From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 1 05:20:18 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dan Reiff via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 1 05:20:44 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?The_Point_of_Sticking=3A_=E2=80=9CWhy_Do_Nut?= =?utf-8?q?hatches_Coat_Their_Nest_Entrances_With=C2=A0Sap=3F_=E2=80=9C=7C?= =?utf-8?q?_Living_Bird_=7C_All_About_Birds?= Message-ID: ?Interesting, Creative research: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/why-nuthatches-coat-nest-entrances-sap/ Sent from my iPhone From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 1 05:37:28 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dan Reiff via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 1 05:37:31 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Chinese Startup Unveils AI That Translates Birdsong | Bird Spot Message-ID: Tweets, I would like to understand what Anna?s hummingbirds, ravens, A Dippers, crows chats and, N Saw-whets are saying. Which birds would you be interested in understanding? Dan https://www.birdspot.co.uk/a-little-bird/news/chinese-startup-unveils-ai-that-translates-birdsong Sent from my iPhone From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 1 09:55:59 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Hubbell via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 1 09:57:23 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } It It Spring! - BUFF Message-ID: Tweeters, This post covers a bird species with growing numbers and asks, Why? https://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/2026/03/it-is-spring.html Have a great day on Union Bay, where nature lives in the city! Larry Hubbell Ldhubbell at comcast dot net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 1 12:47:59 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Kevin Lucas via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 1 12:48:28 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] April Is here! April Is here! Message-ID: AI h! AI h! AI h! AI h! April Is here! April Is here! I recognize that call ;-) Happy April In hallowed lister land, this first day of which is a very happy one indeed for some of those whose sightings have been doubted. Recent application of AI has revealed, in a fresh release, that which has long been considered the only accurate way to distinguish a Ross's Goose from the very similar Snow Goose -- careful, non-flight observation of the size and shape of the Ross's Goose bill: small, triangular with a rather straight, not curved, edge where it meets the feathered face, and lacking the grin patch that's so obvious in many Snow Geese, and rather subtle depending on angle of view, and nearly absent on the many Ross's x Lesser Snow Geese hybrids -- Well that's Absolutely Indeed hooeey (AI h -- the h is ineffable). [My sincere apologies to all cognoscenti who found that Acronym Included hastily.] AIh has determined with Authoritative, Indisputable hubris that it's much more Accurate Indeed having brief views of a small-ish, white-ish goose, in flight, that don't show the bill shape, And Instead have no good view of even the rounded head shape of a Ross's Goose. In Ross's Goose accounts in vetted scientific study reports, in Abundantly Illustrafield handbooks and guides, All Is having to be revamped to Accommodate Immutably held rare record reports. Audubon's Infallible hirsute brush sketches of the incredible Bird of Washington now might be proven to not have been a fabrication for fame and fortune, rather the earliest use of a disguised stylus Accurately Interpreting how AIh would soon generate new life forms. Rare bird Accounts Imbued hysterically can now be recognized as following the Audubon Effect -- what's seen as a misleading broad brush will now be Automatically Included, here and now, in "Confirmed" eBird results. The Asterisk Inclusion hallmark that was soon to accompany ALL sightings by every lister who had ever had, even one of, his or her sightings "Confirmed" based somewhat on the lister's perceived worthy reputation (rather than plausible, crediby reported evidence), is now seen As Instantly hammered. David Sibley has Acknowledged, Irritatedly, having relied too much on museum specimens and observing Ross's Geese breeding colonies in person, Affecting Impressions he'd held as reasonably obtained. The skin of many a suspect reporter's reputation is what's got saved here. Sibley's Accompanying Illustrations have shown this distinct bill shape, and he'd Assumed, Incorrectly, helped bird watchers who strive for enjoyment and accuracy. All Is hogwash. Reprints using new Aura Infused histograms will be released soon. Now that we've fabricated answers to our ultimate questioning, Researchers are realizing they need to learn what the ultimate question is, or questions are, e.g. tackling the true meaning of the initials A and I. So far, many have locked-in that "A" is an abbreviation for "artificial". Some are doubting whether the "I" is an abbreviation, arguing that it instead seems to pair best with "artificial" when understood to be the first-person singular nominative personal pronoun. Addendae, Incidentals, hearsay: Sibley has Also Implied having more corrections lined up -- acknowledging that in areas where they're rare, pure Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers can best have their identification nailed correctly by glimpses of them in flight, during which it's not possible to observe all the pure field marks previously deemed necessary to distinguish them from the much more common and easy to overlook intergrade flicker. He Acknowledges Including his illustrations of subtle plumage characteristics doesn't, in itself, prove any particular sighting, of a flicker that didn't see all the necessary bits, to be uncertain. The fit of a species in blank in a year needs list is an aspect of causation's Accurately Inverted hole theory, not just stringing us along. Confirming observations of a single individual flicker, with one photo showing its intergrade plumage and one photo not showing its intergrade plumage All Instantly have been justified as being of two different individuals -- species-time continuum warping, just-in-time Evolution Makes Checklist Confirmations, a.k.a. E M C squared. [A.k.a. is an abbreviation for Also Know As, sorry for my ATA -- acronym tardiness again.] This fresh release of info coincides with the upcoming launch of a new AIh company -- paralleling similar releases immediately preceding the taking flight of many a bird. Well, that's about 'Ten pounds of sightings in a five pound bag.' Blivet birding won, oh one. Merry Merlin Day! [MMD!], Kevin Lucas Yakima County, Washington (State of, not Bird of) *Qui tacet consentire videtur* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 1 14:07:11 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dennis Paulson via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 1 14:07:16 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] April Is here! April Is here! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Kevin, as a lover of language and all the words that make it up, I think you have given us an Accurate, Intelligent, Amazingly Insightful And Interesting April Interpretation of birding. Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Apr 1, 2026, at 12:47 PM, Kevin Lucas via Tweeters wrote: > > AI h! AI h! AI h! AI h! > April Is here! April Is here! > I recognize that call ;-) > > Happy April In hallowed lister land, this first day of which is a very happy one indeed for some of those whose sightings have been doubted. Recent application of AI has revealed, in a fresh release, that which has long been considered the only accurate way to distinguish a Ross's Goose from the very similar Snow Goose -- careful, non-flight observation of the size and shape of the Ross's Goose bill: small, triangular with a rather straight, not curved, edge where it meets the feathered face, and lacking the grin patch that's so obvious in many Snow Geese, and rather subtle depending on angle of view, and nearly absent on the many Ross's x Lesser Snow Geese hybrids -- Well that's Absolutely Indeed hooeey (AI h -- the h is ineffable). [My sincere apologies to all cognoscenti who found that Acronym Included hastily.] AIh has determined with Authoritative, Indisputable hubris that it's much more Accurate Indeed having brief views of a small-ish, white-ish goose, in flight, that don't show the bill shape, And Instead have no good view of even the rounded head shape of a Ross's Goose. In Ross's Goose accounts in vetted scientific study reports, in Abundantly Illustrafield handbooks and guides, All Is having to be revamped to Accommodate Immutably held rare record reports. > > Audubon's Infallible hirsute brush sketches of the incredible Bird of Washington now might be proven to not have been a fabrication for fame and fortune, rather the earliest use of a disguised stylus Accurately Interpreting how AIh would soon generate new life forms. Rare bird Accounts Imbued hysterically can now be recognized as following the Audubon Effect -- what's seen as a misleading broad brush will now be Automatically Included, here and now, in "Confirmed" eBird results. The Asterisk Inclusion hallmark that was soon to accompany ALL sightings by every lister who had ever had, even one of, his or her sightings "Confirmed" based somewhat on the lister's perceived worthy reputation (rather than plausible, crediby reported evidence), is now seen As Instantly hammered. > > David Sibley has Acknowledged, Irritatedly, having relied too much on museum specimens and observing Ross's Geese breeding colonies in person, Affecting Impressions he'd held as reasonably obtained. The skin of many a suspect reporter's reputation is what's got saved here. Sibley's Accompanying Illustrations have shown this distinct bill shape, and he'd Assumed, Incorrectly, helped bird watchers who strive for enjoyment and accuracy. All Is hogwash. Reprints using new Aura Infused histograms will be released soon. > > Now that we've fabricated answers to our ultimate questioning, Researchers are realizing they need to learn what the ultimate question is, or questions are, e.g. tackling the true meaning of the initials A and I. So far, many have locked-in that "A" is an abbreviation for "artificial". Some are doubting whether the "I" is an abbreviation, arguing that it instead seems to pair best with "artificial" when understood to be the first-person singular nominative personal pronoun. > > Addendae, Incidentals, hearsay: > Sibley has Also Implied having more corrections lined up -- acknowledging that in areas where they're rare, pure Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers can best have their identification nailed correctly by glimpses of them in flight, during which it's not possible to observe all the pure field marks previously deemed necessary to distinguish them from the much more common and easy to overlook intergrade flicker. He Acknowledges Including his illustrations of subtle plumage characteristics doesn't, in itself, prove any particular sighting, of a flicker that didn't see all the necessary bits, to be uncertain. The fit of a species in blank in a year needs list is an aspect of causation's Accurately Inverted hole theory, not just stringing us along. Confirming observations of a single individual flicker, with one photo showing its intergrade plumage and one photo not showing its intergrade plumage All Instantly have been justified as being of two different individuals -- species-time continuum warping, just-in-time Evolution Makes Checklist Confirmations, a.k.a. E M C squared. [A.k.a. is an abbreviation for Also Know As, sorry for my ATA -- acronym tardiness again.] > > This fresh release of info coincides with the upcoming launch of a new AIh company -- paralleling similar releases immediately preceding the taking flight of many a bird. > > Well, that's about 'Ten pounds of sightings in a five pound bag.' Blivet birding won, oh one. > > Merry Merlin Day! [MMD!], > Kevin Lucas > Yakima County, Washington (State of, not Bird of) > > Qui tacet consentire videtur > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 1 15:27:51 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 1 15:27:55 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?ABA=E2=80=99s_Fall/Winter_regional_report_is?= =?utf-8?q?_out?= Message-ID: ABA?s regional report for Oregon/Washington is now out. Fun recap of the last few months of interesting birds https://www.aba.org/oregon-and-washington-fall-2025/ --------------------------------------- Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) Silverdale, Washington Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks I have opinions -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 1 15:49:46 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Hank Heiberg via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 1 15:50:00 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Fwd: Skagit Birding In-Reply-To: References: <33A0F529-C0FB-49A9-904E-0F43BA70AFC4@gmail.com> Message-ID: Recently we spent 3 days in Skagit County enjoying excellent weather, daffodil fields, art galleries, family time and birding of course. The birding was less planned than usual, but worked out well. Harlequin Ducks in Washington Park (Anacortes): https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/55176317948/in/dateposted/ Snow Geese on the north side of LaConner: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/55176318908/in/dateposted/ Photo album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljcouple/albums/72177720332789647/ eBird trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/493443 The numbers for certain species are low because at Wylie we didn?t attempt to count birds for all species. We didn?t see any Oystercatchers on the trip which was unusual. The daffodils fields were blooming and the tulip fields were about to bloom. Hank & Karen (I sent this post yesterday, but I was told that it could not be read by those who get a daily summary of Tweeters posts. This is an attempt to correct that situation. I hope that it works. Having to re-send the post is for the birds, hence should be acceptable.) From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 1 18:28:43 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 1 18:28:47 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?REMINDER=3A_WOS_Monthly_Meeting=2C_April_6?= =?utf-8?q?=2C_2026_=28on-line_only=29?= Message-ID: <20260402012843.956029.qmail@s401.sureserver.com> The Washington Ornithological Society (WOS) is pleased to announce our next Monthly Meeting: on Monday, April 6, 2026, Brian Zinke will present, "Lights Out for Birds: How Reducing Nighttime Light Saves Migratory Species." Each year, millions of birds migrate across our region under the cover of darkness. But increasing levels of artificial light at night are disorienting and draw birds into cities where they face fatal collisions with buildings, windows, and other structures. Brian Zinke will explain why birds are vulnerable to nighttime light, and introduce the Lights Out initiative, a growing effort to reduce light pollution during peak bird migration. Learn about successful Lights Out programs, and practical steps we can take here in western Washington to help our birds navigate the night skies safely. Brian studied Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology in Kansas before he worked for Fish and Wildlife in Wyoming and in Washington. He has served in leadership roles in several wildlife nonprofits. Since November2019, Brian has been executive director of Pilchuck Audubon. This meeting will be conducted virtually, via Zoom (no in-person attendance). Sign-in will begin at 7:15 pm, and the meeting commences at 7:30 pm. Please go to the WOS Monthly Meetings page: https://wos.org/monthly-meetings/ for instructions on participation and to get the Zoom link. When joining the meeting, we ask that you mute your device and make certain that your camera is turned off. This meeting is open to all as WOS invites everyone in the wider birding community to attend. Thanks to the generosity of our presenters, recordings of past programs are available at the following link to the WOS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@washingtonornithologicalso7839/videos If you are not yet a member of WOS, we hope you will consider becoming one at https://wos.org Please join us! Elaine Chuang WOS Program Support From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 1 20:15:47 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Diann MacRae via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 1 20:15:52 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Fw: April Is here! April Is here! References: Message-ID: Thank you Kevin; please write a book! Cheers, Diann ? Diann MacRae Olympic Vulture Study 22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E. Bothell, WA 98021 tvulture@gmx.com ? ? Sent:?Wednesday, April 01, 2026 at 12:47 PM From:?"Kevin Lucas via Tweeters" To:?"Tweeters" Subject:?[Tweeters] April Is here! April Is here! AI h! ? AI h! ? AI h! ? AI h! April Is here! April Is here! I recognize that call ;-) Happy April In hallowed lister land, this first day of which is a very happy one indeed for some of those whose sightings have been doubted. Recent application of AI has revealed, in a fresh release, that which has long been considered the only accurate way to distinguish a Ross's Goose from the very similar Snow Goose -- careful, non-flight observation of the size and shape of the Ross's Goose bill: small, triangular with a rather straight, not curved, edge where it meets the feathered face, and lacking the grin patch that's so obvious in many Snow Geese, and rather subtle depending on angle of view, and nearly absent on the many Ross's x Lesser Snow Geese hybrids -- Well that's Absolutely Indeed hooeey (AI h -- the h is ineffable). [My sincere apologies to all cognoscenti who found that Acronym Included hastily.] AIh has determined with Authoritative, Indisputable hubris that it's much more Accurate Indeed having brief views of a small-ish, white-ish goose, in flight, that don't show the bill shape, And Instead have no good view of even the rounded head shape of a Ross's Goose. In Ross's Goose accounts in vetted scientific study reports, in Abundantly Illustrafield handbooks and guides, All Is having to be revamped to Accommodate Immutably held rare record reports. Audubon's Infallible hirsute brush sketches of the incredible Bird of Washington now might be proven to not have been a fabrication for fame and fortune, rather the earliest use of a disguised stylus Accurately Interpreting how AIh would soon generate new life forms. Rare bird Accounts Imbued hysterically can now be recognized as following the Audubon Effect -- what's seen as a misleading broad brush will now be Automatically Included, here and now, in "Confirmed" eBird results. The Asterisk Inclusion hallmark that was soon to accompany ALL sightings by every lister who had ever had, even one of, his or her sightings "Confirmed" based somewhat on the lister's perceived worthy reputation (rather than plausible, crediby reported evidence), is now seen As Instantly hammered. David Sibley has Acknowledged, Irritatedly, having relied too much on museum specimens and observing Ross's Geese breeding colonies in person, Affecting Impressions he'd held as reasonably obtained. The skin of many a suspect reporter's reputation is what's got saved here. Sibley's Accompanying Illustrations have shown this distinct bill shape, and he'd Assumed, Incorrectly, helped bird watchers who strive for enjoyment and accuracy. All Is hogwash. Reprints using new Aura Infused histograms will be released soon. Now that we've fabricated answers to our ultimate questioning, Researchers are realizing they need to learn what the ultimate question is, or questions are, e.g. tackling the true meaning of the initials A and I. So far, many have locked-in that "A" is an abbreviation for "artificial". Some are doubting whether the "I" is an abbreviation, arguing that it instead seems to pair best with "artificial" when understood to be the first-person singular nominative personal pronoun. Addendae, Incidentals, hearsay: Sibley has Also Implied having more corrections lined up -- acknowledging that in areas where they're rare, pure Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers can best have their identification nailed correctly by glimpses of them in flight, during which it's not possible to observe all the pure field marks previously deemed necessary to distinguish them from the much more common and easy to overlook intergrade flicker. He Acknowledges Including his illustrations of subtle plumage characteristics doesn't, in itself, prove any particular sighting, of a flicker that didn't see all the necessary bits, to be uncertain. The fit of a species in blank in a year needs list is an aspect of causation's Accurately Inverted hole theory, not just stringing us along. Confirming observations of a single individual flicker, with one photo showing its intergrade plumage and one photo not showing its intergrade plumage All Instantly have been justified as being of two different individuals -- species-time continuum warping, just-in-time Evolution Makes Checklist Confirmations, a.k.a. E M C squared. [A.k.a. is an abbreviation for Also Know As, sorry for my ATA -- acronym tardiness again.] This fresh release of info coincides with the upcoming launch of a new AIh company -- paralleling similar releases immediately preceding the taking flight of many a bird. Well, that's about 'Ten pounds of sightings in a five pound bag.' Blivet birding won, oh one. Merry Merlin Day! [MMD!], Kevin Lucas Yakima County, Washington (State of, not Bird of) ? Qui tacet consentire?videtur_______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 1 22:35:07 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Robert O'Brien via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 1 22:35:20 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?ABA=E2=80=99s_Fall/Winter_regional_report_is?= =?utf-8?q?_out?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Thanks for posting this Chuq! I wondered where American Birds (hard copy) had migrated to . Very useful Bob OBrien Portland On Wed, Apr 1, 2026 at 3:28?PM Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > ABA?s regional report for Oregon/Washington is now out. Fun recap of the > last few months of interesting birds > > https://www.aba.org/oregon-and-washington-fall-2025/ > > > > --------------------------------------- > > Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) > Silverdale, Washington > Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer > > Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com > Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org > > Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ > My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks > > I have opinions > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 2 03:39:07 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dan Reiff via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 2 03:39:12 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?While_searching_for_owls_at_night=2C_look_up?= =?utf-8?q?_for_this=3A_=E2=80=9CWhy_Is_There_a_Blue_Ring_Around_the_Moon?= =?utf-8?q?=3F_=E2=80=9C=7C_Meaningful_Moon?= Message-ID: <46EBB872-853C-4F9B-94D8-98C9DAAC2027@gmail.com> Tweeters, In the past week, while out at night with several species of owls, I saw something that I had never seen before, a Blue ring around the moon. Really beautiful! I?ve seen it most nights when the moon is nearly overhead. The following article is one of many that described the phenomenon. Also, this is a great time of the year to listen to and search for Owls. In Eastern Washington, Great Horned, Western Screech, and Long-eared are on eggs. The Barred and Great Horned owls that I follow in Western Washington are not yet, but close and are calling and defending territories nightly, including between the two species. Always interesting. Dan Reiff, PhD https://meaningfulmoon.com/why-is-there-a-blue-ring-around-the-moon/ From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 2 14:08:05 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Michael Hobbs via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 2 14:08:20 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2026-04-02 Message-ID: Tweets - We had such high hopes for this mornings' survey, but the day was Dark, Drippy, and Dull. Overcast, with mizzle, and mid-40's temps that felt colder. Highlights: Band-tailed Pigeon - Finally got good looks at two flying birds. First of Year (FOY) for the survey Virginia Rail - None seen, of course, but many "singing" the "Kiddick-kiddick" Double-crested Cormorant - A flock of ~40 a little before 7:00 was just about all that we found Merlin - A quick view of a bird in full attack mode on some poor bird, Dog Meadow Tree Swallow - Had only 1-2 we could identify Violet-green Swallow - Huge numbers high, later over the lake low, and still later low over the slough Northern Rough-winged Swallow - One spotted over the slough below the weir around 10:30 Barn Swallow - One over the lake, one over the slough below the weir later (FOY) Bushtit - Seen building nest(s) Western Meadowlark - Five, including some song, on the grass/gravel lot near the Climbing Rock Common Yellowthroat - One song heard once from the boardwalk, a little more pre-dawn (FOY) Yellow-rumped Warbler - Both "Audubon's" and "Myrtle" males looking pretty sharp We also had a deer in the SE part of the park. Misses today included Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, American Coot, Wilson's Snipe, Osprey (though there have been several reports other days), Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Lincoln's Sparrow, and Brown-headed Cowbird. For the day, 58 species. Adding Band-tailed Pigeon, Barn Swallow, and Common Yellowthroat, we're up to 87 species for the survey this year. = Michael Hobbs = BirdMarymoor@gmail.com = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 2 21:11:18 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Kenneth Brown via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 2 21:11:24 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday at Nisqually Message-ID: <877250730.575819.1775189478840@connect.xfinity.com> April Fools Day. We arrived to steady rain and cold, it didn't feel like spring. Mama nature trying to fool us again. A small flock of birders gathered on the deck at the Visitor's Center to grouse about the weather, but mostly about our travel ordeal due to the backup on northbound I-5. Our grumbling was forgotten when we were distracted by a pair of Cinnamon Teal, the first of the year, the male blatantly bright cinnamon. They shared the pond with pairs of Canada Geese, Gadwall, Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, and Ring-necked Ducks. A pair of Marsh Wrens twittered in the reeds next to the deck. We started with only 9 birders, but a few more trickled in as they completed the traffic gauntlet. A now-reliable male Rufous Hummingbird stood sentry at the entrance to the kids play area, his color a close match with the Cinnamon Teal. The play area is undergoing some renovation by Bob and his crew, soon to feature a life-size replica of a Bald Eagle's nest at an elevation that kids (young and old) can examine. A Band-tailed Pigeon perched in the top of a Pear Tree in the orchard. A Northern Flicker called, prompting some to briefly consider whether it was a Pileated Woodpecker instead. Near the Land Trust building a mixed flock of Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and Yellow-rumped Warblers entertained in the Alders, a Bewick's Wren sang unseen in the low brush. >From the entrance road, more Band-tailed Pigeons perched in a fruit tree in the orchard and in a large Cottonwood to the west. Another Rufous Humming bird displayed on the orchard's edge. Our peekaboo view of the Forbidden pond west of the road revealed no waterfowl, the surrounding field was dotted with Daffodils in full bloom. On the service road an orange-crowned Warbler mixed with Kinglets and Chickadees. The pond south of the bend in the service road held Northern Shovelers, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, and Mallards. We heard the yipping of a flock of Cackling Geese as they flew overhead, apparently heading for the northern part of the freshwater marsh. The flooded fields west of the service road held all the same ducks and a lot of American Coots. Two male Eurasian Wigeon were found among their much more numerous American Cousins. Wilson's Snipe foraged near the edge of the water. American Robins and European Starlings populated the cross dike road and the nearby Willows. Red-winged Blackbirds perched and called from the same trees and the Cattails. A pair of Bald Eagles watched from their perch high up in a bare tree along the western edge of the field. Swooping and swerving low over the fields were a multitude of Swallows, mostly Tree and Violet-green, with a few Barn and at least one Rough-winged in their midst. It was still raining, lightly but steadily, the clouds hanging low, keeping the insects, and therefore the Swallows down at our level. >From the boardwalk on the west side of the loop trail, there were more Ring-necked Ducks in the pond, Marsh Wrens chattering in reeds. Spotted Towhees, Song Sparrows, Fox Sparrow, Kinglets, Chickadees, announced themselves from the brush along the west side of the trail. A pair of Wood Ducks flew overhead. Jim spotted a Robin's nest still under construction, the builder and soon to be occupant working diligently. Further along we re-found the Rufous Hummingbird nest we found last week. It was occupied by the female, settled low in the nest, only her head and tail visible, likely sitting on eggs. Along the trail to the platform by the Twin Barns were Yellow-rumped Warblers, and from the platform the same species of ducks and Swallows as earlier. A Northern Harrier flying north to south, swooped low over the sodden field scaring up a flock of Wilson's Snipe. A mob of Golden-crowned Sparrows, with a couple of Spotted Towhees for company worked the leaf litter along the Willows at the base of the south side of the dike. On the north side, the white head of a Bald Eagle stuck up from it's nest in the large Cottonwood near the Nisqually. Several juvenile Eagles were scattered among the dead snags. The tide was low, showing an expanse of mud on the surge plain, with a few distant gulls and ducks. A pair of American Kestrel perched atop a snag, a Norther Flicker watched from a bare sapling. The female Yellow-shafted female Flicker put in an appearance. Though it was still raining and cold when we left the Willows behind, the wind did not pickup as is usual. Swallows were active on both sides of the dike. The freshwater side held ducks and Coots as expected. A pair of Pied-billed Grebes caught our attention, one chasing, the other played hard to get and disappeared. Jon spotted an American Bittern, close in but still hard to see at first. Heather spotted a Virginia rail near the gate at the base of the McAllister Creek boardwalk. Once on the boardwalk, the rain became a bit more sporadic, giving us an occasional break. Bufflehead, Gadwall, Wigeon, Common Goldeneye shared the water with a Horned Grebe. Unusually absent from the creek were Surf Scoters. Two adult Eagles occupied the O.G. southerly Eagle's nest along the west side, it seems they may be nesting there again. A few Greater Yellowlegs and Great Blue Herons wandered the shore. A Spotted Sandpiper foraged on the far side. Gulls were scattered around in low numbers, mostly Short-billed and Ring-billed. From the north end, the tide low, the waterline was distant, but we finally found some Surf Scoters, along with a few Red-breasted Mergansers, a couple Common Loons, a lot a ducks and sandpipers too distant to identify. Back to the dike and then to the Nisqually River overlook. The river was running "normally," not so milky-brown as the last couple weeks. Swallows found reason to forage low above the river. A single drake Common Merganser made himself visible. 13 Mallards hung out in the quiet side channel. Turning south along the east side of the loop we found Brown Creeper, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Hairy Woodpecker. On the riparian spur the tidal sloughs were pocked with emerging Skunk Cabbage, only a week or two from full bloom. Then back to the deck for the final tally, while in that process, an Anna's Hummingbird appeared in the adjacent bushes as if to say, "you thought you had missed me, April fools". See the following checklist: Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US Apr 1, 2026 8:00 AM - 3:15 PM Protocol: Traveling 5.58 mile(s) Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. A rainy day with temperatures from 43-48? F and a 3 to 5-knot south breeze. A High 13.7-foot Tide at 4:59 a.m. ebbed to a +1.7-foot low water at 11:30 a.m. before flooding toward a 12.2-foot high water at 5:33 p.m. Non-birds seen included Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, and a mink at the water control structure in the slough near the Twin Barns. 74 species (+11 other taxa) Cackling Goose (minima) 135 Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 21 A flock of 20 birds landed in the field just west of the Visitors' Center; the injured Taverner's remained along the north dike. Canada Goose 60 Mostly paired up; at least one was banded "1278-00075" likely by WDFW at their South Puget Sound project near Steilacoom. Wood Duck 4 Cinnamon Teal 4 Northern Shoveler 115 Gadwall 85 Eurasian Wigeon 3 Males American Wigeon 375 Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid) 1 Mallard 155 Northern Pintail 36 Green-winged Teal 400 dabbling duck sp. 700 Scoped: At edge of the mudflats at extreme low tide. Presumed mostly wigeon and teal, with some Gadwall and Pintail. Ring-necked Duck 5 Visitors' Centre pond Surf Scoter 16 Nisqually Reach Bufflehead 110 Common Goldeneye 32 Hooded Merganser 12 Display and courtship flights by several pair Common Merganser 1 Nisqually River below observation deck Red-breasted Merganser 3 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 12 Band-tailed Pigeon 6 Anna's Hummingbird 1 Rufous Hummingbird 7 Virginia Rail 1 Vocalizing from cattail marsh American Coot 85 Wilson's Snipe 13 Spotted Sandpiper 1 West bank of McAllister Creek Greater Yellowlegs 18 peep sp. 45 Estuary restoration area Short-billed Gull 55 Ring-billed Gull 30 Glaucous-winged Gull 2 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 4 Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 12 gull sp. 250 Pied-billed Grebe 3 Horned Grebe 1 McAllister Creek Common Loon 2 Nisqually Reach American Bittern 1 East side of cattail marsh along the north dike Great Blue Heron 15 Northern Harrier 1 Bald Eagle 32 Birds on nests at south McAllister Creek and in cottonwood along Nisqually River Belted Kingfisher 4 Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 Near Visitors' Center Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 3 Hairy Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker 2 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1 * Continuing female Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 2 American Kestrel 2 Male and female perched on stump in surge plain north of the north dike Merlin 1 Hutton's Vireo 1 Heard along service road Steller's Jay (Coastal) 1 Vocalizing from timber west of McAllister Creek American Crow 8 Black-capped Chickadee 10 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3 Tree Swallow 75 Violet-green Swallow 70 Tree/Violet-green Swallow 65 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 10 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 9 Golden-crowned Kinglet 8 Brown Creeper 7 Marsh Wren 15 Bewick's Wren 14 European Starling 35 Hermit Thrush 1 Heard vocalizing by Jim P along the west side boardwalk American Robin 42 Purple Finch 4 Vocalizing males Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 4 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 6 White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 2 Golden-crowned Sparrow 52 Savannah Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 44 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 12 Red-winged Blackbird 70 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 7 View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S315756872 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 3 09:51:42 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Martha Jordan via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 3 09:52:11 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Hybrid ducks - different perspective Message-ID: There are many reports of hybrid ducks, and it seems to be increasing. This is an article from Ducks Unlimited regarding hybrid ducks in the waterfowl hunting community. Hybrids are out there and science is looking into it. Hope this link works. https://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-research-science/understanding-waterfowl-fascinating-hybrids?utm_campaign=39687760-IP%20Warming&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_i0p-hC6vDTXAVivEZsiJZPaFIeJHXRMIE2wzS9A8EpIIIR2UHpoliyY8VqiPIQpE0f5Gwr4Wf1L6nHAjAZKrtE-cbBg&_hsmi=411120390&utm_content=411120390&utm_source=hs_email Martha Jordan Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 4 01:28:02 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Diann MacRae via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 4 01:28:07 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] TUVU report for March Message-ID: Hi, Tweets ? I'm just finishing up a short turkey vulture report for March and would be glad to add any reports you might have.? Thanks so much. ? Cheers, Diann ? Diann MacRae Olympic Vulture Study 22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E. Bothell, WA 98021 tvulture@gmx.com From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 4 21:05:59 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (John Riegsecker via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 4 21:06:04 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Hybrid ducks - different perspective In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <0c20992b-f185-410a-9b11-e6f2d352c1ab@pobox.com> Thanks to Martha for the link to the very interesting article on the duckDNA project. I thought it was interesting that the bird identified as the offspring of a northern shoveler and a blue-winged teal ? cinnamon teal hybrid was banded. I did some more research and found it was sick and rehabbed for a year in Nevada before being released back to the wild and killed in California. On 4/3/2026 9:51 AM, Martha Jordan via Tweeters wrote: > There are many reports of hybrid ducks, and it seems to be > increasing. This is an article from Ducks Unlimited regarding hybrid > ducks in the waterfowl hunting community. Hybrids are out there and > science is looking into it. Hope this link works. > > https://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-research-science/ > understanding-waterfowl-fascinating-hybrids?utm_campaign=39687760- > IP%20Warming&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_i0p- > hC6vDTXAVivEZsiJZPaFIeJHXRMIE2wzS9A8EpIIIR2UHpoliyY8VqiPIQpE0f5Gwr4Wf1L6nHAjAZKrtE- > cbBg&_hsmi=411120390&utm_content=411120390&utm_source=hs_email > understanding-waterfowl-fascinating-hybrids?utm_campaign=39687760- > IP%20Warming&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_i0p- > hC6vDTXAVivEZsiJZPaFIeJHXRMIE2wzS9A8EpIIIR2UHpoliyY8VqiPIQpE0f5Gwr4Wf1L6nHAjAZKrtE- > cbBg&_hsmi=411120390&utm_content=411120390&utm_source=hs_email> > > Martha Jordan Everett, WA > > > _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing > list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/ > mailman/listinfo/tweeters -- John Riegsecker From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 5 13:10:09 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Barbara Mandula via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 5 13:10:14 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Goldfinches in Madrona Message-ID: <08af01dcc538$354902d0$9fdb0870$@comcast.net> For the first time in 20 years, a downy woodpecker and a small flock of American goldfinches are visiting my seed feeders near Madrona Woods, accompanying the regulars. Barbara Mandula -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 5 20:09:51 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (HAL MICHAEL via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 5 20:09:55 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Hybrid ducks - different perspective In-Reply-To: <0c20992b-f185-410a-9b11-e6f2d352c1ab@pobox.com> References: <0c20992b-f185-410a-9b11-e6f2d352c1ab@pobox.com> Message-ID: <1846406366.592986.1775444991940@connect.xfinity.com> There is a neat Facebook page that documents lots of these hybrids. Pictures of the dusk and what the genetic analysis says. Hal Michael Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) ucd880@comcast.net > On 04/04/2026 9:05 PM PDT John Riegsecker via Tweeters wrote: > > > Thanks to Martha for the link to the very interesting article on the duckDNA project. I thought it was interesting that the bird identified as the offspring of a northern shoveler and a blue-winged teal ? cinnamon teal hybrid was banded. I did some more research and found it was sick and rehabbed for a year in Nevada before being released back to the wild and killed in California. > > On 4/3/2026 9:51 AM, Martha Jordan via Tweeters wrote: > > There are many reports of hybrid ducks, and it seems to be > > increasing. This is an article from Ducks Unlimited regarding hybrid > > ducks in the waterfowl hunting community. Hybrids are out there and > > science is looking into it. Hope this link works. > > > > https://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-research-science/ > > understanding-waterfowl-fascinating-hybrids?utm_campaign=39687760- > > IP%20Warming&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_i0p- > > hC6vDTXAVivEZsiJZPaFIeJHXRMIE2wzS9A8EpIIIR2UHpoliyY8VqiPIQpE0f5Gwr4Wf1L6nHAjAZKrtE- > > cbBg&_hsmi=411120390&utm_content=411120390&utm_source=hs_email > > > understanding-waterfowl-fascinating-hybrids?utm_campaign=39687760- > > IP%20Warming&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_i0p- > > hC6vDTXAVivEZsiJZPaFIeJHXRMIE2wzS9A8EpIIIR2UHpoliyY8VqiPIQpE0f5Gwr4Wf1L6nHAjAZKrtE- > > cbBg&_hsmi=411120390&utm_content=411120390&utm_source=hs_email> > > > > Martha Jordan Everett, WA > > > > > > _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing > > list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/ > > mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > -- > John Riegsecker > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 6 08:00:00 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Kathleen Snyder via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 6 08:00:46 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] CONSERVING IMPERILED BIRDS ACROSS WESTERN WA THURSDAY 4/9 7 PM, LIVE OR VIA ZOOM Message-ID: Gary Slater, Executive Director of Ecostudies Institute, will explain how his organization has advanced the conservation of birds and other wildlife and their habitats. Most recently, his work has focused on conserving imperiled birds in prairie-oak habitats. His research interests include the re-introduction ecology of passerine bird species. Much of Ecostudies? current work has focused on the habitats and listed species at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Pierce County. You can attend this free program from South Sound Bird Alliance by coming to Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 201 8th Ave SE, Olympia or by registering for Zoom below: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/zeqxsTuaS6KaWrtucTyFSg Zoom will start at 7 pm and those coming to the Temple can arrive for social time at 6:30 pm. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 6 14:58:37 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Diann MacRae via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 6 14:58:41 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] March 2026 TUVU report Message-ID: Hi, Tweets ? I hope everyone had a pleasant Easter weekend;?the weather certainly cooperated here. Turkey vultures seem to be?regular March arrivals in the Pacific Northwest. While I'm sure they overwinter here and there it's hard to ferret out exactly?where so I'm just happy?when they show themselves all around Washington in March. This month's report is from Washington sightings?only - no ebird this month. Thanks to those who sent in reports, they are always much appreciated. If there are any late reports, they will go in with April. Thanks again! ? MARCH 11 --? Two above Watershed Park in Olympia, Thurston County. 13?--? One turkey vulture over Seholm Hill in south Bellingham, Whatcom County. 15 --? 11 at Kennedy Creek Estuary most heading northwestward, Mason County. 16 --? 17 seen kettling above Salt Creek campground at about 12:30, they were?west of Tongue Point along the Juan de Fuca Strait, Clallam County, (photo). 21 --? One over the Roy town center at 10:40 a.m., Pierce County. 22 --? One seen?this morning at Tiger Mountain near Issaquah, King County; one heading NW over Center Road and WA19 at 13:10, 46*F with overcast sky; two turkey vultures at the Kennedy Creek Estuary; two soaring over Fall City, King County;?one turkey vulture?flying over Middle Fork Snoqualmie road, near Bessmer Creek drainage, North Bend, King County. 23 --? Five seen circling adjacent to I-90 ca. 6 miles east of Cle Elum plus two more flying above I-90 near Hyak, Kittitas County. 25 --? One seen?from?the Billy Frank Jr. NWR circling over the Visitor Center, weather 40-50*F with?sun, clouds, rain, wind, and sleet, Thurston County. 26 --? FOY in Bothell, ca. 4pm flying over the Snohomish/King County line. (Amazing?sighting: they never fly over Bothell here, either. lol); 9 at the Kennedy Creek Estuary; FOY- two birds soaring above the north shore of Fidalgo Island, Anacortes, Skagit County. 27 --? Five at the Kennedy Creek Estuary. 29 --? A single turkey vulture flying over Foothills Trail in the morning?near Alderton, Pierce County; two at Lake Joy near Carnation 30 --? One between Montesano and Olympia Grays Harbor County. 31 --? 8 between Montesano and Olympia (group of 7 at Elma); one soaring above Preston, King County; Five turkey vultures in Malaga, roosting near Lake Cortez, Chelan County.? Note: Multiple vultures in Methow, Okanogan County?on 27 March - 01 April. ? Cheers, Diann ? Diann MacRae Olympic Vulture Study 22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E. Bothell, WA 98021 tvulture@gmx.com ? ? ? From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 6 16:51:30 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (diane exeriede via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 6 16:51:34 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Faux monopine cell tower "plastic trees" Message-ID: Verizon is starting construction on a 150 ft cell tower disguised as a plastic tree on the neighboring property. The branches must shed "needles" as the branches need to be replaced every 3-5 years. What effects might this have on birds? I am assuming that the "needles" will eventually break down into microplastic particles. Does anyone have any experience with this? Diane Exeriede Issaquah, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 6 20:56:23 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Robert O'Brien via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 6 20:56:36 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Faux monopine cell tower "plastic trees" In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: As a chemist, I was quite interested in your questions and the implications so I did a little online research. Basically your intuition was correct. Nothing can be good about their decomposition products. From mildly toxic to worse. And, as you insinuate, they look REALLY STUPID, and fool no one. I've seen a few myself. Apparently they were instigated to avoid visual zoning-restrictions in some residential areas. Bob OBrien Carver OR . On Mon, Apr 6, 2026 at 4:51?PM diane exeriede via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > Verizon is starting construction on a 150 ft cell tower disguised as a > plastic tree on the neighboring property. The branches must shed "needles" > as the branches need to be replaced every 3-5 years. What effects might > this have on birds? I am assuming that the "needles" will eventually break > down into microplastic particles. > Does anyone have any experience with this? > Diane Exeriede > Issaquah, 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 tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 6 20:58:09 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Robert O'Brien via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 6 20:58:23 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Faux monopine cell tower "plastic trees" In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: P.S. Also, they are quite expensive, relative to a normal, metal tower. On Mon, Apr 6, 2026 at 4:51?PM diane exeriede via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > Verizon is starting construction on a 150 ft cell tower disguised as a > plastic tree on the neighboring property. The branches must shed "needles" > as the branches need to be replaced every 3-5 years. What effects might > this have on birds? I am assuming that the "needles" will eventually break > down into microplastic particles. > Does anyone have any experience with this? > Diane Exeriede > Issaquah, 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 tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 6 21:57:21 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Robert O'Brien via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 6 21:57:26 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] March 2026 TUVU report In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Keep up the good work, Diann. I happened to drive to Oakland 1st of March. Encountering multiple, well spaced out, TV flocks of 4 to 8 birds, lazily circling with no flapping. All in the northern sacramento valley. Perhaps awaiting more favorable weather for the next push northward. Bob obrien. Portland P.S. I'll try to forward a similar observation thru central AZ today. But larger flocks. Forward may not work. On Monday, April 6, 2026, Diann MacRae via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > > Hi, Tweets > > I hope everyone had a pleasant Easter weekend; the weather certainly > cooperated here. Turkey vultures seem to be regular March arrivals in the > Pacific Northwest. While I'm sure they overwinter here and there it's hard > to ferret out exactly where so I'm just happy when they show themselves all > around Washington in March. This month's report is from Washington > sightings only - no ebird this month. Thanks to those who sent in reports, > they are always much appreciated. If there are any late reports, they will > go in with April. Thanks again! > > MARCH > 11 -- Two above Watershed Park in Olympia, Thurston County. > 13 -- One turkey vulture over Seholm Hill in south Bellingham, Whatcom > County. > 15 -- 11 at Kennedy Creek Estuary most heading northwestward, Mason > County. > 16 -- 17 seen kettling above Salt Creek campground at about 12:30, they > were west of Tongue Point along the Juan de Fuca Strait, Clallam County, > (photo). > 21 -- One over the Roy town center at 10:40 a.m., Pierce County. > 22 -- One seen this morning at Tiger Mountain near Issaquah, King County; > one heading NW over Center Road and WA19 at 13:10, 46*F with overcast sky; > two turkey vultures at the Kennedy Creek Estuary; two soaring over Fall > City, King County; one turkey vulture flying over Middle Fork Snoqualmie > road, near Bessmer Creek drainage, North Bend, King County. > 23 -- Five seen circling adjacent to I-90 ca. 6 miles east of Cle Elum > plus two more flying above I-90 near Hyak, Kittitas County. > 25 -- One seen from the Billy Frank Jr. NWR circling over the Visitor > Center, weather 40-50*F with sun, clouds, rain, wind, and sleet, Thurston > County. > 26 -- FOY in Bothell, ca. 4pm flying over the Snohomish/King County line. > (Amazing sighting: they never fly over Bothell here, either. lol); 9 at the > Kennedy Creek Estuary; FOY- two birds soaring above the north shore of > Fidalgo Island, Anacortes, Skagit County. > 27 -- Five at the Kennedy Creek Estuary. > 29 -- A single turkey vulture flying over Foothills Trail in the > morning near Alderton, Pierce County; two at Lake Joy near Carnation > 30 -- One between Montesano and Olympia Grays Harbor County. > 31 -- 8 between Montesano and Olympia (group of 7 at Elma); one soaring > above Preston, King County; Five turkey vultures in Malaga, roosting near > Lake Cortez, Chelan County. > Note: Multiple vultures in Methow, Okanogan County on 27 March - 01 April. > > Cheers, Diann > > Diann MacRae > Olympic Vulture Study > 22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E. > Bothell, WA 98021 > tvulture@gmx.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 tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 6 21:58:38 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Robert O'Brien via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 6 21:58:41 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Fwd: [AZNMbirds] Migrating Turkey Vultures Tucson In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *Deanna Mac Phail* Date: Monday, April 6, 2026 Subject: [AZNMbirds] Migrating Turkey Vultures Tucson To: Rosie Watts Cc: AZ birdlist During our early evening periods of watching for Red-tailed Hawk activity here on the west side we see the occasional TUVU and a few BLVU. Twice last week we had a swirl of 18 Turkey Vultures appear over Little Cat mountain and then drift off to the south. Deanna MacPhail West side On Sun, Apr 5, 2026 at 9:19?PM Rosie Watts wrote: > We've been anticipating the arrival of the Turkey Vulture migration > through our part of town since early March. We've had bad timing this > year, and only a bird or two here or there. We watch from our house, as > well as nearby Fort Lowell Park and also the Pantano Wash Riverwalk at > Glenn and Saguara. Even the few we've seen, don't seem to be putting down > or lifting off from the Pantano Wash in that area (often we see them in the > large pines and palms over by the Country club to the east, etc). > > But to our surprise and enjoyment, this afternoon we had a small migratory > group fly over us as we walked through the north half of the pecan > orchard. 9 or 10 birds flew over, and then a bit later we saw them join > another group over the wash below. Total of 19 birds counted. Our (puny) > high total for us this year. Granted, we haven't spent a lot of time > waiting around for them, but our observation time/pattern is roughly > equivalent to the past several years, with much lower/negligible numbers > this spring. > > The Lewis' woodpecker remains at the Riverwalk there, a special treat. > > Happy Spring Birding! > > Rosie and Jim Watts > Tucson, Arizona > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 7 17:09:16 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Vicki via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 7 17:09:30 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Native plant nursery in the Tacoma/gig harbor area Message-ID: Hello, someone went on overdrive in my larger garden bed and butchered my plants. Some down to the ground. I am hoping for a good nursery suggestion with lots of native plants, that someone could recommend to me? Thank you for your time, Vicki Biltz Buckley, WA. vickibiltz@gmail.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/saw-whets_new/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 7 18:42:39 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Comcast via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 7 18:44:55 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Peru Trip Message-ID: <4B615B03-3649-495D-B88C-52A4A4B32440@comcast.net> We just got back from a nine day trip to Peru, on Manu Road and Manu National Park, and Tamopata. It was a fabulous trip with 360 species in nine days. Our guide, Danny Vargas, of Manakinexpeditions.com, was tremendous! Incredibly knowledgeable about the 2000 species in Peru, as well as Peruvian/Incan history, culture, and Peru?s amazing biodiversity. Highly recommended him. Happy to answer any questions people might have! Sent from my iPhone From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 8 05:31:16 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Carla Conway via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 8 05:31:31 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Native plant nursery in the Tacoma/gig harbor area In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Vicki, I'm so sorry that happened to your plants! If you contact the Washington Native Plant Society, they may have some nursery recommendations in your area. https://www.wnps.org/ The WNPS South Sound Chapter is having their plant sale on April 18 at the Thurston County Fairgrounds, 10am - 1pm. Good luck and happy gardening! Carla On Tue, Apr 7, 2026 at 5:09?PM Vicki via Tweeters wrote: > Hello, someone went on overdrive in my larger garden bed and butchered my > plants. Some down to the ground. I am hoping for a good nursery suggestion > with lots of native plants, that someone could recommend to me? > Thank you for your time, > Vicki Biltz > Buckley, WA. > > > > > vickibiltz@gmail.com > http://www.flickr.com/photos/saw-whets_new/ > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 8 12:41:33 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Charles Hesselein via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 8 12:41:48 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Native plant nursery in the Tacoma/gig harbor area Message-ID: Dear Vicky, et al., Watson?s Greenhouse and Nursery in Puyallup has a small area of native woody plants. In Gig Harbor there?s Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery, https://woodbrooknativeplantnursery.com/. Unfortunately most other nurseries don?t have areas set aside for native plants though any good nursery should have someone on staff that can help you find plants that fit your criteria. Also, your criteria for native plants may be different than the person your asking, that is, are you looking for plants that are specifically native to NW WA or will plants from, say, CA but are suitable for the PNW fit your needs. One other thing, if the plants that were hacked back are herbaceous perennials, they will probably sprout up like nothing happened to them. If they are woodies, they may sprout back but it would probably be many years and significant pruning before you get your original specimen back. Good luck and good gardening, Chazz Hesselein Port Orchard, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 8 13:13:02 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Stephen Elston via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 8 13:13:17 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Native plant nursery in the Tacoma/gig harbor area In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Carla already mentioned the WNPS. Here is the link to the 2026 list of native plant sources in Washington and parts of Oregon. You might want to mention to the people at whatever nursery you end up at what kinds of plans you had that got decimated. This information can help determine what plants might survive in your garden. Steve On Wed, Apr 8, 2026 at 12:41?PM Charles Hesselein via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > Dear Vicky, et al., > > Watson?s Greenhouse and Nursery in Puyallup has a small area of native > woody plants. In Gig Harbor there?s Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery, > https://woodbrooknativeplantnursery.com/. Unfortunately most other > nurseries don?t have areas set aside for native plants though any good > nursery should have someone on staff that can help you find plants that fit > your criteria. Also, your criteria for native plants may be different than > the person your asking, that is, are you looking for plants that are > specifically native to NW WA or will plants from, say, CA but are suitable > for the PNW fit your needs. One other thing, if the plants that were hacked > back are herbaceous perennials, they will probably sprout up like nothing > happened to them. If they are woodies, they may sprout back but it would > probably be many years and significant pruning before you get your original > specimen back. > > Good luck and good gardening, > > Chazz Hesselein > Port Orchard, 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 tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 8 15:15:58 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Adam Sedgley via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 8 15:16:13 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Native plant nursery in the Tacoma/gig harbor area In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: My wife and I make special trips to go down to Wild Thyme Nursery on S 74th St. They are a delightful couple with a great selection of plants, including natives. Great prices too. Adam ------- Adam Sedgley S e a t t l e, WA sedge.thrasher [at] gmail [dot] com On Wed, Apr 8, 2026 at 1:15?PM Stephen Elston via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > Carla already mentioned the WNPS. Here is the link to the 2026 list > of > native plant sources in Washington and parts of Oregon. > > You might want to mention to the people at whatever nursery you end up at > what kinds of plans you had that got decimated. This information can help > determine what plants might survive in your garden. > > Steve > > On Wed, Apr 8, 2026 at 12:41?PM Charles Hesselein via Tweeters < > tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > >> Dear Vicky, et al., >> >> Watson?s Greenhouse and Nursery in Puyallup has a small area of native >> woody plants. In Gig Harbor there?s Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery, >> https://woodbrooknativeplantnursery.com/. Unfortunately most other >> nurseries don?t have areas set aside for native plants though any good >> nursery should have someone on staff that can help you find plants that fit >> your criteria. Also, your criteria for native plants may be different than >> the person your asking, that is, are you looking for plants that are >> specifically native to NW WA or will plants from, say, CA but are suitable >> for the PNW fit your needs. One other thing, if the plants that were hacked >> back are herbaceous perennials, they will probably sprout up like nothing >> happened to them. If they are woodies, they may sprout back but it would >> probably be many years and significant pruning before you get your original >> specimen back. >> >> Good luck and good gardening, >> >> Chazz Hesselein >> Port Orchard, 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 tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 8 17:31:33 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Larry Schwitters via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 8 17:31:54 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] 31 million and counting Message-ID: <85CCDB05-3E97-42EE-9639-4F3F1AE7BD5D@me.com> Vaux?s Happening is beginning its 37th consecutive migration. There's a number of us who haven taken part in all of them. We attempt to document the number of swifts that seek their night time shelter in a communal roost. The most wee birds we have clicked off going into one roost in one night so far is 263,000. All our migrations totaled is about 31million. If you would like to be involved send me an email. Larry Larry Schwitters Project coordinator Audubon Vaux?s Happening http://www.vauxhappening.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 9 09:00:13 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Vicki via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 9 09:00:28 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Native plant issues resolved Message-ID: Hello, I just wanted to update on my quest for natives to refill my back bed. Woodbrook Native Plants in Gig Harbor had a nice selection of what I was looking for. We took our time and they were very helpful. Thanks for all the responses. My bed will just be ugly for a while. I bought some ninebark, which I?ve been wanting forever, several kinnick kinnick, and found a large salal, which I?d been looking for for years. Plus a few other not so delicate perennial plants. It was really fun. I just hope I don?t lose a lot of birds. Vicki vickibiltz@gmail.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/saw-whets_new/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 9 09:02:27 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Carla Conway via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 9 09:02:42 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Native plant issues resolved In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Great news, Vicki! Thanks for letting us know. Carla On Thu, Apr 9, 2026 at 9:00?AM Vicki via Tweeters wrote: > Hello, > I just wanted to update on my quest for natives to refill my back bed. > Woodbrook Native Plants in Gig Harbor had a nice selection of what I was > looking for. We took our time and they were very helpful. > Thanks for all the responses. My bed will just be ugly for a while. I > bought some ninebark, which I?ve been wanting forever, several kinnick > kinnick, and found a large salal, which I?d been looking for for years. > Plus a few other not so delicate perennial plants. It was really fun. I > just hope I don?t lose a lot of birds. > > Vicki > > > > > vickibiltz@gmail.com > http://www.flickr.com/photos/saw-whets_new/ > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 9 10:01:21 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (LMarkoff via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 9 10:01:38 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Native plant issues resolved In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <008801dcc842$7fef7af0$7fce70d0$@mycci.net> Hello Vicki and Tweeters, I?ve been a wildlife gardener since the mid-90s. We have moved several times, from Virginia to Texas, then to Oregon, and are now in California. Each time we moved, I had to start a new garden. While my perennials/shrubs/trees got established, I would grow annuals to provide for the birds, insects, and other critters. Things that grow fast such as zinnias and cosmos, but perhaps the best annual has been sunflowers. I use the same BOSS (Black-oiled sunflower seed) that I feed the birds in feeders, and it usually germinates and grows quickly, providing food for seed eaters and insectivores, and also a little cover. Sunflowers provide another bonus for vegetable gardeners. Some gardeners complain that Lesser Goldfinches eat the leaves of their veggie plants. But Lessers also love to eat the leaves of sunflowers. If you plant sunflowers, most likely they will eat those leaves and ignore your garden veggies. Just a thought, Lori Markoff Citrus Heights, CA From: Tweeters On Behalf Of Vicki via Tweeters Sent: Thursday, April 9, 2026 9:00 AM To: Tweeters Subject: [Tweeters] Native plant issues resolved Hello, I just wanted to update on my quest for natives to refill my back bed. Woodbrook Native Plants in Gig Harbor had a nice selection of what I was looking for. We took our time and they were very helpful. Thanks for all the responses. My bed will just be ugly for a while. I bought some ninebark, which I?ve been wanting forever, several kinnick kinnick, and found a large salal, which I?d been looking for for years. Plus a few other not so delicate perennial plants. It was really fun. I just hope I don?t lose a lot of birds. Vicki -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 9 17:17:29 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Matt Bartels via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 9 17:17:43 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2026-04-09 Message-ID: Hi Tweets - 8 of us enjoyed a beautiful spring day today at Marymoor - We didn?t turn up any rarities, but it was too pleasant to mind too much. Highlights included: Greater White-fronted Goose- still a group hanging out at the weir - getting late for them here Eurasian Collared-Dove one flew in and perched by the east meadow viewing mound for nice looks. Wilson?s Snipe - just one still around Great Blue Heron - at the heronry we heard the ?grum grum grum? sounds of new borns - most of the nests appeared to have incubating adults on them Osprey - after a couple weeks of reports but nothing enduring, they are back repeated display flights, one at the nest and one perhaps building a new nest on the light poles Bushtit - nice views of a pair attending a nest Ruby-crowned Kinglets - still a few around, singing American Pipit - nice flock of 20+ flying around the gravel parking on the north lots Fox Sparrow - several still singing Golden-crowned Sparrows - still quite a few around up in trees and singing Yellow-rumped Warblers - good looks at both Audubon?s and Myrtle Notable misses included: Ring-necked Duck, Common Goldeneye, Hairy Woodpecker, Brown Creeper, American Goldfinch, Brown-headed Cowbird and any gulls For the day, 58 species Matt Bartels Seattle, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 10 11:34:42 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Scott Atkinson via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 10 11:34:46 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Barred Owls at Discovery Park Message-ID: Tweeters: Saw a recent Matt Dufort EBird list for Barred Owl found near the north parking lot, but just wondered if anyone can share any other recent encounters. I'd not been by the Visitor Center in a while and noted that it closed in August 2025. Much appreciate any info. My email is scottratkinson@hotmail.com. Thank you, Scott -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 10 12:10:57 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Emily Duewiger via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 10 12:11:15 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding on Oahu Message-ID: Does anyone have birding suggestions for Oahu? Thank you, Emily Duewiger -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 10 12:22:13 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 10 12:22:19 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Western Flycatcher time Message-ID: As the spring birds have been arriving, I?ve been expecting a few species to arrive ? today I got my first call from a Western Flycatcher here on the property. Time for everyone to keep eyes and ears open for them, they?re arriving. We had our first swallows (Violet-green) six days ago along with the first purple finches. Still missing but due any time are Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Swainson?s Thrush, but it seems like the transition from winter is mostly complete. A few days ago with the improving weather I spent some time doing a survey around the homestead, and found 17 species. We?re at about 500? altitude above Silverdale on 4 acres of mostly unmanaged pine, alder and cedar. The usual suspects here are the Anna?s, Juncos, Spotted Towhees, Song Sparrows, Stellar?s Jays, Golden-crowned Kinglets and both chickadees. We currently have Robins everywhere, both Bewicks and multiple Pacific Wrens (loudly declaring their territory) and at least three pairs of purple finches. Some other fun highlights are a brown creeper, Pileateds (our other woodies are elsewhere right now, but I?m hearing flickers on and off) and the other day, caught a Hermit Thrush out in the open foraging along with four of the Robins. Since we moved here in 2021 the yard list is now 80 species, including five woodpecker species (Pileated, Hairy and Flicker being fairly common with two confirmed breeding, red-naped Sapsucker FINALLY showed up for a one day visit) and we?ve confirmed breeding of 12 species with another half dozen suspected but not confirmed. It?s surprisingly weak on warblers here, and I?m not sure why, but we get one wander through every so often. It won?t be too long before the first fledglings show up around the feeders demanding to be fed?. chuq --------------------------------------- Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) Silverdale, Washington Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks I have opinions -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 10 13:57:22 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jerry Tangren via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 10 13:57:27 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding on Oahu In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: The three that we would most recommend are ?-the Japanese cemetery on the northeast corner, think bristle-thighed curlew; walk in from the golf course; ?the park around the Honolulu zoo for white-terns and non-natives; ?the Aiea Loop Trail for native landbirds. --Lorna & Jerry Tangren East Wenatchee Get Outlook for iOS ________________________________ From: Tweeters on behalf of Emily Duewiger via Tweeters Sent: Friday, 10 April 2026 12:10:57 To: tweeters@u.washington.edu Subject: [Tweeters] Birding on Oahu Does anyone have birding suggestions for Oahu? Thank you, Emily Duewiger -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 10 14:25:33 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Larry Schwitters via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 10 14:25:55 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Osprey time In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: One Osprey nest building south Issaquah this AM. Larry Schwitters Issaquah > On Apr 10, 2026, at 12:22?PM, Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters wrote: > > As the spring birds have been arriving, I?ve been expecting a few species to arrive ? today I got my first call from a Western Flycatcher here on the property. Time for everyone to keep eyes and ears open for them, they?re arriving. > > We had our first swallows (Violet-green) six days ago along with the first purple finches. Still missing but due any time are Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Swainson?s Thrush, but it seems like the transition from winter is mostly complete. > > A few days ago with the improving weather I spent some time doing a survey around the homestead, and found 17 species. We?re at about 500? altitude above Silverdale on 4 acres of mostly unmanaged pine, alder and cedar. The usual suspects here are the Anna?s, Juncos, Spotted Towhees, Song Sparrows, Stellar?s Jays, Golden-crowned Kinglets and both chickadees. We currently have Robins everywhere, both Bewicks and multiple Pacific Wrens (loudly declaring their territory) and at least three pairs of purple finches. > > Some other fun highlights are a brown creeper, Pileateds (our other woodies are elsewhere right now, but I?m hearing flickers on and off) and the other day, caught a Hermit Thrush out in the open foraging along with four of the Robins. > > Since we moved here in 2021 the yard list is now 80 species, including five woodpecker species (Pileated, Hairy and Flicker being fairly common with two confirmed breeding, red-naped Sapsucker FINALLY showed up for a one day visit) and we?ve confirmed breeding of 12 species with another half dozen suspected but not confirmed. It?s surprisingly weak on warblers here, and I?m not sure why, but we get one wander through every so often. > > It won?t be too long before the first fledglings show up around the feeders demanding to be fed?. > > chuq > > > --------------------------------------- > > Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me ) > Silverdale, Washington > Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer > > Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com > Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org > > Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ > My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks > > I have opinions > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 10 15:12:54 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Carla Conway via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 10 15:13:09 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Birding on Oahu In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Emily, The Hawaii Audubon website is a great resource for birding suggestions on the major Hawaiian islands https://hiaudubon.org/birding-in-hawaii/ in addition to lots of information on Hawai'i's birds. Here's a link to the Hawai'i Birding Trails website that may be useful https://hawaiibirdingtrails.hawaii.gov/. Enjoy, Carla On Fri, Apr 10, 2026 at 12:11?PM Emily Duewiger via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > Does anyone have birding suggestions for Oahu? > > Thank you, > Emily Duewiger > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 10 16:05:02 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Tom and Carol Stoner via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 10 16:05:30 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Great Blue Heronry Message-ID: The heronry on the northeast corner of Pigeon Point in West Seattle has had herons attending the nests. The herony has perhaps a dozen nests and is adjacent to the West Seattle Bridge/Duwamish River, but hard to see now that the maples are blooming and leafing out. Is anyone monitoring this location? Do we know if the herons successfully fledge the young birds? Carol Stoner West Seattle -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 10 16:26:34 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (AMK17 via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 10 16:26:38 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] FOS blak-thriated gray warbler (BTGW) Message-ID: First Of season BTGW yard bird, singing and flitting in the yard today with yellow rumped and orange crowned warblers. Most of the sparrows have moved on but a few lingering golden crowned and a fox sparrow the past few days. Phinney Ridge, Seattle AKopitov From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 10 23:59:23 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Hans-Joachim Feddern via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 10 23:59:42 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] FOS blak-thriated gray warbler (BTGW) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Merlin heard one today at Seahurst Park, just like those nasty insects: "No See-ums" Hans On Fri, Apr 10, 2026 at 4:26?PM AMK17 via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > First Of season BTGW yard bird, singing and flitting in the yard today > with yellow rumped and orange crowned warblers. Most of the sparrows have > moved on but a few lingering golden crowned and a fox sparrow the past few > days. > > Phinney Ridge, Seattle > AKopitov > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 11 17:00:32 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Kersti Muul via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 11 17:00:48 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Great Blue Heronry Message-ID: Carol I have been monitoring this rookery for a long time. There are over 20 nests including a brand new one just being started by a pair this morning. Yes they successfully fledge young! Neighbors host viewing parties when nestlings are visible, let me know if you're interested. Also the nests are very visible still as the leaves are not yet fully matured. In May you can see the discarded hatched blue egg shells below on the stairs that lead to the bridge. Also - Violet green swallows, purple finches, Huttons and others in West Seattle this past week or so. 3/4 West Seattle eagle nests are incubating. (Kellogg Island appears inactive this year.) -Kersti -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 11 17:03:01 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Ann Kramer via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 11 17:03:42 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Paul Bannick LIVE at Mt. Vernon Library Commons this Tuesday!!! Free Event! Message-ID: Hi Tweeters, Boy, are we excited! The remarkable *Paul Bannick is our Tuesday night presenter*!!! In collaboration with the Mt. Vernon library, we will be one of the few organizations featuring him *for free*!!! Members and non members alike are invited to this large capacity venue. Prepare to be awed by Paul's exquisite images and the abundant information gleaned from hours of observations of North American Woodpeckers. We will open the doors at 6:00 PM for the 7:00 PM meeting. There will be coffee, tea and sweets to nibble on. In person only at 208 W. Kincaid St., Mt. Vernon! For more information, please go to Skagit Audubon.org and view the flyer on the home page. We are looking forward to seeing everyone for this celebration of Spring and fascinating woodpeckers!! https://www.skagitaudubon.org/programs Please Join Us!!! *Ann* *Ann Pultz Kramer, MS * *annk@skagitaudubon.org * Program Committee Chair, Skagit Audubon Society -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 11 18:21:19 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Kenneth Brown via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 11 18:21:22 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday at Nisqually Message-ID: <401902631.739102.1775956879650@connect.xfinity.com> The morning began with a bright clear sky, the air cold, in the upper 30's (F). The Visitor's Center pond was busy with waterfowl, a nesting Canada Goose, a few Mallards, a pair of Gadwall, and several Wood Ducks. "Woodies" seem to find other local habitat in the depth of winter but return to the refuge in the spring. Red-winged Blackbirds called from their perch in a bare tree leaning over the pond. A closer look showed one of those blackbirds to be a Brown-headed Cowbird, the first of the year. The birder turnout was significantly larger than last week, the weather and pre-walk traffic flow a distinct improvement. The resident male Rufous Hummingbird once again watched over the entrance to play area, an Orange-crowned Warbler foraged in the bramble, and a Band-tailed Pigeon observed from a still-bare Alder. In the play area, the boulders that will form the base of the demonstration Eagle's nest looked like unfound giant granite Easter eggs. Purple Finch called from the top of a fruit tree. Yellow-rumped Warblers were busy in the orchard, a Mourning Dove flushed, flying south. A Violet-green Swallow swooped solo over the gravel parking lot of the maintenance yard. Along the entrance road were American Robins, another Rufous Hummingbird and Band-tailed Pigeon, a few Kinglets, Chickadees and two Hutton's Vireos. The pond west of the road was apparently unoccupied, still bordered by blooming Daffodils. Three pairs of Cinnamon Teal could be seen in the flooded field south of the service road along with the usual ducks, Mallards, Northern Shovelers and Northern Pintail, and American Wigeon. West of the road, the ponds had numerous American Coots and Green-winged teal, a couple more Cinnamon Teal, a pair of Ring-necked Ducks, a couple Eurasian Wigeon as well as the other usual ducks species. Wilson's Snipe were nearly invisible in the grassy verge. Tree and Barn Swallows were swerving over the pond. A Cooper's Hawk shot from behind us low over the field, in an apparently unsuccessful pursuit of prey and just as quickly disappeared. An Anna's Hummingbird perched in the brush between the parking lot and the road. The west side of the boardwalk loop trail was in nesting mode. An American Robin sat on eggs in a nest in an Elderberry bush, slightly below eye level ~6' west of the railing. East of the walkway, two separate Rufous Hummingbird nests, in two locations, were occupied by females, also appearing to be incubating eggs. A Red-breasted Sapsucker clung to the side of an large Alder snag. It seemed to have begun excavation on a future nesting cavity but was idle as we watched. It went immediately back to work when it's mate landed nearby and "scolded", then stopped again as soon as it's partner left. (Perhaps I'm anthropomorphizing.) Through distant limbs and budding leaves, the white head of an adult Bald Eagle could be seen above the lip of the nest in the large Cottonwood tree near the Nisqually River, likely sitting on eggs. The tide was relatively low and falling. To the north was mud with distant ducks and a few gulls. On the freshwater side of the dike were a perched Northern Harrier, Pied-billed Grebe, Coots, ducks and Canada and Cackling Geese, including a Cackling Goose at the base of the dike that we believe to be unable to fly, it's left wing, we speculate, injured during hunting season. It has remained in the same area for a couple of months now but seems be otherwise thriving. Red-winged Blackbirds scattered among the reeds and Swallows in the air above. Marsh Wrens and Virginia Rail could be heard calling in the cattail swamp. Near the base of the McAllister Creek boardwalk an American Bittern flushed and flew south, disappearing back into the swamp. A Sora whinnied. >From the boardwalk, McAllister Creek held Bufflehead, American Wigeon, Common Goldeneye, and Gadwall. Greater Yellowlegs walked the waters edge, Harbor Seals lazed on the islands, another Bald Eagle hunkered down in the the southerly nest west of the creek. A small flock of Least Sandpipers landed nearby. Farther north were a few Double Crested Cormorants, Surf Scoters, and a pair of Horned Grebes. Two Belted Kingfishers hunted along the far side, a mated pair of Common Merganser hugged the far shore, a pair of Red-breasted Merganser the near shore. Two Spotted Sandpipers teetered on the waters edge, an occasional Great Blue Heron stood guard. From the gazebo at the north end, a flock of Bonaparte's Gulls could be seen wheeling in the air near the mouth of the Nisqually River. Back on the dike, a single Greater White-fronted Goose had joined the Canada Geese on the gravel surface. Another first of the year. At the Nisqually River overlook, a pair of River Otters ran along the far shore, plunged in the river, caught and ate Salmon smolt. A pair of Common Mergansers drifted downriver past them. Southerly along the east side of the loop trail were Yellow-rumped Warblers, Bewick's Wren, Brown Creepers, and Bushtits. The Skunk Cabbage is in full bloom in the muddy channels crossed by the Riparian spur, a pair of Rufous Hummingbirds worked the Salmonberry blossoms nearby. Then back to the deck at the Visitor's Center to end the walk. Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US Apr 8, 2026 8:00 AM - 4:25 PM Protocol: Traveling 3.209 mile(s) Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk on a bright clear morning with temperatures from 38-63? F and a 3 to 8-knot north breeze. A High 10.6-foot Tide at 9:18 a.m. ebbed to a +0.4-foot low water at 4:43 p.m. Non-birds seen included Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend?s Chipmunk, two otters in the Nisqually River, and numerous Harbor Seals hauled out in the estuary of McAllister Creek, as well as several butterflies. 82 species (+11 other taxa) Greater White-fronted Goose 1 Cackling Goose 165 Cackling Goose (minima) 82 Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 76 Canada Goose 62 Wood Duck 12 Cinnamon Teal 9 Northern Shoveler 135 Gadwall 14 Eurasian Wigeon 3 American Wigeon 215 Mallard 70 Northern Pintail 26 Green-winged Teal 450 Ring-necked Duck 2 Surf Scoter 25 Bufflehead 185 Common Goldeneye 25 Hooded Merganser 4 Common Merganser 4 A pair on McAllister Creek and a pair in the Nisqually River. Red-breasted Merganser 2 duck sp. 400 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 2 Band-tailed Pigeon 4 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Mourning Dove 2 Anna's Hummingbird 2 Rufous Hummingbird 10 Virginia Rail 3 Sora 1 Cattail marsh American Coot 85 Killdeer 6 Wilson's Snipe 2 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Greater Yellowlegs 28 Least Sandpiper 20 Bonaparte's Gull 30 Short-billed Gull 410 Ring-billed Gull 35 Glaucous-winged Gull 3 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 8 Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 12 gull sp. 225 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Horned Grebe 2 Double-crested Cormorant 6 American Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 14 Turkey Vulture 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Adult, female by size Northern Harrier 1 Bald Eagle 37 Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 1 Belted Kingfisher 2 Red-breasted Sapsucker 4 Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 6 Northern Flicker 2 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 2 Hutton's Vireo 2 American Crow 12 Common Raven 2 Black-capped Chickadee 16 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 2 Tree Swallow 45 Violet-green Swallow 2 Barn Swallow 20 Bushtit (Pacific) 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 Brown Creeper 4 Pacific Wren 3 Marsh Wren 18 Bewick's Wren 16 European Starling 12 American Robin 46 Purple Finch (Western) 5 Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 2 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 2 White-crowned Sparrow 2 White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 1 Golden-crowned Sparrow 18 Savannah Sparrow 4 Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 34 Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 2 Red-winged Blackbird 48 Brown-headed Cowbird 3 Orange-crowned Warbler 2 Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 2 Common Yellowthroat 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler 25 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 8 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 3 View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S319267700 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 11 19:28:08 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Marcus Roening via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 11 19:28:12 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Yellow-billed Loon on Key Peninsuala PIERCE CO, Herron Island Ferry Landing Message-ID: <8a6db1cc-b185-4ce5-a458-d8f121197bb1@rainierconnect.com> Hi Tweets, An adult Yellow-billed Loon was found off the Herron Island Ferry Landing of the Key Peninsula in PIERCE CO on April 8 by Brandon Lloyd.? The bird is rapidly changing into breeding plumage.? Most of the body feathers are now the classic black with white checkers and the head has achieved dark gray, but not yet black feathering. The neck is still very pale gray. The bill is a pale yellow and dark at the base. There is easy parking at this very small ferry landing, next to the beach.? The bird has been seen close to the dock, but also off the north end of Herron Island - that would require a scope to see well.? There are a lot of Common Loons in the area, but all the ones I saw today had jet black heads and the the white collar. I scanned until I found the bird that had only a dark gray head and zoomed in from there. Plenty of other seabirds in the same area and a pair of nesting ospreys on the ferry dock to keep everyone engaged.? Other spots to check while you're on the peninsula are the Home Boat Landing on the opposite side of peninsula and Penrose State Park with a nice hiking trail through mature forest. Good birding, -- Marcus Roening Tacoma WA From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 12 10:43:44 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Valerie Anderson via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 12 10:43:58 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Black Phoebe Message-ID: Good morning Tweets, We were just visited by a Black Phoebe at our house outside of West Olympia! It landed on our back deck and we got a picture that clearly shows it's identifying marks. This is a first for us. Valerie Anderson Olympia, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 12 13:07:31 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (JACK NOLAN via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 12 13:07:48 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Here and There References: <8B99F828-953E-4D41-88F1-417DA39828A7.ref@comcast.net> Message-ID: <8B99F828-953E-4D41-88F1-417DA39828A7@comcast.net> Just returned from the Bahamas (Eleuthera) with a student group. Saw some great birds: Yellow Crowned Night Heron, Bahamian Mockingbird, Thick Billed Vireo, Bananaquit, Blackface Grassquit, and the Bahamian Yellow Throat. All but the Heron were Lifers. Then this morning I hear my FOY Osprey. Life is good. Cheers Jack Nolan Shoreline, Wa. Sent from my iPhone. Pardon my brevity and typos. From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 12 17:56:49 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Gary Bletsch via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 12 17:57:05 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] off-topic hybrid duck question References: <290916616.2158768.1776041809805.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <290916616.2158768.1776041809805@mail.yahoo.com> Dear Tweeters, Today, 12 April 2026, I found a strange duck. I think it was a Common Goldeneye hybrid. My best guess was COGO X Hooded Merganser, but I think that it might possibly be a COGO X Bufflehead. I put "off-topic" in the subject line, because the bird is not in the PNW; it was in Western New York. Here is the link to the eBird checklist: Checklist S320862904 This was at the eBird hotspot called "Chautauqua--WMA Cheney Farm." I'd love to hear any thoughts about the ID of this odd duck. It was with a flock of Common Goldeneyes. Yours truly, Gary Bletsch garybletsch@yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 12 20:05:04 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (John Riegsecker via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 12 20:05:10 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] off-topic hybrid duck question In-Reply-To: <290916616.2158768.1776041809805@mail.yahoo.com> References: <290916616.2158768.1776041809805.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <290916616.2158768.1776041809805@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Hi Gary, There has been a COGO x Bufflehead at Potlatch State Park since 2018: https://ebird.org/checklist/S132170329 Then in 2024 another one (?) showed up about 17 miles away: https://ebird.org/checklist/S218487269 Here is an example of a COGO x Hoodie https://ebird.org/checklist/S6093162 It seems to me you can rule out the Bufflehead. John Riegsecker jriegsecker@pobox.com On 4/12/2026 5:56 PM, Gary Bletsch via Tweeters wrote: > Dear Tweeters, > > Today, 12 April 2026, I found a strange duck. I think it was a > Common Goldeneye hybrid. My best guess was COGO X Hooded Merganser, > but I think that it might possibly be a COGO X Bufflehead. > > I put "off-topic" in the subject line, because the bird is not in > the PNW; it was in Western New York. > > Here is the link to the eBird checklist: > > > Checklist S320862904 > > > This was at the eBird hotspot called "Chautauqua--WMA Cheney Farm." > > I'd love to hear any thoughts about the ID of this odd duck. It was > with a flock of Common Goldeneyes. > > Yours truly, > > Gary Bletsch > > garybletsch@yahoo.com > > _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing > list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/ > mailman/listinfo/tweeters -- John Riegsecker From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 12 22:55:40 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Robert O'Brien via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 12 22:55:54 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] off-topic hybrid duck question In-Reply-To: References: <290916616.2158768.1776041809805.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <290916616.2158768.1776041809805@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: It looks good for a HoodieXGoldie via the Macaulay Bird Library https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/653931426 The checklist is available at this link also. Bob OBrien Portland On Sun, Apr 12, 2026 at 8:05?PM John Riegsecker via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > Hi Gary, > > There has been a COGO x Bufflehead at Potlatch State Park since 2018: > > https://ebird.org/checklist/S132170329 > > Then in 2024 another one (?) showed up about 17 miles away: > > https://ebird.org/checklist/S218487269 > > Here is an example of a COGO x Hoodie > > https://ebird.org/checklist/S6093162 > > It seems to me you can rule out the Bufflehead. > > John Riegsecker > jriegsecker@pobox.com > > > On 4/12/2026 5:56 PM, Gary Bletsch via Tweeters wrote: > > Dear Tweeters, > > > > Today, 12 April 2026, I found a strange duck. I think it was a > > Common Goldeneye hybrid. My best guess was COGO X Hooded Merganser, > > but I think that it might possibly be a COGO X Bufflehead. > > > > I put "off-topic" in the subject line, because the bird is not in > > the PNW; it was in Western New York. > > > > Here is the link to the eBird checklist: > > > > > > Checklist S320862904 > > > > > > This was at the eBird hotspot called "Chautauqua--WMA Cheney Farm." > > > > I'd love to hear any thoughts about the ID of this odd duck. It was > > with a flock of Common Goldeneyes. > > > > Yours truly, > > > > Gary Bletsch > > > > garybletsch@yahoo.com > > > > _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing > > list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/ > > mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > -- > John Riegsecker > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 13 13:34:19 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Charles Hesselein via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 13 13:34:34 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Error in eBird list "effort" submissions Message-ID: <62A9B303-820C-4EA2-A674-7D17DD37BF04@hesselein.com> Dear All, This morning I discovered a change in eBird that probably started around November of 2025. I regularly submit stationary yard lists. I?ve always noticed that eBird?s tracking shows movement but, in the past, the program has correctly defaulted to the stationary selection. Since around November of last year, I found that eBird has been, incorrectly, choosing the traveling option about half the time. Has anyone else noticed this happening? Chazz Hesselein Port Orchard, WA From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 13 18:11:48 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Zora Monster via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 13 18:12:04 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] New backyard bird Message-ID: A Lincoln?s sparrow decided to pop in for a visit and was rooting around in a newly disturbed bed. It?s been a few years since I?ve had a new backyard bird. Zora Dermer Phinney Ridge Sent from my iPhone From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 13 18:37:14 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (pan via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 13 22:55:46 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] King Cty. Sagebrush Sparrow Message-ID: <553284615.28773.1776130634245@fidget.co-bxl> Tweets, Returning from out of town last night, I was able to get over to the Stillwater wildlife area north of Carnation today and find that the Sagebrush Sparrow found yesterday continues.? I saw it three times between 11 and 3:30, roughly, but always far to the east along the same hedgerow.? A scope would be helpful (and was, eventually, when Norm D. arrived with one).?? Also:? Rufous Hummingbirds, a fly-over Greater Yellowlegs, Turkey Vultures, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Violet-green Swallows, and Savannah Sparrows, among others.?? 13 April, 2026, Alan Grenon Seattle panmail AT mailfence PERIOD com -- Sent with https://mailfence.com Secure and private email -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 14 12:44:17 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Mark Borden via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 14 12:51:10 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] New Purple Martin PVC boxes at Crockett Lake Message-ID: II have been admiring the new PVC nest boxes at Crockett Lake, And would like to suggest an improvement. I have 30 years experience with PVC nest boxes, and have found that a coat of flat sand or light brown colored primer helps with standard PVC to preserve it from the effects of the sun. Another benefit is that it gives the boxes a finished look. When I see the new boxes, I am concerned that someone will think they look too unfinished, and out of place, and they might be upset. I have the correct paint of the right color, and would be glad to apply it. With the paint, the boxes will last about 20 years longer. If they were under no stress, then they would last quite a while as is, but the effect of the wind in that location, and torsional stress will crack them off much sooner if the sun is allowed to penetrate. Mark Borden Coupeville, WA. 360-632-7484 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 14 13:48:28 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Martha Jordan via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 14 13:48:55 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Waterfowl birder and some photo skills Message-ID: A request came to me for a speaker who is a birder and does some photography to give a program for the Washington Waterfowl Association. Their program part of the meeting is usually 45 min to an hour. I have given several programs for them over the years. While their focus is waterfowl hunting, they have expressed an interest in learning more about waterfowl from a birder's perspective and some tips for photography (such as digiscoping as they have binos and some have scopes, and some camera tips for the SLR or point and shoot folks, etc.) If you are interested or may know someone who is, please contact me ASAP. Sharing ideas, tools and perspectives is always good. Thanks. 206-713-3684 Martha Jordan Everett, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 14 21:05:38 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Eric Ellingson via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 14 21:06:09 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Brown Pelican and lots of wet birds at Semiahmoo Message-ID: Hi Tweeters Despite the wet and windy conditions, there was plenty of bird activity today at Semiahmoo. The highlight was a juvenile Brown Pelican doing a flyby; it has been in the area since at least midday Monday. I have compiled a video featuring the pelican, along with several other sightings: - A Cormorant attempting to swallow a fish that was too large - A Horned Grebe in breeding plumage - A Belted Kingfisher shaking off the rain - A very wet juvenile Bald Eagle - Western Grebes https://youtu.be/56j6FIpzSac 1:44 Also of note were the numerous (75) Common Mergansers on the beach along Semiahmoo Bay & lots of Bonaparte's Gulls . Cheers Eric Ellingson 360-820-6396 esellingson@gmail.com https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericellingson/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 15 11:20:54 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (jywhite@comcast.net via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 15 11:21:17 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Pepper bird seed and suet Message-ID: We?ve got a rat problem and I?m thinking of switching to pepper bird foods. Just wanted to see if there?s a downside to this type of food. Thx for any feedback. John From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 15 11:28:08 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (AMK17 via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 15 11:28:13 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Pepper bird seed and suet Message-ID: Hi, I've had pepper bird seed for about a year now and the birds seem fine. The rats get used to it eventually (took about a year, maybe less) but don't as much (I see fewer rats in yard) but they are still around. Trying rat birth control (on Amazon) to reduce numbers but that is a long term and expensive option. Squirrels don't go near any of the pepper food. Might take birds a bit to get used to switching. I also use seed catchers and limit what ends up on ground, move feeders around, reduce feeding now except for cold days and use pepper suet mainly too.... Good luck! Anna Seattle AMK17 -----Original Message----- From: jywhite@comcast.net via Tweeters Sent: Apr 15, 2026 11:21 AM To: Subject: [Tweeters] Pepper bird seed and suet We’ve got a rat problem and I’m thinking of switching to pepper bird foods. Just wanted to see if there’s a downside to this type of food. Thx for any feedback. John _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list Tweeters@u.washington.edu http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 15 11:30:59 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 15 11:31:04 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Pepper bird seed and suet In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: > > We?ve got a rat problem and I?m thinking of switching to pepper bird > foods. Just wanted to see if there?s a downside to this type of food. We had a growing raccoon problem, so a few months ago I switched to a pepper infused seed (Cool Birds, available on Amazon) in the ground feeder and a pepper infused suet. It has stopped the raccoons cold. The birds don?t care ? I?m currently doing a dual suet with the one facing the feeder pole the pepper suet (to discourage the squirrels) and both are eaten more or less equally. In my research I?ve found no downsides to the pepper infusions, and in practice the same. The raccoons are super unhappy, and I still get an occasional beggar at the patio door, but a number of them moved elsewhere ? we had 6-7 hanging around, and now it seems more like 2. I?m using a LOT less seed, too. The one amusing thing to date is that some of the squirrels gave up as well, but a couple have decided that they are going to still eat the stuff, but they are far from happy about it. I do plan on getting to the local bird store to see what pepper feeds they have, since I?d rather buy locally, but in doing some research I?ve found most of the Wild Bird Unlimited sell pepper infused nuggets vs loose seed, which will probably be okay (and maybe contain the mess a bit) but I do want to test them out. chuq --------------------------------------- Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) Silverdale, Washington Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks I have opinions -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 15 12:24:24 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Marcia Ian via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 15 12:24:42 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Hot pepper bird food Message-ID: <3D23FF71-57E7-4658-9835-C13160C5EEA1@icloud.com> For years, I used pepper infused food very effectively to deter rodents, with no adverse reactions from the birds. I used hot pepper suet, and to make the rest more affordable I bought cayenne pepper in bulk, 5 pounds at a time, and added about 2 Tbs pepper per pound of seed. Marcia Ian Bellingham WA From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 15 12:31:16 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Zora Monster via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 15 12:31:38 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Pepper bird seed and suet In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <58CBE6D1-7131-4431-9635-9AA5C5F40D0F@mac.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 15 14:31:28 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Richard Schwarz via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 15 14:31:47 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Pepper bird seed and suet In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <74D441DC-7F6F-4BD5-B1E1-6FF98EFCF18F@yahoo.com> For what it?s worth, the pepper suet is also deeply unpleasant for black bears. We had one that destroyed all of the feeders at our neighbors but they got one taste of the pepper suet in our feeder and said no thank you. Richard Schwarz > On Apr 15, 2026, at 11:23?AM, jywhite@comcast.net via Tweeters wrote: > > ?We?ve got a rat problem and I?m thinking of switching to pepper bird foods. Just wanted to see if there?s a downside to this type of food. > Thx for any feedback. > John > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 16 07:27:35 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dan Reiff via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 16 07:27:39 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?SMITHSONIAN_MAGAZINE=3A_How_robo-birds_are_h?= =?utf-8?q?elping_save_one_of_the_country=E2=80=99s_most_iconic_species?= Message-ID: <2EAECD7E-55E0-4A1A-9744-60CBA8EAE8EE@gmail.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 16 17:08:56 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jane Hadley via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 16 17:09:11 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Native plants Message-ID: I've been admittedly a little slow to follow up on this, but recently there was a discussion on Tweeters about where to get native plants, etc. I wanted to say that former WOS volunteer Vicki King, who has moved out of the area, put together a 9-page report entitled: RESOURCES FOR ADDING NATIVE PLANTS TO YOUR GARDEN You can read and/or download this document from the WOS website. You get to it via the List of Birding Resources on the Birding Resources menu at wos.org website or by going to this link: https://wos.org/wos-wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Native-Plant-Resources-10-7-22.pdf Jane Hadley Seattle, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 16 17:10:36 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Kenneth Brown via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 16 17:10:41 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Greater Sage Grouse Message-ID: <150968781.810015.1776384636700@connect.xfinity.com> Both the article and the video are interesting. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-the-american-wests-most-iconic-birds-is-attempting-to-mate-near-a-dangerous-airport-could-robo-birds-help-save-them-180988542/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 16 17:48:24 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Larry Schwitters via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 16 17:48:46 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Vaux's Happening In-Reply-To: <85CCDB05-3E97-42EE-9639-4F3F1AE7BD5D@me.com> References: <85CCDB05-3E97-42EE-9639-4F3F1AE7BD5D@me.com> Message-ID: <955287C6-9857-4B35-A433-5617197874E6@me.com> We documented the first of six Vaux?s swifts enter the Monroe Wagner chimney at 6:24 last night. Date is close to expected for first arrival. Larry Schwitters Issaquah From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 16 17:59:25 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Matt Bartels via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 16 17:59:35 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2026-04-16 Message-ID: <8197E2C0-101F-4B6A-B901-CCA4631E66E8@earthlink.net> Hi Tweeters - 6 of us joined forces for this week?s Marymoor survey. Early on, it was cold and rainy - but the rain mostly stopped by about sunrise - it remained cool all morning, but the birds were pretty active once they woke upand it got a little bit warmer. As with last week, we were watching for spring arrivals and winter departures. Highlights: Cackling Goose - Eric has a small flock fly over before 6:30 - pretty late for Marymoor Wilson?s Snipe - still one around Great Blue Heron - this week several young birds were heard ?grum grum-ing? at the rookery Barn Owl - one seen right around sunrise All 5 regular woodpeckers eventually showed up, though Sapsucker managed to hide until the Rowing Club 5 swallow species, including our first Purple Martins of the year, with several inspecting the gourds at the lake platform Ruby-crowned Kinglets - still a couple around, singing Varied Thrush - one late, at the mansion area Misses today included: Common Goldeneye, Cooper?s Hawk, Fox Sparrow and the recently reported Brewer?s Sparrow [not seen on our walk but reported on eBird today] For the day, 61 species Matt Bartels Seattle, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 16 18:26:09 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Kersti Muul via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 16 18:26:20 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Hot pepper bird food Message-ID: I use hot pepper seed and suet exclusively. (Hulled sunflower seeds). They work great. There are some roof rats around due to neighbors abundant seeds on ground - but we have a resident great-horned and barred pair that take advantage of that. Plus to hear the GHOW at night is incredible. The only downside (and this happens more than you would think) the suet crumbles sometimes blow off when snapping the cage shut and find their way to my eyeballs. Same with filling the feeders; the spicy dust blows around. Also, mind your fingers after. Recommend a good hand washing after handling any amount of either. -K -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 17 16:12:17 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (John Riegsecker via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 17 16:12:23 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Caspian Terns in Port Orchard Message-ID: My favorite Caspian Tern showed up at Etta Turner Park in Port Orchard today. It is F231 banded 07/07/2011, Valdez Cordova, Alaska. I first saw it May 2, 2024. In 2025 I did not see it until July, 13, 2025. https://ebird.org/checklist/S323167721 John Riegsecker Gig Harbor, WA -- John Riegsecker From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 18 13:23:52 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Carol Riddell via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 18 13:24:07 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow Message-ID: <66EA48A0-F80C-40B4-B18E-E3330D95F07C@gmail.com> It?s that time of year when Chipping Sparrow shows up on the eBird basic county checklists in Western Washington at the same time that Cornell?s Merlin Sound ID suggests it frequently when it hears Dark-eyed Junco. Chipping Sparrows tend to be more abundant at this time of year in the more eastern parts of the Puget Sound counties and rarely closer to the Sound. I see a lot of Chipping Sparrow ticks in checklists where they are never or very rarely seen. And those ticks are never documented, which suggests the sparrow shows up on a Sound ID list and then it just gets added to a checklist with no confirmation or documentation. If you are an eBirder, please consider leaving an unconfirmed Chipping Sparrow off your checklist or add it with documentation. Birds are never distributed equally throughout a county. We need to consider habitat, food sources, nesting opportunities, and traditional locations for a species, and then use that knowledge to decide whether it is an appropriate addition to a public checklist or just a Sound ID possibility. Good birding, Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA cariddellwa@gmail.com From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 18 14:24:51 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Ian Paulsen via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 18 14:24:54 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] NEW Princeton guide Message-ID: HI ALL: THIS JUST IN: The LONG awaited Princeton Bird Guide to North America has a publication date: 9 March 2027! https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691137278/the-bird-guide-north-america sincerely Ian Paulsen Bainbridge Island, WA, USA Visit my BIRDBOOKER REPORT blog here: https://birdbookerreport.blogspot.com/ From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 18 18:09:33 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dennis Paulson via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 18 18:09:38 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow In-Reply-To: <66EA48A0-F80C-40B4-B18E-E3330D95F07C@gmail.com> References: <66EA48A0-F80C-40B4-B18E-E3330D95F07C@gmail.com> Message-ID: I?ll add to what Carol said. I have been seeing this rash of Chipping Sparrow reports by sound, and indeed it seems that Merlin does confuse juncos and Chipping Sparrows with some frequency. And of course this isn?t the only error that Merlin makes. I understood that the main reason for developing Merlin was so that people could learn bird sounds more readily, but it seems that it is used primarily for adding to eBird lists. If Merlin makes errors only 5-10% of the time, and I think that may not be far off, think of that number of errors times the number of eBird checklists being submitted every day?potentially hundreds and hundreds of erroneous records in Cornell?s database just in our state. It seems appropriate that any time Merlin reports an unexpected bird, if at all possible that bird should be confirmed with your own eyes or your own knowledge of bird vocalizations. Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Apr 18, 2026, at 1:23 PM, Carol Riddell via Tweeters wrote: > > It?s that time of year when Chipping Sparrow shows up on the eBird basic county checklists in Western Washington at the same time that Cornell?s Merlin Sound ID suggests it frequently when it hears Dark-eyed Junco. Chipping Sparrows tend to be more abundant at this time of year in the more eastern parts of the Puget Sound counties and rarely closer to the Sound. I see a lot of Chipping Sparrow ticks in checklists where they are never or very rarely seen. And those ticks are never documented, which suggests the sparrow shows up on a Sound ID list and then it just gets added to a checklist with no confirmation or documentation. If you are an eBirder, please consider leaving an unconfirmed Chipping Sparrow off your checklist or add it with documentation. Birds are never distributed equally throughout a county. We need to consider habitat, food sources, nesting opportunities, and traditional locations for a species, and then use that knowledge to decide whether it is an appropriate addition to a public checklist or just a Sound ID possibility. > > Good birding, > > Carol Riddell > Edmonds, WA > cariddellwa@gmail.com > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 18 19:04:32 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 18 19:04:36 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow In-Reply-To: References: <66EA48A0-F80C-40B4-B18E-E3330D95F07C@gmail.com> Message-ID: On Apr 18, 2026 at 18:09:33, Dennis Paulson via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > I?ll add to what Carol said. I have been seeing this rash of Chipping > Sparrow reports by sound, and indeed it seems that Merlin does confuse > juncos and Chipping Sparrows with some frequency. And of course this isn?t > the only error that Merlin makes. I understood that the main reason for > developing Merlin was so that people could learn bird sounds more readily, > but it seems that it is used primarily for adding to eBird lists. > > It seems appropriate that any time Merlin reports an unexpected bird, if > at all possible that bird should be confirmed with your own eyes or your > own knowledge of bird vocalizations. > I recently ran into this ? I started getting repeated hits for a Chipping Sparrow near where the Port Gamble Harris? Sparrow is hanging out. I ended up not logging it into eBird but adding it to the comments after 20 minutes of trying to get eyes on it. (Hint: that location is full of crowned sparrows and juncos, too). My general take on Merlin these days after too many hours of diving into it?s reliability and consistency (for reasons that don?t matter here) is that if eBird notes the bird as orange dot or red dot, Merlin is not ?good enough? to warrant logging it. Note that Merlin also uses red and orange dots and they do NOT always line up with eBird: I trust eBird here when they differ. Something I wish Merlin would do is available with the Haiku bird ID system (which I have experimented with and recommend with limitations, but which, being an unattended device, should not be used to add eBird data) ? Haiku includes a confidence level (high/medium/low) on its IDs. If Merllin did this, it and eBird could work together to set a policy to accept high confidence IDs but not lower confidence ones ? and actually publicize the policy in the apps. This is a solvable problem if eBird and Merlin choose to. Haiku, FWIW, uses BIRDnet as its data source, as do some of the other similar systems like Birdweather. Chuq --------------------------------------- Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) Silverdale, Washington Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks I have opinions -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 18 20:12:29 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Roniq Bartanen via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 18 20:12:35 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow In-Reply-To: References: <66EA48A0-F80C-40B4-B18E-E3330D95F07C@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi Roniq Bartanen here, I lead a monthly bird outing at Green Lake as a longtime volunteer for Birds Connect Seattle and have for many years! Yesterday our group of 20 bird enthusiasts saw 4 different Chipping Sparrows, visually without sound help from Merlin. All were seen in different parts of the park. Two of them were together on the ground out in the open, one gathering nesting material a short distance from the other. Two others were singing and seen out in the open at eye level in two separate parts of the park, far away from the others. I've seen Chipping Sparrows at Green Lake every year since 2020, in the months of May, June, July and August. I've also seen them in the NE Seattle (Ravenna) Neighborhood numerous times, once collecting nesting material near Picardo pea patch and flying in to a residential yard in June 2022. In 2024 and 2025 I had numerous sightings of them at parks/nature areas such as Union Bay Natural Area, Ravenna Park, Marymoor Park, Maple Leaf Reservoir Park and my own small condo garden in Maple Leaf in May 2025. All were seen, as I don't have the Merlin app on my phone. July 2024, I had long lovely looks at a juvenile Chipping Sparrow at Juanita Bay foraging on the ground. Needless to say, I feel like sightings of this Sparrow in Western Washington, have been increasing. Wonder if anyone else feels the same? All this data I've shared is from my own eBird and sightings, not sound I.D. I'm interested if anyone is doing a study on Chipping Sparrow range in WA? In my opinion due to my history of sightings, I feel it's becoming less rare to see them in western WA, and I couldn't be more delighted ?. Happy Birding, Roniq Bartanen (She/Her) www.shebirds.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/she_birds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roniq.bartanen Ramblings at the Roost: My blog dedicated to birds and birding https://shebirds.com/blog For occasional content celebrating the culture and joy of mindful, urban and accessible birding as well as info on upcoming bird outings visit https://shebirds.com/contact. Members who create an account gain access to my FREE Global Female Bird Guide Resource List! https://shebirds.com/m/login?r=%2Ffemale-bird-guides ________________________________ From: Tweeters on behalf of Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2026 7:04 PM To: Dennis Paulson Cc: TWEETERS tweeters ; Carol Riddell Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow On Apr 18, 2026 at 18:09:33, Dennis Paulson via Tweeters > wrote: I?ll add to what Carol said. I have been seeing this rash of Chipping Sparrow reports by sound, and indeed it seems that Merlin does confuse juncos and Chipping Sparrows with some frequency. And of course this isn?t the only error that Merlin makes. I understood that the main reason for developing Merlin was so that people could learn bird sounds more readily, but it seems that it is used primarily for adding to eBird lists. It seems appropriate that any time Merlin reports an unexpected bird, if at all possible that bird should be confirmed with your own eyes or your own knowledge of bird vocalizations. I recently ran into this ? I started getting repeated hits for a Chipping Sparrow near where the Port Gamble Harris? Sparrow is hanging out. I ended up not logging it into eBird but adding it to the comments after 20 minutes of trying to get eyes on it. (Hint: that location is full of crowned sparrows and juncos, too). My general take on Merlin these days after too many hours of diving into it?s reliability and consistency (for reasons that don?t matter here) is that if eBird notes the bird as orange dot or red dot, Merlin is not ?good enough? to warrant logging it. Note that Merlin also uses red and orange dots and they do NOT always line up with eBird: I trust eBird here when they differ. Something I wish Merlin would do is available with the Haiku bird ID system (which I have experimented with and recommend with limitations, but which, being an unattended device, should not be used to add eBird data) ? Haiku includes a confidence level (high/medium/low) on its IDs. If Merllin did this, it and eBird could work together to set a policy to accept high confidence IDs but not lower confidence ones ? and actually publicize the policy in the apps. This is a solvable problem if eBird and Merlin choose to. Haiku, FWIW, uses BIRDnet as its data source, as do some of the other similar systems like Birdweather. Chuq --------------------------------------- Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) Silverdale, Washington Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks I have opinions -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 18 21:36:04 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Kenneth Brown via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 18 21:36:09 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday at Nisqually Message-ID: <685157616.879216.1776573364399@connect.xfinity.com> April showers bring May flowers, or so I have heard. The morning started with light rain, a cold (38?F) breeze, and a crowd of ~2 dozen birders on the deck. Wood Ducks, a pair of Hooded Mergansers, mallards and a few Canada Geese were in the pond. A now expected male Rufous Hummingbird again stood watch over his territory at the entrance to the play area. Purple Finch sang from the top of a fruit tree. A new addition to the play area is a much larger-than-life carved wooden dragonfly, child sittable/stand-able, next to the incipient demonstration eagles nest. A pair of Mourning Doves flew overhead. Cinnamon Teal were again among the ducks in the pond south of the turn in the service road. Almost as expected as his Rufous cousin, a male Anna's Hummingbird surveyed his claim from the top of a small tree between the north parking lot and the service road. Flying low over the flooded field to the west were five Swallow species, Barn, Tree, Violet Green, Rough-winged, and, first of the year, Cliff Swallows. A pair of Ravens croaked from the top of a fir tree east of the pond as we started on the boardwalk trail on the west side of the loop. Close in, a family of five Virginia Rails played peek-a-boo with us close in the cattail reeds on the edge of the pond. The mama Robin once again sat on her nest, as did both female Rufous Hummingbirds seen last week. A Musk Rat swam a sinuous path northward in the slough, crossing under the boardwalk and then out of sight. A hairy Woodpecker made an appearance, as did a few Chickadees, Common Yellowthroat, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Two Eurasian Wigeon could be found among the other duck species from the Twin Barns overlook. A flock of 3 dozen Greater White-fronted Geese flew in a shallow, ragged "V" northward overhead. The eagle's nest in the Cottonwood along the Nisqually River was again occupied. Viewing it is likely to get iffy over the next couple of weeks as the tree continues to "leaf out." The weather had fluctuated all day, rain, then drizzle, brief periods of sun, clouding up again, and now hail mixed with rain and strong wind as we walked the unsheltered portion of the dike. Three Greater White-fronted Geese shared our experience, if not our discomfort. They only reluctantly stepped aside as we passed on the gravel surface, not intimidated but wary and perhaps annoyed by our presence. A Sora foraging close in on the freshwater side of the dike made the weather no longer a distraction as we had prolonged good views. An unusual sight from the upper part of the McAllister Creek boardwalk, several Bonaparte's Gulls, some in black-hooded breeding plumage, some in winter plumage. They first roosted on the sand, then moved into the water, mixing with Bufflehead. Again, an Eagle sat in the southerly nest west of the creek. This nest will be visible if young are hatched this spring. Ubiquitous Harbor Seals shared the water with Double-crested Cormorants, a Horned Grebe, and ducks, including Gadwall, Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers. Greater yellowlegs shared the shoreline with a Spotted Sandpiper. From the Gazebo at the north end we saw Brandt's Cormorants on the channel marker, a Pelagic Cormorant in flight, it's white flank patch visible. A flock of Brant Geese got up to the east and settled back down and out of sight. A murmuration of Dunlin flashed back and forth near the mouth of the Nisqually River. As we headed back to the dike, a Turkey Vulture soared over the ridgeline to the west. An Osprey, another first of the year, glided overhead as we made our way to the Nisqually river overlook. When we arrived, the white bodies and dark green heads of three drake Common Mergansers stood out against the far shore of the river, another drake and a hen sighted downstream. Tree and Violet Green Swallows swooped over the river. A swift flying Merlin, seemingly intent on catching a Swallow, swept low over the river then suddenly changed directions and crossed over our heads and out of sight. Whether it's hunt was successful, we couldn't tell. We made our way south along the east side of the loop, a brief side trip on the riparian spur, mostly to see the skunk cabbage (just past peak bloom) and then back to the Visitor's Center deck for the final tally. The checklist follows, but you really should click on the link. Wednesday Walk regulars include several excellent photographers who have attached photos that really make the checklist. Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US Apr 15, 2026 7:59 AM - 4:10 PM Protocol: Traveling 3.183 mile(s) Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk on a Spring morning with temperatures from 38-47? F and a 3-to-15-knot south breeze. The weather was variable, with light rain to start, then everything from fair skies to rain, hail, and 20+ knot gusts throughout the walk. A High 13.3-foot Tide at 4:42 a.m. ebbed to a +2.1-foot low water at 11:15 a.m. before flooding toward an 11.9-foot high at 5:12 p.m. Non-birds seen included Musk Rat, Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend?s Chipmunk, and numerous Harbor Seals hauled out in the estuary of McAllister Creek, as well as a few cold Pacific Chorus frogs. 85 species (+9 other taxa) Greater White-fronted Goose 36 A flock of 36 flew over, with 3 birds landing on the north dike for feed and gravel Brant (Black) 62 At the edge of the mud flats along Nisqually Reach Cackling Goose (minima) 180 Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 42 Continuing injured bird along the north dike Canada Goose 62 Many paired up Wood Duck 7 Cinnamon Teal 8 Northern Shoveler 45 Gadwall 58 Eurasian Wigeon 2 American Wigeon 170 Mallard 80 Northern Pintail 11 Green-winged Teal 185 Ring-necked Duck 4 Greater Scaup 18 Nisqually Reach Surf Scoter 1 Off Luhr Beach Bufflehead 135 Common Goldeneye 18 Hooded Merganser 5 Common Merganser 5 Four drakes and a hen in the Nisqually River Red-breasted Merganser 6 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 9 At the entrance gate Band-tailed Pigeon 2 Mourning Dove 4 Anna's Hummingbird 1 Rufous Hummingbird 5 Two occupied nests continue along the west side of the loop boardwalk hummingbird sp. 1 Virginia Rail 8 5 Adults together in visitors' pond along the west side boardwalk Sora 2 Well-seen bird in the cattail marsh; another vocalizing from nearby American Coot 75 Killdeer 1 Spotted Sandpiper 1 West side McAllister Creek Greater Yellowlegs 24 Dunlin 550 Least Sandpiper 9 Bonaparte's Gull 25 Short-billed Gull 205 Ring-billed Gull 38 California Gull 3 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 2 Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 6 Pied-billed Grebe 3 Horned Grebe 2 Beautiful alternate plumage Brandt's Cormorant 3 Nisqually Reach Channel Marker Pelagic Cormorant 1 Nisqually Reach; white 'saddles' Double-crested Cormorant 7 Great Blue Heron 14 Turkey Vulture 1 Osprey 1 First of season Northern Harrier 1 Bald Eagle 18 Adults on nests - south McAllister Creek and cottonwood along the River Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 1 Belted Kingfisher 2 Red-breasted Sapsucker 3 Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2 Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Vocalizing from west of McAllister Creek Northern Flicker 3 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 3 Merlin 1 American Crow 6 Common Raven 3 Black-capped Chickadee 6 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3 Tree Swallow 65 Violet-green Swallow 26 Tree/Violet-green Swallow 40 Purple Martin 2 Reported by Janel Northern Rough-winged Swallow 4 Barn Swallow 45 Cliff Swallow 8 Bushtit (Pacific) 2 Brown Creeper 5 Pacific Wren 1 Riparian overlook boardwalk Marsh Wren 22 Bewick's Wren 9 European Starling 80 American Robin 24 Purple Finch (Western) 2 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1 White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 1 Golden-crowned Sparrow 7 Savannah Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 29 Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 5 Red-winged Blackbird 40 Brown-headed Cowbird 15 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 1 Common Yellowthroat 14 Yellow-rumped Warbler 30 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 16 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 26 View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S322449768 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 19 06:16:40 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Gary Bletsch via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 19 06:16:44 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Chippies References: <543601879.473407.1776604600570.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <543601879.473407.1776604600570@mail.yahoo.com> Dear Tweeters, Thanks to Carol Riddell for bringing up an interesting topic. At Ship Harbor, AKA Anacortes Ferry Terminal, I had an interesting experience that always comes to mind when arises the matter of Chipping Sparrow songs. Here is what I wrote in my field notes for that day, 19 May 2021. I thought I heard a Chipping Sparrow singing, so I played a recording of a?Chipping Sparrow song. The junco came right over to me, then started?singing. I think that the birds have the same trouble that I have, when it?comes to distinguishing these two songs. Well, things could be even more interesting, or confusing. Where I now live in Western New York, it is not unusual to find a Chipping Sparrow, a Swamp Sparrow, a Junco, and a Pine Warbler, all singing simultaneously in the same patch, where the habitats meet!? Yours truly, Gary Bletsch garybletsch@yahoo.com? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 19 07:39:38 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dennis Paulson via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 19 07:39:43 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow In-Reply-To: References: <66EA48A0-F80C-40B4-B18E-E3330D95F07C@gmail.com> Message-ID: <8AE41980-00AC-4F9A-8112-83E0FAF08D1D@comcast.net> Thanks for all the info, Roniq. You may have explained this phenomenon, and if Merlin could talk, it would be thanking you profusely. Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Apr 18, 2026, at 8:12 PM, Roniq Bartanen wrote: > > Hi Roniq Bartanen here, I lead a monthly bird outing at Green Lake as a longtime volunteer for Birds Connect Seattle and have for many years! > > Yesterday our group of 20 bird enthusiasts saw 4 different Chipping Sparrows, visually without sound help from Merlin. All were seen in different parts of the park. Two of them were together on the ground out in the open, one gathering nesting material a short distance from the other. > > Two others were singing and seen out in the open at eye level in two separate parts of the park, far away from the others. > > I've seen Chipping Sparrows at Green Lake every year since 2020, in the months of May, June, July and August. I've also seen them in the NE Seattle (Ravenna) Neighborhood numerous times, once collecting nesting material near Picardo pea patch and flying in to a residential yard in June 2022. > > In 2024 and 2025 I had numerous sightings of them at parks/nature areas such as Union Bay Natural Area, Ravenna Park, Marymoor Park, Maple Leaf Reservoir Park and my own small condo garden in Maple Leaf in May 2025. All were seen, as I don't have the Merlin app on my phone. > > July 2024, I had long lovely looks at a juvenile Chipping Sparrow at Juanita Bay foraging on the ground. > > Needless to say, I feel like sightings of this Sparrow in Western Washington, have been increasing. Wonder if anyone else feels the same? > > All this data I've shared is from my own eBird and sightings, not sound I.D. > > I'm interested if anyone is doing a study on Chipping Sparrow range in WA? In my opinion due to my history of sightings, I feel it's becoming less rare to see them in western WA, and I couldn't be more delighted ?. > > Happy Birding, > Roniq Bartanen (She/Her) > www.shebirds.com > > Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/she_birds/ > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roniq.bartanen > > Ramblings at the Roost: My blog dedicated to birds and birding https://shebirds.com/blog > > For occasional content celebrating the culture and joy of mindful, urban and accessible birding as well as info on upcoming bird outings visithttps://shebirds.com/contact . > > Members who create an account gain access to my FREE Global Female Bird Guide Resource List! https://shebirds.com/m/login?r=%2Ffemale-bird-guides > From: Tweeters > on behalf of Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters > > Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2026 7:04 PM > To: Dennis Paulson > > Cc: TWEETERS tweeters >; Carol Riddell > > Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow > > On Apr 18, 2026 at 18:09:33, Dennis Paulson via Tweeters > wrote: >> I?ll add to what Carol said. I have been seeing this rash of Chipping Sparrow reports by sound, and indeed it seems that Merlin does confuse juncos and Chipping Sparrows with some frequency. And of course this isn?t the only error that Merlin makes. I understood that the main reason for developing Merlin was so that people could learn bird sounds more readily, but it seems that it is used primarily for adding to eBird lists. >> >> It seems appropriate that any time Merlin reports an unexpected bird, if at all possible that bird should be confirmed with your own eyes or your own knowledge of bird vocalizations. > > I recently ran into this ? I started getting repeated hits for a Chipping Sparrow near where the Port Gamble Harris? Sparrow is hanging out. I ended up not logging it into eBird but adding it to the comments after 20 minutes of trying to get eyes on it. (Hint: that location is full of crowned sparrows and juncos, too). > > My general take on Merlin these days after too many hours of diving into it?s reliability and consistency (for reasons that don?t matter here) is that if eBird notes the bird as orange dot or red dot, Merlin is not ?good enough? to warrant logging it. Note that Merlin also uses red and orange dots and they do NOT always line up with eBird: I trust eBird here when they differ. > > Something I wish Merlin would do is available with the Haiku bird ID system (which I have experimented with and recommend with limitations, but which, being an unattended device, should not be used to add eBird data) ? Haiku includes a confidence level (high/medium/low) on its IDs. If Merllin did this, it and eBird could work together to set a policy to accept high confidence IDs but not lower confidence ones ? and actually publicize the policy in the apps. > > This is a solvable problem if eBird and Merlin choose to. > > Haiku, FWIW, uses BIRDnet as its data source, as do some of the other similar systems like Birdweather. > > Chuq > --------------------------------------- > > Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me ) > Silverdale, Washington > Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer > > Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com > Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org > > Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ > My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks > > I have opinions -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 19 12:21:51 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jim Betz via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 19 12:21:55 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Ecuador! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <29848b94-6387-4ec6-89bc-4f16e5a12aa7@jimbetz.com> Hi all, ? We've just returned from Ecuador.? We went with Naturalist Journeys - but the entire tour was conducted by a local guide and driver (6 guests, guide, and driver in a 10-person van).? We were met at the airport by a pre-arranged taxi and taken directly to our hotel - the tour itself started after a day of rest in Quito ... which we used to go to the botannical gardens and also took one of those city bus hop-on/hop-off tours. ? Then it was off to Zura Loma, our highest lodge at 11,000 feet. The tour was entirely on the West side of the Andes and all of the locations were great, not at all buggy, not humid, not hot, not cold, one afternoon of rain and LOTS of un-paved land and a half mountain roads.? The mountains are STEEP and the terrain was jungle.? We worked our way West, dropping in elevation each move, ending up at about 3500 feet before turning back towards Quito and increasing in elevation as we went. ? We would HIGHLY recommend the West Side of Ecuador as a location! https://eamon.smugmug.com/Family-pics-from-jim/Birds-and-Stuff-from-Jim/n-4Cw3NF/Ecuador-2026 ? Best viewwed on the largest screen you have = computer, tablet OK, phone not so much. Click on first pic, then use arrows to navigate, and click a 2nd time on a pic to zoom in. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- Jim and Loretta P.S. Our flights were Seattle to Atlanta (5 hrs), Atlanta to Quito ... and reverse coming back.? We had ? ? ? ?two other guest from Arizona, one from Toronto, and one from San Jose, Ca.? Guide and driver ? ? ? ?both spoke English as did most of the lodge operators.? We found the people to be warm and ? ? ? ?friendly and helpful - everywhere ... and saw no evidence of the recent news "drug crackdown". From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 19 12:52:29 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Kenneth Brown via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 19 12:52:32 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Eagle's Pride walk Message-ID: <1386652463.912401.1776628349442@connect.xfinity.com> The JBLM Eagle's Pride GC bird walk falls on the third Thursday of each month. We meet at 8:00am March - October, and sanely, 9:00am November - February. The route, chosen by a sailor, takes us to as many watering holes as is feasible. This monthly walk suffered from the absence of it's founding father, Denis DeSilvis, but we muddled through anyway. The weather was wonderful, cold and clear in the early morning but warmer later on. Eighteen birders attended, most repeat customers but a couple first timers. Denis will be proud, we had a few first of the year species, Cassin's Vireo, Nashville, and Townsend's Warbler stand out, but also House Wren, and Turkey Vulture. See the checklist at the end of this report for the complete tally. Next months walk will be May 20, again at 8:00am. We will meet at the Driving Range building. Take I-5 Exit 116, (Mounts Road). The entrance to the Golf Course is the first right turn on the NW side of I-5. At the bottom of the entrance ramp, take an immediate left to take the road leading to the driving range building. Eagles Pride GC, Pierce, Washington, US Apr 16, 2026 7:52 AM - 12:02 PM Protocol: Traveling 2.656 mile(s) Checklist Comments: Monthly bird walk. It was 38? F and sunny as 16 birders took to the links. The leaves on the trees are beginning to come out, making the visibility a bit less, so many of the ?sightings? were from hearing the birds? vocalizations. We had several first-of-the-year birds, including HOUSE WREN, NASHVILLE WARBLER, and CASSIN?S VIREO. ORANGE-CROWNED and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were seen and heard throughout the walk. The only mammals sighted were Douglas squirrel and Eastern gray squirrel. We finished the walk at noon, when it was a pleasant 50? F with a light southerly breeze. 45 species (+4 other taxa) Mallard 3 Bufflehead 12 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5 Band-tailed Pigeon 7 Mourning Dove 2 Anna's Hummingbird 6 Rufous Hummingbird 8 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Turkey Vulture 2 Bald Eagle 1 Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 1 Red-breasted Sapsucker 3 Northern Flicker 4 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1 Hutton's Vireo 4 Cassin's Vireo 2 Steller's Jay (Coastal) 4 California Scrub-Jay 1 American Crow 4 Common Raven 1 Black-capped Chickadee 15 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 25 Tree Swallow 8 Violet-green Swallow 8 Bushtit (Pacific) 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 Golden-crowned Kinglet 20 Red-breasted Nuthatch 16 Brown Creeper 7 Northern House Wren 2 Pacific Wren 12 Bewick's Wren 14 European Starling 6 American Robin 50 House Finch 4 Purple Finch 18 Chipping Sparrow 3 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 25 White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis) 19 Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 18 Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 9 Red-winged Blackbird 4 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 13 Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 7 Yellow-rumped Warbler 24 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 4 Townsend's Warbler 3 View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S322695602 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 19 13:15:27 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jane Hadley via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 19 13:15:41 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow Message-ID: I've had both experiences. That is, I've had several sightings of Chipping Sparrows in Seattle, and I also had Merlin say that a singing Junco was a Chipping Sparrow at the Kukutali Preserve in Skagit County. In that case, I saw the Junco singing while Merlin was telling me it was the Chipping Sparrow. In Seattle, on June 25, 2013, my husband and I saw two Chipping Sparrow parents feeding a recent fledgling on Pike Street between 31st and 32nd Ave (in Seattle). I got pictures. Jane Hadley Seattle, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 19 13:29:36 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jane Hadley via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 19 13:29:49 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow Message-ID: I forgot to mention that I also saw a Chipping Sparrow on the ground standing in a puddle at the Jefferson Golf Course on June 11, 2009. Jane Hadley Seattle, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 19 16:26:30 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Hilary via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 19 16:26:35 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Please post Message-ID: <88c6fefa-fa22-4544-b91f-83376879b4c5@email.android.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 19 17:42:31 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Hilary via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 19 17:42:38 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Seeking carpool for WOS conference In-Reply-To: <88c6fefa-fa22-4544-b91f-83376879b4c5@email.android.com> Message-ID: <14e7fa20-7a7d-4946-8787-de7a1d1976ea@email.android.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 07:37:49 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 07:37:57 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Vaux swift and N House Wren nearPort Angeles Message-ID: <257c96fb0b218ad12e6d581ebdbfa684@olypen.com> This morning I smiled and rejoiced as I heard the thrumming of wings of a Vaux swift in my chimney. I've had nests most years for some time and am hoping for a repeat. Yesterday I was surprised by an early Northern House wren seen and heard singing lustily in the woods along our driveway. We had a pair nest in a box about 10 years ago, but none seen or heard since except on hikes in the foothills. Given their aggressive nature I have mixed feelings of glad greetings and concerns for proliferation and its effect on my local Pacific and Bewick's wrens. Judy Mullally judy e m at olypen dot com Port Angeles WA From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 10:02:31 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Bob Boekelheide via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 10:02:48 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow Message-ID: Hello Tweeters, To add to the Chipping Sparrow discussion, data from the Wednesday morning bird walks at Railroad Bridge Park in Sequim do show that Chipping Sparrows have increased in the lowlands of eastern Clallam County over the last 10 years. The bird walks have occurred every Wednesday for 24+ years since 2001, trying to keep track of changes in local birds. RR Bridge Park is about 5 miles inland from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, at an elevation of about 200 ft. Like Roniq describes, we do not rely on Merlin for identification during the walks ? all our CHSP IDs have been confirmed by visual sightings. Merlin clearly has a problem separating singing Chipping Sparrows from singing juncos (as do we!). Even though CHSPs often have a faster, more mechanical trill than juncos, they always need visual confirmation. Between 2001 and 2009, we recorded no CHSPs on the walks. The very first sighting on the walks occurred in Aug 2010, with two birds. There were no other sightings until 2015, when there were two birds in May. No sightings in 2016. Between 2017 and 2019, CHSPs occurred infrequently each year during the nesting season. It is possible they may have nested somewhere nearby. Then, between 2020 and 2025, CHSPs became regular nesting birds, observed each year between April and July. We have seen them carrying food and feeding fledged chicks. The one exception is 2023, when we spotted them in April and May but not later in the nesting season, so maybe they failed early that year. They do not nest in the riparian forest by the Dungeness River, for which RR Bridge Park is so renowned. Instead, CHSPs occur in ?backyard habitats? at both the west and east ends of the park, where there is a mix of conifers and deciduous trees in neighboring backyards traversed near the Olympic Discovery Trail. Similar sightings of CHSPs in the last few years around other areas of Sequim and Port Angeles suggest their recent increase in the lowlands is fairly widespread, similar to what you?re seeing on the east side of Puget Sound. Prior to the last decade, we considered CHSPs to be a montane nesting species in the Olympics. Curiously, in his 1949 book Birds of the Olympic Peninsula, E.A. Kitchin described Chipping Sparrows as ?plentifully scattered from sea-level to sub-alpine habitats.? Undoubtedly there?s more to the story ? we witness these birds over such a short window of years that we become biased with our impressions about when they?re here and where they go. How will they change over the next several decades? Life is too short. Bob Boekelheide Dungeness > On Apr 18, 2026, at 8:12 PM, Roniq Bartanen > wrote: > > Hi Roniq Bartanen here, I lead a monthly bird outing at Green Lake as a longtime volunteer for Birds Connect Seattle and have for many years! > > Yesterday our group of 20 bird enthusiasts saw 4 different Chipping Sparrows, visually without sound help from Merlin. All were seen in different parts of the park. Two of them were together on the ground out in the open, one gathering nesting material a short distance from the other. > > Two others were singing and seen out in the open at eye level in two separate parts of the park, far away from the others. > > I've seen Chipping Sparrows at Green Lake every year since 2020, in the months of May, June, July and August. I've also seen them in the NE Seattle (Ravenna) Neighborhood numerous times, once collecting nesting material near Picardo pea patch and flying in to a residential yard in June 2022. > > In 2024 and 2025 I had numerous sightings of them at parks/nature areas such as Union Bay Natural Area, Ravenna Park, Marymoor Park, Maple Leaf Reservoir Park and my own small condo garden in Maple Leaf in May 2025. All were seen, as I don't have the Merlin app on my phone. > > July 2024, I had long lovely looks at a juvenile Chipping Sparrow at Juanita Bay foraging on the ground. > > Needless to say, I feel like sightings of this Sparrow in Western Washington, have been increasing. Wonder if anyone else feels the same? > > All this data I've shared is from my own eBird and sightings, not sound I.D. > > I'm interested if anyone is doing a study on Chipping Sparrow range in WA? In my opinion due to my history of sightings, I feel it's becoming less rare to see them in western WA, and I couldn't be more delighted ?. > > Happy Birding, > Roniq Bartanen (She/Her) > www.shebirds.com > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 10:31:13 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (AMK17 via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 10:31:17 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow Message-ID: This has been an interesting conversation about the range of the chipping sparrow. Merlin has id'd chipping sparrows for the past week in my backyard here in Phinney/Seattle just above Green Lake but I did not report on eBird because I have yet to visually confirm. I also keep getting white-throated sparrow and have not reported this either even though these do come through my yard seasonally (I do usually see them but not this season). I think my lesson is that I'll keep waiting for visual confirmation for both species and remember to take my binoculars with me when gardening so as not to miss a new bird (and pay more attention). Thanks for the all of the new information on the range for chipping sparrow - I had no idea they nested at Green Lake. Cheers, AKopitov Seattle AMK17 -----Original Message----- From: Bob Boekelheide via Tweeters Sent: Apr 20, 2026 10:03 AM To: Tweeters Tweeters Cc: Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow Hello Tweeters, To add to the Chipping Sparrow discussion, data from the Wednesday morning bird walks at Railroad Bridge Park in Sequim do show that Chipping Sparrows have increased in the lowlands of eastern Clallam County over the last 10 years. The bird walks have occurred every Wednesday for 24+ years since 2001, trying to keep track of changes in local birds. RR Bridge Park is about 5 miles inland from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, at an elevation of about 200 ft. Like Roniq describes, we do not rely on Merlin for identification during the walks — all our CHSP IDs have been confirmed by visual sightings. Merlin clearly has a problem separating singing Chipping Sparrows from singing juncos (as do we!). Even though CHSPs often have a faster, more mechanical trill than juncos, they always need visual confirmation. Between 2001 and 2009, we recorded no CHSPs on the walks. The very first sighting on the walks occurred in Aug 2010, with two birds. There were no other sightings until 2015, when there were two birds in May. No sightings in 2016. Between 2017 and 2019, CHSPs occurred infrequently each year during the nesting season. It is possible they may have nested somewhere nearby. Then, between 2020 and 2025, CHSPs became regular nesting birds, observed each year between April and July. We have seen them carrying food and feeding fledged chicks. The one exception is 2023, when we spotted them in April and May but not later in the nesting season, so maybe they failed early that year. They do not nest in the riparian forest by the Dungeness River, for which RR Bridge Park is so renowned. Instead, CHSPs occur in “backyard habitats” at both the west and east ends of the park, where there is a mix of conifers and deciduous trees in neighboring backyards traversed near the Olympic Discovery Trail. Similar sightings of CHSPs in the last few years around other areas of Sequim and Port Angeles suggest their recent increase in the lowlands is fairly widespread, similar to what you’re seeing on the east side of Puget Sound. Prior to the last decade, we considered CHSPs to be a montane nesting species in the Olympics. Curiously, in his 1949 book Birds of the Olympic Peninsula, E.A. Kitchin described Chipping Sparrows as “plentifully scattered from sea-level to sub-alpine habitats.” Undoubtedly there’s more to the story — we witness these birds over such a short window of years that we become biased with our impressions about when they’re here and where they go. How will they change over the next several decades? Life is too short. Bob Boekelheide Dungeness On Apr 18, 2026, at 8:12 PM, Roniq Bartanen wrote: Hi Roniq Bartanen here, I lead a monthly bird outing at Green Lake as a longtime volunteer for Birds Connect Seattle and have for many years! Yesterday our group of 20 bird enthusiasts saw 4 different Chipping Sparrows, visually without sound help from Merlin. All were seen in different parts of the park. Two of them were together on the ground out in the open, one gathering nesting material a short distance from the other. Two others were singing and seen out in the open at eye level in two separate parts of the park, far away from the others. I've seen Chipping Sparrows at Green Lake every year since 2020, in the months of May, June, July and August. I've also seen them in the NE Seattle (Ravenna) Neighborhood numerous times, once collecting nesting material near Picardo pea patch and flying in to a residential yard in June 2022. In 2024 and 2025 I had numerous sightings of them at parks/nature areas such as Union Bay Natural Area, Ravenna Park, Marymoor Park, Maple Leaf Reservoir Park and my own small condo garden in Maple Leaf in May 2025. All were seen, as I don't have the Merlin app on my phone. July 2024, I had long lovely looks at a juvenile Chipping Sparrow at Juanita Bay foraging on the ground. Needless to say, I feel like sightings of this Sparrow in Western Washington, have been increasing. Wonder if anyone else feels the same? All this data I've shared is from my own eBird and sightings, not sound I.D. I'm interested if anyone is doing a study on Chipping Sparrow range in WA? In my opinion due to my history of sightings, I feel it's becoming less rare to see them in western WA, and I couldn't be more delighted ?. Happy Birding, Roniq Bartanen (She/Her) www.shebirds.com (http://www.shebirds.com/) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 12:53:15 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jim Betz via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 12:53:20 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Merlin? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <9d1511b8-9001-4579-a8d6-6ed019d28960@jimbetz.com> Hi, ? I use Merlin's SoundID to alert me of the -possible- presence of birds I'm not seeing.? I have some hearing loss in the high frequencies and so Merlin helps me to "BOLO" - especially in areas where there are dense stands of brush/younger trees/blackberries/etc. When I'm out with experienced birders who don't have any hearing loss ... I am happy to get their help! ? On the other hand, Merlin's PhotoID is pretty much flawless ... I use it to ID birds I've gotten a picture of and it is -rarely- wrong/questionable - even when the pose (angle of view) of the bird is considerably different from the example pictures Merlin displays. And even when the birds in question are deep in the jungle/understory in Ecuador! ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? - Jim in Skagit From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 13:33:08 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Bill Tweit via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 13:33:24 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] The Merlin discussion Message-ID: The Chipping Sparrow/Dark-eyed Junco discussion has been quite informative; I?d like to offer some thoughts about some aspects of Merlin that have come up in the conversation. Everybody seems to agree that Merlin is simply a tool, but then discussions range well beyond that in terms of expectations and limitations. Merlin?s inability to accurately discriminate between CHSP and DEJU is a great opportunity to examine some of our expectations about Merlin, and determine whether they are realistic. First, why do we expect Merlin to be any better than a reasonably skilled human observer? It is trained by humans, so it seems unlikely that it would do better. And reasonably skilled human observers, a category I consider myself to be in, routinely experience difficulty separating those two species, for very good reason. Junco songs are notoriously diverse, the range of trill diversity has already been discussed well. They also buzz, and on one occasion I actually encountered a male junco singing a perfect Clay-colored Sparrow song. Dashed my hopes when I saw it. Bottom line, please do not expect Merlin to be perfect, even in North America where it is quite good. Expectations should be even lower in other parts of the globe, but it does have utility in most areas. Second, why do we think that use of Merlin has increased the level of error in the eBird data? There has always been a certain level of error in the data, and I?ve not seen any evidence that Merlin has either increased or decreased that level. As a reviewer, I have seen ?identified by the field trip leader? as documentation for many years, which is just as flimsy documentation as ?identified by Merlin?. In both cases, a reviewer will almost always request the observer to include actual details that will meet eBird standards for acceptable documentation. And, in most cases, a reviewer will see it as an opportunity to provide some coaching to contributors on providing defensible documentation. If the observer chooses not to provide documentation, then it will not be included in the public database, which is where error matters. If it is a sighting that doesn?t require documentation, it will be included in the public database, which is well-understood to have some low levels of error that requires the use of statistical tools that are good at detecting signal amidst some noise, or what we call misidentifications. Merlin has undoubtedly helped increase the number of new or novice birders, but is there any evidence that it has changed the ratio of novice:skilled birders? I?ve not seen such evidence, and my subjective assessment is that the wave of new birders has been simultaneous with a significant increase in the number of proficient birders. If the ratio has been relatively constant over the span of eBird years, then Merlin has not increased the magnitude of error in the database. And, let?s not forget that Merlin was built to assist with several objectives, only one of which is helping birders in the field. It has another, very significant, purpose: to increase awareness of birds among the general population. Most of the Merlin users I encounter now are people who take some joy in finding out what birds are present in their yard, or on the favorite walking routes, or while they are camping, ? They aren?t contributing sightings to eBird, they just want to know more about the world around them. It definitely increases environmental awareness, an entirely separate purpose than helping birders. And an immensely valuable function. Does it matter to them if Merlin is imperfect in some ways? Not really. They are just excited and appreciative to put a name on a mysterious singer, or know that there are at least 15 species of birds on their morning route. A third purpose is to make birding more accessible for people with disabilities, and I have had several chances to speak with people who always enjoyed birds, but found that increasing physical limitations was making it harder for them to still find pleasure in it. They demonstrated how they use Merlin to restore some of their ability to find and experience birds. I don?t know of any statistics on the proportions of Merlin users who fall into each category, but in my everyday, non-birding world, I am consistently surprised by the number of people who are not birders but are fans of Merlin. Without hard data, I wouldn?t want to make any assumptions about levels of birder vs non-birder use. So, let?s be realistic about Merlin. It?s a great tool, but it is just a tool. Learn it?s limitations in your area, and enjoy it?s strengths. Kudos to Carol R. for reminding folks that junco/Chippy confusion is one of those limitations, and offering some tips on how to address it. Don?t expect Merlin to be super human. And remember, it wasn?t designed just for eBirders. And, as everyone has said, please, please, please confirm your detections of unusual birds with more tools than just Merlin. Bill Tweit Olympia, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 13:39:54 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Michael Price via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 13:40:07 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow Message-ID: Hey Tweets Bob Boekelheide writes: <> Up near the Manson Lakes in north-central BC, the territorial male juncos' more musical trill was initially easily distinguishable from the Chipping Sparrow's dry, mechanical trill at the beginning of nesting, but the closer to the young fledging, the drier the junco's trills became. By the time the young fledged and everyone moved down off the clear-cut mountainsides into the valley preparatory to southward migration, the juncos' trills became not only as dry as the Chippies' but started breaking up into two or three segments suggesting Clay-colored Sparrow, presumably as hormone levels dropped. This process was repeated on all three of our designated study clearcuts and adjacent old growth. The period covered was mid-May to mid-July So if Merlin is having a tough time now with juncos and chippies, just wait until mid-summer. best wishes, m Michael Price Vancouver BC Canada loblollyboy@gmail.com Every answer deepens the mystery. -- E.O. Wilson -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 15:08:15 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Debbie Mcleod via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 15:08:26 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow Message-ID: <65056606-1427-4910-B09D-CA3878858D2F@icloud.com> I too have stood beneath a branch watching a Junco sing - as the Merlin app kept flashing "Chipping Sparrow" on my phone. And fairly often, as I sit on my covered porch with Merlin running as I drink my morning coffee, I see that Chipping Sparrow pop up - and I just ignore it. But not long ago, when I glanced out my window at my feeder (within just a few feet) I had a quite clear but all too brief view of a bird. I could definitely confirm a streaky brown bird , sparrow size and shape, plain breast. Plus a perfectly defined little chestnut cap. No chance to get a photo. I spend some time looking at eBird records and reviewing photos of similar birds in various field guides. I would sure love to add Chipping Sparrow to my yard list! But I don't want to cheat. Suggestions? Debbie in Redmond From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 15:10:44 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dennis Paulson via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 15:10:49 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] The Merlin discussion In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Bill, thanks. That was a wonderful account summarizing Merlin and its value. My most fervent and constant hope for all that AI gives us is that it won?t reduce our ability to think very much. Published accounts show that it is indeed doing just that in some areas, and let?s try not to have that happen in birding. Just as I?m sure you did, I had to exercise a lot of brain cells to learn how to identify birds from sight and sound, and when an app does the work for me, I?m not exercising those neurons! And to add something about birds, we still have at least one beautiful male (Audubon?s) Yellow-rumped Warbler coming to our feeders, after all the other migrants (Orange-crowned and Townsend?s Warblers, Golden-crowned, White-crowned and Fox Sparrows) have deserted us. I hope more are on the way. Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Apr 20, 2026, at 1:33 PM, Bill Tweit via Tweeters wrote: > > The Chipping Sparrow/Dark-eyed Junco discussion has been quite informative; I?d like to offer some thoughts about some aspects of Merlin that have come up in the conversation. > > Everybody seems to agree that Merlin is simply a tool, but then discussions range well beyond that in terms of expectations and limitations. Merlin?s inability to accurately discriminate between CHSP and DEJU is a great opportunity to examine some of our expectations about Merlin, and determine whether they are realistic. First, why do we expect Merlin to be any better than a reasonably skilled human observer? It is trained by humans, so it seems unlikely that it would do better. And reasonably skilled human observers, a category I consider myself to be in, routinely experience difficulty separating those two species, for very good reason. Junco songs are notoriously diverse, the range of trill diversity has already been discussed well. They also buzz, and on one occasion I actually encountered a male junco singing a perfect Clay-colored Sparrow song. Dashed my hopes when I saw it. Bottom line, please do not expect Merlin to be perfect, even in North America where it is quite good. Expectations should be even lower in other parts of the globe, but it does have utility in most areas. > > Second, why do we think that use of Merlin has increased the level of error in the eBird data? There has always been a certain level of error in the data, and I?ve not seen any evidence that Merlin has either increased or decreased that level. As a reviewer, I have seen ?identified by the field trip leader? as documentation for many years, which is just as flimsy documentation as ?identified by Merlin?. In both cases, a reviewer will almost always request the observer to include actual details that will meet eBird standards for acceptable documentation. And, in most cases, a reviewer will see it as an opportunity to provide some coaching to contributors on providing defensible documentation. If the observer chooses not to provide documentation, then it will not be included in the public database, which is where error matters. If it is a sighting that doesn?t require documentation, it will be included in the public database, which is well-understood to have some low levels of error that requires the use of statistical tools that are good at detecting signal amidst some noise, or what we call misidentifications. > > Merlin has undoubtedly helped increase the number of new or novice birders, but is there any evidence that it has changed the ratio of novice:skilled birders? I?ve not seen such evidence, and my subjective assessment is that the wave of new birders has been simultaneous with a significant increase in the number of proficient birders. If the ratio has been relatively constant over the span of eBird years, then Merlin has not increased the magnitude of error in the database. > > And, let?s not forget that Merlin was built to assist with several objectives, only one of which is helping birders in the field. It has another, very significant, purpose: to increase awareness of birds among the general population. Most of the Merlin users I encounter now are people who take some joy in finding out what birds are present in their yard, or on the favorite walking routes, or while they are camping, ? They aren?t contributing sightings to eBird, they just want to know more about the world around them. It definitely increases environmental awareness, an entirely separate purpose than helping birders. And an immensely valuable function. Does it matter to them if Merlin is imperfect in some ways? Not really. They are just excited and appreciative to put a name on a mysterious singer, or know that there are at least 15 species of birds on their morning route. A third purpose is to make birding more accessible for people with disabilities, and I have had several chances to speak with people who always enjoyed birds, but found that increasing physical limitations was making it harder for them to still find pleasure in it. They demonstrated how they use Merlin to restore some of their ability to find and experience birds. I don?t know of any statistics on the proportions of Merlin users who fall into each category, but in my everyday, non-birding world, I am consistently surprised by the number of people who are not birders but are fans of Merlin. Without hard data, I wouldn?t want to make any assumptions about levels of birder vs non-birder use. > > So, let?s be realistic about Merlin. It?s a great tool, but it is just a tool. Learn it?s limitations in your area, and enjoy it?s strengths. Kudos to Carol R. for reminding folks that junco/Chippy confusion is one of those limitations, and offering some tips on how to address it. Don?t expect Merlin to be super human. And remember, it wasn?t designed just for eBirders. And, as everyone has said, please, please, please confirm your detections of unusual birds with more tools than just Merlin. > > Bill Tweit > > 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 tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 15:14:30 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dennis Paulson via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 15:14:35 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow In-Reply-To: <65056606-1427-4910-B09D-CA3878858D2F@icloud.com> References: <65056606-1427-4910-B09D-CA3878858D2F@icloud.com> Message-ID: <79386AC8-1032-457D-8283-B1906D4FA93C@comcast.net> Debbie, it sounds to me as if you saw a Chipping Sparrow! We have had Chipping Sparrows in our yard only three times since we started keeping records in 1991: 31 May 2014, 5-6 May 2016, and 26 Aug 2016, the last a juvenile. Presumably all these were migrants, no indication so far of them breeding in our Maple Leaf neighborhood. Dennis Paulson Seattle dennispaulson at comcast dot net > On Apr 20, 2026, at 3:08 PM, Debbie Mcleod via Tweeters wrote: > > I too have stood beneath a branch watching a Junco sing - as the Merlin app kept flashing "Chipping Sparrow" on my phone. > And fairly often, as I sit on my covered porch with Merlin running as I drink my morning coffee, I see that Chipping Sparrow pop up - and I just ignore it. > But not long ago, when I glanced out my window at my feeder (within just a few feet) I had a quite clear but all too brief view of a bird. I could definitely confirm a streaky brown bird , sparrow size and shape, plain breast. Plus a perfectly defined little chestnut cap. No chance to get a photo. > I spend some time looking at eBird records and reviewing photos of similar birds in various field guides. I would sure love to add Chipping Sparrow to my yard list! But I don't want to cheat. > Suggestions? > Debbie in Redmond > > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 15:00:42 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Doug Santoni via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 15:16:10 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Re-Posting of Message re Carpool Message-ID: <3F57CAB9-B1E9-46BC-9E6A-184F85CA5191@gmail.com> Tweeters ? The following message was posted yesterday in individual form, but ? due to a technical issue ? did not get posted to the Daily Digest. Perhaps you can assist Hilary B who is looking to carpool to and from the WOS Conference: If you are going to the fabulous WOS conference next month, I would love to carpool and share expenses. Leaving anytime Thursday and birding on the way would be ideal. Returning to Seattle Sunday evening or Monday morning. Please reply offline to hilaryb at Comcast dot net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 15:00:42 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Doug Santoni via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 15:17:14 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Re-Posting of Message re Carpool Message-ID: <3F57CAB9-B1E9-46BC-9E6A-184F85CA5191@gmail.com> Tweeters ? The following message was posted yesterday in individual form, but ? due to a technical issue ? did not get posted to the Daily Digest. Perhaps you can assist Hilary B who is looking to carpool to and from the WOS Conference: If you are going to the fabulous WOS conference next month, I would love to carpool and share expenses. Leaving anytime Thursday and birding on the way would be ideal. Returning to Seattle Sunday evening or Monday morning. Please reply offline to hilaryb at Comcast dot net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 15:59:52 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Elaine Chuang via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 15:59:57 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Carpooling to the WOS Conference References: <3F57CAB9-B1E9-46BC-9E6A-184F85CA5191@gmail.com> Message-ID: <586E2ECC-5A46-4B90-AF14-399BE7940DD0@uw.edu> As many know, the Washington Ornithological Society (WOS) is holding its Annual Conference (https://wos.org/annual-conference/2026-hells-gate-annual-conference-lewiston-id/) May 14 - 17. In the past, Tweeters has been a handy mode of communications for connecting folks who might wish to arrange to carpool to and from the conference. One such message (see below) was posted yesterday but ? due to a technical issue ? was ?scrubbed? and so did not appear in the Tweeters Digest. "If you are going to the fabulous WOS conference next month, I would love to carpool and share expenses. Leaving anytime Thursday and birding on the way would be ideal. Returning to Seattle Sunday evening or Monday morning. Please reply offline to hilaryb at comcast dot net." From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 17:29:39 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Ted Ryan via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 17:30:04 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow In-Reply-To: <8b124dca-8877-41cd-9bbb-82125e017138@app.fastmail.com> References: <8b124dca-8877-41cd-9bbb-82125e017138@app.fastmail.com> Message-ID: <8440e3b0-aefa-46b5-9ea6-c3a0ec1e1926@app.fastmail.com> Dennis, I am curious about what you said here: "I understood that the main reason for developing Merlin was so that people could learn bird sounds more readily, but it seems that it is used primarily for adding to eBird lists." All we can see is those potential false ID's. What isn't recorded is all the people Merlin has helped. That isn't recorded anywhere. So, how can we know to what degree it is helping people versus used primarily for reporting? Cheers, Ted Port Orchard >> >> Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:09:33 -0700 >> From: Dennis Paulson via Tweeters >> To: TWEETERS tweeters >> Cc: Carol Riddell >> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Beware the Chipping Sparrow >> Message-ID: >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 >> >> I?ll add to what Carol said. I have been seeing this rash of Chipping Sparrow reports by sound, and indeed it seems that Merlin does confuse juncos and Chipping Sparrows with some frequency. And of course this isn?t the only error that Merlin makes. I understood that the main reason for developing Merlin was so that people could learn bird sounds more readily, but it seems that it is used primarily for adding to eBird lists. >> >> If Merlin makes errors only 5-10% of the time, and I think that may not be far off, think of that number of errors times the number of eBird checklists being submitted every day?potentially hundreds and hundreds of erroneous records in Cornell?s database just in our state. >> >> It seems appropriate that any time Merlin reports an unexpected bird, if at all possible that bird should be confirmed with your own eyes or your own knowledge of bird vocalizations. >> >> Dennis Paulson >> Seattle >> >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 20 21:40:17 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 20 21:40:24 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] The Merlin discussion In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On Apr 20, 2026 at 13:33:08, Bill Tweit via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > Everybody seems to agree that Merlin is simply a tool, but then > discussions range well beyond that in terms of expectations and > limitations. Merlin?s inability to accurately discriminate between CHSP > and DEJU is a great opportunity to examine some of our expectations about > Merlin, and determine whether they are realistic. First, why do we expect > Merlin to be any better than a reasonably skilled human observer? > Bottom line, please do not expect Merlin to be perfect, even in North > America where it is quite good. > I don?t, but this is my biggest issue with Merlin. If I?m out birding with an expert ear birder, they will head and ID many birds I?ll never catch ? but they can also explain what?s going on and note when they aren?t sure of an ID. Merlin issues every ID as if it?s perfect. ?I hear a bird!? ? and it?s this. I expect all of us on this list know to take that with a grain or three of salt, but we are not typical Merlin users. I looked at Merlin this afternoon at a random time and it told me there were 74,000 current users. I just checked again (at 9PM Washington time) and there are 18,000 users. Most of those users are newer/casual users. Statistically speaking, none of them are on this list, or a member of an audbon/alliance chapter, or go out on group outings with trained leaders that can help guide them. Merlin is their guide. And Merlin presents its results as correct and infallible (and yes, I?m reflecting back to my comments a few days ago on the need for a confidence factor on these IDs. If Merlin did that, it?d resolve pretty much all discussion on its accuracy and reliability). Second, why do we think that use of Merlin has increased the level of error > in the eBird data? > My take is that it hasn?t. Or, with a bit more nuance, I think tools like Merlin have actually reduced the percentage of errors recorded, but has also encouraged many more people to submit records, so I expect the total number of errors is up but the percentage of records that are incorrect has gone down. I have no data on this, but in my time working with and teaching newer birders, I?ve seen the trajectory from enthusiastically and energetically wrong to more thoughtful and skeptical many times (and god help me, I remember when I was a new baby birder and every freaking bird I saw was both rare and wrong. That others were willing to drag me into competence is one reason I?ve been willing to do the same in my pay forward times) And, let?s not forget that Merlin was built to assist with several > objectives, only one of which is helping birders in the field. It has > another, very significant, purpose: to increase awareness of birds among > the general population. Most of the Merlin users I encounter now are > people who take some joy in finding out what birds are present in their > yard, or on the favorite walking routes, or while they are camping, ? > They aren?t contributing sightings to eBird, they just want to know more > about the world around them. > And it?s amazing at that ? and anything that helps people find that spark that begins the journey into being bird people I?m all for. I just wish Merlin was willing to say ?That?s a Robin? and ?This might be a Chipping Sparrow, but I?m not positive because Juncos sound similar. What are you seeing?? My wish here is for Merlin to grow from presenting itself as the infallible expert into being that AND a mentor and teacher, by putting in some context when appropriate and leading people into being more skeptical and looking for more data (like a sighting) to verify the ID. Imagine if Merlin admitted it wasn?t sure and added a button ?I saw it1? that people could click. They become part of the teaching that improved Merlin down the road? But I think it?s important that Merlin add that skepticism into how it presents itself, because of those 74,000 concurrent users this afternoon, almost all of them have no contact with the people (like those here on this list) that can do the mentoring and teaching to help them become more skeptical and thoughtful about Merlin?s results. Merlin needs to be responsible to set those expectations more realistically for the users that don?t yet know not to implicitly trust it. So, let?s be realistic about Merlin. > I?d say everyone on this list is, but my worry is about those new/novice users who are presented with a tool that gives no indication it might be wrong at time, and therefore has no reason to assume it?s sometimes giving them bad results. And an easy way to tweak Merlin is to add that confidence factor into the IDs, as tools like Haiku already have. Chuq --------------------------------------- Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) Silverdale, Washington Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks I have opinions -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 21 09:11:30 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Paul Bannick via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 21 09:11:43 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Borneo/Malaysia Guide Message-ID: Hello Tweeters, I am considering doing some photography in Borneo and/or Malaysia. Can anyone recommend a good guide or resource? I am less interested in a birding only guide and more interested in someone who is willing to adjust for a photographer. Thanks in advance for any ideas. Paul -- Now Available: *Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers* Paul Bannick Photography www.paulbannick.com 206-940-7835 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 21 11:02:07 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Robert O'Brien via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 21 11:02:19 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] The Merlin discussion In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: An interesting Merlin discussion. As it happens I have extensive Merlin experience in the last few months and some detailed discussions with others on OBOL. I've been using it regularly around my rural property and, whatever its limitations, it's great. Likely 10x more sensitive than my ageing ears, even with hearing aids. An birding around here for 50 years, I know what birds are around. As to Bill's comments and more or less the same in part as Chug's: *Merlin has undoubtedly helped increase the number of new or novice birders, but is there any evidence that it has changed the ratio of novice:skilled birders? I?ve not seen such evidence, and my subjective assessment is that the wave of new birders has been simultaneous with a significant increase in the number of proficient birders. If the ratio has been relatively constant over the span of eBird years, then Merlin has not increased the magnitude of error in the database.* *I*n fact, Errors in Merlin submissions have recently led to a significant change in the CURRENT version. There is a continuation of improvements, some seem to download automatically, others not. But the current version has this major changel Merlin has learned the 'expected' birds for many areas, mine for instance. It has compiled such a list (I think I have at my place SE of Portland, 109 allowed species) If it encounters a bird at my place that is not on this list, it simply refuses to identify it altogether and just continues recording. If I turn off the location option in Merlin, it refuses to identify any sound. It will still record, and you can see bird sounds go by on the screen, but none will be identified. As to no hint of the certainty of an ID, that is incorrect, as well. It now has a system of varying colored 'dots' accompanying a bird ID on my list, but unlikely to be present will receive a red dot. Migrants out of migration times, for instane. A bird normally expected will receive a different colored dot to indicate that. Etc. I was able to learn the meaning of these 'dots' simply by Googling them. One further point, as I stated above, I'm referring here to the *Current Version*, which I recently downloaded. Merlin is not so much a 'tool' but a work in progress. Cornell is working very hard to keep the improvements coming and I personally believe that many of its problems of today will be gone tomorrow, or pretty soon. But as a tool, it is quite amazing as it stands, and will only get better. Although there are bumps on the road, I think Cornell is doing an outstanding job with it. As to the statement that it is created by humans and therefore has errors as do humans. That was once undoubtedly true, and is still true. (Take the refusal to identify birds not on the locality list, Seems better to identify them (for the user) but simply not to submit them to eBird). But, in the current world of AI, that general statement of human error, for better or worse, is no longer true. Humans are involved, but AI will be doing all the 'work' if it isn't already doing so. Sure, AI makes mistakes as well, it is also a 'tool' of continuing improvement. I could continue, but, as they say, *Nuf said, *at least for now. Bob OBrien Portland On Mon, Apr 20, 2026 at 9:40?PM Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > > > On Apr 20, 2026 at 13:33:08, Bill Tweit via Tweeters < > tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > > >> Everybody seems to agree that Merlin is simply a tool, but then >> discussions range well beyond that in terms of expectations and >> limitations. Merlin?s inability to accurately discriminate between CHSP >> and DEJU is a great opportunity to examine some of our expectations about >> Merlin, and determine whether they are realistic. First, why do we expect >> Merlin to be any better than a reasonably skilled human observer? >> > Bottom line, please do not expect Merlin to be perfect, even in North >> America where it is quite good. >> > > I don?t, but this is my biggest issue with Merlin. If I?m out birding with > an expert ear birder, they will head and ID many birds I?ll never catch ? > but they can also explain what?s going on and note when they aren?t sure of > an ID. > > Merlin issues every ID as if it?s perfect. ?I hear a bird!? ? and it?s > this. I expect all of us on this list know to take that with a grain or > three of salt, but we are not typical Merlin users. I looked at Merlin this > afternoon at a random time and it told me there were 74,000 current users. > I just checked again (at 9PM Washington time) and there are 18,000 users. > > Most of those users are newer/casual users. Statistically speaking, none > of them are on this list, or a member of an audbon/alliance chapter, or go > out on group outings with trained leaders that can help guide them. Merlin > is their guide. > > And Merlin presents its results as correct and infallible (and yes, I?m > reflecting back to my comments a few days ago on the need for a confidence > factor on these IDs. If Merlin did that, it?d resolve pretty much all > discussion on its accuracy and reliability). > > > Second, why do we think that use of Merlin has increased the level of >> error in the eBird data? >> > > My take is that it hasn?t. Or, with a bit more nuance, I think tools like > Merlin have actually reduced the percentage of errors recorded, but has > also encouraged many more people to submit records, so I expect the total > number of errors is up but the percentage of records that are incorrect has > gone down. I have no data on this, but in my time working with and teaching > newer birders, I?ve seen the trajectory from enthusiastically and > energetically wrong to more thoughtful and skeptical many times (and god > help me, I remember when I was a new baby birder and every freaking bird I > saw was both rare and wrong. That others were willing to drag me into > competence is one reason I?ve been willing to do the same in my pay forward > times) > > And, let?s not forget that Merlin was built to assist with several >> objectives, only one of which is helping birders in the field. It has >> another, very significant, purpose: to increase awareness of birds among >> the general population. Most of the Merlin users I encounter now are >> people who take some joy in finding out what birds are present in their >> yard, or on the favorite walking routes, or while they are camping, ? >> They aren?t contributing sightings to eBird, they just want to know more >> about the world around them. >> > > And it?s amazing at that ? and anything that helps people find that spark > that begins the journey into being bird people I?m all for. I just wish > Merlin was willing to say ?That?s a Robin? and ?This might be a Chipping > Sparrow, but I?m not positive because Juncos sound similar. What are you > seeing?? > > My wish here is for Merlin to grow from presenting itself as the > infallible expert into being that AND a mentor and teacher, by putting in > some context when appropriate and leading people into being more skeptical > and looking for more data (like a sighting) to verify the ID. Imagine if > Merlin admitted it wasn?t sure and added a button ?I saw it1? that people > could click. They become part of the teaching that improved Merlin down the > road? > > But I think it?s important that Merlin add that skepticism into how it > presents itself, because of those 74,000 concurrent users this afternoon, > almost all of them have no contact with the people (like those here on this > list) that can do the mentoring and teaching to help them become more > skeptical and thoughtful about Merlin?s results. Merlin needs to be > responsible to set those expectations more realistically for the users that > don?t yet know not to implicitly trust it. > > So, let?s be realistic about Merlin. >> > I?d say everyone on this list is, but my worry is about those new/novice > users who are presented with a tool that gives no indication it might be > wrong at time, and therefore has no reason to assume it?s sometimes giving > them bad results. And an easy way to tweak Merlin is to add that confidence > factor into the IDs, as tools like Haiku already have. > > Chuq > > > --------------------------------------- > > Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) > Silverdale, Washington > Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer > > Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com > Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org > > Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ > My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks > > I have opinions > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 21 11:03:58 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Robert O'Brien via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 21 11:04:11 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] The Merlin discussion In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Whoops, sorry for the typo, Chuq ! On Tue, Apr 21, 2026 at 11:02?AM Robert O'Brien wrote: > An interesting Merlin discussion. As it happens I have extensive Merlin experience > in the last few months and some detailed discussions with others on OBOL. > I've been using it regularly around my rural property and, whatever its > limitations, it's great. Likely 10x more sensitive than my ageing ears, > even with hearing aids. An birding around here for 50 years, I know what > birds are around. > > As to Bill's comments and more or less the same in part as Chug's: > > *Merlin has undoubtedly helped increase the number of new or novice > birders, but is there any evidence that it has changed the ratio of > novice:skilled birders? I?ve not seen such evidence, and my subjective > assessment is that the wave of new birders has been simultaneous with a > significant increase in the number of proficient birders. If the ratio > has been relatively constant over the span of eBird years, then Merlin has > not increased the magnitude of error in the database.* > > *I*n fact, Errors in Merlin submissions have recently led to a > significant change in the CURRENT version. There is a continuation of > improvements, some seem to download automatically, others not. But the > current version has this major changel Merlin has learned the 'expected' > birds for many areas, mine for instance. It has compiled such a list (I > think I have at my place SE of Portland, 109 allowed species) If it > encounters a bird at my place that is not on this list, it simply refuses > to identify it altogether and just continues recording. If I turn off > the location option in Merlin, it refuses to identify any sound. It > will still record, and you can see bird sounds go by on the screen, but > none will be identified. > As to no hint of the certainty of an ID, that is incorrect, as well. It > now has a system of varying colored 'dots' accompanying a bird ID on my > list, but unlikely to be present will receive a red dot. Migrants out of > migration times, for instane. A bird normally expected will receive a > different colored dot to indicate that. Etc. I was able to learn the > meaning of these 'dots' simply by Googling them. > > One further point, as I stated above, I'm referring here to the *Current > Version*, which I recently downloaded. Merlin is not so much a 'tool' > but a work in progress. Cornell is working very hard to keep the > improvements coming and I personally believe that many of its problems of > today will be gone tomorrow, or pretty soon. But as a tool, it is quite > amazing as it stands, and will only get better. Although there are bumps > on the road, I think Cornell is doing an outstanding job with it. > > As to the statement that it is created by humans and therefore has errors > as do humans. That was once undoubtedly true, and is still true. (Take > the refusal to identify birds not on the locality list, Seems better to > identify them (for the user) but simply not to submit them to eBird). > But, in the current world of AI, that general statement of human error, for > better or worse, is no longer true. Humans are involved, but AI will be > doing all the 'work' if it isn't already doing so. Sure, AI makes mistakes > as well, it is also a 'tool' of continuing improvement. > > I could continue, but, as they say, *Nuf said, *at least for now. > > Bob OBrien Portland > > On Mon, Apr 20, 2026 at 9:40?PM Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters < > tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > >> >> >> On Apr 20, 2026 at 13:33:08, Bill Tweit via Tweeters < >> tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: >> >> >>> Everybody seems to agree that Merlin is simply a tool, but then >>> discussions range well beyond that in terms of expectations and >>> limitations. Merlin?s inability to accurately discriminate between CHSP >>> and DEJU is a great opportunity to examine some of our expectations about >>> Merlin, and determine whether they are realistic. First, why do we expect >>> Merlin to be any better than a reasonably skilled human observer? >>> >> Bottom line, please do not expect Merlin to be perfect, even in North >>> America where it is quite good. >>> >> >> I don?t, but this is my biggest issue with Merlin. If I?m out birding >> with an expert ear birder, they will head and ID many birds I?ll never >> catch ? but they can also explain what?s going on and note when they aren?t >> sure of an ID. >> >> Merlin issues every ID as if it?s perfect. ?I hear a bird!? ? and it?s >> this. I expect all of us on this list know to take that with a grain or >> three of salt, but we are not typical Merlin users. I looked at Merlin this >> afternoon at a random time and it told me there were 74,000 current users. >> I just checked again (at 9PM Washington time) and there are 18,000 users. >> >> Most of those users are newer/casual users. Statistically speaking, none >> of them are on this list, or a member of an audbon/alliance chapter, or go >> out on group outings with trained leaders that can help guide them. Merlin >> is their guide. >> >> And Merlin presents its results as correct and infallible (and yes, I?m >> reflecting back to my comments a few days ago on the need for a confidence >> factor on these IDs. If Merlin did that, it?d resolve pretty much all >> discussion on its accuracy and reliability). >> >> >> Second, why do we think that use of Merlin has increased the level of >>> error in the eBird data? >>> >> >> My take is that it hasn?t. Or, with a bit more nuance, I think tools like >> Merlin have actually reduced the percentage of errors recorded, but has >> also encouraged many more people to submit records, so I expect the total >> number of errors is up but the percentage of records that are incorrect has >> gone down. I have no data on this, but in my time working with and teaching >> newer birders, I?ve seen the trajectory from enthusiastically and >> energetically wrong to more thoughtful and skeptical many times (and god >> help me, I remember when I was a new baby birder and every freaking bird I >> saw was both rare and wrong. That others were willing to drag me into >> competence is one reason I?ve been willing to do the same in my pay forward >> times) >> >> And, let?s not forget that Merlin was built to assist with several >>> objectives, only one of which is helping birders in the field. It has >>> another, very significant, purpose: to increase awareness of birds among >>> the general population. Most of the Merlin users I encounter now are >>> people who take some joy in finding out what birds are present in their >>> yard, or on the favorite walking routes, or while they are camping, ? >>> They aren?t contributing sightings to eBird, they just want to know more >>> about the world around them. >>> >> >> And it?s amazing at that ? and anything that helps people find that spark >> that begins the journey into being bird people I?m all for. I just wish >> Merlin was willing to say ?That?s a Robin? and ?This might be a Chipping >> Sparrow, but I?m not positive because Juncos sound similar. What are you >> seeing?? >> >> My wish here is for Merlin to grow from presenting itself as the >> infallible expert into being that AND a mentor and teacher, by putting in >> some context when appropriate and leading people into being more skeptical >> and looking for more data (like a sighting) to verify the ID. Imagine if >> Merlin admitted it wasn?t sure and added a button ?I saw it1? that people >> could click. They become part of the teaching that improved Merlin down the >> road? >> >> But I think it?s important that Merlin add that skepticism into how it >> presents itself, because of those 74,000 concurrent users this afternoon, >> almost all of them have no contact with the people (like those here on this >> list) that can do the mentoring and teaching to help them become more >> skeptical and thoughtful about Merlin?s results. Merlin needs to be >> responsible to set those expectations more realistically for the users that >> don?t yet know not to implicitly trust it. >> >> So, let?s be realistic about Merlin. >>> >> I?d say everyone on this list is, but my worry is about those new/novice >> users who are presented with a tool that gives no indication it might be >> wrong at time, and therefore has no reason to assume it?s sometimes giving >> them bad results. And an easy way to tweak Merlin is to add that confidence >> factor into the IDs, as tools like Haiku already have. >> >> Chuq >> >> >> --------------------------------------- >> >> Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) >> Silverdale, Washington >> Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer >> >> Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com >> Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org >> >> Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ >> My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks >> >> I have opinions >> _______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list >> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 21 13:12:36 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (munari2000@gmail.com via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 21 13:13:16 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] 4 letter codes In-Reply-To: References: <360010970.561760.1771108986909.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <360010970.561760.1771108986909@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: In case it's helpful, here are the Four-letter (English Name) and Six-letter (Scientific Name) Alpha Codes: https://www.birdpop.org/docs/misc/Alpha_codes_eng.pdf John Munari Seattle, King Co., Washington munari2000 [at] gmail [dot] com On Sat, Feb 14, 2026 at 3:06?PM J Christian Kessler via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > my reaction to some of of the place names people use.I usually figure it > out, but WTH. > I agree people posting should include the English name somewhere, and not > all do. Solving other people hasn't worked in my lifetime, or history. > > Chris Kessler > > On Sat, Feb 14, 2026 at 2:44?PM Odette James via Tweeters < > tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > >> I've been birding 47 years and I've never used the 4 letter codes. They >> annoyed me the first time I saw them and they still annoy me. Whenever I >> see a message that uses one of the codes without including the name of the >> bird, my reaction is "WTH is that!" After a short time of annoyance, I >> figure it out, but WTH. >> >> Odette James, Lakeshore Retirement Community, with a gorgeous view of the >> Cedar River Delta (and all the storm debris now stranded on it) >> _______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list >> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> > > > -- > ?Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass ? it?s about learning > how to dance in the rain.? > Deborah Tuck > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 21 13:22:59 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jim Forrester via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 21 13:23:08 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] The Merlin discussion References: <1336275132.1668823.1776802979755.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1336275132.1668823.1776802979755@mail.yahoo.com> I read with interest both Bill's & Chuq's thoughts on this, and for the most part am in agreement, but I can't agree with Bill's answer to the question "First, why do we expect Merlin to be any better than a reasonably skilled human observer?? It is trained by humans, so it seems unlikely that it would do better".? Well, that argument doesn't stand up.? Humans "train" tools all the time, just so that they *can* perform better than the human.? Merlin doesn't "think" like a human, it thinks like a large language model.? While it is handicapped by having a single sense (hearing), it is being constantly augmented by new and correctly identified songs being added to its repository.? While humans may not be able to discern CHSP and DEJU, different wavelength patterns in the two songs will probably at some point mean that Merlin *will* be able to correctly determine the bird - the LLM just needs enough data! Also, Chuq brings up the issue of Merlin's all-or-nothing approach to bird identification.? I've plugged BirdNET before and will again now, because it tells you what its confidence level is.? I have no idea what Merlin's threshold is, but somewhere around "highly likely".? I've actually written suggestions to the Merlin team to build in the certainty level of identifications into the app, but I am but a leaf in the storm... :-) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 21 14:24:01 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Tim Brennan via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 21 14:24:04 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Merlin Message-ID: Hey Tweets! My poor flip phone doesn't have Merlin, and it's probably all for the best. I'm perfectly capable of hearing a Dark-eyed Junco sound exactly like a Chipping Sparrow all on my own! Just cutting out the middle man here. :D And I've been on a field trip with one of the Merlin developers... we saw a Cassin's Finch, singing Cassin's Finchy things. Then the same bird did that vireo thing that Cassin's Finches do... and the developer in question confidently called it a Cassin's Vireo. ? It just comes down to knowing what the most common birds are, as well as what the most commonly confused birds are. That latter data point seems like a fine thing to code into that software, honestly. Imagine Merlin being able to say "Chipping Sparrow, unless I just got fooled again... in which case, yeah, Junco." Does it do that?? I think someone cast doubt on the assumption that Merlin has led to a worsening of the data. I wonder as well! It's certainly allowed us to be wrong in more high-tech ways, at any rate. Much more fun when it's an app yelling "I KNOW WHAT I HEARD!" instead of always just us. ;) Cheers, Tim Brennan Renton -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 21 14:31:42 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 21 14:31:46 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] The Merlin discussion In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On Apr 21, 2026 at 11:02:07?AM, Robert O'Brien wrote: > As to no hint of the certainty of an ID, that is incorrect, as well. It > now has a system of varying colored 'dots' accompanying a bird ID on my > list, but unlikely to be present will receive a red dot. > Ah! I had not realized that and that explains why the Merlin orange/red dots don't always match up with eBird -- I expect Merlin doesn't have the local granularity that eBird gets from the hotspots here. thanks! --------------------------------------- Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) Silverdale, Washington Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks I have opinions -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 22 07:09:34 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dan Reiff via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 22 07:09:39 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] BBC WILDLIFE MAGAZINE: Camera traps film predators descending on cave filled with 40, 000 bats. What happens next is staggering Message-ID: <5BBB758B-470C-476D-92A4-2D419B09D2D7@gmail.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 22 10:37:25 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Paul Bannick via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 22 10:37:38 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Peter Torr? Message-ID: Does anyone know Peter Torr from Bellevue? If so, can you let me know I am trying to follow-up with him if he could contact me at this email or at the phone number listed below? -- Now Available: *Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers* Paul Bannick Photography www.paulbannick.com 206-940-7835 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 22 11:56:35 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Brian Zinke via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 22 11:56:52 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Vaux's Happening article in Audubon magazine Message-ID: Hi Tweets, In case you missed it or don't receive the magazine, our Vaux's Happening project, led by Larry Schwitters, was featured in the spring issue of Audubon magazine. You can read it here: https://www.audubon.org/magazine/where-do-vauxs-swifts-spend-night-community-science-effort-mapping-their-roost-sites Happy spring, Brian -- [image: Logo] Brian Zinke Executive Director phone: (425) 232-6811 email: director@pilchuckaudubon.org Pilchuck Audubon Society 1429 Avenue D, PMB 198, Snohomish, WA 98290 [image: Facebook icon] [image: Twitter icon] [image: Instagram icon] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 22 14:33:30 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Marv via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 22 14:34:31 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Kent Valley Birdwatching 4.22.26 Message-ID: The weather was cold, wet and windy this morning along 204th St in Kent/King County. The birdwatching, however, was pretty good; especially for sparrows. Here are some of the birds I saw this morning: Wood Duck - pair in the infield Whimbrel - 7 vocal birds in the infield Western Kingbird American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Harris's Sparrow Videos: . https://flic.kr/ps/376fhN -- Marv Breece Tukwila, WA *marvbreece@gmail.com * -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 22 16:14:21 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Tim Brennan via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 22 16:14:24 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Pacific County Birding 4/16-17 Message-ID: Hey Tweets! I'm not quite caught up on all of the blogging, but there's at least one day finished: https://pacificcountybirding.blogspot.com/2026/04/april-16th-one-way-or-other.html I went down to Pacific County for Thursday and Friday of last week. Outside of some of the usual arrivals, there were a few nice highlights. Soras - One just across the county line on Highway 6, and a couple more the next day at Potter's Slough. Grouse! - Ruffed - also just across the county line, and Sooty off of Trap Creek Lane, up a little side hill where I also had a pair of Western Bluebirds. American White Pelican and Sandhill Crane - both flyovers at Potter Slough. Weather was beautiful! Not much to complain about ... although I keep missing a Long-billed Curlew that seems to be at home out in Tokeland. Sure would be nice if they were bigger. Maybe that's why I'm not seeing them? Lol. The year list is at 147, and it has continued to be a nice vehicle for getting me into the little corners of the county. Cheers! Tim Brennan Renton -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 22 16:51:07 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Roger Moyer via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 22 16:51:12 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Pacific County Long-billed Curlew Message-ID: Tim The best place to see the Curlew is at Graveyard Spit. I see them there most Spring Migrations. Roger Moyer Chehalis -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 22 18:26:31 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 22 18:26:34 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?WOS_Monthly_Meeting=2C_May_4=2C_2026_=28in-p?= =?utf-8?q?erson_and_online=29?= Message-ID: <20260423012631.1595593.qmail@s401.sureserver.com> The Washington Ornithological Society (WOS) is pleased to announce our next Monthly Meeting: on Monday, May 4, 2026, Dennis Paulson will present, "Madagascar, A Place Like Nowhere Else."??Madagascar is the world?s fourth-largest island, situated off East Africa in the Indian Ocean.??Isolated since it drifted away from India 88 million years ago, a very large percentage of its plants and animals are endemic, occurring nowhere else?95% of reptiles, 92% of mammals, 89% of plants, and 41% of birds.??Its environments range from lush montane rain forests to arid coastal scrub, each with its own flora and fauna. Dennis Paulson, founding member of WOS, has impacted everything to do with birds in Washington State for decades. Dennis has served as a curator at both the UW Burke Museum and the University of Puget Sound Slater Museum of Natural History. He is in addition recognized as a world authority on dragonflies. His many publications include A Guide to Bird Finding in Washington, Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest and over 90 scientific papers. Dennis has traveled to all continents to study and photograph nature, and has taught and mentored university, Master Birder students and adult learners for over 50 years. He continues to enjoy the thrill of seeing a new species and interacting with fellow naturalists. This meeting will take place both in-person and online via Zoom. The IN-PERSON meeting will take place at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture (free parking), 3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle, WA 98195. Doors open at 6:45PM; Program starts at 7:30PM VIA ZOOM - Please go to the WOS Monthly Meetings page: https://wos.org/monthly-meetings/ for instructions on participation and to get the Zoom link. When joining the meeting, we ask that you mute your device and make certain that your camera is turned off. This meeting is open to all as WOS invites everyone in the wider birding community to attend. Thanks to the generosity of our presenters, recordings of past programs are available at the following link to the WOS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@washingtonornithologicalso7839/videos If you are not yet a member of WOS, we hope you will consider becoming one at https://wos.org Please join us! Happy Earth Day! Elaine Chuang WOS Program Support From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 22 20:41:19 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Adrian Wolf via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 22 20:41:25 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] FOY BTYW and COYE Message-ID: Several First of Year singing black-throated gray warblers and one common yellowthroat along northern trails at Ueland Tree Farm. Western flycatcher too. Get Outlook for Android -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 23 15:48:42 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Kenneth Brown via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 23 15:48:48 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday at Nisqually Message-ID: <765856011.64956.1776984522246@connect.xfinity.com> Another wet Wednesday, and relatively small turnout.( total 17) The south end of the pond hosted Hooded Mergansers and a couple Mallards. Red-winged Blackbirds and Marsh Wrens serenaded us as we chatted and watched the rain dimple the pond, slow to get started. After consulting the Tide tables we realized that peak high tide would occur shortly after we started and then fall for the rest of the walk. If we wanted to see shorebirds closer in, we'd need to get out to the dike earlier than usual. We decided to skip the play area, orchard, and entrance road and take the west side of the loop trail, after checking the flooded field west of the service road. Our reliable Anna's Hummingbird was once again on his territorial throne between the parking lot and the service road. The air above the field ponds was alive with Swallows, Tree, Violet-green, Barn, Cliff, and an occasional Rough-winged, all putting on a show, swooping and swerving just a few feet above the water. The usual species of ducks were attending but individual numbers are decreasing. A couple of Cinnamon Teal stood out. Virginia Rail called from the reeds along the pond side of the boardwalk, a Muskrat made a brief appearance. A pied-billed Grebe lazed in the middle of the pond, several Wood Ducks swam in the north end. It was disappointing to discover that the Robin's nest we've been watching is gone, whether from high winds last weekend or a predator wasn't clear but the latter seems more likely. Excavation of the Red-breasted Sapsucker cavity we've been watching is proceeding nicely. Two black tail feathers protruded from the hole, wiggling back and forth, then yellow undertail coverts appeared as the bird shimmied it's backend out of the entrance hole and spewed wood chips, evidence of it's industry. We watched more than one cycle. (see Jon's short video embedded in the checklist) Both Rufous Hummingbird nests were again occupied by diligent females. Soon their chicks should hatch and we'll be watching feeding activity. It seemed like Yellow-rumped Warblers were everywhere there was a tree. The bright yellow-throated Audubon's variety and white-throated Myrtle, were mixed together, today the numbers tilted in favor of Myrtle. American Goldfinch sang and called from the tops of the trees near the maple grove. Golden-crowned, and White-crowned Sparrows gleaned the leaflitter along with one White-throated Sparrow and a few Spotted Towhees. A couple of Eurasian Wigeons were among the other waterfowl seen from the platform at the twin barns as well as more low-flying Swallows. Common Ravens could be heard croaking to the east. The white head of a Bald Eagle was barely discernable from the dike with a 60x scope, peering through the leaves obscuring the nest in the distant Cottonwood. Green-winged Teal were the predominant species out on the surge plain. Farther west were three Greater White-fronted Geese with some first of the year Caspian Terns, their black crowns matching the black heads of Bonaparte's Gulls mixed in with Short-billed Gulls. A flock of Western and Least Sandpipers were up and down, fairly close in on the saltwater side of the dike, as was a separate flock of Dunlin, most with the black bellies of their breeding plumage. Virginia Rails and Sora were frequently calling from the freshwater side. Many of the remaining birders turned back at the start of the estuary boardwalk, as usual, but this time Janel called back some of those who continued on, to see an American Bittern we had missed earlier. An Eagle looked snug in it's nest in a fir tree west of McAllister Creek. Bufflehead shared the water with a few Wigeon and Common Goldeneye, their numbers noticeably down from previous weeks. A few Great Blue Herons and Greater Yellowlegs walked the shoreline, and small flocks of Least Sandpiper landed near the boardwalk, foraged briefly and moved again. Three Spotted Sandpipers flew in on the far shore. At the end of the boardwalk, we could see Purple Martins on the "gourd" houses in front of the Nature Center at Luhr Beach. Out on the reach, some Lesser Scaup were visible though distant. A flock of Brant geese were off to the east and a few Brandt's Cormorants on the channel marker. Somewhere along the line it had stopped raining, the return to the dike was dry, warming, and uneventful. At the maple grove again, at least three Ravens were loud and talkative. They seemed to be sorting out their relationship. They accompanied us to the Nisqually River overlook which was otherwise quiet. South along the east half of the loop were more Yellow-rumped Warblers, brown Creeper, and a few Chickadees. Most of the final few toured the silent play area and orchard skipped in the morning and found a few ducks in the flooded field south of the service road to complete our walk. Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US Apr 22, 2026 7:57 AM - 4:20 PM Protocol: Traveling 5.38 mile(s) Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk on a rainy 49? F morning a 5 to 10-knot south breeze. A High 12.0-foot tide at 8:50 a.m. ebbed to a -1.9-foot low water at 4:21 p.m. Non-birds seen included Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Townsend's Chipmunk, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, a muskrat near the Twin Barns, and numerous Harbor Seals hauled out in the estuary of McAllister Creek. 80 species (+8 other taxa) Greater White-fronted Goose (Western) 3 Brant (Black) 44 Cackling Goose (minima) 235 Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 3 Canada Goose 48 Domestic goose sp. x Canada Goose (hybrid) 1 Superficially resembled a Canada Goose, except for larger white facial patch, pink-yellowish bill, and orangish legs. Wood Duck 12 Cinnamon Teal 6 Northern Shoveler 75 Gadwall 6 Eurasian Wigeon 2 American Wigeon 165 Mallard 50 Northern Pintail 75 Green-winged Teal 595 Ring-necked Duck 7 Lesser Scaup 16 Nisqually Reach Bufflehead 45 Common Goldeneye 9 Hooded Merganser 9 Common Merganser 1 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 3 Band-tailed Pigeon 10 Mourning Dove 2 Anna's Hummingbird 3 Rufous Hummingbird 5 Virginia Rail 5 Sora 6 American Coot 24 Spotted Sandpiper 3 Greater Yellowlegs 17 Dunlin 85 Least Sandpiper 145 Western Sandpiper 125 Bonaparte's Gull 40 Short-billed Gull 125 Ring-billed Gull 4 Glaucous-winged Gull 1 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 5 Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 15 Caspian Tern 9 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Horned Grebe 1 Brandt's Cormorant 6 Double-crested Cormorant 3 American Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 14 Bald Eagle 26 Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 2 Belted Kingfisher 2 Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Vocalizing from timber west of McAllister Creek Northern Flicker 4 Peregrine Falcon 1 Hutton's Vireo (Pacific) 1 American Crow 6 Common Raven 3 Black-capped Chickadee 9 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1 Tree Swallow 165 Violet-green Swallow 40 Purple Martin 12 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 8 Barn Swallow 55 Cliff Swallow 45 Bushtit (Pacific) 2 Brown Creeper 2 Marsh Wren 25 Bewick's Wren 9 European Starling 15 American Robin 20 Purple Finch (Western) 2 American Goldfinch 4 White-crowned Sparrow 4 White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's) 3 Golden-crowned Sparrow 22 White-throated Sparrow 1 Savannah Sparrow 4 Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 26 Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4 Red-winged Blackbird 50 Brown-headed Cowbird 3 Orange-crowned Warbler 4 Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 5 Common Yellowthroat 11 Yellow-rumped Warbler 115 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 23 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 13 View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S325772191 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 23 16:05:45 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Michael Hobbs via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 23 16:06:01 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2026-04-23 Message-ID: Tweets - It was darkly overcast and cool this morning, with temps in the 40's. It was not the magical spring morning one might hope for, but it wasn't too bad either. Highlights: Common Goldeneye - One (maybe two) females. Just our 10th COGO sighting ever for late-April and May Hooded Merganser - At least two, and shockingly only our second since late February Band-tailed Pigeon - Our second time this spring, but they should become regular starting next week, through at least July Vaux's Swift - A few amongst the horde of Tree/Violet-green Swallows. First of Spring (FOS), and on the earlier side for first sighting Great Blue Heron - Young big enough to be visible on some of the nests Five Woodpecker Day - All seen Merlin - At least one, probably two. Fourth week in a row Western Warbling Vireo - One heard singing, but not seen, at the Rowing Club. (FOS), and tied for the earliest ever !!! Tree & Violet-green Swallows - Large numbers overhead just about everywhere Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Several over the slough below the weir, late American Robin - Adult sitting on a nest at the very south end of the Dog Meadow Brown-headed Cowbird - (FOS) and a very late return. They're typically around all of April. Many today, though Northern Yellow Warbler - One heard singing, but unseen, east from the SE part of the East Meadow (FOS). 2nd earliest return ever, and that by only one day !!! Yellow-rumped Warbler - Many, many, many, and all I was able to see well were "Audubon's", and virtually all male Misses today included American Coot, Wilson's Snipe, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Green Heron, Belted Kingfisher (may have heard late), Cliff Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Pine Siskin, and "Myrtle" Yellow-rumped Warbler. Despite that rather lengthy list of Misses, we did manage 61 species today. = Michael Hobbs = BirdMarymoor@gmail.com = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 23 16:41:40 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Peter Hodum via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 23 16:41:54 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Seabirds Live! event with author Eric Wagner: Wednesday 13 May Message-ID: What can one of the world?s largest gatherings of rhinoceros auklets tell us about the health of the Salish Sea? Get the inside scoop on the remote and often enigmatic seabirds of Protection and Destruction Islands. Author Eric Wagner will be on stage with seabird biologist Peter Hodum for a live conversation on May 13 at the University of Washington Tacoma. The free event will feature original photos and audio, along with a discussion of Eric?s new book, "Seabirds as Sentinels: Auklets, Puffins, Shearwaters and the View from Destruction Island." Learn what seabirds are telling us about changing ocean conditions and the health of the Salish Sea. Find out the best technique for dodging a flying rhinoceros auklet. Take a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at seabird research in Washington state. This live event combines gorgeous photographs and audio recordings with an on-stage conversation between two leading experts on seabird ecology, author and scientist Eric Wagner and seabird biologist Peter Hodum of the University of Puget Sound. As part of the event, Wagner will be talking about and signing his new book, Seabirds as Sentinels. Puget Sound Institute managing editor and nature sound recordist Jeff Rice will join the discussion as host and moderator. May 13 from 7 ? 8 PM Doors open at 6:30 PM for light refreshments University of Washington Tacoma Carwein Auditorium (Keystone 102) 1754 Commerce Street, Tacoma WA, 98402 The event is free but tickets are required. Following is the link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seabirds-live-tickets-1985747256499 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 23 17:13:17 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Ron Post via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 23 17:13:31 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] green lake today Message-ID: Along with the regular buffleheads i have been observing in the middle of Green Lake in Seattle. just now saw a common loon swimming along behind them. Ron Post ronpost4@gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 23 20:57:42 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (BRAD Liljequist via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 23 20:57:48 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Woodland Park Wonders including Chipping Sparrows Message-ID: It was funny, last weekend Merlin popped up a Chipping Sparrow, and I smugly felt like I'd heard enough of them in Woodland Park over the last several years that I felt it was an accurate ID. We were on the move enough that I didn't have time to see it and so that was that. So it was interesting to see the flow of posts on the topic over the last week, including the note about four different sightings around Green Lake. I had time at the end of the day today to go looking - I wanted to hear and see a Chipping Sparrow so I could report in. I heard what I thought was a Chipping Sparrow, but Merlin lit up with the trill as both Chipping and Junco! It also alternated between the two. I spent quite some time looking for it, but I never could see the bugger. I got distracted by Black Throated Grey Warbler calls, and after a few minutes managed to get some great views of a couple. After a fly through by the Pileated Pair (which incidentally seem to be nesting mid park), a bird buzzed by close - sounded like a Junco. It landed 15 feet away on a branch, and lo and behold - a Chipper!!! Woodland Park is a nice place to find these guys. They've been very present the last few years. I do feel like the bird diversity is improving in the park, I think helped by the maturing canopy and the native restoration underway. Brad Liljequist Phinney Ridge -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 23 20:59:18 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Tom Benedict via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 23 20:59:34 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Six Eagles at Seahurst Park Message-ID: <8697F50E-8E6A-4728-BD98-46043E12AFAB@comcast.net> I live near in Burien, WA. We see Bald Eagles regularly. They nest in the area and perform their mating displays overhead. It?s an extraordinary experience and fortunately no longer an unusual experience around here. However, today, I saw no less than six immature BAEA at the north end of Seahurst Park. A couple of them were very large and all had a range dark brown and mottled buff feathers. None had any white on heads or tails. Four of them were sitting in a snag overlooking the north beach. I have never seen this many BAEA at a time around here. I wonder if fishing is good right now? Also noticed a single porpoise offshore associated with a modest raft of Buffleheads. Tom Benedict Seahurst, WA From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 24 15:15:17 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Tom and Carol Stoner via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 24 15:15:45 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Ospreys and a book Message-ID: Today at 2:00 I watched 2 Ospreys soaring over the West Seattle Bridge. The book is "Bird School: A Beginner in the Woods" (2025) by Adam Nicolson. His book is set in England, but cites research from all over the world, including the Pacific Northwest. He's talks about finding and observing birds, scientific studies on various issues, as well as birds in literature and philosophy. Very readable with surprising, to me at least, observations and conclusions. I found it in the Seattle Public Library. Carol Stoner West Seattle -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Fri Apr 24 18:28:26 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Ronda Stark via Tweeters) Date: Fri Apr 24 18:28:40 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Six Eagles at Seahurst Park In-Reply-To: <8697F50E-8E6A-4728-BD98-46043E12AFAB@comcast.net> References: <8697F50E-8E6A-4728-BD98-46043E12AFAB@comcast.net> Message-ID: Hi Tom, We had 6 bald eagles at the Montlake Fill today -- two adults flying with 4 juveniles who probably all fledged from the same nest in Laurelhurst in different years. So great to see them! Ronda On Thu, Apr 23, 2026 at 8:59?PM Tom Benedict via Tweeters < tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > I live near in Burien, WA. We see Bald Eagles regularly. They nest in the > area and perform their mating displays overhead. It?s an extraordinary > experience and fortunately no longer an unusual experience around here. > However, today, I saw no less than six immature BAEA at the north end of > Seahurst Park. A couple of them were very large and all had a range dark > brown and mottled buff feathers. None had any white on heads or tails. Four > of them were sitting in a snag overlooking the north beach. I have never > seen this many BAEA at a time around here. I wonder if fishing is good > right now? > > Also noticed a single porpoise offshore associated with a modest raft of > Buffleheads. > > Tom Benedict > Seahurst, 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 tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 25 13:44:15 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Shep Thorp via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 25 13:44:30 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] White-faced Ibis continues at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR Message-ID: <2FF6986B-D418-4D1A-8624-331C0553B949@gmail.com> Hi Tweets, The White-faced Ibis continues at the Refuge foraging in the flooded field adjacent and south of Twin Barns. The Visitor Center Pond Overlook has a BWTE hybrid with either CITE or Northern Shoveler or other. I?ll post photos in my eBird report - BWTE with red eye, red cheek, green nape and large black bill. Happy birding, Shep Shep Thorp, VMD Family Guy, Emergency Veterinarian, Birder Browns Point, Tacoma 253-370-3742 From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 25 14:02:06 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Debbie Mcleod via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 25 14:02:12 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Ospreys and a book Message-ID: I recommend Bird School as well. I got it from KCLS. The scientific detail was challenging for me at times. But I persevered, and was so glad I did. I became an Adam Nicolson fan after reading his 2001 book Sea Room. "For his 21st birthday, Nicolson's father gave him some islands among the Scottish Outer Hebrides ... he has produced a vivid, meticulously researched paean to his "heartland," examining its geology, its flora and fauna, and its history." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sat Apr 25 17:10:52 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jim Ullrich via Tweeters) Date: Sat Apr 25 17:11:07 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] 05/01-3 Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival Message-ID: Howdy Tweets: Grays Harbor Shorebird & Nature Festival is next weekend 05/1-03 at the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. Festival Headquarters is out of Hoquiam Middle School just east of the Refuge, and follow the signage to stop in. Yours for the Birds n? the Bees Jim Ullrich -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 26 12:45:47 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (JACK NOLAN via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 26 12:45:59 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Osprey are back References: <4956B8D5-BDD2-48F0-8FE7-73EC0CA803BC.ref@comcast.net> Message-ID: <4956B8D5-BDD2-48F0-8FE7-73EC0CA803BC@comcast.net> I heard and saw an Osprey yesterday. I assume it?s the pair that nest over by Shorecrest High. Sure sign summer is just around the corner. Jack Nolan Shoreline, WA. Sent from my iPhone. Pardon my brevity and typos. From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 26 15:19:51 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Ian Paulsen via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 26 15:19:53 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] The Birdbooker Report Message-ID: HI ALL: I posted about 3 bird and 2 non-bird publications at my blog here. https://birdbookerreport.blogspot.com/2026/04/new-titles.html sincerely Ian Paulsen Bainbridge Island, WA, USA Visit my BIRDBOOKER REPORT blog here: https://birdbookerreport.blogspot.com/ From tweeters at u.washington.edu Sun Apr 26 17:59:56 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Carol Riddell via Tweeters) Date: Sun Apr 26 18:00:12 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Edmonds Roundup - March 2026 Message-ID: Hi Tweeters, We ended March with 117 species on our Edmonds 2026 year list. The added species in taxonomic order are: Wood Duck (code 3), 1 at Pine Ridge Park, 3-15-26. Ruddy Duck (code 3), 2 at the waterfront, 3-17-26. Rufous Hummingbird (code 2), 1 at Edmonds marsh and 1 at Southwest County Park, 3-22-26. American Kestrel (code 4), 1 at Mathay-Ballinger Park, 3-18-26. Tree Swallow (code 3), 6 in Edmonds Lake Ballinger neighborhood, 3-19-26. Violet-green Swallow (code 1), 10 in Edmonds Lake Ballinger neighborhood, 3-19-26. Other birds of interest: The adult male Lesser Goldfinch (code 5) appeared at its customary feeders on 3-18, 22, and 26. He has been using these feeders intermittently for a year and a half. The puzzle is where he hangs out the rest of the time. Presumably he remains somewhere in the Edmonds area but we have received no other reports of this bird. We usually have at least one Turkey Vulture (code 3) sighting in March but this year either Edmonds? skies were devoid of that species or it eluded detection. Declined: American Herring Gull (code 4), 2 separate undocumented reports in Edmonds marsh. Over all years there have been a total of 24 eBird reports of this species in the marsh, starting in January 2024. None was documented. These all seem to coincide with increased use of Merlin?s Sound ID for building checklists. It frequently lists this species as a possibility at the marsh but without an independent sighting to verify that possibility, it is worthless. I have begun to doubt Sound ID?s usefulness for gulls. It certainly does not distinguish between pure species and hybrids and possibly will never be able to. But I have to wonder about the persistence of its suggestion for American Herring Gull where that species is rarely seen. By way of explanation, we start additions to our year list based on birders letting me know about sightings. We then review eBird reports to see if we can add further species based on information included in checklists. With rarer birds, code 3 or rarer, we look for something more than a checklist tick. Those of us who use eBird know that we occasionally make data entry errors, so those have to be ruled out for our purposes. We then look for evidence such as a description of critical field marks, photos, or recordings. If none of those is included, we then decline to add the species at this time. This has no effect on an eBirder?s personal records. As always, I appreciate it when birders get in touch with me to share sightings, photos, or recordings. It helps us build our collective year list. If you would like a copy of our 2026 Edmonds city checklist, please request it from this email address: checklistedmonds at gmail dot com. The 2026 checklist, with March sightings on it, is in the bird information box at the Olympic Beach Visitor Station at the base of the public pier. Good birding, Carol Riddell Edmonds, WA cariddellwa at gmail dot com Abundance codes: (1) Common, (2) Uncommon, (3) Harder to find, usually seen annually, (4) Rare, 5+ records, (5) Fewer than 5 records -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 27 10:06:09 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Patty Cheek via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 27 10:08:26 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Costa Rica Trip May 19-31 References: <735AC316-8F3F-47CA-8BCE-5505CC06522A.ref@yahoo.com> Message-ID: <735AC316-8F3F-47CA-8BCE-5505CC06522A@yahoo.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 27 12:12:41 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jay via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 27 12:12:54 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Osprey are back Message-ID: Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:45:47 -0700 From: JACK NOLAN via Tweeters To: tweeters@u.washington.edu Subject: [Tweeters] Osprey are back Message-ID: <4956B8D5-BDD2-48F0-8FE7-73EC0CA803BC@comcast.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 I heard and saw an Osprey yesterday. I assume it?s the pair that nest over by Shorecrest High. Sure sign summer is just around the corner. Jack Nolan Shoreline, WA. These two are nesting and breeding at Squalicum Park in Bellingham https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCRXmi Jay E Bellingham, WA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 27 12:48:21 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Hilary Bolles via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 27 12:48:29 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Seeking carpool for May WOS conference Message-ID: <853012545.155651.1777319301262@connect.xfinity.com> It would be great to ride with any Seattle people to Lewiston for the WOS conference. Happy to help drive and cover expenses. Flexible about returning Sunday eve or Monday morning the 18th. Please reply offline to hilaryb at comcast dot net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Mon Apr 27 18:53:40 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Patty Cheek via Tweeters) Date: Mon Apr 27 18:53:58 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Costa Rica Trip May 19-31 References: Message-ID: Hi, Everyone, A person had to cancel due to health issues for our trip to Costa Rica. We need a female to join our trip. Here's the info. Get the word out. Great opportunity. Consider joining our birding tour to Costa Rica. Due to an unfortunate cancellation for health reasons, there is one opening for a female double occupancy room. Our group is limited to 12 participants, currently all from Whidbey, and will be accompanied by our guide, Roger Melendez, and a professional driver. Trip Cost: $3,125 per person (double occupancy) This includes the guide, all accommodations, meals, park entrances, and a full-time vehicle with a driver. It does not include gratuities for the guide and driver. Travel Details: Participants are responsible for their own transportation to Costa Rica. Please ensure your flight arrives in time for our welcome dinner on May 19; many participants find that arriving on the 18th works best. The trip concludes with a farewell dinner on May 30. Best regards, Jo (425-205-1052) Vivian Stembridge (206-947-9011) Patty Cheek (425-246-1766) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 28 09:07:47 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jim Betz via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 28 09:07:51 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Wiley Slough in Skagit - and Reifel is Open ... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <9b6bab11-36fb-49b1-93f7-0c90d8611232@jimbetz.com> Hi, ? I went to Wiley yesterday - it was my first time there in over 2 months.? My report is "pretty much status quo".? I got to see several GBH, Osprey, Belted Kingfishers, Canada Geese, lots of Marsh Wrens (heard more than saw) and RWB, lots of Green-winged Teal and a few Mallards.? NO Bald Eagles (I did not walk far enough out to see if last year's nest is active), a fair number of Greater Yellowlegs, a few "peeps", and one Killdeer.? Noticeably absent were -any- sparrows or robins. ? Has anyone heard anything about the eagles at Wylie this year? ? BTW, the Westham bridge is back in service so a trip to Reifel is a high probability for me in the near future. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? - Jim in Skagit From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 28 11:40:48 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Brian Zinke via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 28 11:41:04 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Puget Sound Bird Fest registrations open May 1 Message-ID: Hi Tweets, You're invited to the 22nd annual Puget Sound Bird Fest in Edmonds on June 6-7, 2026! The festival includes bird walks, speakers, exhibitor booths, native plant sale, library storytime, puffin cruise, and more! This year's speakers include David Lukas, Bryony Angell, Shannon Boldt, and Amanda Zhou. Registration for bird walks and the photography workshop open on May 1, as well as the submission period for the bird photography contest . Most Bird Fest activities are free and open to the public, with some experiences offered on a pay-what-you-can basis to keep the festival accessible to all. For more information about the festival please visit: https://www.pugetsoundbirdfest.com/ Thanks! Brian -- [image: Logo] Brian Zinke Executive Director phone: (425) 232-6811 email: director@pilchuckaudubon.org Pilchuck Audubon Society 1429 Avenue D, PMB 198, Snohomish, WA 98290 [image: Facebook icon] [image: Twitter icon] [image: Instagram icon] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 28 12:52:34 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Tom and Carol Stoner via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 28 12:53:03 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] First Western Tanager Message-ID: Our FOY Western Tanager flew into our Big Leaf Maple a few minutes ago. Always a joy to see my spark bird. Carol Stoner West Seattle -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 28 18:48:23 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 28 18:48:27 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] =?utf-8?q?REMINDER=3A_WOS_Monthly_Meeting=2C_May_4=2C_?= =?utf-8?q?2026_=28in-person_and_online=29?= Message-ID: <20260429014823.2248053.qmail@s401.sureserver.com> The Washington Ornithological Society (WOS) is pleased to announce our next Monthly Meeting: on Monday, May 4, 2026, Dennis Paulson will present, "Madagascar, A Place Like Nowhere Else." Madagascar is the world?s fourth-largest island, situated off East Africa in the Indian Ocean. Isolated since it drifted away from India 88 million years ago, a very large percentage of its plants and animals are endemic, occurring nowhere else?95% of reptiles, 92% of mammals, 89% of plants, and 41% of birds. Its environments range from lush montane rain forests to arid coastal scrub, each with its own flora and fauna. Dennis Paulson, founding member of WOS, has impacted everything to do with birds in Washington State for decades. Dennis has served as a curator at both the UW Burke Museum and the University of Puget Sound Slater Museum of Natural History. He is in addition recognized as a world authority on dragonflies. His many publications include A Guide to Bird Finding in Washington, Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest and over 90 scientific papers. Dennis has traveled to all continents to study and photograph nature, and has taught and mentored university, Master Birder students and adult learners for over 50 years. He continues to enjoy the thrill of seeing a new species and interacting with fellow naturalists. This meeting will take place both in-person and online via Zoom. The IN-PERSON meeting will take place at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture (free parking), 3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle, WA 98195. Doors open at 6:45PM; Program starts at 7:30PM VIA ZOOM - Please go to the WOS Monthly Meetings page: https://wos.org/monthly-meetings/ for instructions on participation and to get the Zoom link. When joining the meeting, we ask that you mute your device and make certain that your camera is turned off. This meeting is open to all as WOS invites everyone in the wider birding community to attend. Thanks to the generosity of our presenters, recordings of past programs are available at the following link to the WOS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@washingtonornithologicalso7839/videos If you are not yet a member of WOS, we hope you will consider becoming one at https://wos.org Please join us! Elaine Chuang WOS Program Support From tweeters at u.washington.edu Tue Apr 28 22:06:19 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Karen Fardal via Tweeters) Date: Tue Apr 28 22:06:33 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Sony lens cap at Yesler swamp Message-ID: There has been a lens cap at the start of the boardwalk since last Thursday, this morning it was on a sign just to the left of the boardwalk as you go in from the parking lot. Hope the owner will be reunited with it! Karen Fardal From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 29 10:57:47 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Becky Galloway via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 29 10:58:01 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Merlin pair at NE 70th and 35th NE Message-ID: <012D0720-039F-4D0F-A5E6-3490E75F183A@gmail.com> Just watched a Merlin pair flying and calling in the cluster of tall pines across the street from Wedgwood Family Dentistry at 7030 35th NE. They?ve been there at least an hour from 10a-11am -Becky Galloway Shoreline beckyg dot sea gmail Sent from my iPhone -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 29 11:57:14 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Hubbell via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 29 11:57:35 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Union Bay Watch } Amazing Ravens Message-ID: Friends, This post covers a variety of interesting behaviors and incidents happening with the Ravens in the Arboretum. https://unionbaywatch.blogspot.com/2026/04/amazing-ravens.html I hope you enjoy the post! Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city! Larry Hubbell ldhubbell at comcast dot net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 29 17:06:43 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Ann Kramer via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 29 17:07:23 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Unusual Backyard Migrant: Red-Winged Blackbird Message-ID: Tweets, I have a question about a juvenile Red-Winged Blackbird who has made my backyard his home for the past week. I thought he had left a few days ago but since then realized he frequents my backyard only when the sun is out. So he's back again today. I suspect he might be spending time near one of the marshy areas less than a mile from here. I'm still pretty new to this area and am used to Western Tanagers, Warblers and Evening Grosbeaks passing through in the Spring, but not marsh birds. I have an acre, tons of native trees in the back third, lots of natives in the front yard. But this is by no means a marsh. As the Wetlands I used to frequent when I lived in California was lousy with thousands of RWBB's, I love listening to his call but I'm concerned he is lost. There was another adult male with him the first few days, but he seems to have left now. Should I be concerned or should I trust he will find his way to his destination even without the company of his elder? *Ann* Ann Kramer, Wildlife and Nature Photographer www.annkramer.smugmug.com *?Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.? ? John Muir* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Wed Apr 29 17:26:40 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters) Date: Wed Apr 29 17:26:44 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Fay Bainbridge Osprey (and happy spring!) Message-ID: There is a nest (easily visible from the beach parking lot) at Fay Bainbridge park that has hosted both Bald Eagles and Osprey. I?ve been watching it on and off the last couple of years, and last year there were eagles there for a while and then it went empty (no idea if it was occupied by the Osprey later, I wasn?t checking). This year there has been AN eagle near or on the nest tree on and off, but I never saw a pair there and as of three weeks ago, it wasn?t sitting on eggs, so not successful again this year. But a couple of days ago, I saw a report that the Osprey?s showed up for a fight, and kicked the eagle off the nest. I went out there this afternoon to see if I could see anything, and sure enough, I could BARELY see the very top of the head of a bird sitting in the nest ? watching it for a while I finally got a good enough look to see it was an Osprey, so this is now, it seems, and Osprey nest, and she seems to already be on an egg. I?ll be keeping an eye on it to see how it goes, but it seems it?s occupied, and it?s both very easy to find but pretty well protected from mayhem (short of flying a drone), so it?s a nice place to take people interested in (hopefully) watching these birds raise the next generation. In more general spring bird news, I had my first sighting of a beautiful male Western tanager visiting the feeder today, and Merlin caught a call of a Black-headed Grosbeak, but I haven?t gotten sight of it yet. Both are regulars here and confirmed breeding in recent years. We also have Flickers visiting the suet for the first time in a couple of years (and making a racket) so they seem to be setting up a nest nearby (and are confirmed past breeders). We also have Pileateds and they visit the suet infrequently, but while I?m hearing them regularly, they?re generally a bit distant, although we had very near drumming about a week ago (they are also confirmed breeders on the property, but we haven?t seen chicks in a couple of years). Unfortunately, a female Hairy woodpecker that was a daily visitor for 3-4 years and a presumed breeder hasn?t been seen in about 3 months, so she?s moved on. The Western Flycatchers arrived a couple of weeks ago, and we have Pacific Wrens making lots of noise in at least three locations, and at least three pairs of Purple Finches visiting the feeders. All of our expected spring residents have now made an appearance except the Swainson?s Thrush, and I expect they?ll arrive in the next couple of weeks. Unexpected but likely migrant was a quick visit by a Golden-crowned sparrow, seen/heard once and then they moved on. We occasionally get -crowned in small numbers irregularly, but they?re not regular visitors here, so it?s a bit notable. Happy spring! chuq --------------------------------------- Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) Silverdale, Washington Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer Email me at: chuqvr@gmail.com Mastodon: @chuqvr@fosstodon.org Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks I have opinions -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 30 07:06:20 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Shep Thorp via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 30 07:06:38 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 4/29/2026 Message-ID: Dear Tweets, Approximately 30 of us had an exciting Spring Day at the Refuge with sunny skies and temperatures in the 50's to 60's degrees Fahrenheit. There was a Low 0'6" Tide at 11:29am and a High 11'10" Tide at 5:59pm. Highlights included continuing WHITE-FACED IBIS (2) at the Twin Barns Overlook, upwards of 12 First of Year sightings including BLUE-WINGED TEAL/NORTHERN YELLOW WARBLER/and AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, several RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD (3) nests along the northwest section of the Twin Barns Loop Trail between the twin bench overlook just south of the Twin Barns cut-off and the cut-off, the return of BULLOCK'S ORIOLE to the Twin Barns Picnic area and just south in the cottonwood trees between the access road and the Twin Barns Loop Trail, and nice numbers of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (9) and HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL (19) using the mud flats north of the Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike along the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail. In the morning, our group split in two: Ken Brown led some of the group on our routine walk through the Orchard and I led the other portion on a twitch to the Twin Barns Overlook Platform to relocate two WHITE-FACED IBIS that were continuing in the flooded field adjacent to the Twin Barns. It's been over twenty years since this species was last reported at the Refuge, so it's very exciting to have them back comfortably feeding and roosting in the flooded fields for a nice view. FOY BULLOCKS ORIOLE, two male and one female, were heard and seen in the Twin Barns Picnic Area and the tall Cottonwood Trees between the Access Road and Twin Barns Loop Trail where this species nested last year. Our two groups reunited along the Access Road adjacent to the west side parking lot after our twitch. Upwards of 14 FOY AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN were observed flying south up the McAllister/Medicine Creek. Numerous SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL were heard and seen in the flooded fields, Visitor Center Pond, and the freshwater marsh. The Visitor Center Pond and Twin Barns Loop Trail was great for observing FOY BLUE-WINGED TEAL, CINNAMON TEAL, and PIED-BILL GREBE. The Riparian Forest around the Twin Barns Loop Trail is a great breeding area for BARN SWALLOW, TREE SWALLOW, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. The section between the Twin Barns cut-off and south to the twin bench overlook just south of the cut-off is very active with several nests. The large Maple Tree at the cut-off has a knot hole that a NORTHERN ROUGH-WING SWALLOW is re-exploring. The Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike was great for observing waterfowl/shorebirds, including migrating GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE/BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER/and HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL. AMERICAN BITTERN was reported by some of our group who made it out on the dike earlier in the morning. The Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail allowed very close viewing of breeding plumage LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, SHORT-BILLED GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED/WESTERN GULL, CASPIAN TERN, and COMMON LOON. Several CLIFF SWALLOWS are building mud-hut nests at the McAllister Creek/Medicine Creek Viewing Platform. We located a BARRED OWL at the Nisqually River Overlook thanks to several agitated AMERICAN ROBINS. FOY WESTERN FLYCATCHER (pacific-slope variety) was heard along east side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail. Numerous sightings of many expected warblers including ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, COMMON YELLOW-THROAT, NORTHERN YELLOW WARBLER, and both Audubon's and Myrtle YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. For the day we observed over 95 species with upwards of 12 FOY. We have observed 128 species thus far this year. See our eBird Report pasted below for additional details and photos. Others seen included the Columbia Black-tailed Deer, Long-tailed Weasel, Townsend's Chipmunk, Townsend's Vole, Muskrat, Painted Turtle, and Garter Snake. Until next week, happy birding. Shep -- Shep Thorp Browns Point 253-370-3742 Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US Apr 29, 2026 9:44 AM - 5:36 PM Protocol: Traveling 2.722 mile(s) Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Actual time approximately 700minutes. Actual distance approximately 7 miles. Sunny skies with temperatures in the 50?s to 60?s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low 0?6? Tide at 11:29am and a High 11?10? Tide at 5:59pm. Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Townsend?s Chipmunk, Long-tailed Weasel, Townsend?s Vole, Muskrat, and Harbor Seal. Others seen include Painted Turtle, American Bullfrog, Red Admiral Butterfly, and Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. 96 species (+7 other taxa) Greater White-fronted Goose (Western) 27 Freshwater marsh. Cackling Goose 30 Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 2 Injured bird continues along the dike or Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail. Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 35 Wood Duck 8 Blue-winged Teal 6 Counted individually. Two in Visitor Center Pond, two in flooded field south of Twin Barns, and two adjacent to Twin Barns. Cinnamon Teal 8 Northern Shoveler 50 Gadwall 10 American Wigeon 100 Mallard 45 Northern Pintail 20 Green-winged Teal 80 Ring-necked Duck 16 Greater Scaup 20 Lesser Scaup 1 Surf Scoter 8 Bufflehead 40 Common Goldeneye 15 Hooded Merganser 8 Common Merganser 1 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 4 Band-tailed Pigeon (Northern) 14 Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 Mourning Dove 2 Anna's Hummingbird 2 Rufous Hummingbird 14 Three nests along the Northwest Section of Twin Barns Loop Trail, south of cut-off to Twin Barns to the double bench overlook immediately south. Virginia Rail 7 Sora 5 American Coot (Red-shielded) 7 Black-bellied Plover 9 Small flock flew into mudflats west of Leschi Slough, group of 9 individuals. Hudsonian Whimbrel 19 Possible more. Nineteen individuals counted on the ground, additional birds flying around vicinity. Mudflats North and East of McAllister Creek/Medicine Creek Viewing Platform. Spotted Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 3 Dunlin 4 Least Sandpiper 100 Western Sandpiper 40 Short-billed Gull 100 Ring-billed Gull 25 California Gull 4 Glaucous-winged Gull 3 Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 6 Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 40 Larus sp. 100 Caspian Tern 8 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Common Loon 2 Brandt's Cormorant 1 Double-crested Cormorant 50 White-faced Ibis 2 Previously reported rare migrant stopping over at Refuge. Photos and video. Best seen from Twin Barns Overlook. Medium sized red to bronzed colored wading waterbird with red eye, long decurved bill, and red legs. Faint rim of white around facial skin. American Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 25 American White Pelican 14 Surprise! Distinctive. Large white arial waterbird with white and black wings and large yellow bill. Flying south up McAllister Creek. Turkey Vulture (Northern) 1 Bald Eagle 20 Two occupied nests. One in tall Cottonwood Tree West Bank of Nisqually River, 1/4mile north of Nisqually Estuary Trail or dike. The second in Doug Fir on the West Bank of McAllister Creek just south of McAllister Creek/Medicine Creek Viewing Platform of the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail. Red-tailed Hawk (calurus/alascensis) 2 Barred Owl 1 Adjacent to Nisqually River Overlook. Belted Kingfisher 3 Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 Building cavity/nest in large snag on the outside of the Twin Barns Loop Trail just north of the north double bench overlook just south of the Twin Barns cut-off. Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 3 Northern Flicker 2 Peregrine Falcon 2 Western Flycatcher (Pacific-slope) 1 Hutton's Vireo (Pacific) 1 Western Warbling Vireo 1 Steller's Jay 2 California Scrub-Jay 1 American Crow 8 Common Raven 3 Black-capped Chickadee 12 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 7 Tree Swallow 30 Violet-green Swallow 2 Purple Martin 9 Luhr Beach. Northern Rough-winged Swallow 7 McAllister Creek and Large Old Maple Tree at Twin Barns Cut-off from Twin Barns Loop Trail. Barn Swallow (American) 50 Cliff Swallow (pyrrhonota Group) 40 Building mud hut nests at Visitor Center and McAllister Creek/Medicine Observation Platform. Bushtit (Pacific) 3 Brown Creeper 4 Marsh Wren 21 Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 12 European Starling 20 Swainson's Thrush 2 Heard only. American Robin (migratorius Group) 40 Purple Finch (Western) 3 American Goldfinch 4 White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's) 2 Golden-crowned Sparrow 30 White-throated Sparrow 1 Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) 2 Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 35 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Spotted Towhee 4 Bullock's Oriole 2 Two males and possible one female in area of Twin Barns Picnic Table ?rea and along Access Road and Twin Barns Loop Trail just south of Twin Barns Picnic ?rea. Oriole chatter and call heard. Confirmed sighting of immature and mature male birds. Hanging out in the tall Cottonwood Trees between the Access Road and Twin Barns Loop Trail just south of Twin Barns where birds had nested last year. Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged) 50 Brown-headed Cowbird 7 Orange-crowned Warbler (Gray-headed) 1 Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 6 Common Yellowthroat 15 Northern Yellow Warbler 15 Probably more. Counted individually, heard and seen. Yellow-rumped Warbler 20 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 20 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 30 View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S329671729 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 30 09:12:35 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dennis Paulson via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 30 09:12:41 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Unusual Backyard Migrant: Red-Winged Blackbird In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8A10D201-2791-4D10-ACBF-26B0B27AB6B6@comcast.net> Ann, I think it?s too early for juveniles (birds hatched this year), so maybe it?s a one-year-old male. Many but perhaps not all of them breed. Dennis Paulson Seattle > On Apr 29, 2026, at 5:06 PM, Ann Kramer via Tweeters wrote: > > Tweets, > I have a question about a juvenile Red-Winged Blackbird who has made my backyard his home for the past week. I thought he had left a few days ago but since then realized he frequents my backyard only when the sun is out. So he's back again today. I suspect he might be spending time near one of the marshy areas less than a mile from here. I'm still pretty new to this area and am used to Western Tanagers, Warblers and Evening Grosbeaks passing through in the Spring, but not marsh birds. > > I have an acre, tons of native trees in the back third, lots of natives in the front yard. But this is by no means a marsh. As the Wetlands I used to frequent when I lived in California was lousy with thousands of RWBB's, I love listening to his call but I'm concerned he is lost. There was another adult male with him the first few days, but he seems to have left now. Should I be concerned or should I trust he will find his way to his destination even without the company of his elder? > > > > Ann > > Ann Kramer, Wildlife and Nature Photographer > > www.annkramer.smugmug.com > > > ?Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.? > > ? John Muir > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 30 12:18:50 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Jim Ullrich via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 30 12:19:04 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge Birding Festival Message-ID: This weekend 5/1-3 In Hoquiam and at the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge is our 26th Annual Wildlife & Nature Birding Festival. Check in is at the Hoquiam Middle School just east of the refuge. Come on out and join us for fun, education, and nature. Visit: www.shorebirdfestival.com Jim Ullrich Text 360-908-0817 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 30 15:25:55 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Ann Kramer via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 30 15:26:35 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Unusual Backyard Migrant: Red-Winged Blackbird In-Reply-To: <8A10D201-2791-4D10-ACBF-26B0B27AB6B6@comcast.net> References: <8A10D201-2791-4D10-ACBF-26B0B27AB6B6@comcast.net> Message-ID: Thank you for the clarification, Dennis, between a juvenile and one year old. To be more clear on my question, is it common for a marsh bird to wander into a sub rural community during migration and is it likely to find its way to a more suitable habitat eventually on his own? On Thu, Apr 30, 2026 at 9:12?AM Dennis Paulson wrote: > Ann, I think it?s too early for juveniles (birds hatched this year), so > maybe it?s a one-year-old male. Many but perhaps not all of them breed. > > Dennis Paulson > Seattle > > On Apr 29, 2026, at 5:06 PM, Ann Kramer via Tweeters < > tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: > > Tweets, > I have a question about a juvenile Red-Winged Blackbird who has made my > backyard his home for the past week. I thought he had left a few days ago > but since then realized he frequents my backyard only when the sun is out. > So he's back again today. I suspect he might be spending time near one of > the marshy areas less than a mile from here. I'm still pretty new to this > area and am used to Western Tanagers, Warblers and Evening Grosbeaks > passing through in the Spring, but not marsh birds. > > I have an acre, tons of native trees in the back third, lots of natives in > the front yard. But this is by no means a marsh. As the Wetlands I used > to frequent when I lived in California was lousy with thousands of RWBB's, > I love listening to his call but I'm concerned he is lost. There was > another adult male with him the first few days, but he seems to have left > now. Should I be concerned or should I trust he will find his way to his > destination even without the company of his elder? > > > > *Ann* > > Ann Kramer, Wildlife and Nature Photographer > > www.annkramer.smugmug.com > > > > *?Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.? > ? John Muir* > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > Tweeters@u.washington.edu > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 30 16:42:44 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Dennis Paulson via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 30 16:42:59 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Unusual Backyard Migrant: Red-Winged Blackbird In-Reply-To: References: <8A10D201-2791-4D10-ACBF-26B0B27AB6B6@comcast.net> Message-ID: <2C25D5E6-5502-4294-8E68-63C4625487C8@comcast.net> Ann, that?s one I can?t answer other than to say that birds have wings and can turn up anywhere. I think most Red-winged Blackbirds would be in open country if not breeding, but they wander. We have had one or two fly over our house in a wooded neighborhood in Seattle, but I?ve never seen one otherwise anywhere nearer than Lake Washington. They emphatically wouldn?t occur with tanagers, grosbeaks and most warblers! So yeah, it?s unusual, and it seems unlikely he would commute daily between a wetland and your yard at that distance. Is he coming to a feeder? If a good enough source of food, that might attract him, and blackbirds can fly some distance between food and night-time roosts, although I don?t know if they would fly that far on a daily basis. And they really are flocking birds during the off season, so being by himself is definitely unusual. But I presume if he made it there from a marsh where he was hatched, presumably he can fly far enough to find another one. But his presence only during sunny weather is beyond me to try to explain! Dennis > On Apr 30, 2026, at 3:25?PM, Ann Kramer wrote: > > Thank you for the clarification, Dennis, between a juvenile and one year old. > > To be more clear on my question, is it common for a marsh bird to wander into a sub rural community during migration and is it likely to find its way to a more suitable habitat eventually on his own? > > On Thu, Apr 30, 2026 at 9:12?AM Dennis Paulson > wrote: >> Ann, I think it?s too early for juveniles (birds hatched this year), so maybe it?s a one-year-old male. Many but perhaps not all of them breed. >> >> Dennis Paulson >> Seattle >> >>> On Apr 29, 2026, at 5:06 PM, Ann Kramer via Tweeters > wrote: >>> >>> Tweets, >>> I have a question about a juvenile Red-Winged Blackbird who has made my backyard his home for the past week. I thought he had left a few days ago but since then realized he frequents my backyard only when the sun is out. So he's back again today. I suspect he might be spending time near one of the marshy areas less than a mile from here. I'm still pretty new to this area and am used to Western Tanagers, Warblers and Evening Grosbeaks passing through in the Spring, but not marsh birds. >>> >>> I have an acre, tons of native trees in the back third, lots of natives in the front yard. But this is by no means a marsh. As the Wetlands I used to frequent when I lived in California was lousy with thousands of RWBB's, I love listening to his call but I'm concerned he is lost. There was another adult male with him the first few days, but he seems to have left now. Should I be concerned or should I trust he will find his way to his destination even without the company of his elder? >>> >>> >>> >>> Ann >>> >>> Ann Kramer, Wildlife and Nature Photographer >>> >>> www.annkramer.smugmug.com >>> >>> >>> ?Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.? >>> >>> ? John Muir >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Tweeters mailing list >>> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tweeters at u.washington.edu Thu Apr 30 17:03:20 2026 From: tweeters at u.washington.edu (Ann Kramer via Tweeters) Date: Thu Apr 30 17:04:00 2026 Subject: [Tweeters] Unusual Backyard Migrant: Red-Winged Blackbird In-Reply-To: <2C25D5E6-5502-4294-8E68-63C4625487C8@comcast.net> References: <8A10D201-2791-4D10-ACBF-26B0B27AB6B6@comcast.net> <2C25D5E6-5502-4294-8E68-63C4625487C8@comcast.net> Message-ID: Thank you Dennis. I thought it was unusual when he lingered day after day. I was less puzzled when I saw the adult Red-Winged, but I haven't seen the adult for over 5 days now. He is getting sunflower chips daily and I've seen him pluck a bit at the suet feeder, so he is coming in for food and probably water. I had hoped he was restoring himself from migration and then would move on. It's over a week now so I am puzzled. There are some bits of open field within a mile from here. Mostly it is a forested area in front and behind me with some streams. There are some larger fields a mile or so from me by the Stanwood Water Filtration area. I'm hoping he will feel rested and restored and can find a better spot soon. On a happier note, I saw the first Black-Headed Grosbeak of the season today! On Thu, Apr 30, 2026 at 4:42?PM Dennis Paulson wrote: > Ann, that?s one I can?t answer other than to say that birds have wings and > can turn up anywhere. I think most Red-winged Blackbirds would be in open > country if not breeding, but they wander. We have had one or two fly over > our house in a wooded neighborhood in Seattle, but I?ve never seen one > otherwise anywhere nearer than Lake Washington. They emphatically wouldn?t > occur with tanagers, grosbeaks and most warblers! > > So yeah, it?s unusual, and it seems unlikely he would commute daily > between a wetland and your yard at that distance. Is he coming to a feeder? > If a good enough source of food, that might attract him, and blackbirds can > fly some distance between food and night-time roosts, although I don?t know > if they would fly that far on a daily basis. And they really are flocking > birds during the off season, so being by himself is definitely unusual. > > But I presume if he made it there from a marsh where he was hatched, > presumably he can fly far enough to find another one. But his presence only > during sunny weather is beyond me to try to explain! > > Dennis > > On Apr 30, 2026, at 3:25?PM, Ann Kramer wrote: > > Thank you for the clarification, Dennis, between a juvenile and one year > old. > > To be more clear on my question, is it common for a marsh bird to wander > into a sub rural community during migration and is it likely to find its > way to a more suitable habitat eventually on his own? > > On Thu, Apr 30, 2026 at 9:12?AM Dennis Paulson > wrote: > >> Ann, I think it?s too early for juveniles (birds hatched this year), so >> maybe it?s a one-year-old male. Many but perhaps not all of them breed. >> >> Dennis Paulson >> Seattle >> >> On Apr 29, 2026, at 5:06 PM, Ann Kramer via Tweeters < >> tweeters@u.washington.edu> wrote: >> >> Tweets, >> I have a question about a juvenile Red-Winged Blackbird who has made my >> backyard his home for the past week. I thought he had left a few days ago >> but since then realized he frequents my backyard only when the sun is out. >> So he's back again today. I suspect he might be spending time near one of >> the marshy areas less than a mile from here. I'm still pretty new to this >> area and am used to Western Tanagers, Warblers and Evening Grosbeaks >> passing through in the Spring, but not marsh birds. >> >> I have an acre, tons of native trees in the back third, lots of natives >> in the front yard. But this is by no means a marsh. As the Wetlands I >> used to frequent when I lived in California was lousy with thousands of >> RWBB's, I love listening to his call but I'm concerned he is lost. There >> was another adult male with him the first few days, but he seems to have >> left now. Should I be concerned or should I trust he will find his way to >> his destination even without the company of his elder? >> >> >> >> *Ann* >> >> Ann Kramer, Wildlife and Nature Photographer >> >> www.annkramer.smugmug.com >> >> >> >> *?Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.? >> ? John Muir* >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list >> Tweeters@u.washington.edu >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> >> >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: