WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1998------------------------ 1;

WOSNewsCrows may causeabandonment anclfailureof urban Bald Eagle nestsby Patricia Thompson

Crows, once an agricultural species, havemoved into the cities and suburbs to take

advantage of human generosity and waste. Nowestablished urban breeders, dows are increasingin numbers and becoming a nuisance to peopleand a threat to other native birds.

About 30 Bald Eagle nesting territoriesexist in the Tacoma-to-Everett urban/suburban

corridor. In the past fewyears, urban Bald Eagleshave had to deal with crow confrontations on an

increasingly intense basis- sointense that nestsmay fail or adults may abandon territories.

Eagles appear to tolerate human activity,as evidenced by their willingness to nest in closeproximity to people, such as in Seward Parkand Discovery Park, Seattle, and in residentialareas such as in the Woodway communitynorth of Seattle, Hunt's Point west of Bellevue,and on the American Legion Memorial Parkand Golf Course in Everett. Washington'surban Bald Eagle territories are successful andhave produced many young.

The Everett American Legion MemorialPark and Golf Course eagle territory was firstdocumented by the Washington Departmentof Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in 1993. The

nest was built in a Douglas-fir of poor size andstrucrure. The tree was in a single line of firtrees most likely planted for the park. The nesttree was sandwiched between the golf courseand single-family homes.

The nest seemed relatively undisturbed bycrows during nest building, but around thebeginning of incubation, crows began mobbingthe adults~ Throughout incubation and brood

.rearing, crowsplagued the adults more and moreuntil, accordingto SuziStrugar, an observerlivingnear the eagle nest, the crows continuouslyassaulted the adults. Not only did the crowschaseeagles in flight but incessantly attacked themwhile on the nest. Crows were never observed

harassing or attacking the chick;however,at leastone adult was alwayspresent at the nest.

The nest failed the first year during broodsee crows, page 11

in a split

second their

long chestnut

necks shot up,

their green crests

spiked, their tails

started to twitch

and off they flew.

At the time I

didn't even know

what a Green

Heron was.

57Young Green

Herons relaxing in

late summer on a

suburban deck

chair in Fircrest,

near Tacoma.

Photo by

Ruth Sullivan

Herons in a Suburban Backyardby Chris Parent

I live in Fircrest, a small suburban city of nearly 6,000

residents adjacent to Tacoma. My home is in a mature

neighborhood nestled among tall fir, cottonwood, maple, andalder trees and other natural vegetation. In addition to the natural

environment surrounding my home, birds and other wildlife find

food, shelter, and water sources throughout my yard.

It was late August. Summer was winding down and the manybirds that visit my suburban backyard were beginning to leave. I

was soon pleasantly surprised, however, by some interesting andbeautiful birds.

I first discovered the visitors when I walked into my backyardand heard a loud flutter in the branches of an old alder tree. As I

looked up, a couple of medium-sized birds flapped their wings and

headed over the trees out of sight. Obviously, I had startled them.

I wondered if these could be the same birds that I had glimpsedthis same time last year?

Last summer, I had observed three similar birds exploring the

backyard, picking at flowers, and pulling up tufts of grass. Iadmired them from my window by standing very still; whenever

I moved slightly they would immediately become flustered. In a

split second their long chestnut necks shot up, their beautiful

green crests spiked, their tails started to twitch and off they flew.At the time I didn't even know what a Green Heron was.

This year's visit was different. When I heard the flutter again

the next day, I looked up to see four of those same birds had just

see herons, page 6

The Society

Big help from Tweeters and Seattle Audubon Society.Check for updates - http://www.seattleaudubon.org/CBC/

2

Editor takes wIngI don't have much time. This newsletter should

have been out sixweeksago and a new editor willalready be "sworn in" before it's in your hands.

The new editor will be Diann MacRae.

Diann will have Michael Hobbs assisting with

production. Good luck, Diann and Michael, andthank you for rising to the challenge.

Before I go, though, I must nominatethree people for the WOSNews Hall of Fame.

RussellRogers, for three years, brought hisdesktop publishing expertise to the pages ofthis newsletter. Working with Russell was abreeze. It also gave me a chance to discoverfirst-hand his dedication to enhancing our

knowledge of the birds of Washington.

North Cascades

Bridgeport .Camas Prairie .

Grays Harbor .Leadbetter Point ..

Moscow/Pullman .Oak Harbor .

Port Gamble .

Port Townsend .

San Juan Islands ..

Tacoma .

Tri-Cities .

Walla Walla .

Yakima Valley .

Bellingham .

E Lk Washington .Edmonds .

Grand Coulee .

Toppenish NWR .

Olympia .

Sequim/Dungeness ..

Lyle/The Dalles .

Twisp .Everett .

Kent-Auburn ,

Sauvie Island .

Skagit Bay .

Spokane .

San Juans (ferry)Wahkiakum .

Cowlitz-Columbia ..

Columbia Hills .

Kitsap .Seattle .

Satsop .Two Rivers .

Wenatchee .

WOSNews 57: October/November 1998

TREASURER

Kraig Kemper137 N 76'" St, Seattle 98103

(206) 789-9255

POSITIONS

Martha Jordan

14112 1s, Av W, Everett 98208

(425) 787-0258

POSITION 4

Diann MacRae22622 53rd Av SE, Bothell 98021

(425) 481-2797tvulture@halcyon.com

POSITION 3

POSITION 2

Bill LaFramboise

321 Wenas PI, Richland 99352

(509) 627-3695wlafra@owt.com

Robert Kuntz17256 Meadow Ln, Mount Vemon 98274

(360) 424-9099robert_ kuntz@nps.gov

POSITION 1

DIRECTORS

Charlotte EscottP.O. Box 31783, Seattle 98103

(206) 634-0682

Brian Bell16440 NE 160·h St, Woodinville 98072

(425) 485-8058bellasoc@isomedia.com

Scott Morrison

1516 10·hAv SW, Olympia 98502

(360) 705-0457wosvp@aol.com

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

VICE PRESIDENT

Washington Ornithological SocietyP.O. Box 31783Seattle WA 98103-1783

Marcus Roening1017 North Cedar St, Tacoma 98406

(253) 756-0215mdr51044@glaxowellcome.com

The Washington Ornithological Society waschartered in 1988 to increase knowledge ofthe birds of Washington and to enhancecommunication among all persons inter­ested in those birds. WOS is a nonprofiteducational organization under 501 (c)(3) ofthe Internal Revenue code.

For information about the Society, contactan officer or board member, or write to:

e s424-9099

686-7551

493-3891

943-8600

577-2631

882-5556

678-3161

361-7073

385-5418

378-3068

876-9509

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tad

Ruth Sullivan has added tremendously tothe visual appeal of WOSNews by freelyproviding photographs of rarities for "Wash­ington Field Notes" and common species forfeature articles. Without those photos, thisnewsletter would have been much, much

blander over the past few years.Steve Dang stepped up promptly when we

needed a volunteer to fold and label newsletters

and deliver them to the post office. It's a menialtask that must be completed meticulously.Steve has done the job cheerfully and withexacting standards.

Russell, Ruth, and Steve have earned my

gratitude. If you have enjoyed this newsletterduring my tenure, it is in no small part due totheir selfless efforts.

cBob Kuntz 360

Meredith Spencer 509Bonnie Whi te 509

Bob Morse 360

Denise Caldwell 360

Dave Holick 208

Bob Merrick 360

Scott Downes 206

Richard Johnson 360

Barb Jensen 360

Ken Brown 360

Phil Bartley 509

Mike Denny 509

Denny Granstrand 509Joe Meche 360

ELWAS 425

Sally Van Niel 425

Gary Kuiper 509

Andy Stepniewski 509

George Walter 360Bob Boekelheide 360

Bob Hansen 503

Kent Woodruff 509

Christopher Hill 425Thais Bock 253

Wilson Cady 360

Art Campbell 206

Alan McCoy 509James Duemmel 360

Andrew Emlen 503

Denise Caldwell 360

Bonnie White 509

John Burch 360

SAS 206

Tom Schooley 360

Mike Denny 509

Dan Stephens 509

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9 t h9

A Daring Nomenclatural Proposition - Olympic Gullby Bob Boekelheide

[SEQUIM}You know these gulls. They areseen throughout Puget Sound, the outer coastof Washington, and southern British Colum­bia. Their mantles (in the adult) range frompale, Glaucous-winged gray, to medium gray,lighter than pure Westerns. Yet their wing-tipscontain varying amounts of black, unlike theclassic "Glaucous-winged Gulls," which havewing-tips shaded gray like their mantles orslightly darker, but not black. The hybrids'bills are large, similar in size to Westerns andGlaucous-wingeds. They have gray heads inwinter plumage, like Glaucous-winged. (Butmany "Westerns" we see around Sequim haveconsiderable mottling on their heads and necks,suggesting intergradation.)

The novice birder is tempted to label themHerring or Thayer's, trying to fit them to fieldguide descriptions of mantle and wing-tipcolor. But the hybrids have dark eyes, oftenslightly speckled, which separates them fromHerrings. Their large bills and overall sizeseparate them from all but possibly the verylargest male Thayer's. The black in Thayer'swing-tips, however, is jet-black, rather thanthe usually smudgy black in Western X

Glaucous-winged hybrids' wing-tips. First yearhybrids appear to vary through a continuum ofshading from light gray to dark brown-gray,with varying darkness in the wingtips.

Many of us still call these hybrids"Glaucous-winged Gulls," which they mostresemble, as we want to make them fit

established species. This is very clear fromwestern Washington and southern B.C.Christmas Bird Count data. Some counts don't

even mention these hybrids (but we knowthey're there!).

I hereby propose (only marginally tongue­in-cheek) that these hybrids hence forth beknown as the Olympic Gull. This name honorsthe peninsula where they clearly have becomethe dominant large gull. I'm not sure whetherthe official ornithological world will accept thisname, but around the north OlympicPeninsula, anyway, "Olympic Gull" rolls offthe lips much more easily than "Western X

Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid."I'd love to read feedback on this proposal.

Distribution Steve Dang

Subscribe to Tweeters through<Iistproc@u.washington.edu>

Raven illustrations by Linda Feltner©1989.Printed by Watermark Press, Seattle.

Manuscripts for WASHINGTON BIRDS shouldbe sent to the journal editor:

by Andy Stepniewski[WAPATO}We know that Boreal Chickadees inhabit Washington only near the Canadian

border - in northeastern Whatcom, northern Okanogan, northern Ferry, and northern PendOreille counties - where they inhabit high-elevation forests with Engelmann spruce. However,as many observers have experienced, Boreal Chickadees may be found in nearby forest typeswithin this region in summer, particularly those mainly composed of lodgepole pine. This isparticularly true in the post-fledging period, say from mid-July through August. Winterobservations from anywhere in Washington, however, are virtually nil.

On 18 October, on a trip along Forest Road 39 west of Conconully in Okanogan County withDenny Granstrand and Michael Schroeder, we failed to find any Boreal Chickadees,unprecedented in my experience. On 25 October, on a solo jaunt, I almost missed this speciesagain, even after a determined all-day effort. Only on the last possible stop in fading afternoonlight, in the dense spruce/fir draw on the north side of Corral Butte south of Long Swamp, did Ifinally detect a small group amongst a flock of Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches,and Brown Creepers.

Did a significant proportion of the Boreal Chickadee population in this region disperse awayfrom their breeding haunts this year? If so, has anyone detected this species in lower forests innorthern Washington this fall, as has been noted in some years in British Columbia?

As I censused FR 39, which traverses at least 20 miles of suitable habitat for this species, Iwondered why Boreal Chickadees are limited to northernmost Washington, as Engelmannspruce occurs south along the eastern slopes of the Washington Cascades. Could winter habitatbe a limiting factor? Such habitat might include dense stands of spruce, which may be met onlyin northern reaches of the state, and especially those densely festooned with blackish horsehairlichens (Bryoria spp.). Such dense stands of spruce may be oflocal occurrence in Washington. Itis possible these stands are critical for winter survival of Boreal Chickadees. The interior reachesof these lichen tufts may create a microhabitat (with insect eggs or larvae) that is important to thischickadee. Additionally, the lichen tufts amongst dense stands of spruce might provideimportant thermal cover.

Has this question received study? If not, this would make a great excuse to spend a winterin the boreal forests! We have been aware of the complexity of microhabitats in tropical forestsfor some time now. Recently, this has been found to be true for Pacific Northwest temperate rainforests. Is it also true in the boreal forests?Posted to Tweeters on 29 October 1998.

Steppies's Notes:Borffil Chickadee Microhabitat?

Scott RichardsonEditor

Visit the Society's web site at<http://weber.u.washington.edu/

-dvictor/wos.html>

Gene Hunn1816 N 57th StSeattle WA 98103

(206) 524-8112hunnhome@accessone.com

WOSNews is published bimonthly by theWashington Ornithological Society to in­form members about Society business,bird sightings, ornithological research, andthe fun of birding. Readers are welcometo submit articles, announcements, illus­trations, photographs, and other items forconsideration. Contributor guidelines areavailable.

Be Informed

Incoming Editor, WOSNews 58Diann MacRae22622 53'd Av SEBothell WA 98021

(425) 481-2797tvulture@halcyon.com

WOSNews 57: October/November 1998 3

A Rainy May Adventure in Northeast Washington

cattails and willows.

Upset Red-winged

chunks washed over the

road. The creek roared.

WOSNews 57: October/November 1998

nice-looking motels and restaurants, including a Mexicanrestaurant that had great food and (much-needed) drinks.

Wednesday morning it was still raining hard. Our host at themotel turned out to be a county commissioner who telephonedthe courthouse to find out what roads were still open. We learnedRepublic wasvirtually cut offfrom the rest of the world. The roadnorth to Curlew Lake (where we wanted to go birding) had beencut by the highway department because it was acting as a dam andhouses were threatened. Our planned route to Idaho, the mainhighway east over Sherman Pass, was closed because a bridge hadwashed out. The commissioner told us to hightail it south even

though the road was flooded, because carswere still getting through. He also relayeddirections to a little-known pass that wouldget us east. Small-town officials can cutthrough the red tape effectively!

The road out of town was indeed under

water. In fact, concrete and asphalt chunkswere washing over the road. The creekedging the road was a roaring river and thefields on either side were broad lakes.

Terribly-upset Red-winged Blackbirds weredarting around their drowned nests in theswamped cattails and willows - a dramaticstart for a Wednesday!

After a few more flooded sections of

the road, we were past the worst of theflooding. We decided to follow the

commissioner's directions over Bridge Creek Pass Road, where wesettled back and enjoyed the spectacular scenery.

The rain stopped as we dropped into the wide valley thatedges the Columbia River. We wound down to the river and gotin line for the Columbia Princess, the small yellow ferry that plowsthe wide river.

A half hour later, we ascended the east side of the basin intodrier country. Ponderosa pines predominated as we worked ourway into the Colville River Valley, with its old mining towns andnew molybdenum plant, eventually reaching Chewelah, a fairlylarge, prosperous town. There we saw Cedar Waxwings, PineSiskins, and Evening and Black-headed Grosbeaks in peoples'front yards. We stopped at the famous (for birders) Chewelahsewage treatment ponds (described by Terry Wahl and DennisPaulson in their Guide to Bird Finding in Washington). Before wewere thrown out, were rewarded with Northern Rough-wingedSwallows, Northern Shovelers, Red-necked Phalaropes, Gad­walls, and Common Mergansers.

Late in the afternoon we crossed the Pend Oreille River into

Idaho, ending our first foray into northeast Washington. It won'tbe our last. If you have birded the more conventional parts ofWashington, we recommend you add the spectacular northeasterncorner to your "must visit" list. It will be an adventure.

,Blackbirds darted

around the swamped

Concrete and asphalt

4

by Caroline FeissThe weather had been "iffy" all Memorial Day weekend and

it poured on Tuesday morning as we began a northeasternWashington expedition. At Oroville we bought gas (thankheavens - we saw no other gas station until nightfall). We tookthe Oroville Toroda Creek Road east out of town and

immediately knew we were in for a spectacular trip.We climbed over ranks of rounded hills and cruised past

rushing creeks, masses of spring flowers, and placid cattle in thegreenest fields to an area almost devoid of trees. Then fog came inand we crawled into Chesaw, a wide place in the road with threefog-shrouded, dilapidated buildings. After ashort debate, we lunched at the Chesaw Bar,which advertised "food" in its grimy window(we found no other eateries until evening).

When we emerged from the dusky bar,the sun had come out. What a beautiful place!We saw more rolling hills, rushing streams,hamlets with one or two houses and farm

buildings, all surrounded by mad splashes oflupine, wild rose, and yellow mustard.

We headed southeast, looping this way,then that, into increasinglywild country. At alarge marsh full of twittering birds andcroaking frogs, we contemplated a SpottedSandpiper endlessly bobbing on a log. Themarsh's dead and dying trees hosted Pileated

Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Yellowand Orange-crowned Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, andWestern Tanagers, among others.

At about mile 23, the road caught up with the north fork ofBeaver Creek. We were now in a narrow canyon, edged on one

side by the road and on the other by a chain of small lakes. Eachlake displayed a different suite of birds. Mom Barrow'sGoldeneyes with strings of black and white spotted ducklingsdotted one lake. A Great Blue Heron supervised from a grassyhummock. At another lake, almost-tame Common Loons cruised

slowly. A third lake had all the teals - Cinnamon, Green­winged, and Blue-winged. Belted Kingfishers and Black Ternsdarted around Barn and Tree Swallows. Along the sunny lakeedges were lavender mats of Pentstemon menziesii and, under trees,bunchberry and calypso orchids.

Near mile 42, Toroda Creek Road joined State Route 20 andheaded over a series of bare hills - like Scotland's highlands ­to Wauconda Pass, a wild and wintry place even at the end ofMay. We continued south and east, back down into deep forests,as the black clouds converged and the rain began.

By the time we arrivedin Republic (our first" civilization"sincemorning) at 5 o'clock, the rain was coming down in buckets! Theroads were awash in brown water, so we made a strategic decision

to stay put. Republic was a pleasant town. It would work well as abase for exploring this area in drier times. We noticed a number of

Attention to Detail California Gull

Larus californicus californicus. Photo by Michael Donahue.

by Michael DonahueLarge numbers of gulls occur in the

Pacific Northwest, providing birders withan outstanding opportunity to learn howto identify gulls of a variety of species andage classes. Identification of the CaliforniaGull in all plumages is usually fairlystraightforward, but a potential identifica­tion challenge relating to this species isstarting to get more attention in thebirding community.

The California Gull was considered

monotypic until Jehl (1987) described anew subspecies:Larus califomicus albertaensis.

This subspecies averages 5-12 percentlarger in culmen, wing, and tarsusmeasurements, and 27 percent larger inbody mass than the more widespread and"typical" California Gull, Larus califomicus

califomicus (hereafter califomicus). In addi­tion, the gray mantle of albertaensis isconsiderably paler than califomicus, ap­proaching that of the Herring Gull.

Jehl (1987) found the immatureplumages of both subspecies too variablefor analysis; subspecific identification isn'tpossible until California Gulls obtain theirgray mantle.

In the past year, several interestingdiscussions have taken place on the IDFrontiers listserver regarding field identifi­cation of adults of these two subspecies.Comments from experienced birdersranged from "field identification of thissubspecies (albertaensis) is impossible" to"the two subspecies are quite distinct."

One observer familiar only withalbertaensis thought the first califomicus hesaw was distinctly smaller and darker.Another observer initially overlookedCalifornia Gulls (albertaensis) thinking theywere Herring Gulls.

This past winter, I watched gulls onLake Washington in Seattle. On the severaloccasions when I observed two California

Gulls standing together, I noted a slight,but distinct, difference in the shade of grayon the mantles. While the paler birdscertainly did not approach the paleness ofHerring Gulls, it did inspire me to start

WOSNews 57: October/November 1998

looking at California Gulls more closely.Albertaensis breeds in the central

Canadian provinces and the northern GreatPlains, while califomicus breeds mainly inWashington, Oregon, California, Nevada,and Utah. The winter range of albertaensis ispoorly known, but it is assumed to occurthroughout the winter range of the species,primarily along the Pacific coast.

J on King and Steve Howell (fromcomments posted on ID Frontiers) havefound that at Bolinas Lagoon in north­central California, albertaensis is at least ascarce spring migrant. Howell, who hasdone extensive field work in Mexico, alsobelieves albertaensis to be the principalsubspecies wintering in Baja California.

Even if albertaensis has a more

southerly winter distribution thancalifomicus, with sight records from northcoastal California and specimen recordsfrom southeast Alaska (Heinl 1997), it islikely that albertaensis occurs at leastoccasionally in Washington. More fieldwork is clearly needed along the west coastin order to discern the winter ranges of thetwo subspecies, if they are indeed separablein the field.

Words of caution are in order before

attempting to identify California Gulls tosubspecies. While albertaensis averageslarger than califomicus, much of the sizevariation in California Gulls is likely due todifferencesbetween the sexes.As in all largegulls, males average larger than females.

Familiarity with variation withincalifomicus is also important. The few timesI've noticed mantle color differences

probably represents variation within thissubspecies. Another key element is thelighting; accurately discerning shades ofgray is easier under overcast skies. As anobserver on ID Frontiers put it, "We havewatched a flock of California Gulls in the

sun unable to detect any albertaensis, thensome cloud rolls in and suddenly a coupleof albertaensis 'jump out' at us."

Finally, side by side comparisons withcalifomicus are probably the ideal way toidentify albertaensis.

References

Heinl, S.c. 1997. New information ongulls in southeast Alaska. Western Birds 28:

9-29.

Jehl, JR., Jr. 1987. Geographic variationand evolution in the California gull (Larus

califomicus). Auk 104: 421-428.

5

Green Heron in Fircrest, Pierce County. Photo by Ruth Sullivan.

herons, from page 1landed on the branches of the alder. They looked at me and Ilooked at them. I didn't dare move. I eventually walked slowly tomy deck and sat down to observe them. I stayed very still.

Mter watching for about an hour, one of them finally flewdown into the yard. The other three and I continued to sit still andwatched as this bold bird carefully placed one foot in front of theother and slowly made his wayalong the perennial flower bedtoward a small hand-made pondthat is nestled in the garden. Iheld my breath. When he finallygot to the pond he hopped onto arock and looked into the water,still keeping his eyes on me. Hewas only about 20 feet fromwhere I was sitting. Eventually,he poked his long beak into thewater and took a sip. Soon, one ofthe other birds flew down to the

pond. They continued to be verycautious but started exploringaround the rocks, walking onfloating hyacinths and pickingalgae from the irises. I wasmesmerized by them. Severalhours later, as the sun started to set, they flew off together. Theother two birds had already flown off. I wondered what kind ofbirds these were and if they would return.

The next morning I was in for a delightful surprise. I found allfour of them hunched over, sitting very still around the pond. Thistime I thought I'd try to take a few pictures. They watched me asI carefully and slowly placed my tripod and camera just outsidethe sliding glass door. Every now and then, I inched the tripodcloserand closer across the deck toward them. I was finally able toposition it about 15 feet from where they were standing. I wasthrilled that I could photograph them at such close range.

At first they just sat there in the early morning, not moving.As the sun started to shine on them they became active. By thistime, I had consulted my bird books and guessed that they mightbe Green Herons.

Throughout that day and the rest of the week they simply"hung out" by the pond. They would arrive in early morning andstay until late afternoon, snapping at bugs, napping in the sun,bathing, stretching, and preening themselves. They also ranaround the lawn, pulling up worms and eating moths. On a fewoccasions,they would even walk up the short flight of stairs to thedeck, jump onto the hot tub cover, walk along the railing and flyback down to the pond. It appeared they were just curious,looking for what else there might be to eat. By this time they werecomfortable enough that I could move around the deck andnearby yard without alarming them. However, I mostly just satand was quiet with them. I felt immensely honored.

Everything I read about Green Herons told me they wereelusive and shy. These birds didn't seem to fit that profile so I

6

thought I should have an expert identify them. I called a "birder"friend to see ifhe could come over and take a look at them. He did

and confirmed that they looked like herons and suggested that Icall the Audubon Society to officiallyrecord them. Ruth Sullivan,an enthusiastic member, immediately came over and confirmedthat they were, indeed, the elusive Green Herons. It was fun forme to share the presence of these beautiful birds with other bird

lovers.

I learned that they were alljuveniles. The biggest differ­ence between them was the

amount of white striping ontheir brown bodies. One wassmaller in size and had more

stripes. The three larger oneshad darker backs. They all hadyellow feet and those beautifulgreen crests.

I observed many of theirbehaviors. One noticeable pat­tern was their interchangeablerole as "look out." Usually, onewould sit up on a higher rockand pay more attention whilethe others continued their dailyroutine. They also seemed to

care for one another. One day, while the three older ones weresitting and napping on a lawn chair, the little one was strugglingto hop up and join them. It looked like the others wereencouraging him. One even jumped down and prodded him withhis beak and wing. When he finally made it up onto the chair hesettled down and napped with the others.

Mter a week, they were gone. The one who had first flowndown, whom by then I knew was the youngest, was also the lastto leave. On the final day this little one came alone and spent thewhole day at the pond. Then, late in the day, after waking up froma nap, he ventured across the lawn and started walking up thesteps to the deck where I was sitting quietly. I couldn't see him onthe steps so I stood up. When he saw me he stopped. We lookedat each other for a few seconds as if to say good-bye. Then, hesimply turned around and instead of going back to the pond,flapped his wings and flew up and away.

As I watched him fly over the trees, I knew that he wasresuming his journey south. I hoped he hadn't stayed too long andthat he would soon find the others. I also hoped that I would seethem all again next year. I'll be waiting.

Editor's Note: Green Herons were apparently rare inWashington before 1940, but advanced rapidly norththereafter. They now nest regularly around Puget Sound.See, in addition to Jewett et al. 1953, these papers:

Larrison, E.J. 1940. The Anthony Green Heron in the state ofWashington. Murrelet 21 :1-3.

Eddy, G. 1952. Further notes on the Green Heron advance inWashington state. Murrelet 32:12.

WOSNews 57: October/November 1998

Costa's HUIllIllingbird visits Pierce Countyby Bob Ramsey

Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae)

is seldom seen north of San Francisco.Roberson (1980) records a half dozen into

Oregon but none in Washington. Perhapsthe freedom to roam when incubation

begins leaves male Costa's plenty of time todiscover new and interesting places.

Why that would lead to ShannonCave's home in Pierce County isremarkable. The Caves' acreage is a treelesshillside, perhaps mimicking the bird'snormal, dry-desert habitat in the absenceof summer rain.

A mature male Costa's arrived about

the first of August 1998 and claimed theunused feeder Shannon left out in case

anything showed up. For some time,Shannon took no special notice of thevisitor, assuming it to be a RufousHummingbird. But one day she saw thelong, purple gorget and was prompted tofind out what it was. To her surprise, theidentity search led to Costa's.

Shannon videotaped the bird andbegan to inquire for someone to confirm

her find. We were asked to keep the matterconfidential because Shannon did not want

to deal with the birding public.Georgia and I arrived on Monday, 14

September, at 13:00. We stayed until16:00, watching the hummingbird inbright sun. We took several photographsand looked at throat and crown color

through a spotting scope. The Costa's wasin no hurry to come in before briefly takingthree to five sips, then leaving. It took ustwo and a half hours to observe four goodapproaches.

DescriptionThe bill was short and slightly

decurved. Some authors and some

illustrators show the bill as straight, othersas slightly decurved.

Plumage colors are perceived differ­ently by various authors, but all agree thatthe Costa's is the only U.S. hummer with apurplish crown and throat. We saw it ashaving "plum" as a principal color, withrose, violet, amethyst, and blue highlights.

Other important features were the

metallic green back, the moderatelynotched tail, the long projection of thegorget (reaching to the bend in the wingand "enclosing" a patch of white on theside of the neck), the white breast andbelly, and the diffuse green on the sides.The plumage, in general, seemed dullerthan the sharp colors one would expect inspring, but a molt is normal in fall.

We heard no sounds, except from thewings, during our stay.

A few neighbors had been invited tosee the bird and four other birders got achance to look before we made our visit.The bird was last seen on 4 October.

Photographs will be sent to theWashington Bird Records Committee,which will decide whether to accept thisreport as the first documented Costa'sHummingbird for Washington.

Credit for discovering and identifyingthe hummingbird go to Shannon Cave; wesimply confirmed the bird's identity, tookphotographs, and proceeded with docu­mentation paperwork.

Migrating Turkey Vultures at Salt Creek,Clall8.lll County, in 1998by Diann MacRae

Turkey Vultures arrived in recordnumbers this fall at our Salt Creek

monitoring site on the northern Olympiccoast. A total of 2092 vultures crossed the

Strait of Juan de Fuca by early October,with still more enjoying an extended stayat Rocky Point, southwest of Victoria. Asof22 October, 32 turkey vultures were stillat Rocky Point. As reported on Tweeters,kettles of vultures were seen by severalobservers over various districts in and

around Seattle and points south. The largeflocks that we see come into Salt Creek,often 200-400 birds at a time, obviouslybreak up into smaller groups as theycontinue their migration south.

Weare often asked where the vultures

WOSNews 57: October/November 1998

go. It's a difficult question to answerspecifically because, at present, taggingstudies are not being done at the northernedge ofTurkey Vulture ranges,eitherhere orin the midwest (at least, not that I've heard).Some Turkey Vultures overwinter nearVictoria and they are occasionallyseen inOregon and Washington during winter. So,our vultures do, indeed, go south. Whetherthey stop along the way or are on a directroute to South America is anyone's guess.

Red-tailed Hawks were also seen in

the largest numbers ever. Most of the otherraptor species are seen each year, eithermigrants or locals, but in very smallnumbers. Here is a report on the 2207raptors seen at Salt Creek during this year'sautumn migration:

Turkey Vulture 2092, Osprey 4, Bald Eagle11, Northern Harrier 8, Sharp-shinnedHawk 9, Cooper's Hawk 1, Red-tailedhawk 65, Merlin 5, Peregrine Falcon 2,Unidentified raptor 10.

Thanks to those who came to visit or

to help us count. Saturday, 26 September,was quite exciting, with over 1100 TurkeyVultures in three hours. We needed that

extra help!The Olympic Vulture Study was funded

in 1998 by the Northwest EcologicalResearch Institute, the James 1. BaillieMemorial Fund of Bird Studies Canada with

funds raised through the annual BaillieBirdathon, and several private donations.The handout brochure was funded by theWashington Ornithological Society.

7

Compiled by Russell RogersField Notes are distilled from reports made

to birding hotlines, Audubon newsletters, theTweeters listserver, and direct to the compiler(address on page 12).

Species names in upper case are underreview by the Washington Bird RecordsCommittee. For a list of review species, seeWASHINGTON BIRDS 5:1-6 or the Field Card of

Washington Birds.

April- May 1998Pacific Loon Uncommon but regular in e WA,1 at Priest Rapids Yakima on 5/9 (MD&MlD).High count for w WA, 1000 at Ocean ShoresGrays Harbor on 5/6 (TAv).Common Loon Last reports for lowerColumbia Basin, 1 atWindustFranlclinon5/4(MD&MlD), and 1 at Crow Butte SP Benton on5/26 (PS&RS). High count for w WA, 108 atOcean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/22 (PS&RS).Uncommon and local breeder in WA, 1 pair atHozomeen Lake Whatcomon 5/23 (BK).Yellow-billed Loon Uncommon in e WA, 1 atPoint No Point Kitsap on 4/21 (VN), 1 at PointRoberts Whatcom on 5/6 (fide 1W), and 1 atSequim Clallam on 5/9 (SA).Western Grebe Uncommon in se WA, 5 atClarkston Asotin on 5/ 19 (fide MK).Clark's Grebe Uncommon outside of breedingareas in Columbia Basin, 1 at Yakima RDBenton on 4/18 (BW) with 1 there on 4/23(BW&NLa), 1 at Yakima Yakima on 5/26(PS&RSJ, and 1 at Vancouver Lake Clark on 4/7 (WC).

Black-footed Albatross High count, 359 onWestport Pelagic Grays Harbor on 5/2 (1W).MURPHY'S PETREL Rare in WA, 1 onWestport Pelagic Grays Harbor on 5/2 (1W).Flesh-footed Shearwater Uncommon in WA, 1on Westport Pelagic Grays Harbor on 5/2 (BL).Short-tailed Shearwater 1 on WestportPelagic Grays Harbor on 5/2 (1W).

Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel 107 on WestportPelagic Grays Harbor on 5/2 (1W).Leach's Storm-Petrel 275 on Westport PelagicGrays Harbor on 5/2 (1W).American White Pelican High count for e WA,53 at Badger Island Walla Walla on 4/8(MD&MlD). Uncommon in w WA, 2 at HoquiamGraysHarboron4/18 (mob) untilatleast5/ 15(BT&TS), and 2 at Nisqually NWR Thurston on5/3 (fide BS) untilatleast5/17 (BB).Brown Pelican First reports include, 1 atOcean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/25 (BW), 6atWestport Grays Harbor on 4/25 (BT&TS).Double-crested Cormorant Locally uncom­mon, 12 along Okanogan River Okanogan on5/6 (fide DS).

Pelagic Cormorant Inland reports alongColumbia River, 2atJuliaButlerHansenNWRWahkiakumon 5/1 (PS&RS), and 1 at AltoonaWahkiakumon 5/1 (PS&RS).Great Egret Reports include, 2 at KalamaCowlitz on 4/5 (ET), 2 at Vancouver Lake Clarkon 4/7 (WC), 1 at Steigerwald Lake NWR Clarkon 4/7 (WC), 2 at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 4/1 0(fide JE) with 6 there on 4/29 (TAv), 1 at Elk

8

River Grays Harbor on 4/25 (CC), and 1 atWestport Grays Harbor on 5/2 (PS&RS).Turkey Vulture Locally uncommon, 2 atWallula Walla Walla on 5/2 (MD&MlD).Tundra Swan Reports include, 15 at ClarkstonAsotin on 4/4 (fide MK), 1 at Alpowa GradeGarfield on 4/21 (fide MK), 4 at Conboy LakeNWR Klickitat on 4/22 (Fide JE), and 1 atRidgefield NWR Clark on 5/29 (TAv).Trumpeter Swan Uncommon in sw WA, 1 atRidgefield NWR Clark on 4/3 (FideJE) until atleast 5/29 (TAv).Greater White-fronted Goose High count for eWA, 450 at McNary NWR Walla Walla on 4/3(MD&MlD). Otherreports from e WAinclude, 2at Reardan Lincoln on 4/8 (JA), 11 at FourLakes Spokane on 4/8 (JA), 4 at ReardanLincoln on 4/10 (WC), 11 at Four LakesSpokane on 4/11 (We), 4 at DallesportKlickitat on 4/12 (WC), 17 at Atkins LakeDouglas on 4/15 (JA&WH), 80 at DallesportKlickitaton4/16 (ET), and 149 at Conboy LakeNWR Klickitat on 4/25 (JE). Reports from wWAinclude, 12 atSarnishFlats Skagit on 4/12(BB), 350 at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/29 (TAv), 85 at Leadbetter Point Pacific on 5/1(PS&RS), 10 at Nisqually NWR Thurston on 5/7 (PS&RS), and 35 at Ocean Shores GraysHarbor on 5/13 (PS&RS).Snow Goose Uncommon in e WA, 1 at AtkinsLake Douglas on 4/17 (PS&RS), and 1 atEaston Kittitas on 5/27 (BS).ROSS'S GOOSE Rare but increasing in WA, 1at Wallula Walla Walla on 4/24 until atleast 5/8 (MD&MlD), 1 at Rice Bar Garfield on 4/25(MD&MlD), 2 at College Place Walla Walla on5/2 (MD&MlD), 6 at Spangle Spokane on 5/4(JA&WH), 1 at Reardan Lincoln on 5/5 (JA).Brant Reports include, 1500 at SequimClallam on 4/8 (fide BN), 1800 at Elk RiverGrays Harbor on 4/25 (CC), 5000 at PadillaBay Skagit on 4/26 (SM), 1100 at SequimClallam on 4/29 (fide BN), 3500 at Birch BayWhatcom on 5/8 (1W), 357 at Bottle BeachGrays Harbor on 5/ 19 (SRi), and 20 at SequimClallam on 5/26 (fide BN)."Atlantic" Brant Rare in WA, 2 at Padilla BaySkagit on 4/5 and on 5/9 (SM)."Eurasian" Green-winged Teall at VancouverClark on 4/22 (TAv).Northern Shoveler 3 at Clarkston Asotin on 5/20 (fide MK).Eurasian Wigeon Uncommon in e WA, 1 atClarkston Asotin on 4/4 (fideMKJ, 2 at ReardanLincoln on 4/5 (JA), 1 at Atkins Lake Douglason4/18 (fide DS), 1 at Wallula Walla Walla on4/24 (MD&MlD), and 1 at Toppenish NWRYakima on 4/26 (PS&RS).Redhead Uncommon and local in e WA, 2 atStanwood Snohomish on 5/2 (SM), 14 atEverett STP Snohomishon 5/3 with 29 there on5/9 (SM) down to 6 on 5/30 (SM), and 2 atOlympia Thurston on 5/7 (PS&RS).Tufted Duck Uncommon in WA, 1 atBurlington Skagit on 4/8 (PS&RS).Tufted Duck X Scaup Sp. 1 at EverettSnohomish on 5/1 (SM).Surf Scoter High count, 5000 at Birch BayWhatcomon 5/8 (1W).Common Goldeneye Late report for w WA, 1

at Ridgefield NWR Clark on 5/29 (TAv).Bufflehead Late report for w WA, 4 atRidgefield NWR Clark on 5/29 (TAv).Red-breasted Merganser Uncommon in e WA,1 at Crow Butte SP Benton on 4/12 (WC), 7 atBanks Lake Grant on 4/15 (JA), and 1 at TwoRiversCP Benton on 4/16 (DR).White-tailed Kite Uncommon and local, 2 atGlacial Heritage Thurston on 4/22 (fide BS)until atleast 5/31 (RR), and 1 at Boisfort Lewison 4/30 (AP).BROAD-WINGED HAWK Rare in WA, 1 atMount Bohokus Clallam on 5/1 (fide BN).Swainson's Hawk Reports include, 1 at WestRichland Benton on 4/11 (BWet al), 1 at AlbionWhitman on 4/15 (Twe), 2 at Heritage RoadDouglas on 4/18 (Fide DS). RareinwWA, 1 atMount Bohokus Clallam on 4/30 (fide BN).Ferruginous Hawk Reports include, 1 atProsser Yakima on 4/13 (BW&NLa), 2 atDelaney Columbia on 4/25 (PS&RS), 1 atRichland Benton on 5/7 (BW), and 2 at JuniperDunes Wildemess Franklin on 5/16 (DR).Rough-legged Hawk Last reports for e WAinclude, 4 at Mansfield Douglas on 4/18(PS&RS), 1 at Othello Adams on 4/25 (PS&RS),and 1 at Kittitas Kittitas on 4/25 (JB).American Kestrel Locally uncommon, 1 atPoint No Point Kitsap on 5/6 (VN).Merlin Uncommon in e WA in spring, 1 atRoyal City Grant on 4/25 (PS&RS) and 1 atConboy Lake NWRKlickitaton 4/25 (JE).Peregrine Falcon Uncommon in e WA, 2 atSpokane Spokane on 4/3 (JA), 1 at CouleeLake Grant on 4/15 (JA), 1 at Heritage RoadDouglas on 4/19 (fide DS), 1 at Crow Butte SPBenton on 5/6 (BW&NLa).Prairie Falcon Rare in the lowlands of w WA, 1at Sarnish Flats Skagit on 4/2 (TAv).Virginia Rail Unusual nesting location, 2downy chicks at Tatoosh Island Clallam on 4/28 (fide DP).Sandhill Crane Reports from e WA include,1300 at Atkins Lake Douglas on 4/ 15 (JA) with800 there on 4/20 (fide DS), 500 at St. AndrewsDouglas on 4/15 (JA), 2000 at Heritage RoadDouglas on 4/18 (fide DS), 500 at AlderdaleKlickitat on 4/26 (MD&MlD), and 2 atFrenchman's Wasteway Granton 5/ 19 (WC). InwWA, 17 at Elma Grays Harbor on 5/6 (TAv).Black-bellied Plover Locally uncommon, 1 atSeattle King on 4/5 (JB).American Golden Plover Uncommon in spring,1 atNisquallyNWRThurstonon4/21 (PS&RS), 1at Leadbetter Point Pacificon 5/1 (ps&RS),and 1at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 5/6 (TAv).Black Oystercatcher Locally uncommon, 1 atOcean Shores Grays Harbor on 5/6 (TAv).

Abbreviations used in"Washington Field Notes"

ad adult, CP County Park, e east(ern), mob multiple observers, ne northeast(em),nw northwest(ern), NWR National WildlifeRefuge, RD river delta, RM river mouth, sesoutheast(em), sw southwest(em), SP StatePark, STP sewage treatment ponds, wwest(em), WMA Wildlife Management Area.

WOSNews 57: October/November 1998

Black-necked Stilt Reports fore WA include, 2at Conboy Lake NWR Klickitat on 4/21 (fideJE), 2 at Reardan Lincoln on 4/23 (JA), 2nesting at Swanson Lakes Lincoln on 4/23(JA),2 at West Medical Lake Spokane on 4/23(JA), 9 at Wallula Walla Walla on 4/24(MD&MlD), 2 at Othello Adams on 4/25(PS&RS), 15 atToppenishNWR Yakima on 4/26 (PS&RS)with 20 there on 4/26 (Twe)and 7on 5/26 (PS&RS).American Avocet Reports fore WAinclude ,38atYakimaRD Benton on 4/15 (BW),4 atAtkinsLake Douglas on 4/18 (fide DS), 48 at OthelloAdamson 4/25 (PS&RS),2 at Toppenish NWRYakima on 4/26 with 4 there on 5/26 (PS&RS),1at Dallesport Klickitat on 5/4 (PS&RS),and 1at Clarkston Asotin on 5/9 (fide MK)with 7thereon5/24 (fideMK).UncommoninwWA, 1at Montlake Fill King on 5/30 (BB).Lesser Yellowlegs Early report from w WAinclude, 1 at Coupeville Island on 4/5 (SM).Solitary Sandpiper Reported more than usualthis spring. Reports from e WA include, 1 atRoyal City Grant on 4/25 (PS&RS), 1 atToppenish NWRYakima on 4/26 (PS&RS),1atToppenish Yakima on 4/26 fTwe), 1 at ElkSpokane on 4/30 (HF), 1 at Rocklyn Lincoln on5/2 (JA), 1 at Sunnyside Yakima on 5/8(MD&MlD),and 2 at Glenwood Klickitat on 5/9(SJ). Reports from w WA include, 2 at EbeyIsland Snohomish on 4/18 (SM)with 3 there on4/30 (SMl,1atNisquallyNWRThurstonon4/21(PS&RS),4 at Woodland Cowlitz on 4/22 (TAv),1at Olympia Thurston on 4/22 (PS&RS),with 4there on 4/29 (BT&TS)30n5/2 (PS&RS)and 1on 5/ 11 (BL),2 at Oakville Grays Harbor on 4/25 (BT), 1 at Butler Flats Skagit on 5/1 (fideGB), 1at Stanwood Snohomishon 5/2 (8M),1atSilvana Snohomish on 5/5 (SM)and on 5/25(SM),and 1 at Montlake Fill Kingon 5/9 (BB).Whimbrel Reports include, 350 at OceanShores Grays Harbor on 4/26 (ED), 132 atStanwood Snohomish on 5/2 (SM), 150 atGlacial Heritage Thurston on 5/6 (BT),220 atTokeland Pacific on 5/10 (CC), 150 at GlacialHeritage Thurston on 5/16 (RR), and 16 atSequim Clallam on 5/31 (fideBN).Long-billed Curlew Reports for w WAinclude,1 at Coupeville Island on 4/26 (SM), 4 atTokeland Pacific on 5/10 (CC), and 3 atTokeland Pacific on 5/16 (GHo&WHo).BRISTLE-TlfiGHEDCURLEWRare in WA,2 atOcean Shores Grays Harbor on 5/8 (HO), 1 atOcean Shores Grays Harboron 5/ 13(PS&RS),1at Westport Grays Harboron 5/ 18(BT&BL).and2 at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 5/20 (DP).BAR-TAILEDGODWITUncommoninWA, 1atOcean Shores Grays Harbor on 5/27 (fideBS).Marbled Godwit Reports from w WAinclude,450 at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/22(PS&RS)with 300 there on 4/26 (ED),and 50at Tokeland Pacific on 5/ 10 (CC)with 60 thereon5/16(GHo&WHo).Red Knot Reports include, 100 at BowermanBasin Grays Harbor on 4/25 (CC),100 at BottleBeach Grays Harbor on 4/25 (CC)with 78 thereon5/2 (PS&RS),280on5/1O(CC), and 57 on 5/19 (SRi),800 at Tokeland Pacific on 5/ 10 (CC),40 at North River Pacificon5/10 (CC),and 8 atSandy Point Whatcomon 5/18 (1W).Semipalmated Sandpiper Uncommon inspring, 2 at Burlington Skagit on 5/3 (SA),1atEverett STP Snohomish on 5/3 (SM),and 1 atSilvana Snohomish on 5/5 (SM).Baird's Sandpiper Uncommon in spring in

WOSNews 57: October/November1998

WA, 1 at Walla WallaRD Walla Walla on 4/17(MD&MlD),5atOthelioAdamson4/18 (DSw),2 atAtkins Lake Douglas on 4/19 and on 4/20(fideDS), 1at Kent Kingon 4/28 (BB)andon4/29 (PS&RS).Pectoral Sandpiper Uncommon in spring inWA, 1 at Jensen Access Skagit on 4/ 19 (SA),1at Silvana Snohomish on 5/5 (SM), and 6 atButler Flats Skagit on 5/6 (fideGB).Rock Sandpiper Reports include, 2 at PointRoberts Whatcomon4/12 fTwe),and 2 at OceanShores Grays Harboron 4/25 (RR&SRi),with 3there on 4/26 (ED),and Ion 5/6 (TAv).Dunlin Reports fore WAinclude, 300 at WallaWalla RD Walla Walla on 4/3 (MD&MlD),4 atAtkins Lake Douglas on 4/20 (fide DS), 10 atOthello Adams on 4/25 (PS&RS), and 1 atCentral Ferry Whitman on 4/25 (PS&RS).Wilson's Phalarope Unusual number ofreports for spring in w WA, 2 at SteigerwaldLake NWR Clark on 4/27 (PS&RS), 1 atStanwood Snohomish on 5/5 with 2 there on 5/9 (SM), 1 at Nisqually NWRThurston on 5/7(PS&RS)with 1 there on 5/9 (BT),2 on 5/17(BB)and 3 on 5/25 (PS&RS),2 at Ocean ShoresGrays Harbor on 5/21 (RR)with 4 there on 5/25 (BB),2 at Sequim ClaUamon 5/29 (fideBN),1 at Montlake Fill King on 5/30 (BB), 3 atEverett STP Snohomish on 5/30 (TP)with 5there on 5/31 (SM),34 in Snohomish on 5/30(SM),and 7 at Kent King on 5/31 (BB).Red-necked Phalarope Uncommon in spring ineWA, 1at Dallesport Klickitat on 5/4 (pS&RS),2at Tidyman Road Klickitaton 5/26 (SJ), and 4 atSwanson Lakes Lincoln on 5/29 (JA).Parasitic Jaeger 5 at Ocean Shores GraysHarbor on 5/11 and on 5/13 (PS&RS), 1 atBellingham Bay Whatcomon 5/30 (1W).Long-tailed Jaeger Uncommon in spring, 1onWestport Pelagic Grays Harbor on 5/2 (1W),and 1 at Eliza Island Whatcom on 5/ 17 (TW).Franklin's Gull Uncommoninse WAin spring,1 at Walla Walla RD Walla Walla on 4/27 andon 4/29 (MD&MlD),1 at Moses Lake Granton5/16 (BB),and 1 at Soap Lake Granton 5/23(BB). Rare in w WA in spring, 1 at Point NoPoint Kitsap on 5/24 (VN), 1 at Everett STPSnohomish on 5/30 (TP), and 5 at SilvanaSnohomish on 5/30 (SM).Little Gull Uncommon in WA, 1 at Point NoPoint Kitsap on 4/ 12 (VN).BLACK-HEADEDGULLUncommon in wWA,1 at Montlake Fill King on 4/19 (Twe).Thayer's Gull Late forWA, 1at Seattle King on5/18 (MDo).Glaucous Gull Reports include, 1 at WallaWalla RD Walla Walla on 5/2 (MD&MlD),1 atLa Push Clallam on 4/2 (fide BN), 1 at CultusBay Island on 4/5 (SM),and 1atNisquallyNWRThurston on 5/9 (BT).Caspian Tern First reports for e WAinclude, 2atYakimaRD Benton on 4/6 (BW),and 2atLyieKlickitat on 4/9 (PS&RS). First reports for wWAinclude, 2 at Bellingham Whatcomon4/10(TW),2 at Olympia Thurston on 4/ 18 (SRi),2 atSeattle King on 5/17 (JB), and 4 at NisquallyNWRThurston on 5/25 (PS&RS).Common Tern Reports include, 30 at OceanShores Grays Harbor on 5/6 (TAv),with 40there on 5/ 11 and 350 on 5/13 (PS&RS).Forster's Tern Reports for e WAinclude, 3 atYakima RDBenton on 4/20 (BW),1at ReardanLincoln on 5/3 (Twe),and 2 at Crow Butte SPBenton on 5/17 (SJ). Rare in wWA, 1 at SkagitWMASkagit on 5/30 (SM).

Black Tern Locally uncommon, 1 at TidymanRoad Klickitat on 5/17 (SJ). Uncommon in wWA, 1 at Renton King on 5/18 (BB), 1 at PointNo Point Kitsap on 5/24 (VN),1 at SnohomishSTP Snohomish on 5/30 (TP), 1 at SnohOmishSnohomish on 5/30 (SM).Common Murre High counts, 468 at Point NoPoint Kitsap on 4/8 (VN),and 20 1on WestportPelagic Grays Harbor on 5/2 (TW).Ancient Murrelet Uncommon in spring, 1 atWestport Pelagic Grays Harbor on 5/2 (TW).Cassin's Anklet Uncommon in Puget Sound, 2at Edmonds Snohomish on 4/11 (TP).Band-tailed Pigeon High counts, 135 atSatsop Grays Harbor on 4/22 (PS&RS),80 atOlympia Thurston on 5/ 1 (GHo&WHo),and 59at Sequim Clallam on 5/9 (SA).Snowy Owl Late for WA, 1 at Watson LakesSkagit on 4/27 (fide GB).Long-eared OwlRare breeder in wWA, 1adultand 3 fledglings at Glacial Heritage Thurstonon5/26 (RR).Common Nighthawk Reports include, 1 atUmatilla NWR Benton on 5/21 (Twe), 4 atClarkston Asotin on 5/27 (fide MK), 1 atRichland Benton on 5/29 (fide BW), 6 atTidymanRoad Klickitat on 5/31 (SJ), and 1 atMcChord AFB Pierce on 5/28 (RR).Black Swift Early reports, 1at Woodland ParkZoo King on 5/12 (TAv), and 2 at LacamasPrairie Clark on 5/13 (RR).Vaux's Swift Reports for e WA include, 2 atWhite Salmon Klickitat on 4/21 (SJ), 1 atConfluence SP Chelan on 4/25 (Fide DS), 1 atCentral Ferry Whitman on 4/25 (PS&RS), 1 atWest Richland Benton on 5/8 (BW), 1 atRichland Benton on 5/ 19with 2 there on 5/22(BW)and Ion 5/26 (BW),and 30 at ClarkstonAsotin on 5/26 (fide MK). Reports for w WAinclude, 2 at Olympia Thurston on 4/22 (SRi),1at Aubum King on 4/24 (BB),3 at Seattle Kingon 4/30 (JB), and 1 at Glacial HeritageThurston on 5/8 (RR).Black-chinned Hummingbird Reports in­clude, 1 at LyleKlickitat on 4/27 (PS&RS)andon5/26 (PS&RS),and 1at Richland Benton on5/27 (BW).Calliope Hummingbird Early for e WA, 1 atAlbion Whitman on 4/29 (Twe), and 1 atRichland Benton on 5/1 (BW),High count for eWA, 65-70 at a feeder in Dixie Walla Wallaon5/24 (MD&MlD).Uncommon but regular in springinwWA, 1atMcChordAFBPierceon4/23(RR).Lewis' Woodpecker High count, 30 at LyleKlickitat on 4/9 (PS&RS). Other reports for eWAinclude, 1at Richland Benton on 5/1 (BW),1 at ALE Reserve Benton on 5/9 (NLa&BLa),and 1 at Cloverland Asotin on 5/23 (fide MK).UncommoninwWA, 1 at Breazeale Skagit on5/12 (fideGB).ACORNWOODPECKERRare and local in WA,1at LyleKlickitaton4/1O and on 5/26 (PS&RS).Red-naped Sapsucker Locally uncommon, 2at Two Rivers CP Benton on 4/30 (DR).Uncommon in w WA, 1 at Cougar MountainKing on 4/19 (ED).Black-backed Woodpecker 1 at BrooksMemorial SP Klickitat on 4/27 (PS&RS)."Yellow-shafted" Flicker 1 at Woodland ParkZoo King on 4/ 19 (TAv).Olive-sided Flycatcher First reports include, 1at Ocean City Grays Harbor on 4/29 (TAv),and2 at Leadbetter Point Pacific on 5/ 1 (PS&RS).Western Wood-Pewee First reports in e WAinclude, 1 at Timber Valley Klickitat on 5/5

9

(fide RR). and 2 at RicWand Benton on 5/22(BWetal). FirstreportsforwWAinclude, 1 atFort Lewis Pierce on 5/4 (RR), and 1 atNisquallyNWR Thurston on 5/7 (PS&RS).Willow Flycatcher First reports include, 1 atTwo Rivers CP Benton on 5/25 (DR).and 1 atMcChordAFB Pierce on 5/15 (DN).Least Flycatcher Rare in WA,1at Frenchman'sCoulee Grant on 5/23 (BB), 1 at Wenas CreekYakima on 5/24 (JaS). 1 at Oak Creek GameRange Yakima on 5/26 (PS&RS). and 1 atYakima Training Center Yakimaon 5/31 (Twe).Hammond's Flycatcher First reports include,1 at Trout Lake Klickitat on 4/28 (SJ). 1 atSeattle King on 4/28 (BB). and 1 at McLaneCreek Thurston on 5/7 (PS&RS).Dusky Flycatcher First report for e WA, 1 atTrout Lake Klickitat on 4/22 (SJ). Uncommonin Puget lowlands, 1at Olympia Thurston on 5/20 (BS).Gray Flycatcher Locally uncommon, 3 atCentral Ferry Whitman on 4/25 (MD&MlD).Pacific-slope Flycatcher First reports include,1at Lake Stevens Snohomish on 4/18 (SA).1atColony Mountain Skagit on 4/24 (GB). 2 atSeattle King on 4/26 (BB).with 1there on 4/28(BB),and 1 at Concrete Skagit on 4/30 (GB).Ash-throated Flycatcher Rare in w WA, 1 atPackwood Lewison 5/26 (PS&RS).Western Kingbird First reports for e WA, 1 atBingen Klickitat on 4/20 (SJ). 2 at RicWandBenton on 4/21 (BW),and 3 at Anatone FlatAsotin on 5/21 (fide MK). Uncommon butregular in w WAin spring, 1 at Point No PointKitsapon 4/22 with 2 on 4/27-29 and 2 on 5/24(VN),3 at Steigerwald Lake NWRClark on 4/23(WC)and on 4/27 (PS&RS). 1 at RidgefieldNWRClark on 4/24 (fide JE), 2 at VancouverLake Clark on 4/25 (WC).1at Mount PleasantSkamania on 4/26 (WC). 1 at Port AngelesClallam on 4/29 (fideBN), 1at Leadbetter PointPaciflcon 5/ 1 (PS&RS).4 at Woodland Cowlitzon 5/28 (PS&RS).and 2 at 13th Division PrairiePierce on 5/29 (RR).Eastern Kingbird Uncommon and local in wWA, 1 at Sequim Clallam on 5/9 (JaF). 1 atDungeness Clallam on 5/9 (fide BN). and 1 atSeattle King on 5/31 (BB).Northern Shrike Last reports for the spring, 1atNisquallyNWRThurstonon4/1 (PS&RS).1atRidgefieldNWRClark on 4/14 (fideJE), and 1atLyons FerrySP Franklin on 5/25 (MD&MlD).Cassin's Vireo Locally uncommon, 1 atRichland Benton on 5/25 (BW).Other reportsinclude, 1 at Olympia Thurston on 4/16 (fideBS). 1at Trout Lake Klickitat on 4/22 (SJ), 1 atOcean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/22 (PS&RS).1 at Mount Pleasant Skamania on 4/26 (WC).and 1at McChordAFB Pierce on 4/30 (RR).Hutton's Vireo 2 at Mossyrock Lewis on 4/24(BW).

Warbling Vireo First reports for spring, 1 atTrout Lake Klickitat on 4/28 (SJ). and 1 atPysht Clallam on 4/19 (fide BN).Gray Jay Locally uncommon, 1 at McChordAFBPierceon 4/29 (RR),and 2 at Beaver CreekRoad Wahkiakumon 5/1 (PS&RS).Western Scrub-Jay Locally uncommon, 1 atSatsop Grays Harbor on 4/22 (PS&RS).Clark's Nutcracker Locally uncommon, 2 atJasper Mountain Walla Wallaon 5/7 (MD&MlD).Purple Martin Reports include, 2 at RidgefieldNWRClark on 4/ 14 (fideJE), 4 at SteigerwaldLake NWRClark on 4/ 16 (WC).with 22 there on4/27 (PS&RS),4 at Nisqually NWRThurston on4/21 (PS&RS).8 at Olympia Thurston on 4/23

10

(SRi), 1 at Skamania Skamania on 4/27(PS&RS). 6 at Julia Butler Hansen NWRWahkiakwn on 5/1 (PS&RS), 1 at EverettSnohomish on 5/3 (SM), and 6 at NisquallyNWRThurston on 5/7 (PS&RS).Bank Swallow First reports for e WA include, 1at Albion Whitman on 4/15 (Twe), and 1 atTidyman Road Klickitat on 5/8 (SJ). Uncom­mon and local in w WA, 1at Montlake Fill Kingon 5/12 (BB),and 2 at Kent King on 5/31 (BB).Barn Swallow First reports include, 1at SkagitWMASkagiton4/8 (PS&RS), and 1atTidymanRoad Klickitat on 4/15 (SJ).Cliff Swallow First reports include, 1at SeattleKing on 4/11 (JB). and 10 at Glines DamClallam on 5/2 (fideBN).White-breasted Nuthatch Nearly extripatedfrom wWA, 1at Hurricane Ridge Clallam on 4/25 (fide BN). 1at Sequim ClaUamon 5/9 (JaF)with 1 there on 5/14 (EKr), and 1 at PoulsboKitsapon 5/18 (Twe).Bewick's Wren Locally uncommon, 1 inSpokane Spokane on 4/3 (JA).House Wren First reports for e WAinclude, 2at RicWand Benton on 4/23 (BW&NLa).and 1at Rose Creek Preserve Whitman on 4/26(Twe). First reports for w WA include, 1 atLacey Thurston on 4/28 (PS&RS). 1 atMcChord AFB Pierce on 5/5 (RR), 2 atNisqually NWRThurston on 5/7 (PS&RS). 1 atSequim Clallam on 5/9 (SA). and 1 atAnacortes Skagit on 5/9 (fide GB).Golden-crowned Kinglet Late for LowerColumbia Basin, 1at RicWand Benton on 5/21(BW&NLa).Western muebird Locally uncommon, 2 atBeaverCreekRoad Wahkiakwnon5/1 (PS&RS).Mountain Bluebird High count, 41 at PeolaRoad Asotin on 5/21 (fideMK),Uncommon inPuget Lowlands, 1 at Point No Point Kitsap on4/14 (VN),1 at San Juan San Juan on 4/18(BB).and 1 at Seattle King on 4/25 (MDo).Townsend's SoliWre Uncommon but regularin w WAin spring, 1at Scatter Creek Thurstonon4/6 (RR).3 at Point NoPoint Kitsap on 4/ 19(VN),1at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/22(PS&RS). and 1 at Beaver Creek RoadWahkiakwnon 5/1 (PS&RS).Swainson'sThrushFirstreportforwWA, 1atLake Stevens Snohomish on 5/3 (SA).AmerlcanPipitReportsinclude, 1atWaWukeSlope WMAFranklin on 4/25 (NLa&BLa),90 atOcean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/15 (TAv).100 at 13th Division Prairie Pierce on 4/15(RR),5 at Montlake Fill King on 4/18 (BB), 175at La Conner Skagit on 4/19 (SA). 13 atNisqually NWR Thurston on 4/21 (PS&RS).and 12at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/27(BWet all with 10 there on 4/29 (BW).Orange-crowned Warbler First reports for eWA include, 2 at RicWand Benton on 4/22(BW&NLa),and 1 at Confluence SP Chelan on4/25 (FideDS).Nashville Warbler First reports for e WAinclude, 1 at Maryhill Klickitat on 4/19(PS&RS), 1 at White Salmon Klickitat on 4/21(SJ), 2 at College Place Walla Walla on 4/22(MD&MlD).1at Toppenish NWRYalctmaon 4/26 (PS&RS). and 1 at Jump Off Joe LakeStevenson 4/29 (HF).Uncommon and local inw WA, 1 at Spada Lake Snohomish on 4/28(SM),and 1 at Rockport Skagit on 5/12 (SJ).Yellow Warbler First reports for e WA include,1 at Jump OffJoe Lake Stevenson 4/29 (HF).1 at Trout Lake Klickitat on 5/2 (SJ). and 1 atRicWand Benton on 5/5 (BW).First reports for

wWAinclude, 1at Hurricane Ridge Clallamon4/ 18 (fide BN), and 1 at McChord AFB Pierceon4/29(RR).Black-throated Gray Warbler First reports forspring include, 1at White Salmon Klickitat on4/21 (SJ). 1at Scatter Creek Thurston on 4/17(RR), 2 at Woodland Park Zoo King on 4/18(TAv). 1 at Colony Mountain Skagit on 4/21(fide GB). 7 at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on4/22 (PS&RS). 1 at Concrete Skagit on 4/24(GB).and 1atJoyce ClaUamon4/29 (fideBN).Townsend's Warbler Early for e WA, 1 atRicWand Benton on 4/22 (BW&NLa).Hermit Warbler Reports include, 3 at TroutCreek Klickitat on 5/27 (PS&RS), and 4 atBeaver Creek Road Wahkiakwn on 5/1(PS&RS).Hermit X Townsend's Warbler 1 at MountRainier NP Pierce on 5/28 (TAv).BLACK-AND-WHITEWARBLER Rare in WA,1 at ALE Reserve Benton on 5/3 (NLa&BLa).and 1 at Northrup Canyon Granton 5/31 (BB).American Redstart Locally uncommon, 1 atWenas Creek Yakima on 5/24 (JaS). and 1 atDouglas Creek Douglas on 5/27 (Ce).OVENBIRD Rare in WA, 1 at DavenportLincoln on 5/24 (JA).MacGillivray's Warbler 1 at Trout LakeKlickitat on 4/22 (SJ). 5 at Olympia Thurstonon 4/24 (Twe).1at Woodland Park ZooKing on5/3 (TAv). 1 at McChord AFB Pierce on 5/4(RR).and 1 at Joyce Clallam on 5/9 (fideBN).Wilson's Warbler First reports for e WAinclude, 1at Trout Lake Klickitat on 5/1 (SJ). 1at RicWand Benton on 5/15 and on 5/17 (fideBW), and 3 at Clarkston Asotin on 5/26 (fideMK). First reports for w WA include, 1 atWoodland Park Zoo King on 4/18 with 17 thereon 5/3 (TAv),2 at Olympia Thurston on 4/22(PS&RS),1at Dungeness Clallam on 4/23 (fideBN). 1banded at McChord AFB Pierce on 4/23(RR), 1at Ocean Shores Grays Harbor on 4/25(RR&SRi),2 at Seattle King on 4/26 (BB). 1 atColony Mountain Skagit on 4/28 (fideGB).and1at White Pass Lewis/Yakima on 5/10 (SRi).Yellow-breasted Chat Reports for e WAinclude, 2 at Umtanum Creek Kittitas on 5/7(TAv).1 at RicWand Benton on 5/13 (BW),1 atMoonax Klickitat on 5/24 (SJ), and 1 atWawawai Whitman on 5/26 (fide MK).Uncommon in w WA, 1 at Johnson's MarshFort Lewis Pierce on 5/11 (BB).Western Tanager First reports for e WAinclude, 1 at Maryhill Klickitat on 4/27(PS&RS). 1 at White Salmon Klickitat on 4/27(SJ). 1 at Two Rivers CP Benton on 5/17 (DR).1 at RicWand Benton on 5/21 (fide BW),and 1at Clarkston Asotin on 5/26 (fide MK). Firstreports for w WA include, 1 at DungenessClallam on 4/23 (fide BN), 1 at Ocean ShoresGrays Harbor on 4/25 (RR&SRi). and 1 atBellevue King on 4/28 (BB).Green-tailed Towhee Rare in w WA,1atSkagitWMASkagit on 4/5 (SM).American Tree Sparrow Late for w WA, 1 atSkagit WMASkagit on 4/5 (SM).Chipping Sparrow First reports for e WAinclude, 1 at White Salmon Klickitat on 4/21(SJ). 1 at Jump OffJoe Lake Stevens on 4/29(HF), and 1 at RicWand Benton on 5/17 (fideBW).EarlyforwWA, 1at McChordAFB Pierceon4/2(RR).CLAY-COLORED SPARROW Uncommon inWA, 1at Madame Dorian SP Walla Walla on 5/1 (MD&MlD).1 at Davenport Lincoln on 5/12(fide JA) and on 5/13 with 2 there probably

WOSNews 57: October/November 1998

nesting on 5/19 (JA), 1at Selah Yakima on 5/31 (BB),and 1at Lacey Thurston on 5/29 (EK).Brewer's Sparrow Locally uncommon, 1 atGrande Ronde River Asotin on 4/4 (fideMK)."Timberline" Brewer's Sparrow Seldomreported race in WA, 3 at Yakima TrainingCenter Yakima on 5/9 (MD&MlD).Vesper Sparrow First reports for w WAinclude, 2 at Steigerwald Lake NWRClark on 4/9 (WC),1at Montlake Fill King on 4/21 (BB), 1at McChord AFB Pierce on 4/21 (RR), 1 atShelton Mason on 4/22 with 4 there on 4/29(BS), 1 at Lacey Thurston on 5/1 (Twe).LarkSparrow 1at Klickitat Klickitat on 5/7 (SJ).Sage Sparrow 5 at Alderdale Klickitat on 5/26(PS&RS).LARK BUNTING Rare in WA, 1 at WallulaWalla WaUaon 4/26 (fide KD).Grasshopper Sparrow Reports include, 3 atPalouse Falls SP Franklin on 4/24 (MD&MlD),1 at Alderdale Klickitat on 4/26 (PS&RS), 1 atBig Soap Lake Okanogan on 5/13 (WC),and 1at High Prairie Klickitat on 5/27 (SJ).Fox Sparrow Last reports for w WA lowlandsinclude, 1 at Leadbetter Point Pacific on 5/1(PS&RS),and 1at Sequim Clallam on 5/9 (SA)."Slate-colored" Fox Sparrow Uncommon inPugetLowlands, 1atFortCaseySP Island on 5/2 (SM).White-throated Sparrow Reports include, 1 atVancouver Lake Clark on 4/7 (WC),1 at SkagitWMASkagiton 4/8 (PS&RS),1at NisquallyNWRThurston on 5/1 (BS),1at Sequim Clallam on 5/9 (fideBN), 1 at Fir Island Skagit on 5/10 (fideGB),and 1 at Seattle King on 5/29 (MiD).Harris's Sparrow Reports include, 2 at TwoRivers CP Benton on 4/3 (DR), 2 at MaryhillKlickitaton4/lOwith 1thereon4/27 (PS&RS),1 at Madame Dorian SP Walla Walla on 5/1

crows, from page 1

rearing. The large chick, approximately 4 weeksold, was found dead at the base of the nest tree.Although possible, it is unusual for a Bald Eaglenest to failwith a chick this age and very rare fora chick this age to fall out of the nest on its own.One or more of these factors may have beeninvolved: 1) During the process of defendingthemselves or avoiding the crows, the adultspushed the chick from the nest; 2) The relativelysmall nest had deteriorated so much because of

constant movement by the adults that it could nolonger hold the chick and broke apart; 3) Becausethe tree wasa suboptimal size,it wasweakened bymovement and could no longer hold the nest.

The nest was occupied again in 1994, butthe status was undetermined. Eagles were stillon the territory in June. Ms. Strugar reportedthat the adults attempted to return to the nestbut failed to do so because of crows. The

following 2 years, the pair built a nest in acottonwood tree at the end of one of the fairwaysbut apparently did not attempt nesting. Theterritory was abandoned in 1996 or 1997.

In 1995, a bald eagle nest wasdocumented on Angle Lake, a very urban lakeapproximately 1 mile from SeaTac Interna­tional Airport. Ronnie Lang, a resident at thelake and eagle observer with a good view of theWOSNews 57: October/November 1998

(MD&MlD),2 at Skagit WMA Skagit on 4/8(PS&RS), 1 at Stanwood Snohomish on 4/9(TAv), 1at Steigerwald Lake NWRClark on 4/27 (PS&RS),and 1at Nisqually NWRThurstonon 5/17 (BT).Golden-crowned Sparrow Uncommon andlocal in e WA, 38 at Maryhill Klickitat on 4/10(PS&RS), 1 at Confluence SP Chelan on 4/25(Fide DS), 1 at Davenport Lincoln on 5/2 (MF)and on 5/18 and 5/24 (JA), 1 at WenatcheeChelan on 5/9 (FideDS), 1at Richland Bentonon 5/14 and on 5/18 (BW),and 1atTwo RiversCP Benton on 5/ 17with 3 there on 5/ 18 and 2on 5/23 (DR).Last reports for wWAinclude, 1at Seattle King on 4/30 (JB), 15 at LeadbetterPoint Pacific on 5/1 (PS&RS),and 3 at OlympiaThurston on 5/25 (RR).Lapland Longspur Late report for w WA, 1 atCoupeville Island on 4/26 (SM).Snow Bunting Late report for e WA, 4 atRocklyn Lincoln on 4/5 (JA).ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK Rare in WA, 1at Yakima Yakima on 5/25 (BB).Black-headed Grosbeak First reports for e WAinclude, 1 at Trout Lake Klickitat on 5/1 (SJ),at RicWand Benton on 5/17 (fide BW), 1 atClarkston Asotin on 5/26 (fide MK). Firstreports for w WAinclude, 1 at Sedro WoolleySkagit on 4/29 (fideGB), 1 at Woodland ParkZoo King on 5/3 (TAv), and 1 at OlympiaThurston on 5/9 (RR).Bobolink Rare in w WA, 1 at Point No PointKitsapon 5/28 (VN).Yellow-headed Blackbird Uncommon and10calinwWA, 1 at Montlake FillKing on 4/21(BB),2 at Deer Lagoon Island on 4/26 (SM),2 atKent King on 4/29 (PS&RS)with 3 thereon 5/31(BB),1at Johnson's Marsh Fort LewisPierce on4/29 (RR),2 at La Conner Skagit on 5/1 (fide

nest, reported the nest to the WDFW in May1995 and said that the pair had partiallyconstructed the nest the year before. The nestwas a substantial size in a large, typicalDouglas-fir. Ms. Lang reported that she sawwhat seemed like incubation behavior.

She also reported that crows unyieldinglyharassed the adults in flight and at the nest. Sheobserved the eagles struck by crows and drivenaway from the nest. Once, as one adult was inincubating posture, the crowsharassed the eaglesforapproximately4 consecutivehours. The eaglesfinallyflewoffthe nest. The crowscircledthe nestfor about an hour, then landed in the nest and

appeared to eat the eggs.The adultsdid not returnthat year.Two eaglesreturned to the nest in 1996,but did not stay, and wind blew down the nest.Eagles were on the territory during the 1997breeding season but did not nest. The territoryappeared abandoned this year.

A less-documented caseofcrow harassment

occurred at the eagles' nest on Hunt's Point onLake Washington. The nest was first seen by Dr.William Stimson, who reported two young hadbeen raised in 1991. After the young were gone,Dr. Stimson said, the adults "tore the nest

down." The nest wasdocumented by WDFW in1992. It was constructed in a large Douglas-firsurrounded by other large conifers on a ~-mile

GB),and 2 at Femdale Whatcomon 5/2 (TW).COMMON GRACKLE Rare in WA, 1 at GrandCoulee Granton 5/21 (JCo).Bullock's Oriole Local in wWA, 2 at BellevueKing on 4/28 (BB),2 at Sequim Clallam on 5/10 (SA),and 1at Seattle King on 5/30 (JB).Purple Finch Uncommon and local in e WA, 1at Spokane Spokane on 4/24 (JA), and 1at LyleKlickitat on 4/27 (PS&RS).White-winged Crossbill Uncommon in WA,2at Steven's Pass Chelan/King on 4/26 (BB).Lesser Goldfinch Uncommon and local in WA,7 at Maryhill Klickitat on 4/19 (PS&RS), 2 atLyleKlickitaton 4/27 (PS&RS),and 3 at LockeLake Klickitat on 5/31 (WC).JA Jim Acton, SA Scott Atkinson, TAv TomAversa, BB BirdBox, GB Gary Bletsch, JB JanBragg, WC Wilson Cady, CC Chris Chappell,JCo Jerry &Sandy Converse, ED Ed Deal, MDMike Denny, MID MerryLynn Denny, MDoMichael Donahue, MiD Michael Dossett, KDKas Dumroese, JE Joe Engler, HF HowardFerguson, JaF Jack and Pat Fletcher, MFMarian Frobe, WH Warren Hall, GHo GlenHoge, WHo Wanda Hoge, SJ Stuart Johnston,MK Merlene Koliner, EK Eric Kraig, EKrEugene Kridler, BK Bob Kuntz, BL BruceLaBar, BLa Bill LaFramboise, NLa NancyLaFramboise, SM Steve Mlodinow, VN VicNelson, DN Donald Norman, BN Bob Norton,HO Hal Opperman, DP Dennis Paulson, TPTed Peterson, AP Ann Potter, SRi ScottRichardson, DR Dennis Rockwell, RR RussellRogers, TS Tom Schooley, BS BillShelmerdine,JaS Jason Starflre, DS Dan Stephens, PSPatrick Sullivan, RS Ruth Sullivan, DSw DaveSwayne, Twe Tweeters, BT Bill Tweit, TWTerry waW, BW Bob Woodley.

wide finger ofland. Crows were reported by theresidents to mob the adult eagles.

For 3 years,feathered or partially-featheredyoung were found at the base of the nest tree,either dead or injured. Most appeared to have"pre-fledged." The injured birds were taken toHOWL for rehabilitation. The nest alwayslooked as ifit had been torn apart. Because crowswere so often present, it was speculated that theyoung were molested by crows, causing the nestto break apart from the movement of the chicks,or the adults were harassed on the nest which

also caused the nest to give way. In 1996, thepair moved to a cottonwood tree on Yarrow Bay,slightly less than 1 mile to the east. They havesuccessfullyraised young since then.

I have witnessed many times, at severalnest sites, harassment of flying and perchedadult Bald Eagles by crows, and have seenadults bumped from perches at the nest. I havealso observed incubating eagles hit on the headby dive-bombing crows.

Crow molestation of nesting Bald Eaglesmay be an underestimated problem of theurban and suburban territories, exacerbated bythe fact that some urban or suburban territories

are already in suboptimal habitat.Patricia Thompson is a biologist in the WDFW

Mill Creek office.

11

Submit detailed descriptions. photo­graphs, and sketches of unusual species.

BBL@usgs.gov(800) 327-BAND

Bird Banding Laboratory12100 Beech Forest Rd Suite 4037Laurel MD 20708

BAND RECOVERIES

Report federal bird bands or auxiliarymarkers to:

Deadline15 March15 June

15 August15 December

SightingsDecember-FebruaryMarch-MayJune-JulyAugust-November

Russell Rogers6637 Glenwood Dr SW

Olympia WA 98512rrogers@halcyon.com

BIRD SIGHTINGS

Reports to be considered for the WOSNewscolumn "Washington Field Notes" or theABNAudubon publication Field Notes,should be sent to:

RARE BIRD ALERTS

WOS BirdBox (425) 454-2662Seattle (206) 933-1831TriCities (509) 943-6957SE Wash.lN Idaho (208) 882-6195South Idaho (208) 236-3337Oregon (503) 292-0661Vancouver, B.C. (604) 737-3074Victoria, B.C. (604) 592-3381

Washington Review SpeciesReports of review species (see WASHINGTON

BIRDS 5:1-6 or the WOS Field Card) may besentto the "Washington Field Notes" compileror direct to the Washington Bird RecordsCommittee, c/o Phil Mattocks, 315 E 3rd Av,

Ellensburg W A 98926.

Harlequin DucksBanded and color-marked in Boundary Bayand Washington waters. Leg bands bearcharacter combinations, with 2 digits per band.Some also have "nasal disks," small pieces ofplastic in various color and shape combinations.Report to Dr. Fred Cooke. E-mail<fcooke@sfu.ca>.

SIGHTINGS REQUESTED

Horned and Red-necked Grebes

Marked in Norrhwest Territories with uniquecombinations of color bands. Horned Grebes

were banded with red, yellow, green, and blue.Red-necked Grebes with more obscure

colors-burgundy, orange, white (off-white),and light blue. Report to Bonnie Stout. E-mail<bestout@sfu.ca>.

Color-marked Surfbirds and WanderingTattlers

Each adult carries a green leg-flag and usuallyone or more color bands; several dozen chicks of

each species were also marked and they carry asingle color band. If you see a marked Surfbirdor Wandering Tattler please note theplacement of each band, including the metalband. Report to Robert E Gill, BiologicalResources Division, Alaska Science Center

USGS, 1011 East Tudor Rd, Anchorage AK99503. E-mail <robert_gill @usgs.gov>.

March I, Mondaywas monthly meeting at the Center for UrbanHorticulture in Seattle. Dr. James Ha presents"Recent Research on the Northwestem(?)Crow:Foraging, Acoustics, and DNA."a talk onsocial foraging in the intertidal zone, geo­graphic differences in crow vocalizationsthroughout the PacificNorthwest, and develop­ment of DNAmarkers for determining kinshipamong individuals within a social group as wellas across the region. Doors open at 7 pm; theprogram begins at 7:30.

February 24 to 28, Wednesday to SundayPacific Seabird Group meets at the Inn atSemiahmoo near Blaine. For a copy of theannouncement. contact Danielle Prenzlow­Escene. Phone (360) 902-1638. E-mail<danielle. prenzlow@Wadnr.gov>.

February I, Mondaywas monthly meeting at the Center for UrbanHorticulture in Seattle. Doors open at 7 pm; theprogram begins at 7:30.

December 7, Mondaywas monthly meeting at the Center for UrbanHorticulture in Seattle. The program ismember slides; bring your best. Doors open at7 pm; the program begins at 7:30.

CALENDARNovember 2, Mondaywas monthly meeting at the Center for UrbanHorticulture in Seattle. Dennis Paulsonpresents "Capetown, Africa, Part 11."Doorsopen at 6:45 pm; the program begins at 7: 15.

January 4, Mondaywas monthly meeting at the Center for UrbanHorticulture in Seattle. Len Steiner presents"Birding the Waterville Plateau and UpperColumbia River Basin." Plenty ofwinter slides.just in time for some of the area's best winterbirding. Doors open at 7 pm; the programbegins at 7:30.

WOSNews 57October/November 1998

Contents

WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOClElY

PO. BOX 31783SEATTLE WA 98103-1783

NON-PROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

Crows and eagles 1Suburban Green Herons 1New editor 2

Olympic Gull 3Boreal Chickadees 3California Gulls 5

Costa's Hummingbird 7Turkey Vulture Migration 7WFN April-May 8Calendar 12

SEATTLE WAPERMIT NO. 4402

~...