47D3-9651-163C457260CD@gmail.com> Ospreys normally do not return from Mexico to this area until April. Occasionally, one is reported this time of year. Eagles may take over an empty nest. However, no Ospreys should be breeding or nesting this early. The Osprey rookery in Everett seemed to be doing fine last year. Phil Dickinson Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 23, 2022, at 12:57 PM, ANDREA BENNETT wrote: > > ? > I recently visited Juanita Bay where apparently the nesting pair of Ospreys was driven away by Bald Eagles. According to the Urban Raptor Conservancy there were 20 breeding pairs of Ospreys in 2018. The most recent survey of Ospreys was conducted in 1991, according to the Conservancy. > Does anyone know how the Ospreys are currently faring? > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com Wed Feb 23 14:01:40 2022 From: dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com (Dan Reiff) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?Many_interesting_articles_about_birds_for_?= =?utf-8?b?4oCcQmlyZCBOZXJkc+KAnQ==?= Message-ID: Tweeters, Our son sent this link to me. It includes Many interesting articles about birds. Dan Reiff MI https://getpocket.com/collections/great-reads-for-bird-nerds?utm_source=pocket-newtab Sent from my iPhone -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kelliekvinne at hotmail.com Wed Feb 23 14:36:30 2022 From: kelliekvinne at hotmail.com (Kellie Sagen) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Mandarin Duck - Please Go Away Message-ID: Sorry for the late response but I wanted to chime in that Mandarin Ducks have been in the Kirkland Totem Lake neighborhood for at least 25 years. As a former resident of that area I used to see a male in the wetlands behind the apartments off NE 124th St. in the late 1990?s. My friend who also lived in Totem Lake several years before me, said she saw a male in the creek behind her apartment. Could they possibly be breeding or have we only seen escapees? Either way, I am a sucker for those beautiful boys in breeding plumage. ? Happy Birding, Kellie Sagen From mj.cygnus at gmail.com Wed Feb 23 17:24:41 2022 From: mj.cygnus at gmail.com (Martha Jordan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Swan ID Article- Arizona Message-ID: There is a new article that just came out in Arizona Birds on swan identification. Pierre Deviche contacted me almost two years ago regarding swan ID for a juvenile swan found in Arizona. It turned out to be a tundra swan. Then another juvenile swan showed up this year. The controversy over Trumpeter or Tundra raged for a bit. I spend considerable time honing my skills on Tundra vs Trumpeter juvenile ID, all kinds of characteristics and looking at many photos. It was a great learning opportunity. Then, Dr. Deviche and Doug Jeness wrote a paper on swan ID as it relates to the Arizona geographic area. It is worth the time to read and the photos are useful. https://arizonabirds.org/journal.html Martha Jordan Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From florafaunabooks at hotmail.com Wed Feb 23 18:24:13 2022 From: florafaunabooks at hotmail.com (David Hutchinson) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Thanks Message-ID: Yes, thanks to the many & several folks who requested the Capehart bird census. As you may well know, Discovery Park is basically a recovering army base, with hardscape removed, but some nice flourishes from the Olmsteds. Capehart is a recent open space acquisition, where native vegetation is being inserted in an attempt re-establish native habitat, along with its original wildlife and plants. Successes and failures go along with it. David Hutchinson -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From isseki.ryotoku at gmail.com Thu Feb 24 06:23:51 2022 From: isseki.ryotoku at gmail.com (Stephen T Bird) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Fwd: Gull without webbing In-Reply-To: <46754DC4-F2A1-4F76-B880-459C10E71EBD@comcast.net> References: <46754DC4-F2A1-4F76-B880-459C10E71EBD@comcast.net> Message-ID: To my knowledge, when foot webbing bird phylogeny has been reconstructed it?s always been connected to mutations in Gremlin1 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-64786-8 It seems this individual could just be a mutant that lacks a functional copy of the gene. Longer: in ontogeny (development) programmed cell death is as important as proliferation. One of the great beauties of development: reach your arms out in front of you and put your hands together, matching finger to finger, between left and right hands. They match with near perfect accuracy!, despite the fact that the last time these cells directly communicated was when you were a mere several thousand cells (or less). The genetic programs that separated your arms from your body and in turn converted clubbed endings into paddles and paddles into digits were programs that marked certain cells for death (apoptosis), much like Michelangelo?s ?The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material." Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) control this is your hand and a birds foot, resulting in programmed cell death of the tissue between your fingers while you?re in development. In their evolution, some branches of birds gained webbed feet by gaining a gene to inhibit these BMPs, then some species still lost the webbing again in cases of convergent evolution. I would guess this gull is an exceptional individual, with (lacking the knowledge of a better candidate) has a non-functioning copy of the gene (or for some other reason expression was suppressed) that normally prevents this species/genus/order/family of birds from gaining independent digits. If it?s truly a pioneering individual that breeds successfully, who knows? maybe we?ll one day see a more successful species of land or arboreal perching-gulls? the stuff evolution acts on. Stephen J On Wed, Feb 23, 2022 at 12:30 PM Dennis Paulson wrote: > Has anyone heard of anything like this? I haven?t. > > Dennis Paulson > Seattle > > Begin forwarded message: > > *From: *Alexandra MacKenzie > *Subject: **Gull without webbing* > *Date: *February 23, 2022 at 12:10:40 PM PST > *To: *dennispaulson > > Hello Dennis, > > I retired to Richland in 2018, where there's been a Slaty-backed Gull > wintering over for the past few years. Today I ran into one of the birders > (Elke Davis) who has taken tons of photos of it, and she was curious about > an anomaly -- it has no webbing on either foot. Genetic abnormality? I > said that I'd ask the expert if he had ever run across such a thing, so > here I am, asking you! There is a great pic on Elke's ebird of one of the > feet: > > https://ebird.org/checklist/S96132278 > > She says both feet look the same. Wonder if it would have trouble > swimming? It seems to be surviving just fine! > > Any info would be greatly appreciated. > I always enjoy seeing your FB posts. > > Best wishes, > Alex MacKenzie > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From shepthorp at gmail.com Thu Feb 24 10:14:33 2022 From: shepthorp at gmail.com (Shep Thorp) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Informal Wednesday Walk, Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR, 2/23/2022 Message-ID: Hi Tweets, another really beautiful day at the Refuge with sunny skies and temperatures in the 20's to 40's degree Fahrenheit. There was High 13.82 Ft tide at 9:38am. Highlights included FOY VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW mixed in with some TREE SWALLOW, two RED-SHOULDERED HAWK both adult and immature, high count DUNLIN - probable 4,000 plus birds with 10+ WESTERN SANDPIPER, AMERICAN BITTERN, and a good candidate for Audubon's variety X Myrtle variety YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER mixed in with both subspecies. The RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS can bee seen from the access road, the Twin Barns Overlook, and the new dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail - all looking at the long row of trees that line the central access road between the Twin Barns and the old McAllister Creek access road within the restricted access sanctuary. The birds actively hunt along this road/dike in the sanctuary. With the cold temperatures and extensive ice, the receding tide provided exposed mudflats that the DUNLIN were actively foraging. There were several flocks of 500-1000 birds, with good scoping opportunities from the new dike and Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail. We picked up many WESTERN SANDPIPERS in the flocks that we have not recently seen, so my presumption is that we are seeing new birds moving into the Refuge. The AMERICAN BITTERN has been regularly relocated in the slough along the Twin Barns Overlook. Several places, the Orchard seemed best, had increasing numbers of both subspecies of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. Our count on Myrtles was up, and we had a nice lightly yellow throated individual with prominent supercilium and demarcation up along the auricles that I believe was good for an intergrade or hybrid. Here is our list for the day. 66 species observed, 101 species for the year. Have a great week! Happy birding, Shep Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US Feb 23, 2022 6:48 AM - 4:26 PM Protocol: Traveling 9.095 mile(s) Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Sunny skies with temperatures in the 20?s to 40?s degree Fahrenheit. A High 13.82 foot Tide at 9:38am. Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Coyote, Harbor Seal, Colombian Black-tailed Deer. 66 species (+9 other taxa) Brant 150 Cackling Goose (minima) 500 Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 40 Canada Goose 8 Northern Shoveler 150 Gadwall 70 Eurasian Wigeon 3 American Wigeon 700 Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid) 1 Mallard 250 Northern Pintail 100 Green-winged Teal 700 Ring-necked Duck 9 Surf Scoter 20 Bufflehead 100 Common Goldeneye 30 Hooded Merganser 6 Common Merganser 6 Red-breasted Merganser 16 Pied-billed Grebe 2 Horned Grebe 6 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 4 Anna's Hummingbird 1 Virginia Rail 1 American Coot 100 Killdeer 3 Dunlin 4000 Least Sandpiper 30 Western Sandpiper 10 Small peep sized sandpiper with black legs, white throat and slightly decurved bill. Seen foraging on mud at 100 feet with 40x spotting scope along side Dunlin and Least Sandpiper. Smaller then Dunlin, larger than Least Sandpiper. The only one with a white throat of the three. Wilson's Snipe 4 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Greater Yellowlegs 20 Short-billed Gull 60 Ring-billed Gull 62 Glaucous-winged Gull 2 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 2 Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 40 Larus sp. 150 Red-throated Loon 1 Brandt's Cormorant 4 Double-crested Cormorant 4 American Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 25 Northern Harrier 2 Bald Eagle 10 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Previously reported. Adult seen in row of trees along central access road in sanctuary, just southwest of Twin Barns. Immature bird seen in trees along the old McAllister Creek access road. Best observed from new dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail. Red-tailed Hawk 2 Downy Woodpecker 2 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted) 1 Peregrine Falcon 1 American Crow 40 Common Raven 1 Black-capped Chickadee 20 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1 Tree Swallow 2 Violet-green Swallow 2 Tree/Violet-green Swallow 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet 20 Brown Creeper 6 Pacific Wren 1 Marsh Wren 3 Bewick's Wren 6 European Starling 30 Varied Thrush 2 American Robin 125 Fox Sparrow 2 Golden-crowned Sparrow 21 Song Sparrow 34 Spotted Towhee 4 Red-winged Blackbird 40 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 12 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle x Audubon's) 1 Features of both Audubon?s variety and Myrtle variety. Yellow color to throat with white demarcation around auricles and white supercilium. View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S103610708 -- Shep Thorp Browns Point 253-370-3742 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From linda_phillips1252 at msn.com Thu Feb 24 20:19:52 2022 From: linda_phillips1252 at msn.com (Linda Phillips) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Gull without webbing Message-ID: I can?t speak with any authority on the subject but I have an antidotal story. For the past 5 years, each spring a pair of Mallards visit my back yard pond and enjoy the cracked corn I?ve been giving them. The first year they came I noticed that the female was missing the web on one toe. After that I was convinced that the same pair were visiting me year after year. This year they arrived about a week ago and I noticed that the girls foot is normal. Of course I anthropomorphized that the male became widowed and now has remarried. Linda Phillips feeding the ducks in Kenmore WA Sent from Mail for Windows -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From birdmarymoor at gmail.com Thu Feb 24 21:36:02 2022 From: birdmarymoor at gmail.com (birdmarymoor@gmail.com) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2022-02-24 Message-ID: Tweets ? The bitter cold (25 degrees at the start, rising to about 35 degrees by the Rowing Club) was pretty easy to tolerate after dawn due to dry air, windless conditions, and SUNSHINE. Not a bad day at Marymoor, but nothing new for the year. Highlights: a.. 12 species of duck ? including a Ruddy Duck seen on my late scan of the lake b.. Horned Grebe ? one, also seen on my late scan of the lake c.. Wilson?s Snipe ? excellent views of around a dozen along the near edge of the slough below the weir d.. Varied Thrush ? one or two seen e.. Purple Finch ? one or two heard singing f.. White-throated Sparrow ? again, one in the NW corner of the Dog Area g.. Western Meadowlark ? several near the Viewing Mound, with a few songs heard We had two male HOODED MERGANSERS in a dancing competition to impress one of the ladies. At least one or two NORTHERN FLICKERS were drumming. And Dark-eyed Juncos were singing non-stop. Venus was very bright and large, predawn. Misses today included Virginia Rail, identifiable black-wingtipped gulls, Cooper?s Hawk, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and Pine Siskin. For the day, 58 species. = Michael Hobbs = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm = BirdMarymoor@gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From benedict.t at comcast.net Fri Feb 25 11:55:28 2022 From: benedict.t at comcast.net (THOMAS BENEDICT) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Scrub Jay in Burien Message-ID: <712959193.327108.1645818928293@connect.xfinity.com> This morning I spotted the first Scrub Jay I've seen in the Burien area. I know they are regulars in West Seattle, but I've never seen. even had a big nut in its bill. This one was around the intersection of SW 151st and 12th Ave SW, if any locals want to keep an eye out for it. Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From vincentlucas5 at gmail.com Fri Feb 25 13:07:38 2022 From: vincentlucas5 at gmail.com (Vincent Lucas) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] First TV of the year Here in Port Angeles Message-ID: I saw my first Turkey Vulture today, February 25th, as I was driving down U.S. 101 in Port Angeles. Vincent Lucas -- Sent from Gmail Mobile ??? ??? ??? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hank.heiberg at yahoo.com Fri Feb 25 21:51:09 2022 From: hank.heiberg at yahoo.com (Hank Heiberg) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Semiahmoo Trip References: Message-ID: ? > ?For the first time since last July we went on an overnight birding trip. We spent all of Wednesday at Semiahmoo. The day was cold enough to cause ice on the tidelands of Drayton Harbor > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/51901380101/in/dateposted/ > > but once the wind stopped the temperature was a comfortable 34 degrees and we experienced this beautiful view to end our day at Semiahmoo. > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/51900597876/in/dateposted/ > > Despite the cold people were enjoying the Semiahmoo outdoor pool. Brrr! > > Here is the photo album for the 3 day trip. Each photo is labelled below the photo and the precise location is given further down as a tag. > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/albums/72177720296923676 > > eBird trip report: > > https://ebird.org/tripreport/40253 > > Thanks to Randy Robinson for creating and maintaining Washington Dashboard, a tool that we use daily. > > http://birdingwashington.info/dashboard/wa/ > > Hank & Karen Heiberg > Issaquah, WA > > > > > > Sent from my iPad -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bellasoc at isomedia.com Sat Feb 26 10:20:31 2022 From: bellasoc at isomedia.com (B P Bell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Townsends Solitaire Message-ID: <000901d82b3d$8a6abcc0$9f403640$@isomedia.com> Brian Bell reports: Townsends Solitaire at Seward Park 10:00a to 10:10a when he left Lower trail at Andrews Bay side, ? way out the peninsula. Hanging out in some willows. Cheers, Penn Bell for Brian -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From joshuaahayes at protonmail.com Sat Feb 26 12:19:09 2022 From: joshuaahayes at protonmail.com (Joshua Hayes) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Early TV near Chuckanut Drive, 2/21/22 Message-ID: Hey tweets, I forgot too mention this, but I drove my daughter back up to Bellingham last Monday and on my return southward saw, among the plethora of red tails, a single turkey vulture teetering over I-5 a bit north of the Chuckanut turnoff. Seemed awfully early! Cheers, Josh Hayes, Biology and Anatomy/Phys Redmond High School Sent with [ProtonMail](https://protonmail.com/) Secure Email. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From panmail at mailfence.com Sat Feb 26 17:35:08 2022 From: panmail at mailfence.com (pan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] King Cty. Yellow-billed Loon Message-ID: <759169423.881545.1645925708405@ichabod.co-bxl> Tweets, Alex M's Tweeters post apparently never went, so here's late notice:? He found it this morning, and there's a Yellow-billed Loon off Discovery Park in Seattle most of today, moving from West Point to points north and back.? I don't know what it did after mid-afternoon, but given it's probably the same bird Jason V. saw flying past there a couple days ago, there's a chance it could stick around longer.? The weather may not be as great, sorry, but maybe there'll be drier windows.?? 26 February, 2022, Alan Grenon Seattle panmail AT mailfence.com -- Sent with https://mailfence.com Secure and private email -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tsbrennan at hotmail.com Sat Feb 26 22:08:26 2022 From: tsbrennan at hotmail.com (Tim Brennan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Klickitat County Birding - February blog updated Message-ID: Howdy! It took nearly two weeks, but the blog for my February trip to Klickitat has been updated. It was a beautiful trip, and I think I was able to capture that despite being without a charger for my camera battery. 90 and counting; will make it out again in mid/late March. Cheers, Tim Brennan Renton -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tsbrennan at hotmail.com Sat Feb 26 22:10:56 2022 From: tsbrennan at hotmail.com (Tim Brennan) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Oh yeah, the blog address.... Message-ID: Klickitat County Birding: February 2022 That was the missing piece - enjoy! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From salishwander at icloud.com Sun Feb 27 07:14:39 2022 From: salishwander at icloud.com (Salish Wanderer) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Billy Frank Jr/Nisqually NWR. - Good news ... and bad news Message-ID: <864DA5D8-6512-4FD3-87CE-A5D8A07A72B1@icloud.com> Had a great day at the refuge last Friday morning. Sunny and cold but beautiful. The best show of the day was an adult eagle at the nest tree near the Twin Barns with a duck it had recently caught. After a few minutes the eagle dropped the carcass and another adult flew in to claim it, for the next 30 minutes or so it was a cavalcade of at least nine eagles ranging from first year to third year juveniles flying in and challenging each other for the food. Fabulous show. Bittern, Fox Sparrow, Eurasian Wigeon, Red-breasted sapsucker and several yellow-rumped warblers where highlights for me. I?ll be posting pics on my Flickr site in the next few days if anyone is interested. The link is in the signature line. On the negative side, as I was leaving the lot near the office I noticed a person and staff refuge member cleaning up following another vehicle prowl. They seem to be getting more frequent and bold. The unfortunate victim told me he had many thousands of $$ in camera gear stolen. Not sure if they were left in plain sight or otherwise. But be aware and vigilant and follow best practices for parking in high prowl areas. A sad and concerning sign of the times. - Regards Tony V South Puget Sound, WA SalishWander at iCloud dot com http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony-v -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From clmssh at comcast.net Sun Feb 27 12:44:58 2022 From: clmssh at comcast.net (Sharon Howard) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:24 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Steller's jays and scrub jays returned today Message-ID: Fun news? For first time since late Fall ?our? jays are back and eager for their peanuts. There are 5 Steller?s and 3 scrub jays that seemed to have arrived together at the same time around noon. One crow is nearby hoping that the jays will miss a peanut, I guess. We did have an immature Cooper?s Hawk on our fence two days ago. S/he looked very well fed. We did not see a leg band. Sharon Howard Lower Sunset Hill Ballard From ldhubbell at comcast.net Sun Feb 27 15:43:47 2022 From: ldhubbell at comcast.net (Hubbell) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:25 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Cryptic - WISN Message-ID: Tweeters, This week?s post focuses on the oddly strange assortment of skills and abilities that are all combined in Wilson?s Snipes. https://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/2022/02/cryptic.html I hope you enjoy the post. Hve a great day on Union Bay where nature lives in the city and Black Birders are welcome! Larry Hubbell ldhubbell at comcast dot net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From plkoyama at comcast.net Sun Feb 27 16:09:54 2022 From: plkoyama at comcast.net (PENNY & DAVID KOYAMA) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:25 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Clallam Co Lesser Black-backed Gull Message-ID: <2039393566.917559.1646006994564@connect.xfinity.com> Tweets, We spent a couple of cold, but sunny days in Clallam County picking up several Code 2 birds for our county list. Just to let those who might not be scouring eBird know, the Lesser Black-backed Gull is still around. We saw it at the end of Washington Harbor Road near the entry to Pacific NW Laboratories. The tide was low, so there wasn't much water, but the gull was standing in a pack of other large gulls, mostly Glaucous-winged. It was darker than the others, but was most easily picked out by looking for its yellow legs, as sometimes it wasn't "whole-body" visible in the crowd. This was on Thurs 2/24 around 11:30 a.m. We also had a pair of Western Bluebirds Fri 2/25 on Hidden Valley Road off Blue Mt Rd. They were in a large field on the north side of the road. Penny Koyama, Bothell -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From vkbirder at gmail.com Mon Feb 28 12:11:05 2022 From: vkbirder at gmail.com (Vicki King) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:25 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] March 2, 6 pm Presentation about Native Plants that Feed Birds, Moths and Butterflies Message-ID: If any of you Tweeters are inspired to plant native plants to help feed moths, nesting birds, and butterflies but are not sure which ones will work best, I encourage you to sign in to Julie O'Donald's presentation to the Washington Butterfly Association (WBA) on Wednesday evening, March 2, at 6 pm. Julie will emphasize the best native plants for gardens and elements that create and sustain habitat. You do not need to be a member of WBA; you DO need to register in advance. Here's the notice about the meeting from the WBA website. Wednesday ? March 2 ? 6 pm ? Julie O?Donald on Native Plants that Feed Birds, Moths and Butterflies Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpdu6hpjIpGNFVpB_8nzZOAfsJtYFLukx1 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Community Wildlife Habitat Steward, Julie O?Donald will give an overview of landscapes and native plants that create beautiful gardens for people, birds and wildlife. Julie is the team leader for the Brier Wildlife Habitat Project, *a community wildlife habitat *in Snohomish County. Please join us for our program night with Julie, as we delve into the fascinating world of creating garden habitat. Julie will emphasize the best native plants for gardens and elements that create and sustain habitat. Photos of birds with their food plants and their relationship with Lepidoptera, will show how to bring nature home to any size property. Julie has been actively involved in community education and outreach for the Pilchuck Audubon Society, Kruckeberg Botanic Garden, the Washington Native Plant Society and the Adopt-a-Stream Foundation. In addition, Julie?s personal certified wildlife habitat garden contains over 200 species of native plants and has been successfully attracting birds, butterflies and pollinators for more than 25 years. It has been featured in Pacific Horticulture, The Butterfly Gardener, Bird Watching Magazine and Sunset publications. Thank you, Vicki King, Seattle -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kelliekvinne at hotmail.com Mon Feb 28 17:47:23 2022 From: kelliekvinne at hotmail.com (Kellie Sagen) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:25 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding in Trout Lake Area (SW Washington) Message-ID: Hello Tweets, If anyone has knowledge of the Trout Lake area I would love to hear where some good birding spots are. I was looking at eBird checklists under the hotspot name of "Trout Lake area" - a man named Mark Lundgren seems to be the main birdwatcher. I viewed a satellite map of that hotspot and it appears to be in the middle of a brown field. I am thinking that is not the actual location the birds on those checklists are being seen. Would like to visit sometime in June to see the Hermit and Nashville warblers. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Kellie Sagen Lake Stevens -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From gorgebirds at juno.com Mon Feb 28 19:59:06 2022 From: gorgebirds at juno.com (Wilson Cady) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:25 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding in Trout Lake Area (SW Washington) Message-ID: <20220228.195906.12471.0@webmail10.vgs.untd.com> Some good birding spots to check around Trout Lake for Nashville and Hermit Warblers would be along the 8040 Road that leads to the Climbers Route on Mt. Adams. This road starts just a few miles north of Trout Lake. Other birds along this road include Black-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers, Williamson's Sapsucker, Canada Jay and Clark's Nutcracker. Visit the Elk Meadows R.V. Park just west of town and walk the DNR trail along Trout Creek, a very birdy spot and if you have time check out the Conboy NWR for White-headed Woodpecker, Gray Flycatcher and nesting Sandhill Cranes. Wilson Cady Columbia River Gorge, WA ---------- Original Message ---------- From: Kellie Sagen To: "tweeters@U.WASHINGTON.EDU" Subject: [Tweeters] Birding in Trout Lake Area (SW Washington) Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2022 01:47:23 +0000 Hello Tweets, If anyone has knowledge of the Trout Lake area I would love to hear where some good birding spots are. I was looking at eBird checklists under the hotspot name of "Trout Lake area" - a man named Mark Lundgren seems to be the main birdwatcher. I viewed a satellite map of that hotspot and it appears to be in the middle of a brown field. I am thinking that is not the actual location the birds on those checklists are being seen. Would like to visit sometime in June to see the Hermit and Nashville warblers. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Kellie SagenLake Stevens -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From vikingcove at gmail.com Mon Feb 28 20:30:55 2022 From: vikingcove at gmail.com (Kevin Lucas) Date: Tue Dec 13 23:38:25 2022 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding in Trout Lake Area (SW Washington) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Kellie, First -- We've seen many, in fact mostly, hybrid Hermit x Townsend's warblers in that area. I enjoy the challenge of birding by ear, my high frequency hearing is very good, and I can't tell the difference between the songs of Hermit Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, and hybrid Hermit x Townsend's Warbler that I see and hear. Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze has a motif that each of the three sing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK_p1vay-AY Based on my visual with auditory observations, I doubt accurate auditory identification distinction can be made between them, at least anywhere near areas like the area near Trout Lake where overlap between Hermit & Townsend's occurs. Similarly, it would be easy to misidentify one of these three visually. There's a very good description, with a nice set of cover color illustrations available online, an Auk journal article. The Auk Volume 115 Number 2 April 1998 pages 284 - 310 THREE HYBRID ZONES BETWEEN HERMIT AND TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON SIEVERT ROHWER ? AND CHRISTOPHER WOOD Burke Museum and Department of Zoology, Box 353010, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA I downloaded it & printed it out and have carried it with us whenever we've visited the area. Front page in color: https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v115n02/front.pdf Body text: https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v115n02/p0284-p0310.pdf We've often camped at Pineside Sno-Park (a parking lot). https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sno-Park:+Pineside/@46.0130563,-121.5270951,7822m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x5496678335de9e69:0x6f46feb695c9333d!2sTrout+Lake,+WA+98650!3b1!8m2!3d45.9973427!4d-121.5281369!3m4!1s0x54965c3979a1dc67:0xcd0e550fb9e78eea!8m2!3d46.048887!4d-121.499662!5m1!1e4 It's 4 miles (straight line distance) north-northeast of Trout Lake Ranger Station, just east of the Mt. Adams Recreation Area Road, a.k.a. NF-8225. The first time we camped there we were serenaded by Northern Saw-whet Owls. We've heard them at night every subsequent visit. We don't harass them. https://blog.aba.org/2012/02/the-jerk-snowy-owls.html We awoke early the next morning with a glorious chorus of bird songs and calls, among them Townsend's Warblers, Hermit Warblers, and hybrid Townsend's x Hermit Warblers. At the same spot we found, photographed, and enjoyed wonderful views of other warblers including Black-throated Gray Warblers, Williamson's and Red-breasted and Red-naped Sapsuckers, Pileated and Hairy Woodpeckers, hummers, flycatchers, Band-tailed Pigeons, Purple Finches, Evening and Black-headed Grosbeaks, Townsend's Solitaires, Red Crossbills, Pine Siskins, vireos, thrushes, Northern Goshawk,..., and more. Since then we've camped there and at other places including nearby SnowKing Sno-Park https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sno-Park:+SnowKing/@46.0313675,-121.5016458,7838m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x5496678335de9e69:0x6f46feb695c9333d!2sTrout+Lake,+WA+98650!3b1!8m2!3d45.9973427!4d-121.5281369!3m4!1s0x54965c0d1103447d:0x3d65564c3fc0f9ee!8m2!3d46.0543!4d-121.4722!5m1!1e4 with the same wonderful variety & slew of birds. Be sure to use the eBird checklist entry "Townsend's/Hermit Warbler" for any bird that looks like either Townsend's or Hermit, but that you haven't clearly seen ALL nine distinguishing plumage characteristics. For hybrids, "Townsend's x Hermit Warbler (hybrid)" is the appropriate entry. Hermit Warbler, Townsend's/Hermit Warbler, and Townsend's x Hermit Warbler (hybrid) have all been appropriately designated by eBird as "Rare" in that area, if for no other reason than for how extremely easy it is to not accurately distinguish between the three. I think Townsend's Warbler should be treated as rare there too, for the same reason. Perhaps it is. Happy Trails & Good Luck, Kevin Lucas Yakima County, Washington https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/ *Qui tacet consentire videtur* On Mon, Feb 28, 2022 at 5:48 PM Kellie Sagen wrote: > Hello Tweets, > > If anyone has knowledge of the Trout Lake area I would love to hear where > some good birding spots are. I was looking at eBird checklists under the > hotspot name of "Trout Lake area" - a man named Mark Lundgren seems to be > the main birdwatcher. I viewed a satellite map of that hotspot and it > appears to be in the middle of a brown field. I am thinking that is not the > actual location the birds on those checklists are being seen. Would like to > visit sometime in June to see the Hermit and Nashville warblers. Any tips > would be greatly appreciated! > > Kellie Sagen > Lake Stevens > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: