Date: 11/28/25 3:49 pm From: Martha Jordan via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Snow Geese - western arctic population
Yes, there are a lot of snow geese in this population. Keep in mind that Washington State's wintering snow geese are NOT part of the WAP. They are from Wrangle Island, north of Siberia in the Chukchi Sea. Only a few (100+ or so maybe a tad more) of the WAP winter in eastern WA, the rest are from Wrangel. The Audubon magazine article was a good one with the exception that they interviewed a Skagit Valley farmer about issues with snow geese in western WA. And both the Fraser Delta and western WA snow geese are all from Wrangel Island. They are not in an expansion phase, more like a stable or slight decline phase. Also of note, the mid-Continent Population of snow geese are managed under a completely different plan (Central Flyway) and those birds do not come here. We are in the Pacific Flyway. There is a lot to know about all this, and fluctuations are happening each year. What I do know is that some misinformation is out there in regards to populations, wintering areas, hunting regulations and pressures, and major shifts in agricultural practices that are shifting our winter snows from western WA to the east side.
Date: 11/27/25 8:35 pm From: Bob Boekelheide via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
Hello, Julia, Teresa, and Tweeters,
In winter on the north Olympic Peninsula, small numbers of Savannah Sparrows occur at brushy edges of coastal grasslands and marshes, maybe because temperatures close to salt water are relatively more balmy than elsewhere. We sometimes see them in flocks with other sparrows, but much of the time they are by themselves.
On the Sequim-Dungeness CBC, we typically record them at places around Dungeness Bay, like Cline Spit, Dungeness Landing Park, Three Crabs, Jamestown, Graysmarsh Beach, and on Dungeness Spit. There aren’t a lot of them — the average annual number for the last 30 years of the SDCBC is only 24, and the high count since the SDCBC started in 1975 is 77.
Every so often Savannah Sparrows have a big year when they’re pretty easy to find, like 2004 (77), 2013 (57), and 2021 (55), but they also have very low years, like we only recorded 2 in 2012. We've recorded fewer than 10 Savannah Sparrows five times in the last 30 years, so it certainly helps to be in the right place at the right time. The last time we missed Savannah Sparrow on the SDCBC was 1985.
Examples of other places where we sometimes see Savannah Sparrows around here in winter are on Ediz Hook in Port Angeles and the Waatch River Valley at Neah Bay. Any coastal grassy marsh might be worth a look, though.
In winter along the Hood Canal, maybe look for them at the brushy edges of marshy river mouths, like the Dosewallips and Duckabush River mouths, and Theler Wetlands.
Bob Boekelheide
Dungeness
From: Teresa Michelsen via Tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
Date: November 27, 2025 at 8:57:41 AM PST
Just out of curiosity, have there been any sightings in winter on the Olympic Peninsula? Feel free to send one my way up on the slopes above Hoodsport :D
Teresa Michelsen
Hoodsport
From: Julia H via Tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> Subject: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
Date: November 26, 2025 at 2:02:22 PM PST
To: <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...> Reply-To: Julia H <azureye...> <mailto:<azureye...>>
I was surprised to see an ebird checklist for a local (Seattle) park that included savannah sparrow.
In my experience I never see savannah sparrows in Seattle in winter, which would seem to make sense based on their feeding patterns (I'm not sure how they'd survive winter!), and this range map from Cornell seems to agree: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Savannah_Sparrow/maps-range
But when I look at the range map for savannah sparrow based on ebird-reported observations, one gets the impression that there's quite a lot of savannah sparrows in western Washington in winter
Should I be looking harder for this sparrow in winter? Or is that aggregated data just likely a lot of rather mistaken birders?
Date: 11/27/25 11:18 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 11/26/2025
Hi Tweets,
Approximately 25 of us enjoyed a misty bird walk with temperatures in the
40's to 50's degrees Fahrenheit and a High 13'11" Tide at 10:30am.
Highlights included two WHITE-THROATED SPARROW - tan striped in the Orchard
and a white striped along the Nisqually Estuary Trail/dike north of the
Twin Barns, WILSON'S SNIPE in the flooded field west of the west side
parking lot, continuing VIRGINIA RAIL along the west side of the Twin Barns
Loop Trail, EURASIAN WIGEON from the Twin Barns Overlook, continuing
NORTHERN FLICKER - yellow shafted from the dike, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER from
the McAllister/Medicine Creek Viewing Platform, upwards of 6
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS on the far east side of the surge plain north of the
dike on a falling tide, and both lutescens and gray-headed variety of
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER between the Twin Barns and the honey-buckets.
A retraction/correction to last week's report, our Trumpeter Swans turned
into FOY TUNDRA SWANS on closer inspection of photographs.
For the day we tallied 68 species, and with FOY Tundra Swans from 11/19, we
now have observed 178 species so far this year. See our eBird report below
for further details and photos.
Other notables seen included Muskrat, Douglas Squirrel, numerous Columbian
Black-tailed Deer and Harbor Seal.
Until next week when we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook, happy birding,
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Nov 26, 2025 7:14 AM - 4:14 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.5 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Cloudy skies with mist and
temperatures in the 40’s to 50’s. A High 13’11” Tide at 10:30am. Others
seen included Muskrat, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Douglas Squirrel, Eastern
Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Townsend’s Vole, Harbor Seal, and Columbian
Black-tailed Deer.
68 species (+6 other taxa)
Cackling Goose (minima) 1000
Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 30
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 25
Northern Shoveler 150
Gadwall 30
Eurasian Wigeon 2 One seen from the Twin Barns Observation Platform,
the other seen from the dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail just north of the
Twin Barns in the surge plain north of the barns and dike.
American Wigeon 2500
Mallard 100
Northern Pintail 500
Green-winged Teal (American) 750
Ring-necked Duck 1 Flooded field south of the Twin Barns.
Surf Scoter 20
White-winged Scoter 1 Seen from McAllister/Medicine Creek Viewing
Platform on the Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail in the confluence of
Shannon Slough with McAllister Creek.
Bufflehead 100
Common Goldeneye 12
Hooded Merganser 3
Red-breasted Merganser 11 McAllister Creek and Nisqually Reach.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 40
Anna's Hummingbird 2
Virginia Rail 2 Visitor Center Pond and freshwater Marsh.
American Coot (Red-shielded) 10
Black-bellied Plover 1 Flew over Observation Tower at start of
Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail heading north along Leschi Slough.
Semipalmated Plover 6 Counted individually. Seen at 2pm on surge plain
on far right side on falling tide. Small one banded plover.
Wilson's Snipe 1 Seen in flooded field west of west side parking lot
and just south of the old McAllister Creek Access Road.
Greater Yellowlegs 35
Least Sandpiper 75
Short-billed Gull 100
Ring-billed Gull 32
California Gull 1
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 12
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 25
Pied-billed Grebe 2 Visitor Center Pond.
Horned Grebe 1 McAllister Creek.
Common Loon 3 One Loon showed nicely on our return approximately at
1:30pm in the confluence of Shannon Slough with McAllister Creek from the
McAllister/Medicine Creek Viewing Platform.
Double-crested Cormorant 20
Great Blue Heron 30
Cooper's Hawk 1 Orchard.
Northern Harrier 3 Two female, one male.
Bald Eagle 6
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Belted Kingfisher 4
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 3
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2
Northern Flicker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1 Previously reported. Seen by some
of the Wednesday Walk on the dike or Nisqually Estuary Trail. Near where
Leschi Slough meets the dike at the aqueduct.
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1
American Kestrel (Northern) 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
American Crow 80
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 25
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 2
Bushtit 15
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 15
Golden-crowned Kinglet 20
Brown Creeper 5
Pacific Wren 4
Marsh Wren 9
Bewick's Wren 3
European Starling 50
American Robin 30
Purple Finch 1 West end of parking lot.
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 4
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1 Orchard.
Golden-crowned Sparrow 30
White-throated Sparrow 2 One spotted by Bruce in Orchard, tan strip
variety. Another found by Jim along the Nisqually Estaury Trail or new
dike, white striped variety.
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 15
Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Off dike.
Spotted Towhee 4
Western Meadowlark 4 Along Leschi Slough.
Red-winged Blackbird 75
Orange-crowned Warbler (Gray-headed) 1 Spotted by Heather between the
Twin Barns and the Honey Buckets.
Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens) 1 Spotted by Heather between the
Twin Barns and the Honey Buckets.
Date: 11/27/25 9:09 am From: Teresa Michelsen via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
Just out of curiosity, have there been any sightings in winter on the Olympic Peninsula? Feel free to send one my way up on the slopes above Hoodsport :D
Teresa Michelsen
Hoodsport
From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces...> On Behalf Of Gary Bletsch via Tweeters
Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2025 4:55 AM
To: Julia H <azureye...>
Cc: Tweeters Tweeters <tweeters...>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
Dear Julia,
This is an interesting question. I always consider it a banner day, when I find a Savannah Sparrow in winter. Your question led me to check on this.
Here is what my own birding data reveals. In Skagit County, I have seen the Savannah Sparrow 66 times during the months of December, January, and February. Over that same span of time, I saw the Song Sparrow 3058 times. It appears that one's chances of finding a Savannah Sparrow in winter, at least in Skagit County, where I've done most of my Washington State birding, would be around one-fiftieth that of finding a Song Sparrow!
On reflection, I'd say that the chances are probably even slimmer than that. Quite a few of those 66 Savannah Sparrow sightings were the result of my following up on a sighting that someone else had reported, often in a place where I probably would not have gone birding, had I not been trying to find my first Savannah of the year, or my last.
Yours truly,
Gary Bletsch
On Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 05:03:53 PM EST, Julia H via Tweeters <tweeters...><mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
I was surprised to see an ebird checklist for a local (Seattle) park that included savannah sparrow.
In my experience I never see savannah sparrows in Seattle in winter, which would seem to make sense based on their feeding patterns (I'm not sure how they'd survive winter!), and this range map from Cornell seems to agree: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Savannah_Sparrow/maps-range
Date: 11/27/25 5:06 am From: Gary Bletsch via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
Dear Julia,
This is an interesting question. I always consider it a banner day, when I find a Savannah Sparrow in winter. Your question led me to check on this.
Here is what my own birding data reveals. In Skagit County, I have seen the Savannah Sparrow 66 times during the months of December, January, and February. Over that same span of time, I saw the Song Sparrow 3058 times. It appears that one's chances of finding a Savannah Sparrow in winter, at least in Skagit County, where I've done most of my Washington State birding, would be around one-fiftieth that of finding a Song Sparrow!
On reflection, I'd say that the chances are probably even slimmer than that. Quite a few of those 66 Savannah Sparrow sightings were the result of my following up on a sighting that someone else had reported, often in a place where I probably would not have gone birding, had I not been trying to find my first Savannah of the year, or my last.
Yours truly,
Gary Bletsch
On Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 05:03:53 PM EST, Julia H via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
Date: 11/27/25 2:04 am From: Matt Dufort via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
Hi Julia et al.,
Savannah Sparrows are definitely present near Seattle in winter, but many
of the sightings in eBird are undoubtedly misidentifications. They are much
more regular in open grassy areas like the Snoqualmie Valley, but even
there they're pretty low density in winter.
Interestingly, they often move locally in response to snowfall, showing up
on the shores of Puget Sound and local lakes after snow covers their
preferred habitat. Other species that are relatively rare in Seattle in
winter but get driven here by snow include pipits, meadowlarks, and
shorebirds including Least Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher.
Good birding,
Matt Dufort
On Wed, Nov 26, 2025 at 3:18 PM Kim Thorburn via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Western Washington, yes. I was quite surprised, though, by a couple of
> Savannah Sparrows (mixed in with a few American Tree Sparrows) on a cold,
> foggy day last week on the northern end of the Douglas Plateau . The
> habitat was right. Maybe distracted by the mild fall weather.
>
> Kim
>
>
>
> Kim Marie Thorburn, MD, MPH
>
> Spokane, WA
>
> (509) 465-3025 home
>
> (509) 599-6721 cell
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Tweeters <tweeters-bounces...> on behalf
> of Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <tweeters...>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, November 26, 2025 2:18 PM
> *To:* Julia H <azureye...>
> *Cc:* TWEETERS tweeters <tweeters...>
> *Subject:* Re: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
>
> Julia, small numbers of Savannah Sparrows winter widely in western
> Washington (like the alliteration?), all the way north into southwestern
> BC. I would expect them only in wide-open grassy areas, but if those are
> present, there could be Savannahs there.
>
> Dennis Paulson
> Seattle
>
> On Nov 26, 2025, at 2:02 PM, Julia H via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
>
> I was surprised to see an ebird checklist for a local (Seattle) park that
> included savannah sparrow.
>
> In my experience I never see savannah sparrows in Seattle in winter, which
> would seem to make sense based on their feeding patterns (I'm not sure how
> they'd survive winter!), and this range map from Cornell seems to agree:
> https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Savannah_Sparrow/maps-range >
> But when I look at the range map for savannah sparrow based on
> ebird-reported observations, one gets the impression that there's quite a
> lot of savannah sparrows in western Washington in winter:
> https://ebird.org/map/savspa?neg=true&<env.minX...>&<env.minY...>&<env.maxX...>&<env.maxY...>&zh=true&gp=false&ev=Z&excludeExX=false&excludeExAll=false&mr=12-2&bmo=12&emo=2&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2025 >
> Should I be looking harder for this sparrow in winter? Or is that
> aggregated data just likely a lot of rather mistaken birders?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Julia
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/26/25 3:29 pm From: Kim Thorburn via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
Western Washington, yes. I was quite surprised, though, by a couple of Savannah Sparrows (mixed in with a few American Tree Sparrows) on a cold, foggy day last week on the northern end of the Douglas Plateau . The habitat was right. Maybe distracted by the mild fall weather.
Kim
Kim Marie Thorburn, MD, MPH
Spokane, WA
(509) 465-3025 home
(509) 599-6721 cell
________________________________
From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces...> on behalf of Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <tweeters...>
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2025 2:18 PM
To: Julia H <azureye...>
Cc: TWEETERS tweeters <tweeters...>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
Julia, small numbers of Savannah Sparrows winter widely in western Washington (like the alliteration?), all the way north into southwestern BC. I would expect them only in wide-open grassy areas, but if those are present, there could be Savannahs there.
Dennis Paulson
Seattle
On Nov 26, 2025, at 2:02 PM, Julia H via Tweeters <tweeters...><mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
I was surprised to see an ebird checklist for a local (Seattle) park that included savannah sparrow.
In my experience I never see savannah sparrows in Seattle in winter, which would seem to make sense based on their feeding patterns (I'm not sure how they'd survive winter!), and this range map from Cornell seems to agree: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Savannah_Sparrow/maps-range
Date: 11/26/25 2:28 pm From: Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
Julia, small numbers of Savannah Sparrows winter widely in western Washington (like the alliteration?), all the way north into southwestern BC. I would expect them only in wide-open grassy areas, but if those are present, there could be Savannahs there.
Date: 11/26/25 2:13 pm From: Julia H via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Savannah sparrows in winter?
I was surprised to see an ebird checklist for a local (Seattle) park that included savannah sparrow.
In my experience I never see savannah sparrows in Seattle in winter, which would seem to make sense based on their feeding patterns (I'm not sure how they'd survive winter!), and this range map from Cornell seems to agree: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Savannah_Sparrow/maps-range
Date: 11/26/25 2:11 pm From: Michael Hobbs via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2025-11-26
Tweets - Another day with better weather than we have a right to expect at this time of the year. Temps in the high 40's with no wind or rain. It was a rather dark overcast, though, which made viewing a bit difficult. It was alternatingly birdy and quiet, except for the robins. There were just about always robins. Possibly even too many robins.
Highlights: Common Merganser - Just one high flyby, at 7:30. But first COME since early October Cooper's Hawk - Adult at Pea Patch stirred up a cloud of juncos Barn Owl - Two sightings pre-dawn (6:27 and 6:39 a.m.) from the model airplane field parking lot Hairy Woodpecker - One next to the dog swim beach at Dog Central gave great looks! Merlin -Quick flyby from the east end of the boardwalk Cedar Waxwing - One, with robins. Sightings of Cedars are sparse from late November to early May WHITE-THROATED SPARROW - Three seen simultaneously under the NW corner of the heronry. One had been seen moving away from that area a minute before, which might make four birds "EASTERN" Song Sparrow - Near the sheds on the east side of the East Meadow, where one was seen January through March this spring. American beaver - Three swimming around in the slough south of the Dog Area
Misses today included Cackling Goose, Common Goldeneye, Anna's Hummingbird, Killdeer, Pine Siskin, and American Goldfinch.
For the day, 53 species.
= Michael Hobbs = <BirdMarymoor...> = www.marymoor.org/gmail.com
Date: 11/26/25 11:04 am From: Steve Loitz via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Washington State counties - totem birds
For Kittitas County, maybe Sage Thrasher, Prairie Falcon and Williamson's
Sapsucker (or White-headed Woodpecker), although I would expect pushback
from Yakima County and Chelan County.
Steve Loitz
Ellensburg
On Wed, Nov 26, 2025 at 8:49 AM Tim Brennan via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Howdy!
>
> A good birding friend and I have talked about this 117-questions-in-one
> question: If each county in our state had a totem pole with three birds on
> it... what would those birds be? An extra constraint we added - no birds
> can be on more than one totem! It seems like it would call for at least one
> specialty bird (if you want to see a __________, you really want to go to
> __________ county), and some combination of other birds that paint a good
> picture of the county.
>
> Even without the no-shared-birds constraint, it would be interesting to
> hear what birds come to mind for different counties!
>
> But ultimately, we may need to set up a mock draft for this...
>
> Cheers!
>
> Tim Brennan
> Renton
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/26/25 10:45 am From: Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Washington State counties - totem birds
On Nov 26, 2025 at 08:49:21, Tim Brennan via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> If each county in our state had a totem pole with three birds on it...
> what would those birds be?
>
I’ll take a crack at Kitsap. If I were doing a pole for my driveway, it’d
definitely be a Bald Eagle on top with Raven underneath (and as someone who
collects first nations art, I’ve considered it). I expect, though, that
other counties have better challenges for this if we’re restricting things
to one county only, and I say that despite living 5 minutes from the
Seabeck eagle hangout.
For a county-wide pole, the first two birds I’d nominate are Pileated
Woodpecker and Red-Breasted Nuthatch (a species being monitored here in the
county for Audubon’s ongoing Climate Change survey). After that, I think
there are a number of good candidates: Black-capped Chickadee, Stellar’s
Jay, Spotted Towhee, Surf, Black and White-winged Scoter, Marbled Murrelet,
maybe Pigeon Guillemot. Man, so many choices — maybe Purple Martin? Maybe
Barred Owl? Limiting it to three is really tough.
As I think about it, I’m not sure I can there’s an obvious answer to “if
you are looking for this species, you have to bird Kitsap to find it”,
where back in California we had Yellow-billed Magpie as an obvious bird to
go for.
(Sidebar: these kinds of discussions always remind me that “rarity” is very
subjective to a person and locations: many years ago I was out birding
along San Francisco Bay, and I ran into a very nice birder who turned out
to be from Washington, and who really wanted to find Snowy Egrets, a lifer
for her. And a bird that to me, in that location, was very common and easy
to find. I was happy to help her find one, but I’ve always kept that in
mind as a reminder to not ignore the common or “trash” birds because there
will always be someone who really wants to see that species. Except maybe
Starlings… (grin))
chuq
---------------------------------------
Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me)
Silverdale, Washington
Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
Date: 11/26/25 10:43 am From: Brian Zinke via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Call for artists: Puget Sound Bird Fest Poster Art Contest
Hi Tweets,
Pilchuck Audubon and Puget Sound Bird Fest have opened our annual poster
art contest for the 2026 festival! We invite Puget Sound area artists to
showcase their creativity and love of local bird life by entering the 2026
Puget Sound Bird Fest poster art contest. The winning design will become
the signature image for this beloved community festival, held June 6–7,
2026, in Edmonds—and seen by thousands of bird lovers, nature enthusiasts,
and regional visitors.
This year’s contest is proudly sponsored by Cole Gallery
<https://colegallery.net/> and ARTspot <https://artspotedmonds.com/>, two
cornerstones of Edmonds’ vibrant arts scene. The selected artist will
receive a $500 cash prize, a featured spot as ARTspot’s May Art Walk
artist, and additional promotional opportunities tied to the festival.
The 2026 theme— “Every Bird Has A Song” —invites artists to interpret the
voices, beauty, and presence of our region’s avian residents.
The entry period is open now through January 31, 2026.
Full contest details and the entry form are available at
www.pilchuckaudubon.org or by emailing <director...>
Date: 11/26/25 10:33 am From: Carol Riddell via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Edmonds Roundup - October 2025
Hi Tweeters,
With October additions we have reached 181 for our Edmonds 2025 list. In taxonomic order, the new species are:
Black-bellied Plover (code 4), 6 flying along the waterfront, 10-13-25.
Northern Fulmar (code 5), 1 flying along the waterfront, 10-20-25 (reported by three observers).
Short-tailed Shearwater (code 4), first reported along the waterfront, 10-4-25, and with continuing sightings throughout the month by multiple birders. This was part of an ongoing irruption of this seabird in the Salish Sea. The shearwaters were seen throughout Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Georgia Strait.
Other birds of interest: There was a second sighting of the year for an American Kestrel (code 4), this one at the marsh (ID photos), 10-5-25. A California Scrub-Jay(code 4) in a neighborhood north of the ferry dock, 10-7-25. An American Coot (code 2), was at the waterfront (ID photos), 10-12-25, and one at Edmonds marsh (ID photo), 10-19-25. There was a second sighting for the year of a Western Meadowlark (code 3) at the waterfront, 10-18-25. There were reports of White-throated Sparrow (code 3) in four yards and at the marsh. This may be a good winter for that species. There were no October reports of Turkey Vulture (code 3) in Edmonds. Only one vulture has been reported this year and that was last March. If they migrated through Edmonds this fall, no one saw or reported them.
Declined species (due to lack of any documentation): A report of 9 Tundra Swans (code 4) from the waterfront, a report of a Eurasian Wigeon (code 3) at the marsh, multiple reports of American Herring Gull (code 4) on the waterfront and even one in the marsh (!).
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 2025 city checklist, with 283 species, please request it from checklistedmonds at gmail dot com. The 2025 checklist, with sightings through October, 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
_______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list <Tweeters...> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/26/25 10:24 am From: via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] REMINDER: WOS Monthly Meeting, December 1, 2025: (on-line only)
The Washington Ornithological Society (WOS) is pleased to announce our next Monthly Meeting: on Monday, December 1, Larry Schwitters will present "Vaux's Happening: 27 million and Counting." The tiny, narrow-winged Vaux's Swift is found only in the western hemisphere. In the words of our speaker, Mr. Swift - Schwitters: "Because of its anatomy, a swift is unable to perch and so needs a rough, vertical surface to hook its claws into; it then puts its tail down like a kickstand." The high-flying lives of these long-distance migrants are largely spent coursing 'swiftly' (what else?) through the air, moving along routes that extend from British Columbia, through the western states and into at least Central America.
Following three decades as a teacher in the public schools, Larry Schwitters became totally engrossed with the Vaux's Swift, and for some 20 consecutive years, has carefully followed their movements (that's 36 migrations and documentation of 200 roost sites) and much more, assisted by an ever-expanding legion of volunteer observers. Since 2019, Larry has taken the lead in revising the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's chapter in Birds of the World on the Vaux's Swift. Birder's World magazine covered his work in an article titled, "46 Minutes of WOW." Larry is the recipient of the National Audubon Society's 2023 National Volunteer of the Year Award. We are in for a tour-de-force presentation on these wee birds whose territory ranges from the Yukon to Guatemala!
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
Date: 11/26/25 9:39 am From: David Kreft via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Washington State counties - totem birds
Excellent challenge. I think the one-time only constraint will be
impractical if not impossible. But still an interesting discussion. Mock
draft with trades and cash offers!
Dave Kreft
Kettle Falls
On Wed, Nov 26, 2025 at 8:49 AM Tim Brennan via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Howdy!
>
> A good birding friend and I have talked about this 117-questions-in-one
> question: If each county in our state had a totem pole with three birds on
> it... what would those birds be? An extra constraint we added - no birds
> can be on more than one totem! It seems like it would call for at least one
> specialty bird (if you want to see a __________, you really want to go to
> __________ county), and some combination of other birds that paint a good
> picture of the county.
>
> Even without the no-shared-birds constraint, it would be interesting to
> hear what birds come to mind for different counties!
>
> But ultimately, we may need to set up a mock draft for this...
>
> Cheers!
>
> Tim Brennan
> Renton
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/26/25 9:23 am From: Tim Brennan via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Washington State counties - totem birds
Howdy!
A good birding friend and I have talked about this 117-questions-in-one question: If each county in our state had a totem pole with three birds on it... what would those birds be? An extra constraint we added - no birds can be on more than one totem! It seems like it would call for at least one specialty bird (if you want to see a __________, you really want to go to __________ county), and some combination of other birds that paint a good picture of the county.
Even without the no-shared-birds constraint, it would be interesting to hear what birds come to mind for different counties!
But ultimately, we may need to set up a mock draft for this...
Date: 11/25/25 6:56 pm From: Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Monarch Butterflies
Growing up I was well aware of Monarch's famous and fabulous migrations.
But I lived in Norrh Florida on a small lake in college. I was initially
shocked that many migrating species (not just monarchs) were traveling
south over the lake where there was excellent visibility. Monarch's get
all the credit though. But likely because the longest and the most
spectacular congregations are in their wintering quarters.
Bob OBrien Portlan
On Sun, Nov 23, 2025 at 1:34 PM Carol Riddell via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Robert Michael Pyle, a Washington resident and renowned lepidopterist,
> published a great read in 1999 about the migration of Monarch populations
> in the Western States. It ultimately came out in paperback and is also
> available as an eBook. It is one of the better travel/nature books I have
> enjoyed. Title: Chasing Monarchs: Migrating with the Butterflies of
> Passage.
>
> Carol Riddell
> Edmonds, WA
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/25/25 6:21 pm From: AMK17 via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Eastern kingbird AM
About 750 am as I joined the line of cars at the I5 50th st on ramp, an eastern kingbird flew up from the blackberries in the I5 ROW and landed within 8 ft of my car next to me. Lighting was not great but markings clear - white undersides, dark upper with black head and black through face under eyes, black bill, black legs. I did not see the white tail tip mostly because I was surprised to see the bird and fumbled with my phone trying to get a picture (car was not moving). But no photo as cars in front of me moved forward quite a bit...
Date: 11/25/25 9:30 am From: Neil Johannsen via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] California Scrub-Jay
We have private well-vegetated 1/2-acre property a scant 1/4 mile from Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal and yesterday had our first ever California Scrub-Jay visit our suet station.
Neil C. Johannsen
Retired state park director
Date: 11/25/25 2:27 am From: Dan Reiff via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] The five great forests that keep North America’s birds alive | ScienceDaily
Date: 11/24/25 5:46 pm From: Michael Hobbs via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Snowy Owl at Shilshole (was)
I had a third-hand report of one Saturday, sitting on a rooftop and seen
from Sunset Hill Park in Ballard. It apparently left by Sunday morning.
Maybe then went to Shilahole?
- Michael Hobbs
On Mon, Nov 24, 2025, 5:01 PM Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> A friend of ours, Barb Lowe, sent us a photo she took of a Snowy Owl near
> the south end of the rock breakwater outside the Shilshole Marina. She took
> it at around 4:20 pm yesterday, 11/23. We went there in late morning today
> (11/24) and searched the entire length of the breakwater without seeing it.
> Thus I didn’t bother posting it earlier. From the plumage, it could have
> been the same one that was at Edmonds two days ago, perhaps continuing
> south along the east side of Puget Sound.
>
> Check the rock jetties and breakwaters!
>
> Dennis Paulson
> Seattle
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/24/25 5:12 pm From: Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Snowy Owl at Shilshole (was)
A friend of ours, Barb Lowe, sent us a photo she took of a Snowy Owl near the south end of the rock breakwater outside the Shilshole Marina. She took it at around 4:20 pm yesterday, 11/23. We went there in late morning today (11/24) and searched the entire length of the breakwater without seeing it. Thus I didn’t bother posting it earlier. From the plumage, it could have been the same one that was at Edmonds two days ago, perhaps continuing south along the east side of Puget Sound.
Date: 11/24/25 2:21 pm From: Elaine Chuang via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] RE-POST November 2025 TUVU report
This is a re-post of Diann MacRae's November 23 message, sharing her data on Turkey Vultures and their movements. Thank you, Diann.
Hi, Tweets - my, where does the time go? Some interesting sightings plus a lot of single sightings all up and down from British Columbia through Oregon. I try just to include local reports plus a few interesting ones from ebird. Sounds like a normal migration year all around. Thanks for the great reports.
SEPTEMBER
No date, just Sept: two turkey vultures in a Stanwood pasture, Snohomish County.
25 -- 209 turkey vultures at Sooke-Whiffin Spit Park, B.C.
OCTOBER
01 -- Three turkey vultures over Shine Road/Squamish Harbor, Jefferson County in late morning; four near Lynden in a loose kettle with ravens and a harrier, seemed interested in a corn field being harvested; one turkey vulture at the weekly walk at the Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR, Thurston County.
02 -- Seven+ waiting for warm air in tall trees near the lake at Marymoor Park, Redmond, King County, weather pleasant; first time with vultures in the trees; all days with 5+ vultures have been between 21 Sept and 06 Oct.; 54 turkey vultures seen at Cassimer Bar, Okanagon County roosting in large trees and on the river bank feeding.
03 -- 350 turkey vultures at the Sea Scout Base, Multnomah County, Oregon.
04 -- 550 seen from Race Rocks, British Columbia (photos); 23 at the Sechelt Airport, Wilson Creek, Sunshine Coast, B.C.
05 -- 75 seen over the Lyre Conservation Area, Clallam County.
09 -- 29 at Sooke-Whiffin Spit Park, B.C.
11 -- 25 at William O. Finley NWR, Cabell Marsh, Benton County, Oregon.
13 -- 80 turkey vultures at the Jackson Bottoms Wetland Preserve, Washington County, Oregon.
22 -- One at Nanoose Estuary/Bay, Nanaimo, B.C.; one over Lake Union, Seattle, King County.
29 -- Four at Friday Harbor, San Juan County, ca noon.
Sorry this is so late - we lost our internet for almost a week due to a tree falling on the cable, etc. Thanks again for the reports and have a great Thanksgiving.
Date: 11/23/25 3:51 pm From: Michael Price via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] New York Times Paywall (was: Tracking Butterflys)
I'm happy to report that the New York Times paywall is restricted to
articles and commentary the NYTimes deems premium: a surprising amount of
their online content is now open access (at least in Canada). The only way
to tell is to click on the article and they'll let you know.
Date: 11/23/25 2:56 pm From: Shelf Life Community Story Project via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] White-throated Sparrow
We had one here about a month ago. Only stuck around for a few days. White Crowned and Golden Crowned are plentiful now.
Jill
Seattle / Central District
> On Nov 23, 2025, at 2:05 PM, Stef Neis via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>
> We have a pair of white-throated sparrows returning here for over 4 years now. Rarely any white-crowned and only an occasional golden-crowed in early spring here at our forested property.
> Stef Neis
> Whidbey Island
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Nov 23, 2025, at 1:27 PM, Joan Miller via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>>
>>
>> I was pleased to find a White-Throated Sparrow in my yard today, among the numerous Juncos and a few Golden-Crowned Sparrows. Anyone else seeing White Throats?
>>
>> Joan Miller
>> jemskink at gmail dot com
>> West Seattle
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...>
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Date: 11/23/25 2:14 pm From: Stef Neis via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] White-throated Sparrow
We have a pair of white-throated sparrows returning here for over 4 years now. Rarely any white-crowned and only an occasional golden-crowed in early spring here at our forested property.
Stef Neis
Whidbey Island
Sent from my iPad
> On Nov 23, 2025, at 1:27 PM, Joan Miller via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>
>
> I was pleased to find a White-Throated Sparrow in my yard today, among the numerous Juncos and a few Golden-Crowned Sparrows. Anyone else seeing White Throats?
>
> Joan Miller
> jemskink at gmail dot com
> West Seattle
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/23/25 1:45 pm From: Carol Riddell via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Monarch Butterflies
Robert Michael Pyle, a Washington resident and renowned lepidopterist, published a great read in 1999 about the migration of Monarch populations in the Western States. It ultimately came out in paperback and is also available as an eBook. It is one of the better travel/nature books I have enjoyed. Title: Chasing Monarchs: Migrating with the Butterflies of Passage.
Date: 11/23/25 1:38 pm From: Joan Miller via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] White-throated Sparrow
I was pleased to find a White-Throated Sparrow in my yard today, among the numerous Juncos and a few Golden-Crowned Sparrows. Anyone else seeing White Throats?
Joan Miller jemskink at gmail dot com West Seattle
Date: 11/22/25 5:31 pm From: Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Tracking Butterflys
Larry knows this, of course. But for Washington and Oregon,Monarchs are
uncommon and found, either resident or migrating, mostly East of the
Cascades. One story is that their Milkweed food sources are only found
'East'. As a colorrary, planting milkweed to attract or sustain them is
not really realistic 'West'.
I've lived SE of Portland for 50+ years on a rural property and only seen a
Monarch a single time, long ago, and that was likely in retrospect a
misidentification on my part. There are 'look-a-likes'.
Here are the iNaturalist sightings for Washington State.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=46&subview=map&taxon_id=48662 Bob OBrien Portland
Of course, as Larry says, this is indeed a big deal for the eastern 1/2 of
the US
On Sat, Nov 22, 2025 at 4:48 PM Larry Schwitters via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
>
> This news just came out in the New York Times which you need a
> subscription to read on line. This link takes you to CTT where they got the
> story from.
> https://celltracktech.com/pages/project-monarch-collaboration-2025 >
> I’ve got a lot to understand here but this is a big deal. Researchers have
> been tracking Monarchs for years but this is a game changer. Want to see
> their transmitter specs but article says personal smartphones can be used
> as receivers.
>
> Did I say this is a big deal. And…..Standing ovation for WA Fish & Wild
> for removing the fresh dead Cackling Goose from Issaquah Sunset Beach same
> day they got the report.
>
> Larry Schwitters
> Issaquah
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
I’ve got a lot to understand here but this is a big deal. Researchers have been tracking Monarchs for years but this is a game changer. Want to see their transmitter specs but article says personal smartphones can be used as receivers.
Did I say this is a big deal. And…..Standing ovation for WA Fish & Wild for removing the fresh dead Cackling Goose from Issaquah Sunset Beach same day they got the report.
Date: 11/22/25 10:45 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk for Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR on 11/19/2025
Dear Tweets,
Approximately 25 of us had a really nice Autumn day at the Refuge with
cloudy skies and temperatures in the 40's to 50's degrees Fahrenheit.
There was a Low 7'7" Tide at 11:15am and a High 12'8" Tide at 3:52pm which
was really nice for keeping plenty of waterfowl within the inner Refuge
during our regular route. Highlights included First Of Year NORTHERN
SHRIKE spotted along the Nisqually Estuary Trail as well YELLOW-SHAFTED
NORTHERN FLICKER. The Orchard was good for RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER and
PILEATED WOODPECKER. The flooded fields along the Access or Maintenance
Roads were good for CACKLING GEESE and WILSON'S SNIPE. We had good
diversity of shorebirds at the Twin Barns Overlook Platform and on the
Nisqually Estuary Trail. AMERICAN BITTERN was seen in the freshwater marsh
and a late BARN SWALLOW briefly showed foraging low. We had a three
species of falcon day and 4 TRUMPETER SWANS flying and swimming in Shannon
Slough.
For the day we observed 78 species. With FOY Northern Shrike, we now have
observed 177 species thus far for 2025. See our eBird Report below with
awesome photos embedded.
Other fun sightings included 4 point Columbian Black-tailed Deer partaking
in the flehman display, Great Blue Heron catching and eating a Townsend's
Vole and a Muskrat at the Visitor Center Pond Overlook.
Until next week when we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook, happy birding.
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Nov 19, 2025 7:01 AM - 4:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.038 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Cloudy with Temperatures in the
40’s to 50’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low 7’7” Tide at 11:15am and a High 12’8”
Tide at 3:52. Others seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Eastern Gray
Squirrel, Douglas Squirrel, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Puget Sound Garter
Snake, Townsend’s Vole, Harbor Seal, California Sea Lion, and Muskrat.
78 species (+6 other taxa)
Cackling Goose (minima) 1500
Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 50
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 40
Trumpeter Swan 4 Spotted flying over Nisqually River, then over Refuge
into Shannon Slough. Photos.
Northern Shoveler 150
Gadwall 20
American Wigeon 2000
Mallard 200
Northern Pintail 1000
Green-winged Teal (American) 2000
Greater Scaup 30
Surf Scoter 25
White-winged Scoter 3
Bufflehead 300
Common Goldeneye 2
Hooded Merganser 2
Red-breasted Merganser 5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 35
Mourning Dove 1
Anna's Hummingbird 1
Virginia Rail 2
American Coot (Red-shielded) 5
Black-bellied Plover 1
Long-billed Dowitcher 5
Wilson's Snipe 4 Spotted by Jon in the flooded field south of the Twin
Barns.
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 50
Dunlin 300
Least Sandpiper 125
Bonaparte's Gull 10 Viewed from the end of the Nisqually Estuary Trail
flaring south of Anderson Island.
Short-billed Gull 100
Ring-billed Gull 150
Glaucous-winged Gull 2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 6
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 15
Larus sp. 100
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Horned Grebe 6
Common Loon 2
Brandt's Cormorant 5
Double-crested Cormorant 25
American Bittern 1 Spotted by Craig in the Freshwater Marsh along the
Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) 51
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Northern) 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Northern Harrier 3
Bald Eagle 8
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Belted Kingfisher 3
Red-breasted Sapsucker 2 Orchard.
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 3
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1 Orchard.
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1 Spotted by Mary Linders on the
Nisqually Estuary Trail on either side of the dike. Female, red on nape,
brown face, and yellow shafts. Photos taken. Observed for over 20 minutes
on either side of the dike foraging with other Northern Flickers.
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 4
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted) 2
American Kestrel 1 Spotted by Laurie at the green closure gate for the
old McAllister Creek Access Road.
Merlin 1 Spotted by Miles in tree along Nisqually River.
Peregrine Falcon 2
Northern Shrike 1 Spotted by Janel and Mary along Leschi Slough and in
the Freshwater Marsh along the Nisqually Estuary Trail.
American Crow 75
Common Raven 4
Black-capped Chickadee 20
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 4
Barn Swallow 1 Observed for 10-15 seconds at 1/4 mile with 10x
binoculars flying/foraging over freshwater marsh from Nisqually Estuary
Trail or dike. Dark throat and back with light cream colored breast and
belly. Seen by other birders on dike.
Bushtit 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 20
Golden-crowned Kinglet 10
Brown Creeper 4
Pacific Wren (Pacific) 6
Marsh Wren 8
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 6
European Starling 125
American Robin 30
Purple Finch 1 West End Parking Lot.
Pine Siskin 2
American Goldfinch 10
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 4
Golden-crowned Sparrow 15
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 18
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Spotted by Jon along the Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Spotted Towhee (oregonus Group) 4
Western Meadowlark 2
Red-winged Blackbird 100
Date: 11/21/25 6:43 pm From: Bob Boekelheide via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Bonaparte's extravaganza
Hello Dennis and Tweeters,
The Bonaparte’s bonanza has also come to Sequim Bay, where last Sunday (Nov 16, 2025) I think there was the largest number of Bonaparte’s Gulls (57) that I’ve seen there since the 1990s. Nothing like the thousands you saw, but very lovely to see.
Bob Boekelheide
Dungeness
From: Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> Subject: [Tweeters] Bonaparte's extravaganza
Date: November 19, 2025 at 8:48:44 AM PST
To: TWEETERS tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> Reply-To: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson...> <mailto:<dennispaulson...>>
Hello, tweets.
Elaine Chuang, Netta Smith and I visited Blaine yesterday, and I saw something I have never seen before: a spectacular show by Bonaparte’s Gulls foraging over Drayton Harbor and Semiahmoo Bay. From the pier at Blaine we saw that the gulls extended in all directions, as far as we could see with binoculars and scope, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds, surely a thousand or more. They flew rapidly over the water and dipped to the surface at intervals.
Apparently the reason for this was the presence of dense schools of many thousands of herrings. They were going by the pier in dense rivers, hundreds of individuals deep and wide, and extending that to the whole area where the gulls were foraging, there were surely many millions of them. We could only conclude that as the gulls were foraging in the same way everywhere, there must have been herrings everywhere.
There were other gulls, Horned Grebes, and cormorants also foraging in the same area, but nothing like the numbers of Bonaparte’s. They were roosting by the hundreds with shorebirds on the mudflats on the north side of the road out to the pier, presumably their bellies full of herrings.
The neatest thing was that there were herrings below us as we stood on the edge of the pier, and adult and the occasional immature Bonaparte's came in after them, dropping to the water also right below us. Most of them came up empty, but when a gull would catch a fish, it stopped on the surface to swallow it, and we could take photos. The photos showed the herring prey clearly, all the fish no larger than 2 inches in length. As Pacific Herring can reach a length of a foot or more, these were all quite young ones,
We also saw the same numbers from the end of Semiahmoo Spit, although the gulls weren’t as close there. And some Bonaparte’s were even at the south end of Drayton Harbor as we drove around to the spit. I don’t know how long this will continue, but anyone living in the area might want to head over there to experience this wonderful spectacle. It would be interesting to know how long it continues.
Date: 11/21/25 11:48 am From: Denis DeSilvis via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) Eagle's Pride Golf Course (GC) monthly bird walk - 11-20-2025
Tweeters,
The 22 birders that toured the Eagle's Pride GC on a fine day (44-56degF) were just topped by the number of species - 27 - that we tallied. (This wasn't the fewest species seen here in November, but close. See below.) The number individual birds, however, was very low (134 individual birds) compared with previous years. The only outstanding count was for ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS - 11 - including a couple of sightings of two Anna's in close proximity to each other with no aggressive behavior noted. Thanks to the five members of Vancouver (WA) Audubon Society that toured with us before they headed to Billy Frank, Jr., Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.
Of concern was the fact we had no (!) waterfowl seen at Hodge Lake. This is usually the most productive area for waterfowl at Eagle's Pride in the winter.
For what it's worth, here's a wrap-up of low species counts in November since we started this birdwalk in 2013:
24 - 2019
25 - 2022 and 2017
26 - 2016
27 - 2013
Mammals seen: Three Townsend's chipmunks.
The JBLM Eagle's Pride GC birders meet the third Thursday of each month at 9:00AM from November to February. (Meeting time is 8:00AM March-October.) The starting point is the Driving Range building, Eagle's Pride Golf Course, I-5 Exit 116, Mounts Road Exit. (Turn left immediately after entering the parking lot to take the road leading to the driving range building.) Upcoming walks include the following:
* December 18
* January 15
* February 19
From the eBird PNW report:
27 species
Mallard 9
Ring-necked Duck 2
Bufflehead 1
Hooded Merganser 11 8 females and 1 male at the maintenance pond. Two more at the 9th hole pond.
Date: 11/21/25 11:06 am From: Martha Jordan via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Avian Influenza more info
There is more on AI: WDFW has a website page where they are asking people to report sick/dead birds that might be avian influenza related. There is a form on line for reporting and this is the preferred method for reporting. If it is a swan, please also call the swan hotline number: 360-466-0515 Avian Influenza URL is:
Date: 11/21/25 10:41 am From: Nagi Aboulenein via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Yayyy! Wisdom is back on Midway Atoll
Hi Ronda,
As I recollect the Bolsa Chica crash was due to operator error - whether deliberate or not, is probably immaterial from the perspective of the impact it had on the colony.
But even without any operator error, if the drone experiences a technical problem and crashes, the end results might stil be the same - that’s the part that worries me. Murphy’s law can strike even with the most experienced and knowledgeable drone operators.
For what it’s worth, I’ll try to reach out to the FOMA folks.
Thanks.
—
Nagi Aboulenein
> On Friday, Nov 21, 2025 at 09:44, Ronda Stark <rondastark18...> (mailto:<rondastark18...>)> wrote:
> Hi Nagi,
>
> I hope you will consider sending email directly to Friends of Midway Atoll. They have raised $75,000 for the drone project and they are seeking an additional $25,000 in funding for the project. The website suggests that if the human census and the drone census produce similar results that there will be a more permanent change for how counts are conducted.
> The assumption seemed to be that this would be less intrusive for the albatross and that was why I raised the question.
>
> I remember the Bolsa Chica crash and I believe that was deliberate-- teenagers who thought it was acceptable to disturb the colony?
>
> Thank you,
> Ronda
>
>
> On Fri, Nov 21, 2025 at 9:01 AM Nagi Aboulenein <nagi.aboulenein...> (mailto:<nagi.aboulenein...>)> wrote:
> > Sorry, didn’t include Tweeters in my original reply. Here it is again, with Tweeters now included.
> >
> > Usage of drones would be very worrisome - there was an incident a few years ago, where a drone crashed into an Elegant Tern nesting colony at Bolsa Chica in southern California, resulting in a total nesting failure for the entire colony for that year.
> >
> > Drones don’t just crash because of stupid operator mistakes - drones can also crash due to technical failure, power loss, etc. Results of a drone crash on nesting success would worry me a lot.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> >
> >
> > —
> > Nagi Aboulenein
> >
> >
> > > On Friday, Nov 21, 2025 at 08:35, Ronda Stark via Tweeters <tweeters...> (mailto:<tweeters...>)> wrote:
> > > Thank you to everyone for taking the time to share their experiences!
> > >
> > > On the website, I see they are planning to conduct the usual census and they are also raising funds to purchase drones to conduct an aerial census and compare results. Can anyone comment on that approach?
> > >
> > > Bob, were you part of a scientific study? I thought visitation to the area was greatly restricted.
> > >
> > > Ronda
> > > On Fri, Nov 21, 2025 at 12:17 AM Carla Conway <mikiconway...> (mailto:<mikiconway...>)> wrote:
> > > > Hi Ronda,
> > > > Thank you so much for planning a gift to FOMA, it will be greatly appreciated. FOMA also supports scientific research and conservation by providing funding for projects such as the annual nesting albatross census. They covered the cost of meals for our group when I was a nest census volunteer in 2021-22 and it helped a lot!
> > > > Smiles,
> > > > Carla
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 8:59 PM Scott Richardson via Tweeters <tweeters...> (mailto:<tweeters...>)> wrote:
> > > > > I’ve appreciated FOMA’s dedication to both the natural history and cultural history of the atoll. The umbrella makes a lot of sense for the place. Their website covers a lot!
> > > > >
> > > > > Scott
> > > > >
> > > > > > On Nov 20, 2025, at 19:05, Ronda Stark via Tweeters <tweeters...> (mailto:<tweeters...>)> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thank you for posting about Wisdom. I am planning to gift to Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. If you happen to know anything about their work please contact me.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Ronda
> > > > > > On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM Ellen Blackstone via Tweeters <tweeters...> (mailto:<tweeters...>)> wrote:
> > > > > > > Wisdom, the Laysan Albatross that is at least 75 years old, is back on Midway Atoll!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > https://friendsofmidway.org/ > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Cheers all around!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Ellen Blackstone
> > > > > > > Edmonds WA
> > > > > > > ellenblackstone AT gmail DOT COM
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > > Tweeters mailing list
> > > > > > > <Tweeters...> (mailto:<Tweeters...>)
> > > > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > Tweeters mailing list
> > > > > > <Tweeters...> (mailto:<Tweeters...>)
> > > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Tweeters mailing list
> > > > > <Tweeters...> (mailto:<Tweeters...>)
> > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > _______________________________________________
> > > Tweeters mailing list
> > > <Tweeters...> (mailto:<Tweeters...>)
> > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/21/25 10:05 am From: Ronda Stark via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Yayyy! Wisdom is back on Midway Atoll
Hi Nagi,
I hope you will consider sending email directly to Friends of Midway Atoll.
They have raised $75,000 for the drone project and they are seeking an
additional $25,000 in funding for the project. The website suggests that if
the human census and the drone census produce similar results that there
will be a more permanent change for how counts are conducted.
The assumption seemed to be that this would be less intrusive for the
albatross and that was why I raised the question.
I remember the Bolsa Chica crash and I believe that was deliberate--
teenagers who thought it was acceptable to disturb the colony?
Thank you,
Ronda
On Fri, Nov 21, 2025 at 9:01 AM Nagi Aboulenein <nagi.aboulenein...>
wrote:
> Sorry, didn’t include Tweeters in my original reply. Here it is again,
> with Tweeters now included.
>
> Usage of drones would be very worrisome - there was an incident a few
> years ago, where a drone crashed into an Elegant Tern nesting colony at
> Bolsa Chica in southern California, resulting in a total nesting failure
> for the entire colony for that year.
>
> Drones don’t just crash because of stupid operator mistakes - drones can
> also crash due to technical failure, power loss, etc. Results of a drone
> crash on nesting success would worry me a lot.
>
> Thanks!
> —
> Nagi Aboulenein
>
>
> On Friday, Nov 21, 2025 at 08:35, Ronda Stark via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
> Thank you to everyone for taking the time to share their experiences!
>
> On the website, I see they are planning to conduct the usual census and
> they are also raising funds to purchase drones to conduct an aerial census
> and compare results. Can anyone comment on that approach?
>
> Bob, were you part of a scientific study? I thought visitation to the area
> was greatly restricted.
>
> Ronda
>
> On Fri, Nov 21, 2025 at 12:17 AM Carla Conway <mikiconway...>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Ronda,
>> Thank you so much for planning a gift to FOMA, it will be greatly
>> appreciated. FOMA also supports scientific research and conservation by
>> providing funding for projects such as the annual nesting albatross census.
>> They covered the cost of meals for our group when I was a nest census
>> volunteer in 2021-22 and it helped a lot!
>> Smiles,
>> Carla
>>
>> On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 8:59 PM Scott Richardson via Tweeters <
>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>
>>> I’ve appreciated FOMA’s dedication to both the natural history and
>>> cultural history of the atoll. The umbrella makes a lot of sense for the
>>> place. Their website covers a lot!
>>>
>>> Scott
>>>
>>> On Nov 20, 2025, at 19:05, Ronda Stark via Tweeters <
>>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Thank you for posting about Wisdom. I am planning to gift to Friends of
>>> Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. If you happen to know anything about
>>> their work please contact me.
>>>
>>> Ronda
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM Ellen Blackstone via Tweeters <
>>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Wisdom, the Laysan Albatross that is at least 75 years old, is back on
>>>> Midway Atoll!
>>>>
>>>> https://friendsofmidway.org/ >>>>
>>>> Cheers all around!
>>>>
>>>> Ellen Blackstone
>>>> Edmonds WA
>>>> ellenblackstone AT gmail DOT COM
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>>> <Tweeters...>
>>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>> <Tweeters...>
>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>> <Tweeters...>
>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>>
>> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
>
Date: 11/21/25 9:22 am From: Nagi Aboulenein via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Yayyy! Wisdom is back on Midway Atoll
Sorry, didn’t include Tweeters in my original reply. Here it is again, with Tweeters now included.
Usage of drones would be very worrisome - there was an incident a few years ago, where a drone crashed into an Elegant Tern nesting colony at Bolsa Chica in southern California, resulting in a total nesting failure for the entire colony for that year.
Drones don’t just crash because of stupid operator mistakes - drones can also crash due to technical failure, power loss, etc. Results of a drone crash on nesting success would worry me a lot.
Thanks!
—
Nagi Aboulenein
> On Friday, Nov 21, 2025 at 08:35, Ronda Stark via Tweeters <tweeters...> (mailto:<tweeters...>)> wrote:
> Thank you to everyone for taking the time to share their experiences!
>
> On the website, I see they are planning to conduct the usual census and they are also raising funds to purchase drones to conduct an aerial census and compare results. Can anyone comment on that approach?
>
> Bob, were you part of a scientific study? I thought visitation to the area was greatly restricted.
>
> Ronda
> On Fri, Nov 21, 2025 at 12:17 AM Carla Conway <mikiconway...> (mailto:<mikiconway...>)> wrote:
> > Hi Ronda,
> > Thank you so much for planning a gift to FOMA, it will be greatly appreciated. FOMA also supports scientific research and conservation by providing funding for projects such as the annual nesting albatross census. They covered the cost of meals for our group when I was a nest census volunteer in 2021-22 and it helped a lot!
> > Smiles,
> > Carla
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 8:59 PM Scott Richardson via Tweeters <tweeters...> (mailto:<tweeters...>)> wrote:
> > > I’ve appreciated FOMA’s dedication to both the natural history and cultural history of the atoll. The umbrella makes a lot of sense for the place. Their website covers a lot!
> > >
> > > Scott
> > >
> > > > On Nov 20, 2025, at 19:05, Ronda Stark via Tweeters <tweeters...> (mailto:<tweeters...>)> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Thank you for posting about Wisdom. I am planning to gift to Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. If you happen to know anything about their work please contact me.
> > > >
> > > > Ronda
> > > > On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM Ellen Blackstone via Tweeters <tweeters...> (mailto:<tweeters...>)> wrote:
> > > > > Wisdom, the Laysan Albatross that is at least 75 years old, is back on Midway Atoll!
> > > > >
> > > > > https://friendsofmidway.org/ > > > > >
> > > > > Cheers all around!
> > > > >
> > > > > Ellen Blackstone
> > > > > Edmonds WA
> > > > > ellenblackstone AT gmail DOT COM
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Tweeters mailing list
> > > > > <Tweeters...> (mailto:<Tweeters...>)
> > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Tweeters mailing list
> > > > <Tweeters...> (mailto:<Tweeters...>)
> > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > _______________________________________________
> > > Tweeters mailing list
> > > <Tweeters...> (mailto:<Tweeters...>)
> > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/21/25 8:54 am From: Ronda Stark via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Yayyy! Wisdom is back on Midway Atoll
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to share their experiences!
On the website, I see they are planning to conduct the usual census and
they are also raising funds to purchase drones to conduct an aerial census
and compare results. Can anyone comment on that approach?
Bob, were you part of a scientific study? I thought visitation to the area
was greatly restricted.
Ronda
On Fri, Nov 21, 2025 at 12:17 AM Carla Conway <mikiconway...> wrote:
> Hi Ronda,
> Thank you so much for planning a gift to FOMA, it will be greatly
> appreciated. FOMA also supports scientific research and conservation by
> providing funding for projects such as the annual nesting albatross census.
> They covered the cost of meals for our group when I was a nest census
> volunteer in 2021-22 and it helped a lot!
> Smiles,
> Carla
>
> On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 8:59 PM Scott Richardson via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
>
>> I’ve appreciated FOMA’s dedication to both the natural history and
>> cultural history of the atoll. The umbrella makes a lot of sense for the
>> place. Their website covers a lot!
>>
>> Scott
>>
>> On Nov 20, 2025, at 19:05, Ronda Stark via Tweeters <
>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Thank you for posting about Wisdom. I am planning to gift to Friends of
>> Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. If you happen to know anything about
>> their work please contact me.
>>
>> Ronda
>>
>> On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM Ellen Blackstone via Tweeters <
>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>
>>> Wisdom, the Laysan Albatross that is at least 75 years old, is back on
>>> Midway Atoll!
>>>
>>> https://friendsofmidway.org/ >>>
>>> Cheers all around!
>>>
>>> Ellen Blackstone
>>> Edmonds WA
>>> ellenblackstone AT gmail DOT COM
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>> <Tweeters...>
>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...>
>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...>
>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>
>
Date: 11/21/25 12:36 am From: Carla Conway via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Yayyy! Wisdom is back on Midway Atoll
Hi Ronda,
Thank you so much for planning a gift to FOMA, it will be greatly
appreciated. FOMA also supports scientific research and conservation by
providing funding for projects such as the annual nesting albatross census.
They covered the cost of meals for our group when I was a nest census
volunteer in 2021-22 and it helped a lot!
Smiles,
Carla
On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 8:59 PM Scott Richardson via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> I’ve appreciated FOMA’s dedication to both the natural history and
> cultural history of the atoll. The umbrella makes a lot of sense for the
> place. Their website covers a lot!
>
> Scott
>
> On Nov 20, 2025, at 19:05, Ronda Stark via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
>
>
> Thank you for posting about Wisdom. I am planning to gift to Friends of
> Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. If you happen to know anything about
> their work please contact me.
>
> Ronda
>
> On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM Ellen Blackstone via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
>
>> Wisdom, the Laysan Albatross that is at least 75 years old, is back on
>> Midway Atoll!
>>
>> https://friendsofmidway.org/ >>
>> Cheers all around!
>>
>> Ellen Blackstone
>> Edmonds WA
>> ellenblackstone AT gmail DOT COM
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...>
>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/20/25 7:24 pm From: Ronda Stark via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Yayyy! Wisdom is back on Midway Atoll
Thank you for posting about Wisdom. I am planning to gift to Friends of
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. If you happen to know anything about
their work please contact me.
Ronda
On Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM Ellen Blackstone via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Wisdom, the Laysan Albatross that is at least 75 years old, is back on
> Midway Atoll!
>
> https://friendsofmidway.org/ >
> Cheers all around!
>
> Ellen Blackstone
> Edmonds WA
> ellenblackstone AT gmail DOT COM
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/20/25 5:18 pm From: Jane Hadley via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Christmas Bird Count information available now
Dear Tweetsters - Thanks to the considerable efforts of Jim Danzenbaker, the time, place and other details of this year's Christmas Bird Counts around the state are now available on the Washington Ornithological Society (WOS) website.
For the past eight years, Jim has volunteered to gather this information for more than 50 count circles touching some part of the state.
At least three counts are new to the CBC webpage this year: 1) Douglas Schonewald is sponsoring a test count for a potential new circle for Potholes-Moses Lake. 2) The White Rock count circle is centered in British Columbia but extends south to take in Blaine, Drayton Harbor and part of Semiahmoo Bay. 3) The Columbia Estuary CBC, which includes the mouth of the Columbia, takes in parts of extreme northwest Oregon and extreme southwest Washington. Dave Irons is recruiting for this territory.
Earliest count is the test count for Potholes-Moses Lake, which is set for Saturday December 13. Last counts are three on Sunday January 4, 2026. It looks as if the big day for counts this year is Saturday December 20 with 14 counts happening on that date.
There is an abundance of dates (13) and territories to choose among. Grab a friend and sign up!
Date: 11/20/25 1:55 pm From: Michael Hobbs via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2025-11-20
Tweets - The night's rain ended around 6:30 a.m., and the weather was somewhere between really nice and delightful the rest of the morning. Temps averaged about 50 degrees, no wind :) It was birdy too, making for a wonderful fall survey.
Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose - Six below the weir Trumpeter Swan - Three flew south, calling, heading over the Viewing Mound. First of Fall (FOF) Green-winged Teal - Two drakes at the Rowing Club were our first since mid-October Scaup sp. - Several seen briefly from the Lake Platform. Jordan thought Lesser based on his photos Short-billed Gull - Only mentioning because there were so many today Horned Grebe - One or two visible from Lake Platform Common Loon - A late scan of the lake turned up one. Right when we got to the slough, though, we may also have heard one. (FOF) Double-crested Cormorant - Flock after flock flying towards the lake. 40+ Sharp-shinned Hawk - Adult, seen twice, caused consternation amongst a variety of birds Barn Owl - I saw one just after 6:30 at the model airplane field American Robin - Utterly ubiquitous. Impossible to count, but over 100, and probably over 200 Cedar Waxwing - Three near the Dog Area portapotties Western Meadowlark - Three or more, with one singing BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD - Male near the Dog Area portapotties. Only our 2nd ever for November, and only our 5th ever for Oct-Feb.
We had no White-throated Sparrows, despite having had 3-4 last week (which I forgot to mention in my Tweeters post - we had three at the same moment near the Dog Area portapotties with another sighting 100 yards+ further north).
Misses today included Common Merganser, American Coot, Killdeer, Cooper's Hawk, Pine Siskin, and Lincoln's Sparrow.
For the day, 60 species.
= Michael Hobbs = <BirdMarymoor...> = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
Date: 11/19/25 8:16 pm From: Steve Hampton via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] RE Bonaparte's extravaganza
Some of the same going on in Port Townsend at Pt Wilson -- 175 Bonaparte's
Gulls feeding with several hundred Common and Red-br Mergansers on bait
fish (herring, maybe also sand lance) along the sandy beach, seemingly in
less than 3" of water. The feeding frenzies are quite ephemeral, lasting
less than 30 minutes.
On Wed, Nov 19, 2025 at 12:44 PM Kersti Muul via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Lots of Bonaparte's along the Kitsap peninsula for several weeks. When I
> observe them, (several days a week during work) they are mixed with several
> other gull sp. and skimming for fish, but these are pile perch they are
> grabbing where I am.
>
> *Nowhere near* the numbers you had, but fun to watch/listen to - and
> consistently there.
> Yesterday the light was exquisite and the water like fluid glass. With
> thousands of perch just under the surface.
>
> Thanks for sharing.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/19/25 4:45 pm From: Martha Jordan via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Latest info on Bird Flu
The Washington State Dept. of Agriculture just released the latest information for the public to know to "Stop the spread of bird flu: Public asked not to touch wild birds and to take precautions handling domestic birds" You can read the news release here:
Date: 11/19/25 3:56 pm From: Tim Brennan via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Did someone say underbirded counties?
Hey Tweets!
I just finally got blogging finished on wwccountybirding.blogspot.com for October<https://wwccountybirding.blogspot.com/2025/11/october-7-8-try-for-boreal-owls.html> (focus on a search for Boreal Owls in Columbia County), and November<https://wwccountybirding.blogspot.com/2025/11/november-3rd-walla-walla-finish-line.html> (a quick stop in Walla Walla County, and a little exploration along the Snake River in Columbia). I completely appreciate the year list information that Matt puts together, and especially in the questions it raises about underbirded places like Columbia. Columbia got some love this year, with some excellent birders (and me!) not only spending time in the county, but spending time in new places! Some paddling in kayaks has opened up some birding on the Tucannon River, and even out on the Snake (anyone else been to New York Island on the Columbia River?). 200 species is a pretty good year in Columbia for a county-wide total species found... this year, a birder is presently three species short of that mark! Second place (also not me!) is over a dozen species past the previous year list record.
So, for anyone interested in looking at the statistics of it, and total species found per checklist, or whatever, this year would provide a nice little outlier to play with! For people who overlap into baseball stats, I just give you the humorous question: "Yes, other birders had a higher OPS than Christopher Lindsey this year, but birding in Columbia County... Why aren't we looking at OPS+?" A good chuckle for that tiny part of the Venn diagram that is too far into both baseball and county birding. 😄
Date: 11/19/25 1:04 pm From: Kersti Muul via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] RE Bonaparte's extravaganza
Lots of Bonaparte's along the Kitsap peninsula for several weeks. When I observe them, (several days a week during work) they are mixed with several other gull sp. and skimming for fish, but these are pile perch they are grabbing where I am.
*Nowhere near* the numbers you had, but fun to watch/listen to - and consistently there. Yesterday the light was exquisite and the water like fluid glass. With thousands of perch just under the surface.
Date: 11/19/25 9:09 am From: Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Bonaparte's extravaganza
Hello, tweets.
Elaine Chuang, Netta Smith and I visited Blaine yesterday, and I saw something I have never seen before: a spectacular show by Bonaparte’s Gulls foraging over Drayton Harbor and Semiahmoo Bay. From the pier at Blaine we saw that the gulls extended in all directions, as far as we could see with binoculars and scope, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds, surely a thousand or more. They flew rapidly over the water and dipped to the surface at intervals.
Apparently the reason for this was the presence of dense schools of many thousands of herrings. They were going by the pier in dense rivers, hundreds of individuals deep and wide, and extending that to the whole area where the gulls were foraging, there were surely many millions of them. We could only conclude that as the gulls were foraging in the same way everywhere, there must have been herrings everywhere.
There were other gulls, Horned Grebes, and cormorants also foraging in the same area, but nothing like the numbers of Bonaparte’s. They were roosting by the hundreds with shorebirds on the mudflats on the north side of the road out to the pier, presumably their bellies full of herrings.
The neatest thing was that there were herrings below us as we stood on the edge of the pier, and adult and the occasional immature Bonaparte's came in after them, dropping to the water also right below us. Most of them came up empty, but when a gull would catch a fish, it stopped on the surface to swallow it, and we could take photos. The photos showed the herring prey clearly, all the fish no larger than 2 inches in length. As Pacific Herring can reach a length of a foot or more, these were all quite young ones,
We also saw the same numbers from the end of Semiahmoo Spit, although the gulls weren’t as close there. And some Bonaparte’s were even at the south end of Drayton Harbor as we drove around to the spit. I don’t know how long this will continue, but anyone living in the area might want to head over there to experience this wonderful spectacle. It would be interesting to know how long it continues.
Date: 11/19/25 6:31 am From: Matt Bartels via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] WA County Year List Project updated through October 2025 [WA Birder]
Hi Dennis -
Interesting potential future projects for someone with some time and a bit of stats literacy.
On eBird, you can get a lot of interesting info w/o digging much.
If you go to the ‘Explore page’ for any county, right up top you’ll see the total # of species reported, # of checklists, and # of eBirders. A bit further down, the same figures for the current month are presented.
With just some time, you could pull all those markers for all the WA counties.
I assume there’s some point after which the # of birders is enough to reach ’saturation’ where more birders doesn’t continue to lead to more birds. At that point, I’d expect habitat to be a bigger factor in the # of birds found. these two factors are of not independent -
There’s huge variation in how heavily birded counties are - just a couple examples:
King County this month so far has reported 163 species on 2783 lists from 879 eBirders
Garfield Ccounty, by contrast, has reported 75 species on 37 lists from 9 eBirders
When King has 100x as many checklists and eBirders in a month as Garfield, it isn’t surprising more species have been found in King this month….
You could definitely build out that info - I’m sure there are worthwhile factors that would muddy the findings - Rather than hypothesize all the reasons this or that presentation of the data is flawed, I favor trying to use a bunch of different lenses to look at the data we have, knowing none will be ‘perfect’…
Interesting to noodle around on all this
Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA
> On Nov 18, 2025, at 7:03 AM, Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson...> wrote:
>
> Matt, thanks as always for your thorough analyses.
>
> I wonder if a significant part of the analysis is missing, though—the number of birders who report those bird species.
>
> I don’t know any other way to do it relatively simply than to get a figure for the number of people who sent in eBird lists each year (for each county, even better) in recent decades. How about graphing that vs. number of species?
>
> Can we look at it thinking that as the number of birders go up, we should be seeing more species? Apparently not, but then what does that mean?
>
> It would also be interesting to analyze the species themselves. Which species have been reported in every single year for which you have been keeping records? Which species are missing in just a couple of those years, and any ideas why? How about volunteers to take on some of these analyses on winter days too rainy to go out birding?
>
> Dennis Paulson
> Seattle
>
>> On Nov 18, 2025, at 6:00 AM, Matt Bartels via Tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Tweeters & InlandNW Birder
>>
>> An updated version of the 2025 County Yearlist Project is up and available at Washington Birder.
>> http://wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html >>
>> Thanks compilers for all your work, and thanks everyone who has contributed.
>>
>> This update, coming at the end of October and as Fall Migration has pretty much wrapped up, is a relatively stable point to check in - only a few late migrants and then winter birds left for the year lists.
>>
>> Here’s how things look compared with recent years:
>>
>> We’ve tallied 390 species statewide as of the end of October in 2025. That’s one higher (essentially the same) as we had at this point last year and the year before.
>>
>> For Western WA, our 361 total is 1 lower than last year, and 4 lower than 2023.
>>
>> For Eastern WA, our 319 total is 4 lower than last year, and 5 lower than 2023.
>>
>> Overall, we’re looking pretty similar to last year.
>>
>> Looking at the percentage of each county’s total list seen, 33 counties have seen between 60% and 75% of their county’s total list - a pretty consistent result saying about 2/3 of the birds on any county’s have been found The biggest outlier: Okanogan County, which has seen 81.6% of its list total already this year.
>>
>>
>> 34 counties have totals within 10 of their 2024 totals.
>> 18 counties have higher totals than this time last year, while 17 have lower totals than at this point last year.
>> Four counties have exactly the same total as at this point last year [Asotin, Pierce, San Juan and Walla Walla].
>>
>> 91 species have been seen in all 39 counties, and 168 species have been found in 30 or more counties.
>>
>> If you'd like to take a look at where things stand, the list and many other interesting files are at the Washington Birder website:
>>
>> http://www.wabirder.com/ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.wabirder.com/__;!!JYXjzlvb!zG34Bg6bHN7DFbBBUaTDwShMg1FqqyJYn5MFZzMWbfTt3uAOqMTkSTJu0EzT-2kdesFyODa5qw$> >>
>>
>> A direct link to the 2025 county yearlist & the list of county compilers contact info:
>> http://www.wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html__;!!JYXjzlvb!zG34Bg6bHN7DFbBBUaTDwShMg1FqqyJYn5MFZzMWbfTt3uAOqMTkSTJu0EzT-2kdesFgZPFJVA$> >>
>>
>> Thanks to all the compilers and all those pitching in to sketch a picture of another year's birds in WA.
>>
>> Good birding,
>>
>> Matt Bartels
>> [mattxyz at earthlink dot net]
>> Seattle, Wa
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...> <mailto:<Tweeters...> >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/18/25 3:26 pm From: Jim Betz via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Re WA County Year List Project updated through October 2025
Dennis,
Number of birders should track directly to the slightly different
"number of
eBirders". Which, probably in today's world, means "number of new
birders" ... which is unlikely to produce new/uncommon/rare species ... ?
And there seems, at least to me, to be a growing number (percentage?) of
birders who are simply uninterested in the unusual/rare birds - nor even
particularly interested in metrics such as Life Lists, etc. Most of the
"new
to birding people that I meet and talk to" are younger and simply don't
consider such things important ("I'm not a competitive birder.").
And let's not forget the kinds of attrition we are seeing where older
birders are no longer birding, experienced birders are moving away, etc.
I often meet people who don't even know about eBird and/or don't use it.
Date: 11/18/25 8:54 am From: David Swinford via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] WA County Year List Project updated through October 2025 [WA Birder]
Maybe hours spent looking vs. no. of birders.
On Tue, Nov 18, 2025 at 7:04 AM Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Matt, thanks as always for your thorough analyses.
>
> I wonder if a significant part of the analysis is missing, though—the
> number of birders who report those bird species.
>
> I don’t know any other way to do it relatively simply than to get a figure
> for the number of people who sent in eBird lists each year (for each
> county, even better) in recent decades. How about graphing that vs. number
> of species?
>
> Can we look at it thinking that as the number of birders go up, we should
> be seeing more species? Apparently not, but then what does that mean?
>
> It would also be interesting to analyze the species themselves. Which
> species have been reported in every single year for which you have been
> keeping records? Which species are missing in just a couple of those years,
> and any ideas why? How about volunteers to take on some of these analyses
> on winter days too rainy to go out birding?
>
> Dennis Paulson
> Seattle
>
> On Nov 18, 2025, at 6:00 AM, Matt Bartels via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
>
> Hi Tweeters & InlandNW Birder
>
> An updated version of the 2025 County Yearlist Project is up and available
> at Washington Birder.
> http://wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html >
> Thanks compilers for all your work, and thanks everyone who has
> contributed.
>
> This update, coming at the end of October and as Fall Migration has pretty
> much wrapped up, is a relatively stable point to check in - only a few late
> migrants and then winter birds left for the year lists.
>
> Here’s how things look compared with recent years:
>
> *We’ve tallied 390 species statewide as of the end of October in 202*5.
> That’s one higher (essentially the same) as we had at this point last year
> and the year before.
>
> *For Western WA, our 361 total *is 1 lower than last year, and 4 lower
> than 2023.
>
> *For Eastern WA, our 319 total* is 4 lower than last year, and 5 lower
> than 2023.
>
> Overall, we’re looking pretty similar to last year.
>
> Looking at the percentage of each county’s total list seen, 33 counties
> have seen between 60% and 75% of their county’s total list - a pretty
> consistent result saying about 2/3 of the birds on any county’s have been
> found The biggest outlier: Okanogan County, which has seen 81.6% of its
> list total already this year.
>
>
> *34 counties *have totals within 10 of their 2024 totals.
> *18 counties* have higher totals than this time last year, while 17 have
> lower totals than at this point last year.
> Four counties have exactly the same total as at this point last year
> [Asotin, Pierce, San Juan and Walla Walla].
>
> *91 species have been seen in all 39 counties*, and 168 species have been
> found in 30 or more counties.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *If you'd like to take a look at where things stand, the list and many
> other interesting files are at the Washington Birder
> website: http://www.wabirder.com/ > <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.wabirder.com/__;!!JYXjzlvb!zG34Bg6bHN7DFbBBUaTDwShMg1FqqyJYn5MFZzMWbfTt3uAOqMTkSTJu0EzT-2kdesFyODa5qw$> A
> direct link to the 2025 county yearlist & the list of county compilers
> contact info:http://www.wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html__;!!JYXjzlvb!zG34Bg6bHN7DFbBBUaTDwShMg1FqqyJYn5MFZzMWbfTt3uAOqMTkSTJu0EzT-2kdesFgZPFJVA$>Thanks > to all the compilers and all those pitching in to sketch a picture of
> another year's birds in WA. Good birding,Matt Bartels[mattxyz at earthlink
> dot net]Seattle, Wa*
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/18/25 7:23 am From: Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] WA County Year List Project updated through October 2025 [WA Birder]
Matt, thanks as always for your thorough analyses.
I wonder if a significant part of the analysis is missing, though—the number of birders who report those bird species.
I don’t know any other way to do it relatively simply than to get a figure for the number of people who sent in eBird lists each year (for each county, even better) in recent decades. How about graphing that vs. number of species?
Can we look at it thinking that as the number of birders go up, we should be seeing more species? Apparently not, but then what does that mean?
It would also be interesting to analyze the species themselves. Which species have been reported in every single year for which you have been keeping records? Which species are missing in just a couple of those years, and any ideas why? How about volunteers to take on some of these analyses on winter days too rainy to go out birding?
Dennis Paulson
Seattle
> On Nov 18, 2025, at 6:00 AM, Matt Bartels via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>
> Hi Tweeters & InlandNW Birder
>
> An updated version of the 2025 County Yearlist Project is up and available at Washington Birder.
> http://wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html <http://wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html> >
> Thanks compilers for all your work, and thanks everyone who has contributed.
>
> This update, coming at the end of October and as Fall Migration has pretty much wrapped up, is a relatively stable point to check in - only a few late migrants and then winter birds left for the year lists.
>
> Here’s how things look compared with recent years:
>
> We’ve tallied 390 species statewide as of the end of October in 2025. That’s one higher (essentially the same) as we had at this point last year and the year before.
>
> For Western WA, our 361 total is 1 lower than last year, and 4 lower than 2023.
>
> For Eastern WA, our 319 total is 4 lower than last year, and 5 lower than 2023.
>
> Overall, we’re looking pretty similar to last year.
>
> Looking at the percentage of each county’s total list seen, 33 counties have seen between 60% and 75% of their county’s total list - a pretty consistent result saying about 2/3 of the birds on any county’s have been found The biggest outlier: Okanogan County, which has seen 81.6% of its list total already this year.
>
>
> 34 counties have totals within 10 of their 2024 totals.
> 18 counties have higher totals than this time last year, while 17 have lower totals than at this point last year.
> Four counties have exactly the same total as at this point last year [Asotin, Pierce, San Juan and Walla Walla].
>
> 91 species have been seen in all 39 counties, and 168 species have been found in 30 or more counties.
>
> If you'd like to take a look at where things stand, the list and many other interesting files are at the Washington Birder website:
>
> http://www.wabirder.com/ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.wabirder.com/__;!!JYXjzlvb!zG34Bg6bHN7DFbBBUaTDwShMg1FqqyJYn5MFZzMWbfTt3uAOqMTkSTJu0EzT-2kdesFyODa5qw$> >
>
> A direct link to the 2025 county yearlist & the list of county compilers contact info:
> http://www.wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.wabirder.com/county_yearlist.html__;!!JYXjzlvb!zG34Bg6bHN7DFbBBUaTDwShMg1FqqyJYn5MFZzMWbfTt3uAOqMTkSTJu0EzT-2kdesFgZPFJVA$> >
>
> Thanks to all the compilers and all those pitching in to sketch a picture of another year's birds in WA.
>
> Good birding,
>
> Matt Bartels
> [mattxyz at earthlink dot net]
> Seattle, Wa
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/18/25 6:21 am From: Matt Bartels via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] WA County Year List Project updated through October 2025 [WA Birder]
Thanks compilers for all your work, and thanks everyone who has contributed.
This update, coming at the end of October and as Fall Migration has pretty much wrapped up, is a relatively stable point to check in - only a few late migrants and then winter birds left for the year lists.
Here’s how things look compared with recent years:
We’ve tallied 390 species statewide as of the end of October in 2025. That’s one higher (essentially the same) as we had at this point last year and the year before.
For Western WA, our 361 total is 1 lower than last year, and 4 lower than 2023.
For Eastern WA, our 319 total is 4 lower than last year, and 5 lower than 2023.
Overall, we’re looking pretty similar to last year.
Looking at the percentage of each county’s total list seen, 33 counties have seen between 60% and 75% of their county’s total list - a pretty consistent result saying about 2/3 of the birds on any county’s have been found The biggest outlier: Okanogan County, which has seen 81.6% of its list total already this year.
34 counties have totals within 10 of their 2024 totals.
18 counties have higher totals than this time last year, while 17 have lower totals than at this point last year.
Four counties have exactly the same total as at this point last year [Asotin, Pierce, San Juan and Walla Walla].
91 species have been seen in all 39 counties, and 168 species have been found in 30 or more counties.
If you'd like to take a look at where things stand, the list and many other interesting files are at the Washington Birder website:
Date: 11/17/25 6:14 pm From: Dan Reiff via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] ot perhaps, bat
Rob and all,
Several years ago, when I was fly fishing for Steelhead , midday, 80° at the beginning of August, chest deep in the Skykomish river, a bat began flying around close by for about 30 minutes. Neat, but odd, atypical behavior.
I have spent thousands of hours fly fishing in rivers, and I had never seen that happen.
I did an online search and found that this is very unusual behavior and to be careful because the bat could have rabies which would result in the atypical behavior. The concern is that the atypical behavior could include biting a human.
Also, I do your round owl surveys in several locations.
There is one small bat species that I often see, even in cold weather, that will fly up and down paths in parks often passing me in the dark and seen in the flashlight beam.
I’m always pleasantly surprised when I see them in cold weather when it would seem like there is very little or no visible flying insect activity.
So, yes, some species of bats are active throughout the year.
And, be very careful if one is acting unusually, including flying and feeding during the daylight.
Dan Reiff, PhD
Sent from my iPhone
> On Nov 17, 2025, at 3:54 PM, HAL MICHAEL via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>
> Actually, there a lot of bats in western WA year around and they fly on warm days. Surprised me when my bat advisor told me that. have seen a few. We had three or four around the house a week ago and a few years ago we had one roosting in the Christmas decorations.
>
>
>
> Hal Michael
> Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/)
> Olympia WA
> 360-459-4005
> 360-791-7702 (C)
> <ucd880...>
>
>> On 11/17/2025 12:17 PM PST rob cash via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Yesterday there was a bat flying around in the late afternoon,
>> still quite light out. I don't recall seeing a bat here this
>> late.
>> Rob Cash
>> North Camano Island
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...>
>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list <Tweeters...> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/17/25 4:14 pm From: HAL MICHAEL via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] ot perhaps, bat
Actually, there a lot of bats in western WA year around and they fly on warm days. Surprised me when my bat advisor told me that. have seen a few. We had three or four around the house a week ago and a few years ago we had one roosting in the Christmas decorations.
Hal Michael Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/) Olympia WA 360-459-4005 360-791-7702 (C) <ucd880...>
> On 11/17/2025 12:17 PM PST rob cash via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote: > > > Yesterday there was a bat flying around in the late afternoon, > still quite light out. I don't recall seeing a bat here this > late. > Rob Cash > North Camano Island > > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > <Tweeters...> > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list <Tweeters...> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/17/25 12:35 pm From: rob cash via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] ot perhaps, bat
Yesterday there was a bat flying around in the late afternoon, still quite light out. I don't recall seeing a bat here this late. Rob Cash North Camano Island
Date: 11/17/25 8:35 am From: Denis DeSilvis via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] JBLM Eagles Pride Golf Course Monthly Birdwalk - Thursday, November 20 - 9:00AM Start
Hi Tweeters,
The next Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) Eagle's Pride Golf Course (GC) birdwalk is scheduled for Thursday, November 20, at 9:00AM.
The JBLM Eagles Pride GC birders meet the third Thursday of every month. We meet at 9:00AM<outlook-data-detector://2> through February 2026. (Change to 8:00AM in March.)
Starting point is the Driving Range Tee, Eagle's Pride Golf Course, I-5 Exit 116, Mounts Road Exit. When you turn into the course entrance, take an immediate left onto the road to the driving range - that's where we meet. Please park reasonably close to other vehicles as this is a busy time of the year for both golfers and birders. ;>)
Also, to remind folks that haven't been here before, even though Eagle's Pride is a US Army recreation facility, you don't need any ID to attend these birdwalks. Hope you're able to make it!
Current weather forecast is 43-52degF (47-58 real feel) and partly sunny during the walk. As always, dress for success!
Date: 11/16/25 1:33 pm From: Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Rustic Bunting seen at the zoo
Hello, tweets.
To quote Simon & Garfunkel, “It’s all happening at the zoo, I do believe it’s true."
As well as the fantastic show put on by their Wild Lanterns display, the best ever, a friend (Pat Miller) just sent me an email with photos of a Rustic Bunting that she found at Woodland Park Zoo on Monday, 10 November. She would have sent it earlier, but her internet was out until now, and she wanted the ID confirmed. Her photos do indeed confirm it.
It was traveling with a flock of juncos, feeding in an open area next to a long, dense laurel hedge. If you go in the south entrance (Lion parking lot) and turn left, you come quickly to that area. We went there this morning and had no luck finding it, but there is no way of knowing how large a range that junco flock has or whether it will stay with them. We didn’t see the juncos where she had seen them but did find a flock in the adjacent Rose Garden, no admission fee and often very birdy.
If you go into the zoo, you’ll have the chance to see the unlighted Wild Lanterns, still very impressive.
Date: 11/16/25 10:46 am From: via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] WOS Monthly Meeting, December 1, 2025: (on-line only)
The Washington Ornithological Society (WOS) is pleased to announce our next Monthly Meeting: on Monday, December 1, Larry Schwitters will present "Vaux's Happening: 27 million and Counting." The tiny, narrow-winged Vaux's Swift is found only in the western hemisphere. In the words of our speaker, Mr. Swift - Schwitters: "Because of its anatomy, a swift is unable to perch and so needs a rough, vertical surface to hook its claws into; it then puts its tail down like a kickstand." The high-flying lives of these long-distance migrants are largely spent coursing 'swiftly' (what else?) through the air, moving along routes that extend from British Columbia, through the western states and into at least Central America.
Following three decades as a teacher in the public schools, Larry Schwitters became totally engrossed with the Vaux's Swift, and for some 20 consecutive years, has carefully followed their movements (that's 36 migrations and documentation of 200 roost sites) and much more, assisted by an ever-expanding legion of volunteer observers. Since 2019, Larry has taken the lead in revising the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's chapter in Birds of the World on the Vaux's Swift. Birder's World magazine covered his work in an article titled, "46 Minutes of WOW." Larry is the recipient of the National Audubon Society's 2023 National Volunteer of the Year Award. We are in for a tour-de-force presentation on these wee birds whose territory ranges from the Yukon to Guatemala!
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
Date: 11/15/25 11:12 am From: Scott Ramos via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Peru trip blog: Cusco highlands
Part three of my reports on our Peru trip from earlier this summer is now
published. We made excursions out of Cusco over 5 days to regions of high
elevation with a whole new assortment of birds. It is always amazing to
observe the rich biodiversity in these cloud forests. The high point,
physically and literally, was at the Abra Málaga pass area where we were
hiking at elevations similar to that at the summit of Mt. Rainier. And
still finding birds, most of them lifers.
Definitely a region worth spending time, more than we had allotted. Many
bird species can be seen throughout the highlands but there are also many
species that are endemic to just a few municipalities within the Cusco
province.
Date: 11/14/25 5:37 pm From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for 11/12/2025
Hi Tweets,
Approximately 25 of us had a mostly dry day at the Refuge with cloudy skies
and occasional light rain, temperatures in the 40's to 50's degrees
Fahrenheit. There was a High 13'10" Tide at 12/17pm, so we did our usual
walk. Highlights included PILEATED WOODPECKER in the Orchard, upwards of
three HUTTON'S VIREO in the Orchard, Twin Barns Loop Trail and dike, BARN
OWL flushed form the closest barn to the Twin Barns Observation Platform
with numerous GREATER YELLOWLEGS and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER in the flooded
field below, first of season COMMON GOLDENEYE and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER in
McAllister Creek, as well nice looks of WHITE-WINGED SCOTER in McAllister
Creek.
For the day, we observed 72 species. See our eBird Report with additional
details pasted below.
Until next week when we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook, happy birding.
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Nov 12, 2025 7:24 AM - 4:26 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.979 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Mostly cloudy with occasional light
rain and Temperatures in the 40’s to 50’s degrees Fahrenheit. A High 13’10”
Tide at 12:17pm. Others seen Muskrat, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern
Gray Squirrel, Douglas Squirrel, Pacific Chorus Frog, Townsend’s Chipmunk,
Paddle-tailed Darner, Harbor Seal.
72 species (+8 other taxa)
Cackling Goose 700
Cackling Goose (minima) 500
Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 30
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 35
Northern Shoveler 50
Gadwall 15
Eurasian Wigeon 3 Flooded field, surge plain, and mudflats west of
Leschi Slough.
American Wigeon 5500 Counted in 10’s and in 100’s depending on
location and distribution of birds. Largest density of birds was on surge
plain and flooded mudflats during high tide.
Mallard 200
Northern Pintail 500
Green-winged Teal (American) 1000
Surf Scoter 40
White-winged Scoter 4 2-3 in McAllister Creek.
Bufflehead 150
Common Goldeneye 6 Spotted by Pete in Shannon Slough and by Jon on
Nisqually Reach.
Hooded Merganser 4
Common Merganser 2
Red-breasted Merganser 3
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 9
Anna's Hummingbird 4
Virginia Rail 2 Heard only
American Coot 2
Black-bellied Plover 4 Surge Plain
Killdeer 1
Long-billed Dowitcher 25 Flooded field seen from Twin Barns
Observation Platform.
Wilson's Snipe 3 Spotted by Kathleen in flooded field on either side
of the old McAllister Creek Access Road.
Spotted Sandpiper 1 Spotted by Tom on West Bank of McAllister Creek
from McAllister Creek Viewing Platform.
Greater Yellowlegs 40
Dunlin 400
Least Sandpiper 40
peep sp. 1
Short-billed Gull 50
Ring-billed Gull 125
California Gull 2
Glaucous-winged Gull 2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 25
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 20
Larus sp. 150
Pied-billed Grebe 3 Visitor Center Pond.
Horned Grebe 10
Common Loon 8
Brandt's Cormorant 11 Nisqually River Channel Marker.
Double-crested Cormorant 30
Great Blue Heron 30
Cooper's Hawk 1
Accipitrine hawk sp. (former Accipiter sp.) 1
Northern Harrier 3
Bald Eagle 12
Red-tailed Hawk 3
American Barn Owl 1 Flushed from Twin Barns closest to Twin Barns
Observation Platform.
Belted Kingfisher 4
Downy Woodpecker (Pacific) 3
Hairy Woodpecker (Pacific) 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1 Orchard.
Northern Flicker 7
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 3
American Kestrel 1 Peregrine Tree in Visitor Center Pond.
Merlin 1 Surge plain and Nisqually Reach.
Hutton's Vireo (Pacific) 3 Observed at Flagpole, and west side of Twin
Barns Loop Trail south of Twin Barns cut-off, and along Nisqually Estuary
Trail just north of Twin Barns.
American Crow 30
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 30
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 11
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10
Golden-crowned Kinglet 20
Brown Creeper 6
Pacific Wren (Pacific) 4
Marsh Wren 10
Bewick's Wren (spilurus Group) 4
European Starling 250
American Robin 40
Purple Finch 10
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1 Orchard.
Golden-crowned Sparrow 15
Savannah Sparrow 1 Nisqually Estuary Trail in surge plain.
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 23
Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Surge plain from Nisqually Estuary Trail.
Spotted Towhee 6
Western Meadowlark 4 Along Leschi Slough were it runs parallel to the
dike.
Red-winged Blackbird 70
Date: 11/14/25 10:25 am From: Isabel Brofsky via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Puget Sound Shorebird Count 2025 - Announcement
(Trying this again - I removed the in-text links. Hopefully it's easier to
read now!)
I'm excited to announce that Ecostudies Institute will once again be
coordinating the annual Puget Sound Shorebird Count! This event is part of
the Pacific Flyway Shorebird Survey, a long-term monitoring program for
wintering shorebirds led by Point Blue Conservation Science. The data
gathered from these counts helps provide a better understanding of
shorebird populations and the habitats they utilize along the Pacific
Flyway, while allowing for the creation of more effective conservation
management plans.
Last year, we counted a total of 8,770 shorebirds and 68 raptors with the
help of 30+ volunteers across 24 sites! Dunlin once again dominated the
shorebird count with over 7,550 individuals sighted, while the raptor count
was led by 48 Bald Eagles.
After reviewing tide predictions, we will be conducting the 2025 count the
morning (7:30-9am) of Saturday, November 29th across all sites. In the
event that the weather does not cooperate, our backup survey date will be
the morning of Saturday, December 13th.
If you are interested in helping with this year's survey, please fill out
our Google Form (linked below) indicating your availability. We also
recommend you review the protocols and other resources on our website and
information about the Pacific Flyway Shorebird Survey. On the volunteer
resources page, you will also find a recording of a virtual training event
from 2020, which would be highly beneficial to review. If you are new to
this event or have any questions regarding this year’s count, training,
and/or protocols, please feel free to reach out to me Isabel Brofsky (
<ibrofsky...>).
Thank you for your interest! We will follow up with more information and
site coordination once we receive form responses. We hope to see you at the
count!
Date: 11/14/25 10:07 am From: Isabel Brofsky via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Puget Sound Shorebird Count 2025 - Announcement
Hello!
I'm excited to announce that Ecostudies Institute will once again be
coordinating the annual Puget Sound Shorebird Count
<https://ecoinst.org/conservation-programs/avian-conservation/puget-sound-shorebird-count/> ! This event is part of the Pacific Flyway Shorebird Survey
<https://data.pointblue.org/apps/pfss/>, a long-term monitoring program for
wintering shorebirds led by Point Blue Conservation Science. The data
gathered from these counts helps provide a better understanding of
shorebird populations and the habitats they utilize along the Pacific
Flyway, while allowing for the creation of more effective conservation
management plans.
Last year, we counted a total of *8,770 shorebirds and 68 raptors *with the
help of 30+ volunteers across 24 sites! Dunlin once again dominated the
shorebird count with over 7,550 individuals sighted, while the raptor count
was led by 48 Bald Eagles.
After reviewing tide predictions, we will be conducting the 2025 count the
morning (7:30-9am) of *Saturday, November 29th* across all sites. In the
event that the weather does not cooperate, our backup survey date will be
the morning of *Saturday, Decem**ber 13th.*
Thank you for your interest! We will follow up with more information and
site coordination once we receive form responses. We hope to see you at the
count!
Date: 11/14/25 9:20 am From: Kathleen Snyder via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] "Life Histories" books
South Sound Bird Alliance was recently given nine books in the “Life
Histories” series by Arthur Cleveland Bent. We would love to find a new
home for them. They are free to whoever can pick them up in Olympia. They
include 1) Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Buntings, Towhees, Finches, Sparrows, and
Allies Parts 1 and 3 2) Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and their Allies 3)
Petrels and Pelicans and their Allies 4) Wild Fowl: two volumes bound as
one 5) Wagtails, Shrikes, Vireos, and Their Allies 6) Woodpeckers 7) Marsh
Birds 8) Blackbirds, Orioles, Tanagers, and Allies.
Date: 11/13/25 3:05 pm From: Michael Hobbs via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2025-11-13
Tweets - It was in the 50's with no wind, and we had no precipitation for over two hours of the survey, before it started to mizzle. At 10:15, it started to rain. It was pretty birdy until around 10:00, and then we found some water birds later.
Highlights: Seven species of duck, with AMERICAN WIGEON, RING-NECKED DUCK, and HOODED MERGANSER at the Rowing Club pond Wilson's Snipe - Great looks at ~8 below the weir Good flock of gulls, though only the most expected four species Pileated Woodpecker - A pair flew north up the Dog Meadow silently Merlin - Quick flyby a little downstream of the weir Western Meadowlark - ~15 on grass/gravel parking area south of the Climbing Rock *again*
A late scan of the lake turned up two RUDDY DUCKS, First of Year (FOY), and two HORNED GREBE, First of Fall (FOF).
Misses today included Green-winged Teal, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Shrike, Steller's Jay, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin.
For the day, 56 species. Adding Ruddy Duck, we're at 134 species for the survey in 2025.
= Michael Hobbs = <BirdMarymoor...> = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
Date: 11/13/25 8:07 am From: HAL MICHAEL via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Can Anything Stop the Explosion of Snow Geese in the Western Arctic? | Audubon
The solution is less Snows. The capacity of the habitat to support them, and the sympatric species, has been exceeded. Likely to be exacerbated in some unknown way by sea level rise and Arctic warming.
Hal Michael
Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/)
Olympia WA
360-459-4005
360-791-7702 (C)
<ucd880...>
Date: 11/13/25 2:22 am From: Dan Reiff via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Can Anything Stop the Explosion of Snow Geese in the Western Arctic? | Audubon
A beautiful wonder: add “Yikes” to
our understanding of the ramifications regarding Snow goose population growth.
DR
Date: 11/12/25 5:09 pm From: Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] BAEA nest in Discovery Park
On Nov 12, 2025 at 16:36:37, Stacey T via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> I was birding in Discovery Park this afternoon and noticed a new (to me)
> bald eagle nest with two adults actively building it. The nest is in a
> large Douglas fir right on a heavily trafficked section of the Loop Trail.
>
Bald Eagles do fun things at times. Down in California we had a pair set up
a nest in a Pine tree in the front lawn of an elementary school and
successfully fledge chicks multiple years (although there were ongoing
issues with lead poisoning due to duck hunting along the bay nearby, but
before I moved we had a couple of chicks fledge and one more rescued,
rehabilitated from the lead and released elsewhere). The nest, FWIW, was
about 40’ up in the tree, so hard for people to be too annoying, although
once folks arrived to find someone flying a drone up there to get pictures.
That did not end well for that person, BTW, since the area was marked off
by Fish and Wildlife and the rangers arrived quickly.
I was out at Fay Bainbridge today where there was a nest that was started
last year but failed. I was curious if they might try again this year, and
as I arrived a large bird flew out of the nest tree, but I didn’t get a
decent look at it, but I’m assuming it was an eagle. It’ll be interesting
to see if there is activity there in the next few weeks — the nest overall
seems in good shape but I couldn’t tell if it had been worked on yet. I’ll
be checking in every couple of weeks to see if they make a new nesting
attempt.
Chuq
---------------------------------------
Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me)
Silverdale, Washington
Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
Date: 11/12/25 4:56 pm From: Stacey T via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] BAEA nest in Discovery Park
Hi Tweets,
I was birding in Discovery Park this afternoon and noticed a new (to me) bald eagle nest with two adults actively building it. The nest is in a large Douglas fir right on a heavily trafficked section of the Loop Trail. I was surprised that this would be an ideal choice for a nest, given the amount of foot traffic/dogs that pass immediately underneath the tree on an hourly basis. But the pair seemed not to take much notice, and I watched them for a few minutes as they swiped large branches from nearby trees to add to the nest.
If anyone has information about this nesting pair, I’d be interested in learning more about them. Is this a new pair or new nest? This nest location was not mentioned in last December’s discussion of BAEA nests in the area, and I’ve not noticed any eagle activity in this tree before now (but in my defense I’m usually more focused on my footing on this section of trail, not the treetops).
Date: 11/12/25 4:29 pm From: Elaine Thomas via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] if you had 10 days...
If you end up going from Bosque del Apache south toward SE Arizona (both of which are great!), stop at a cute little campground called Percha Dam State Park off I25. It makes a nice stretch-your-legs stop and has many nice birds like vermilion flycatcher, pyrrhuloxia and phainopepla. You might see Harris', Swainson's and ferruginous hawks in southern NM. If you decide on south Texas, I had an amazing day at Sabal Palm Sanctuary years ago, though I read somewhere that it may have had degradations since then?
Elaine T., Seattle
Date: 11/11/25 7:41 pm From: Kim Thorburn via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] SAS Membership Meeting on Zoom tonight. Registration required
As a reminder about acronyms, it's also Spokane Audubon Society.
Kim
Kim Marie Thorburn, MD, MPH
Spokane, WA
(509) 465-3025 home
(509) 599-6721 cell
________________________________
From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces...> on behalf of Ann Kramer via Tweeters <tweeters...>
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 4:48 PM
To: Dan Reiff <dan.owl.reiff...>
Cc: Tweeters <tweeters...>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] SAS Membership Meeting on Zoom tonight. Registration required
Hi Dan,
My apologies. SAS is Skagit Audubon Society. I have been doing too much at the computer today!
On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 4:46 PM Dan Reiff <dan.owl.reiff...><mailto:<dan.owl.reiff...>> wrote:
Hello Ann,
Please send the link for the SAS website.
What is SAS?
Thank you,
Dan Reiff, PhD
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 11, 2025, at 1:19 PM, Ann Kramer via Tweeters <tweeters...><mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
Rebecca Heisman will be presenting on the topic of "Wild Stories from the History of Bird Migration Research" She will give us an in depth look at some of the methods scientists have used to track migration, and some interesting stories. I recommend this fascinating presentation and her book, Flight Paths. Rebecca is an excellent speaker!
You can register on this link, but please note that the link has changed its policies for free subscribers and so you may see an interim screen with ads, possibly asking you to subscribe. Please ignore that stop and proceed by clicking the link that says proceed to destination and it will take you to the registration page. We will be looking into different, simpler options for future registrations.
Here's the registration link: bit.ly/47o14pl<https://bit.ly/47o14pl> . You can also find it on the SAS website. We hope to see you for our Tuesday evening Zoom program!!
Date: 11/11/25 6:14 pm From: Dan Reiff via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] ACCUWEATHER: Sun unleashes biggest flare of 2025, with northern lights possible across the southeast
On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 4:46 PM Dan Reiff <dan.owl.reiff...> wrote:
> Hello Ann,
> Please send the link for the SAS website.
> What is SAS?
> Thank you,
> Dan Reiff, PhD
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Nov 11, 2025, at 1:19 PM, Ann Kramer via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Rebecca Heisman will be presenting on the topic of "Wild Stories from the
> History of Bird Migration Research" She will give us an in depth look at
> some of the methods scientists have used to track migration, and some
> interesting stories. I recommend this fascinating presentation and her
> book, Flight Paths. Rebecca is an excellent speaker!
>
> You can register on this link, but please note that the link has changed
> its policies for free subscribers and so you may see an interim screen with
> ads, possibly asking you to subscribe. *Please ignore that stop* and
> proceed by clicking the link that says *proceed to destination* and it
> will take you to the registration page. We will be looking into different,
> simpler options for future registrations.
>
> Here's the registration link: bit.ly/47o14pl . You can also find it on
> the SAS website. We hope to see you for our Tuesday evening Zoom program!!
>
> Ann Kramer, Programs
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
>
Date: 11/11/25 1:40 pm From: Ann Kramer via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] SAS Membership Meeting on Zoom tonight. Registration required
Rebecca Heisman will be presenting on the topic of "Wild Stories from the History of Bird Migration Research" She will give us an in depth look at some of the methods scientists have used to track migration, and some interesting stories. I recommend this fascinating presentation and her book, Flight Paths. Rebecca is an excellent speaker!
You can register on this link, but please note that the link has changed its policies for free subscribers and so you may see an interim screen with ads, possibly asking you to subscribe. *Please ignore that stop* and proceed by clicking the link that says *proceed to destination* and it will take you to the registration page. We will be looking into different, simpler options for future registrations.
Here's the registration link: bit.ly/47o14pl . You can also find it on the SAS website. We hope to see you for our Tuesday evening Zoom program!!
Date: 11/10/25 12:56 pm From: Shelf Life Community Story Project via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] California scrub jay - Wikipedia
I have scrubs and steller’s around my house, in Seattle’s Central District. They aren’t exactly sitting on the suet feeder together, but they are often both near it, almost like they’re taking turns. I haven’t seen much conflict there. I feel so lucky to have such a spectrum of gorgeous blues outside my window during this gray time of year.
Jill Freidberg
Seattle
> On Oct 31, 2025, at 11:13 AM, HAL MICHAEL via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>
> At my previous location, south of Lacey, two out of about 20 Scrubs I banded were hatch-year birds. More may have come to the feeders but weren't trapped. Steller's, on the other hand, seem to have a lot more hatch-year participants.
>
> Hal Michael
> Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders <http://ecowb.org/> > Olympia WA
> 360-459-4005
> 360-791-7702 (C)
> <ucd880...>
>
>
>> On 10/31/2025 10:38 AM PDT Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>>
>>
>> P.S. And I don't believe I've ever had fledgling Scrubs come to these feeders. The Steller's Jays, on the other hand, bring their fledglings immediately to the feeders, telling them You're on your own now, kids.
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 31, 2025 at 10:33 AM Robert O'Brien <baro...> <mailto:<baro...>> wrote:
>> Here 20mi SE of Portland in a rural area ,the Scrub/Stellar (sic) Situation is exactly the same as Steve Loitz states. Exactly, and has been this way for 50 years. We get Scrub Jays coming up to us from the residential areas along the Clackamas River only in the summer when the babies are demanding a lot of food and we have available feeders in a coniferous/mixed habitat.. Always overrun by Steller's Jays.
>> Bob OBrien Portland
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM Steve Loitz via Tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
>> Ann, I have not seen any evidence that CASJs are pushing out STJAs in and around Ellensburg. There is little overlap of their respective habitats. Our CASJs are mostly in riparian zones and residential landscaped areas. STJAs tend to stick to areas with confiers. We have seen them on the same property, but no obvious antagonism.
>>
>> OTOH, CASJs may well be competition with Black-billed Magpies in some places in our areas. I have some bickering between those two species.
>>
>> YMMV on the Wet Side of the Cascades, of course.
>>
>> Steve Loitz
>> Ellensburg
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 9:03 PM Ann Kramer <lens4birds...> <mailto:<lens4birds...>> wrote:
>> I will be sad if the Steller's Jay's are pushed out of our area. We are heavily forested with NGPA forests around, and I've only seen one Scrub Jay over the years. The Stellar's come to the suet as a family unit, and they are the only brave enough to harass a Cooper's or Sharp-Shinned Hawk far from the busy feeders we have. They are amazing to watch, as they work as a team to chase the Hawks and then quickly fly away, squawking, as it turns on them. Such a lot of moxie!!!
>>
>> Ann
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 12:13 PM Steve Loitz via Tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
>> CASJs are now in and around Ellensburg. A few years ago, it was rare to see one north of Yakima.
>>
>> Steve Loitz
>> Ellensburg WA
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 11:45 AM Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
>> On Oct 27, 2025 at 11:36:37, Stephen Elston via Tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
>>> I am regularly seeing California Scrub Jay in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle. The Stelars Jays still outnumber them significantly.
>>>
>>
>>
>> For better and worse, Scrub Jays are quite good at expanding territory. Back when I was living in California there was an area I was monitoring regularly over a number of years, and over about a decade, we saw it go from being primarily a Stellar’s Jay area to Scrub Jay territory with only a couple of isolated Stellar’s families in the deeper wooded areas. I expect by now the Stellar’s have been completely pushed out. Scrub Jays keep more of a family unit going than Stellar’s, which I think gives them an advantage when competing for territory (much like Northern Mockingbirds do). The Scrub Jays adapt much more easily to suburban and urban environments.
>>
>> Chuq
>>
>>
>> ---------------------------------------
>>
>> Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me <http://www.chuq.me/>)
>> Silverdale, Washington
>> Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
>>
>> Email me at: <chuqvr...> <mailto:<chuqvr...> >> Mastodon: @<chuqvr...> <mailto:<chuqvr...> >>
>> Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ >> My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks >>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...> <mailto:<Tweeters...> >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>
>>
>> --
>> Steve Loitz
>> Ellensburg, WA
>> <steveloitz...> <mailto:<steveloitz...>_______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...> <mailto:<Tweeters...> >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>
>>
>> --
>> Steve Loitz
>> Ellensburg, WA
>> <steveloitz...> <mailto:<steveloitz...>_______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...> <mailto:<Tweeters...> >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...>
>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/10/25 8:35 am From: Bob Flores via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Little gull seen on Sunday?
Hello All, I am wondering if anyone located the little gull yesterday, Sunday, afternoon? I am interested in going after it but not seeing any eBird posts from yesterday. Thanks
Date: 11/10/25 8:29 am From: Kathleen Snyder via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Hidden Lives of the Common NIghthawk Thursday, Nov 13th, 7 pm via Zoom
Dr Newberry is a biologist with a PhD from the University of South Dakota
who now resides in Portland and is the author of *The Nighthawk’s Evening:
Notes of a Field Biologist*. The talk will explore this mysterious order
of birds – how nighthawks live among us in urban areas, how we can have
hope for the future of biodiversity, and how we can help aerial
insectivores. You can join us at Temple Beth Hatfiloh for refreshments
and social time starting at 6:30, 201 8th Ave SE Olympia. We will then
view the program on a big screen. Or you can watch from home via
Zoom. Registration
is below. This is a free program from South Sound Bird Alliance (formerly
Black Hills Audubon).
Date: 11/9/25 10:52 am From: via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] 1st Saw Whet
Bridgeport State Park has a reputation for Saw Whet Owls, and the first one seen there was yesterday, Nov. 8th. It is in the first of the 2 trees where they are frequently seen. Always a fun bird to see. Meredith Spencer, Bridgeport _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list <Tweeters...> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/9/25 2:54 am From: Dan Reiff via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Rare Albatross Makes Remarkable Recovery After Swallowing Multiple Fishing Hooks - American Bird Conservancy
Date: 11/8/25 5:21 pm From: Dan Reiff via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Birds, not wind, brought life to Iceland’s youngest island | ScienceDaily
Date: 11/8/25 10:57 am From: Marcy D'Addio via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Single Immature swan
I saw a recent post with the message to report single or lone immature swan. I didn't save the contact info so I'm pushing this to all.
Single immature swan sp. sitting in field. Location is field, north side of Hwy 530, Pioneer Hwy, just west of I-5 9:50 am. 11/8/25. Between that spot and Skagit Flats, near Christanson's Nursery I have seen only one other swan. Update - there are 20 swans just north of Christianson's. Marcy D'Addio Redmond, WA
Date: 11/7/25 7:09 pm From: HAL MICHAEL via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
Two places come to mind. Ne to get bak to the Sky Islands in SE AZ. Couple more lifers to find and a much better camera. Second choice is the Lower Rio Grande Valley up the coast as far as Aransas.
I guess the third would be Nome but that would be almost as much for fishing as birds.
Hal Michael
Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/)
Olympia WA
360-459-4005
360-791-7702 (C)
<ucd880...>
> On 11/06/2025 6:10 PM PST Jim Betz via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>
>
> ... if you had a week to 10 days - in 2026 - and birding here in the
> U.S. ... ???
>
> I'm thinking Bosque del Apache, somewhere in Texas, Florida, Maine,
> Arizona, or ....
>
> My primary interest is in photographing
> birds ... not new/rare species.
>
> - Jim
>
> P.S. If time of year is important, please include that. Thanks!
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list <Tweeters...> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/7/25 7:07 pm From: Odette James via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] White-fronted Geese
On both Oct 31 and today, Nov 7, at the mouth of the Cedar River, 7 Greater White-fronted Geese - 6 immatures and one adult. They may have been in the area between these two dates but I wasn't looking for them. They don't commonly come to this location so it was a treat to see them. Odette James, Lakeshore Retirement Community _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list <Tweeters...> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/7/25 5:07 pm From: Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
On Nov 7, 2025 at 15:39:40, Ann Kramer <lens4birds...> wrote:
> You may be thinking of the San Juaquin Marsh and Wildlife area in Orange > County,which has great birding although it doesn't even compare to Bolsa > Chica Ecological Reserve, which is a Mecca for several types of Terns > Egrets, Pelicans and a variety of raptors. I saw my firstWhite-Tailed Kite > there. There is also an active Heron rookery at Bolsa Chica. A lot of > people miss Huntington Park, >
You are correct, I mixed those two places up. San Juaquin Marsh in Irvine is where Orange County Audubon has its HQ. Very much agree with you on Bolsa Chica, one of the relatively few places to get good looks at Least Terns, and Huntington Park was where I saw my first Black Skimmers (another species that is very findable some parts of the year around San Francisco Bay)
---------------------------------------
Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me) Silverdale, Washington Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
Date: 11/7/25 3:57 pm From: Ann Kramer via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
I agree with you, Chuq, about California. I didn't realize how rich it was
until I moved away. Especially nice places for photography too.
BTW, San Jacinto Wildlife Area is in Riverside County, actually the city of
Lakeview off the Ramona Expressway exit on the 215 Freeway.
You may be thinking of the San Juaquin Marsh and Wildlife area in Orange
County,which has great birding although it doesn't even compare to Bolsa
Chica Ecological Reserve, which is a Mecca for several types of Terns
Egrets, Pelicans and a variety of raptors. I saw my firstWhite-Tailed Kite
there. There is also an active Heron rookery at Bolsa Chica. A lot of
people miss Huntington Park, but they have a ton of bluebirds, hummingbirds
and ducks. A nesting Vermillion Flycatcher was the star when I was there
in April.
Good to know about Fort Flagler. thanks. This time of year I've found the
beach area rich with specialty ducks, like Harlequin's.
ann
On Fri, Nov 7, 2025 at 2:41 PM Chuq Von Rospach <chuqvr...> wrote:
>
> Chuq, You took me back to my earlier birding days at the Lodi Sandhill
>> Crane Festival, which I think I attended twice. Although as a
>> photographer, I found Consumnew better for images, the trips out to Staten
>> Island with the sunset fly in's were thrilling.
>>
>
> My pleasure. I think it gets overlooked as we chase exotics, but
> California is really an amazing place to bird, and many parts of it have
> been very committed to green space protection so there are some really nice
> places to bird in mostly urban locations like Silicon Valley.
>
> (And in retrospect, I didn’t even mention some of the amazing
> local/regional species, like Yellow-Billed Magpie!)
>
> I lived not too far from San Jacinto Wildlife Area. On an Audubon field
>> trip, the trip leader said it was the best birding in Southern California,
>> and it doesn't disappoint.
>>
>
> I was born and raised in SoCal, grew up 20 minutes from Disney. I didn’t
> take up birding until long after I moved to Silicon Valley, but I was down
> there many times visiting family, and I’lll agree, this is a really nice
> and diverse location to explore and often has some nice rarities hanging
> out. (For those curious, it’s in Orange County in the Irvine area). I’ll
> also recommend the Newport Back Bay location and Dana Point Harbor, which
> often has hundreds of Brown Pelicans hanging out there.
>
> chuq
> (Just back from Fort Flagler and did not disappoint. The Black Bellied
> Plovers have arrived for the winter)
>
> ---------------------------------------
>
> Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me)
> Silverdale, Washington
> Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
>
> Email me at: <chuqvr...>
> Mastodon: @<chuqvr...>
>
> Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ > My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks >
>
Date: 11/7/25 3:00 pm From: Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
> Chuq, You took me back to my earlier birding days at the Lodi Sandhill
> Crane Festival, which I think I attended twice. Although as a
> photographer, I found Consumnew better for images, the trips out to Staten
> Island with the sunset fly in's were thrilling.
>
My pleasure. I think it gets overlooked as we chase exotics, but California
is really an amazing place to bird, and many parts of it have been very
committed to green space protection so there are some really nice places to
bird in mostly urban locations like Silicon Valley.
(And in retrospect, I didn’t even mention some of the amazing
local/regional species, like Yellow-Billed Magpie!)
I lived not too far from San Jacinto Wildlife Area. On an Audubon field
> trip, the trip leader said it was the best birding in Southern California,
> and it doesn't disappoint.
>
I was born and raised in SoCal, grew up 20 minutes from Disney. I didn’t
take up birding until long after I moved to Silicon Valley, but I was down
there many times visiting family, and I’lll agree, this is a really nice
and diverse location to explore and often has some nice rarities hanging
out. (For those curious, it’s in Orange County in the Irvine area). I’ll
also recommend the Newport Back Bay location and Dana Point Harbor, which
often has hundreds of Brown Pelicans hanging out there.
chuq
(Just back from Fort Flagler and did not disappoint. The Black Bellied
Plovers have arrived for the winter)
---------------------------------------
Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me)
Silverdale, Washington
Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
Date: 11/7/25 2:44 pm From: Ann Kramer via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
Thanks for this thread! About 5 years ago, we moved here from California
and it was a birding adjustment! I was kind of obsessed for years about
birding and photography and many places mentioned here either brought me
back to my California days or introduced me to ideas for places I'd like to
go in the future, like Texas.
JIm, Bosque is such a wonderful place, although I believe the drought has
resulted in some changes for the populations and it seems more are finding
birding at Bernardo Area productive. I also love Arizona. Birding at
Madera Canyon, Ramsey Canyon (by the way, did anyone read Julie
Zickefoose's article in BWD on Arizona birding. It was wonderful),
Whitewater Draw, and the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert were frequent birding
trips for us. Made me think about going to Arizona soon.
Thank you, Hans, for the information about Texas. We are thinking about
Texas and I'm a bit overwhelmed about all the locations. It seems like one
could spend weeks there.
Chuq, You took me back to my earlier birding days at the Lodi Sandhill
Crane Festival, which I think I attended twice. Although as a
photographer, I found Consumnew better for images, the trips out to Staten
Island with the sunset fly in's were thrilling. I think it really infected
me with the birding spirit, leading me to visit the Platte in Nebraska and
Whitewater Draw in Arizona and Bosque, in my opinion the most spectacular
place for Sandhill Cranes. But I also found Merced a great birding spot. I
miss so much the California birding. I lived not too far from San Jacinto
Wildlife Area. On an Audubon field trip, the trip leader said it was the
best birding in Southern California, and it doesn't disappoint. I was
there in April for Avocets, although the shifting of the ponds made the
courtships a bit more difficult to photograph than several years ago.
Thanks also, Lori, for the "Birdfinder" book reference. I ordered it for
around $6 on Abe Books. I also found some older books on Texas and
Louisiana there as well.
I mostly peek in for information and updates, but wanted to thank Tweeters
for being here. When we moved here, I found the WOS Birders Guide a
helpful Bible. We never had such a comprehensive birding guide in
California. I'm so grateful for the information and the people who put
that book together, a true wealth of information even though the second
edition is 10 years old.
Much appreciation to Terence Wahl, Dennis Paulson, Hal Opperman, Andy
Stepniewski and the numerous folks who contributed to this excellent guide!
I have been kind of consumed with getting our home together, gardening and
volunteering on the board at Skagit Audubon in the past years. Although
we've taken some extraordinary trips to Alberta for the Great Grey, and
Malheur and Ridgefield, as well as Reifl and the local stops such as Fir
Island and Wylie Slough, I am restless lately to explore new spots. Very
grateful to you all for your thoughts.
Ann K
On Fri, Nov 7, 2025 at 5:10 AM LMarkoff via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Jim, you might want to pick up a copy of Jerry A. Cooper’s ABA Guide from
> 1995, “Birdfinder: A Birder’s Guide to Planning North American Trips”.
> Dated perhaps, but it gives a good idea of the best places to go for birds
> at certain times of the year throughout NA.
>
>
>
> Back in the 90s when my kids got old enough for me to leave them for a
> week or so, or in the case of two of them, who got old enough to join me, I
> used Cooper’s book as a planning tool for my bird treks. It’s a great
> source for bird people who are just starting out on the bird-questing road.
>
>
>
> Right now, there are a slew of copies available on both www.alibris.com
> and on www.ebay.com starting as low as a few bucks.
>
>
>
> I’ve roamed all over NA for birds, am still roaming, and Cooper’s book
> helped me zero-in on some great places.
>
>
>
> Happy trails,
>
>
>
> Lori Markoff
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces...> On Behalf Of
> Jim Betz via Tweeters
> Sent: Thursday, November 6, 2025 6:10 PM
> To: via Tweeters <tweeters...>
> Subject: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
>
>
>
> ... if you had a week to 10 days - in 2026 - and birding here in the
>
> U.S. ... ???
>
>
>
> I'm thinking Bosque del Apache, somewhere in Texas, Florida, Maine,
>
> Arizona, or ....
>
>
>
> My primary interest is in photographing
>
> birds ... not new/rare species.
>
>
>
> - Jim
>
>
>
> P.S. If time of year is important, please include that. Thanks!
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> Tweeters mailing list
>
> <Tweeters...>
>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/7/25 5:30 am From: LMarkoff via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
Jim, you might want to pick up a copy of Jerry A. Cooper’s ABA Guide from 1995, “Birdfinder: A Birder’s Guide to Planning North American Trips”. Dated perhaps, but it gives a good idea of the best places to go for birds at certain times of the year throughout NA.
Back in the 90s when my kids got old enough for me to leave them for a week or so, or in the case of two of them, who got old enough to join me, I used Cooper’s book as a planning tool for my bird treks. It’s a great source for bird people who are just starting out on the bird-questing road.
I’ve roamed all over NA for birds, am still roaming, and Cooper’s book helped me zero-in on some great places.
Happy trails,
Lori Markoff
-----Original Message-----
From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces...> On Behalf Of Jim Betz via Tweeters
Sent: Thursday, November 6, 2025 6:10 PM
To: via Tweeters <tweeters...>
Subject: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
... if you had a week to 10 days - in 2026 - and birding here in the
U.S. ... ???
I'm thinking Bosque del Apache, somewhere in Texas, Florida, Maine,
Arizona, or ....
My primary interest is in photographing
birds ... not new/rare species.
- Jim
P.S. If time of year is important, please include that. Thanks!
Date: 11/6/25 8:47 pm From: Hans-Joachim Feddern via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
Hi Bob!
I did not think you meant May! May is normally better further north like
Magee Marsh - which I have never done - or Point Pelee which I birded in
‘13. Interestingly enough, I learned at High Island that the Louisiana
Waterthrush is an early migrant. Since I always went April 15th and later,
I only saw Northern Waterthrushes there. I can just see Jim not getting
past the rookery with his camera. Of course they now have a skywalk there,
which I have not seen.
Good Birding!
*Hans Feddern*
Twin Lakes/Federal Way, WA
<thefedderns...>
On Thu, Nov 6, 2025 at 8:12 PM Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> I just realized that Hans-joachim recommended the same. And I meant to say
> late April early May. Not late May. They have a daily migration update
> during those times. Google it in April. Bob obrien
>
> On Thursday, November 6, 2025, Robert O'Brien <baro...> wrote:
>
>> High Island TX and surrounding areas. Late May when trans gulf migration
>> peaks
>> Time for northerly winds and rain
>> Bad for birds, good for birders.
>> Nowhere better IMHO.
>> Bob obrien portland.
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, November 6, 2025, Jim Betz via Tweeters <
>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>
>>> ... if you had a week to 10 days - in 2026 - and birding here in the
>>> U.S. ... ???
>>>
>>> I'm thinking Bosque del Apache, somewhere in Texas, Florida, Maine,
>>> Arizona, or ....
>>>
>>> My primary interest is in photographing birds
>>> ... not new/rare species.
>>>
>>> - Jim
>>>
>>> P.S. If time of year is important, please include that. Thanks!
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>> <Tweeters...>
>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>>
>> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/6/25 8:32 pm From: Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
I just realized that Hans-joachim recommended the same. And I meant to say late April early May. Not late May. They have a daily migration update during those times. Google it in April. Bob obrien
On Thursday, November 6, 2025, Robert O'Brien <baro...> wrote:
> High Island TX and surrounding areas. Late May when trans gulf migration > peaks > Time for northerly winds and rain > Bad for birds, good for birders. > Nowhere better IMHO. > Bob obrien portland. > > > On Thursday, November 6, 2025, Jim Betz via Tweeters < > <tweeters...> wrote: > >> ... if you had a week to 10 days - in 2026 - and birding here in the >> U.S. ... ??? >> >> I'm thinking Bosque del Apache, somewhere in Texas, Florida, Maine, >> Arizona, or .... >> >> My primary interest is in photographing birds >> ... not new/rare species. >> >> - Jim >> >> P.S. If time of year is important, please include that. Thanks! >> _______________________________________________ >> Tweeters mailing list >> <Tweeters...> >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >> >
Date: 11/6/25 8:16 pm From: Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
High Island TX and surrounding areas. Late May when trans gulf migration peaks Time for northerly winds and rain Bad for birds, good for birders. Nowhere better IMHO. Bob obrien portland.
On Thursday, November 6, 2025, Jim Betz via Tweeters < <tweeters...> wrote:
> ... if you had a week to 10 days - in 2026 - and birding here in the > U.S. ... ??? > > I'm thinking Bosque del Apache, somewhere in Texas, Florida, Maine, > Arizona, or .... > > My primary interest is in photographing birds > ... not new/rare species. > > - Jim > > P.S. If time of year is important, please include that. Thanks! > _______________________________________________ > Tweeters mailing list > <Tweeters...> > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/6/25 7:32 pm From: Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
On Nov 6, 2025 at 18:10:29, Jim Betz via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> if you had a week to 10 days - in 2026 - and birding here in the
> U.S. ... ???
>
> I'm thinking Bosque del Apache, somewhere in Texas, Florida, Maine,
> Arizona, or ....
>
How about…. California?
I’m thinking winter birding, say Thanksgiving through February, with a trip
starting near Sacramento with the Central Valley Wildlife Refuges. If
you’re interested in Bosque (Sandhills and cranes!) you’ll love the
Central Valley area, which is full of Geese (Snow, Ross’s, Greater White
Front, Cackling) and Sandhill cranes on the different refuges, plus all the
awesome winter ducks. Plus, it’s drivable from here, unlike Bosque.
Before moving here to Washington a few years ago to enjoy my dotage, I was
based in Silicon Valley, and very involved in Santa Clara County Bird
Alliance, including running an annual group outing to Merced NWR every year
(at one point I was #12 in most species on eBird for Merced, but no idea
where that is today).
If I were making this trip schedule for myself (and I actually have but
haven’t done it yet), I’d drive down into the Central Valley, spend a
couple of days on the refuges, then drive down to Morro Bay (another
favorite haunt of mine) for a day or two in that area, because it’s an
amazing birding area, especially in winter, and it is full of nice birds in
the harbor and nearby (and SEA OTTERS!), then drive up the coast to the Big
Sur area (or Pinnacles) for condors (and along the way, stop at Piedras
Blancas because the elephant seals will be gathering) and then up into the
San Jose area for a day or two there.
And if I had the time, I’d then head up the coast and stop at, say, Bandon,
Newport and Astoria on the coast on the way home. If you’re in a hurry, San
Jose to Silverdale is about 13 hours (ask me how I know), or a nice, fairly
easy two day jaunt.
The Lodi loop isn’t actually wildlife refuges but associated properties
(Consumnes River Preserve, Staten Island (a Nature Conservancy Property)
and Woodbridge Ecological Reserve, also known as the Isenberg Crane Center.
The four NWRs I wrote about are Colusa NWR and Sacramento NWR, and Merced
and San Luis NWR near Merced.
And if your curious about these, I’ve written som e-books over the years
(including a Birding 101 I’m fond of), but I’ll specifically suggest my
love letter to Merced NWR and "And the Geese Exploded: A Life With Birds” both
of which talk a lot about what I’ve learned about the refuges over the
years and why I love them.
As a fellow bird photographer, I can attest these places are generally
amazingly good photography locations (Sacto and Merced are both auto tours
like Ridgefield is, FWIW). Staten Island usually has a large cackler
population, Merced has large numbers of Sandhills, plus a large population
of Ross’s Geese (plus Snow), often > 40,0000. Sacramento has huge flocks of
Snow Geese, and Colusa is best for Greater White Fronted. All them
generally have Sandhills. You can find the e-books here:
https://www.chuq.me/ebooks
I’ll say this is what I miss most about having moved north, to be honest,
along with the folks I worked with at Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance,
but then, Washington has its own joys and advantages (and I’m only 2.5
hours from Ridgefouield here), so I’m not complaining.
If any of you want to chat about possible visits in more detail, just drop
me an email and I’ll be happy to share what I know.
These places aren’t as well known as Bosque, but if you’re a Sandhill or
Geese nerd with a camera, I’m willing to say they’re just as good with
smaller crowds, and a lot closer and easier to visit from here…
Chuq
---------------------------------------
Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me)
Silverdale, Washington
Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
Date: 11/6/25 7:10 pm From: Hans-Joachim Feddern via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
Jim.
I would go to Texas in April, starting with Sabine Woods near Port Arthur -
check the photos on their website! Continuing down the coast to High Island
- especially the rookery at Smith Oaks with herons, spoonbills, cormorants
and - alligators! Take at least half a day to bird Anahuac NWR.
From there to the Bolivar Peninsula with stops at Rollover Pass and Bolivar
Flats and on to the ferry to Galveston. From there you can stop at several
wildlife refuges and the Kings Ranch. I like to stop at the Laguna Atascosa
NWR on the way to SPI - South Padre Island. At SPI I find the birding at
the Convention Center and Sheepshead Road just as good as at High Island..
After that on to the Rio Grande Valley, Santa Ana NWR, Bentsen State Park
etc. Time permitting you could also go up to the Edwards Plateau, but it is
a long drive.
I have done some or all of this in four different years and would love to
go again in 2026! If anybody would be interested in going, please contact
me at my below email! Thanks!
Good Birding!
Hans
On Thu, Nov 6, 2025 at 6:10 PM Jim Betz via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> ... if you had a week to 10 days - in 2026 - and birding here in the
> U.S. ... ???
>
> I'm thinking Bosque del Apache, somewhere in Texas, Florida, Maine,
> Arizona, or ....
>
> My primary interest is in photographing
> birds ... not new/rare species.
>
> - Jim
>
> P.S. If time of year is important, please include that. Thanks!
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
--
*Hans Feddern*
Twin Lakes/Federal Way, WA
<thefedderns...>
Date: 11/6/25 5:04 pm From: Michael Hobbs via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2025-11-06
Tweets - Startlingly, we had very nice weather pre-dawn, and for the first TWO HOURS of our survey today. The weather then slid into drizzle and rain, but still without high winds nor fog nor cold. It really wasn't a bad morning to be out.
The birds, though, were somewhat few. Nothing much unexpected at all. We did have a few mixed flocks, though none of them yielded a surprise.
Highlights: Gadwall - EIGHTEEN in the slough above the weir, with a few additional sightings. More than usual for Marymoor Bufflehead - A handful visible from the Lake Platform. The only previous fall sighting, back in mid-October, was one far out on the lake Great Blue Heron - We've never missed GBHE in Week 45 during the 31 years of the survey, but today we hung on to that string by finding ONE, below the weir\ Pileated Woodpecker - Female being very obvious again this morning Northern Shrike - East of the East Meadow Western Meadowlark - Five on the grass/gravel parking lot with starlings
Misses today included Hooded Merganser, Anna's Hummingbird, Killdeer, Western Grebe, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Cedar Waxwing, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, and Lincoln's Sparrow.
We managed just 49 species.
= Michael Hobbs = <BirdMarymoor...> = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
Date: 11/6/25 11:48 am From: Shep Thorp via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Wednesday Walk at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually NWR for Wednesday 11/5/2026
Hi Tweets,
Approximately 25 of us endured a wet and windy Wednesday at the Refuge with
temperatures in the 40's to 50's degrees Fahrenheit, cloudy skies and
intermittent showers. There was a high Low 5'11" Tide at 10:57am.
Highlights included the autumnal return of RING-NECKED DUCK to the Visitor
Center Pond, good numbers of CACKLING GEESE mostly minima with some
taverners mixed in, nice looks of a SORA in the freshwater marsh,
continuing BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER on the mudflats for the surge plain and
west of Leschi Slough, and good numbers of returning BUFFLEHEAD with a few
COMMON LOON and HORNED GREBE in McAllister Creek. There were good numbers
of sparrows around the Orchard, including FOX SPARROW. A HUTTON'S VIREO
was picked up in the afternoon on the inside of the Twin Barns Loop Trail
at the cut-off for the Twin Barns.
Despite needing to dry off after the walk, we need the rain. Our fields
are finally starting to flood which is essential for our wintering
waterfowl and shorebirds.
For the day we observed 69 species, we have seen 176 species so far this
year. Please see our eBird Report posted below with further details.
Until next week when we meet again at 8am at the Visitor Center Pond
Overlook, happy birding.
Shep
--
Shep Thorp
Browns Point
253-370-3742
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US
Nov 5, 2025 7:41 AM - 3:09 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.812 mile(s)
Checklist Comments: Wednesday Walk. Cloudy with intermittent showers.
Breezy. Lightning and thunder at end of the walk. Temperature in the 40’s
to 50’s degrees Fahrenheit. A Low 5’11” Tides at 10:57am and a High 14’7”
Tide at 4:11pm. Others seen included Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern
Gray Squirrel, Douglas Squirrel, Townsend’s Chipmunk, Harbor Seal, Sea
Lions on the wreck off McNeil Trail/Dupont and Muskrat off the Twin Barns
cut-off Bridge.
69 species (+6 other taxa)
Cackling Goose (minima) 1200
Cackling Goose (Taverner's) 75
Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima) 18
Northern Shoveler 101
Gadwall 6 Surge plain.
American Wigeon 1000
Mallard 300
Northern Pintail 1000
Green-winged Teal 1600
Ring-necked Duck 2 Visitor Center Pond
Greater Scaup 75 Nisqually Reach off Luhr Beach.
Surf Scoter 2 McAllister Creek
Bufflehead 125 Visitor Center Pond, flooded fields, McAllister Creek.
Hooded Merganser 1
Common Merganser 7
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 4
Mourning Dove 6
Anna's Hummingbird 2
Sora 1 Spotted by Steve in Freshwater marsh.
Black-bellied Plover 12
Killdeer 3
Wilson's Snipe 7 Flooded fields south of Twin Barns on either side of
the old McAllister Creek Access Road.
Greater Yellowlegs 30
Dunlin 250
Least Sandpiper 30
Bonaparte's Gull 20 Nisqually Reach.
Short-billed Gull 18
Ring-billed Gull 75
California Gull 1
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 10
Western/Glaucous-winged Gull 15
Larus sp. 200
Pied-billed Grebe 2 Visitor Center Pond.
Horned Grebe 3 McAllister Creek.
Common Loon 3 McAllister Creek
Brandt's Cormorant 14 Nisqually Channel Marker.
Double-crested Cormorant 30
Great Blue Heron 25
Cooper's Hawk 1 Spotted by Jon over the surge plain.
Northern Harrier 3
Bald Eagle 13
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Belted Kingfisher 3
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 Orchard.
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 2
American Kestrel 2
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Hutton's Vireo 1 Seen in the afternoon in a mixed flock on the Twin
Barns Loop Trail at the cut off to the Twin Barns.
Steller's Jay 1
American Crow 50
Black-capped Chickadee 15
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3
Bushtit (Pacific) 19
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5
Brown Creeper 4
Pacific Wren 2
Marsh Wren 5
Bewick's Wren 2
European Starling 800
American Robin 2
American Robin (migratorius Group) 20
House Finch 4
Fox Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 6
Golden-crowned Sparrow 16
Savannah Sparrow 1 Spotted by Jim along the Dike.
Song Sparrow (rufina Group) 9
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Spotted by Janel along the Dike.
Spotted Towhee 3
Red-winged Blackbird 40
Date: 11/5/25 9:04 pm From: Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Fwd: Abnormal hummingbird
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Robert O'Brien <baro...>
Date: Wed, Nov 5, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Abnormal hummingbird
To: Charles Hesselein <chazz...>
I have a single observation of this malady in 50 years of feeding
hummingbirds here, SE of Portland. So it is rare and I would not worry
about taking down feeders. Some years ago there was a brief period of
reporting the malady on Tweeters and/or OBOL. These reports only lasted a
short period. With the spread-bill problem I don't believe the hummers are
able to feed and expire fairly soon, not spreading the disease further.
Observation of the malady is certainly distressing, I can attest to that.
Bob OBrien Portland
On Wed, Nov 5, 2025 at 1:20 PM Charles Hesselein via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> This morning I discovered a hummingbird coming to my feeders with
> its beak splayed open at the tip and its tongue fully extended. It returned
> to the feeders several times and at no time did it close its beak or pull
> in its tongue. It did appear to be feeding, successfully fending off other
> hummers and flying in a coordinated manner. My question is could this be a
> congenital issue or is it likely caused by a disease organism? If disease,
> I suppose I should take my feeders down to minimize the possibility of
> contagion.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chazz Hesselein
> Port Orchard, WA
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
I have read that this condition in hummingbirds is due to Candidiasis, a fungal infection. My understanding is it is caused by poor feeder hygiene, using honey instead of sugar in feeders and also feeding solution that is too high in sugar.
Philomena
Sent from my iPhone
> On Nov 5, 2025, at 1:20 PM, Charles Hesselein via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>
> This morning I discovered a hummingbird coming to my feeders with its beak splayed open at the tip and its tongue fully extended. It returned to the feeders several times and at no time did it close its beak or pull in its tongue. It did appear to be feeding, successfully fending off other hummers and flying in a coordinated manner. My question is could this be a congenital issue or is it likely caused by a disease organism? If disease, I suppose I should take my feeders down to minimize the possibility of contagion.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chazz Hesselein
> Port Orchard, WA
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/5/25 3:30 pm From: Elaine Chuang via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] East coast Common Cuckoo
This is a re-post of an article from the New York Times kindly contributed by Ellen Cohen, who sent it in to Tweeters on November 1. Due to factors beyond our control, it was scrubbed in the Tweeters Digest.
Date: 11/5/25 2:53 pm From: Elaine Chuang via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Calling all Turkey Vultures!
This is a re-post of Diann MacRae's November 2 message, seeking any further Turkey Vulture data out there, for the season. Once more, thank you, Diann for decades of dedication to our region’s TUVU.
From: Diann MacRa
Sent: Sunday, November 2, 2025 1:09 PM
To: tweeters t <tweeters...>
Subject: [Tweeters] turkey vultures
Hi, Tweets
If anyone had any late turkey vultures heading south (or staying), I'd love to know. Hope you all had a good Halloween.
Date: 11/5/25 1:40 pm From: Charles Hesselein via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Abnormal hummingbird
This morning I discovered a hummingbird coming to my feeders with its beak splayed open at the tip and its tongue fully extended. It returned to the feeders several times and at no time did it close its beak or pull in its tongue. It did appear to be feeding, successfully fending off other hummers and flying in a coordinated manner. My question is could this be a congenital issue or is it likely caused by a disease organism? If disease, I suppose I should take my feeders down to minimize the possibility of contagion.
Date: 11/5/25 12:44 pm From: Jim Betz via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] SEOWs and Trumpeters ... RTH and Osprey ...
Ronda/all,
The weather here in Skagit is not going to be the best for SEOW ...
this week.
Hopefully more of them will show up by the time the weather cooperates. One
nice thing is that there is a young RTH (this year's?) that is hanging
out around
the East 90 and is very 'cooperative' (doesn't pay much attention to people
and stays right on the perch as you get close for photos). This RTH is also
very dark colored ... looks 'almost black' but isn't. It often flies
very near for
excellent opportunities for BIF if you are into that sort of thing. I
looked thru
my image library and the best SEOW pics have been in January and February.
The Trumpeter's have finally started to show up in numbers and the
indications
are that they are also the ones that winter over here. This morning is
the first
time we've seen any significant numbers from our house (i.e. "Butler Flats"
and the area around Sterling Hill). At least 50 today on the
potato/corn fields
feeding.
So far the best place to see the Snows is on Fir Island between the
Conway
bridge and Snow Goose Produce (which is closed for the season).
Date: 11/5/25 7:30 am From: Marv via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Kent Valley Birds
Yesterday (11.4.25) at 204th Street in Kent, a flock of about 12 TRUMPETER SWANS flew overhead. Also, there was a RED FOX SPARROW along Frager Road, just south of the barn. This is just beyond the intersection of 204th & Frager.
-- Marv Breece Tukwila, WA *<marvbreece...> <marvbreece...>*
Date: 11/4/25 5:16 pm From: Tom Benedict via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] (DR: The political illustrations are notable)—-"Kill the barred owls!agree U.S. Senate Democrats with Republicans” - Animals 24-7
> On Nov 2, 2025, at 07:16, Louise via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>
> The logging industry is in fact participating in the campaign to stop the shooting of barred owls - probably because if spotted owls become extinct, one of the must publicised reasons for protecting certain area of forest will also disappear.
>
> Louise Rutter
> Kirkland
>
> On Sun, Nov 2, 2025 at 7:01 AM Steve Hampton via Tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
>> Thanks, Dan, for sharing this. It's a bit of a bizarre article, positing that saving Spotted Owls will allow more logging. I didn't follow the logic.
>>
>> But the larger issue is the widespread assumption that this is a budgeted plan with an allocation of millions of dollars. In fact, all along the "plan" is nothing more than a permit (a "take permit" from the USFWS under certain conditions) -- it comes with no budget, no staffing, and needs volunteer donation of staff time from other agencies to be implemented. In short, it will never be implemented in a widespread way. I described this in my Post Alley article here:
>>
>> No, They’re not Really Going to Shoot 450,000 Owls <https://www.postalley.org/2024/09/12/no-theyre-not-really-going-to-shoot-450000-owls/> >>
>> Things got wonkier this summer when a Texas Republican identified the project as wasteful government spending - even though it had a budget of $0 - and went on a crusade against it, which was picked up by right-wing media. This was during the DOGE era. Then the legislator and the right-wing media started citing each other. It was an example of bad math, bad legislative staff work, and bad journalism. He was just using it to blow his horn. I explained that here:
>> The bad owl math that haunts us <https://substack.com/home/post/p-169221688> >>
>> Now it seems that Dems and Reps have simply let the permit stand, with a budget of zero, and are leaving it alone.
>>
>> To my knowledge, the only place where owl removal has occurred is in northern California, where the Barred Owl expansion is still young and many Spotted Owls still remain. I've not heard that any agencies - federal, state, local, or tribal - in WA have participated in it yet.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Nov 2, 2025 at 5:35 AM Dan Reiff via Tweeters <tweeters...> <mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
>>> Tweeters,
>>> I found this current article to be an interesting read.
>>> The political illustrations are notable.
>>>
>>> A past five year program covering the area below Blewett Pass resulted in what I found to be observable signs of success.
>>>
>>> Please understand that just because I post an article doesn’t mean that I agree with the content or opinions.
>>>
>>> To view other current articles from other sources, Google some of the key words of this Subject line.
>>> Steve Hampton also wrote a past, thoughtful article regarding the controversies regarding eliminating some Barred Owls in carefully selected locations.
>>> Dan Reiff, PhD
>>>
>>> https://www.animals24-7.org/2025/10/30/kill-the-barred-owls-agree-u-s-senate-democrats-with-republicans/ >>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>> <Tweeters...> <mailto:<Tweeters...> >>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Steve Hampton
>> Port Townsend, WA (qatáy)
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...> <mailto:<Tweeters...> >> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 11/4/25 4:07 pm From: Ronda Stark via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Missing in Action?
Hi Jim,
The last Osprey flew south about 3 weeks ago.
I'm sorry to hear about the SEOW as I was hoping to see them later this
week.
Unbelievably, we had two of our Trumpeter Swans arrive on Lake Washington
today. How many are you seeing up in the Skagit?
Ronda
On Tue, Nov 4, 2025 at 10:11 AM Jim Betz via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've been searching eBird for at least 3 weeks and finding very few
> reports of
>
> Osprey
> Short-eared Owl
>
> I did see my FOF SEOW about 3 weeks ago at the East 90 in Skagit ... but
> since then none. And 'none' (that I found) in eBird. (Yes, I've been
> out to
> the East 90 many times since - and usually in the prime time window for
> that location (after 2pm and particularly after 4pm).
>
> I have always thought that the PNW Osprey stay here thru the winter.
> However, many Osprey do migrate long distances South where they are
> seen in Mexico and further South.
>
> Are any of you seeing either species? Where?
> - Jim in Skagit
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/4/25 10:32 am From: Jim Betz via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Missing in Action?
Hi,
I've been searching eBird for at least 3 weeks and finding very few
reports of
Osprey
Short-eared Owl
I did see my FOF SEOW about 3 weeks ago at the East 90 in Skagit ... but
since then none. And 'none' (that I found) in eBird. (Yes, I've been
out to
the East 90 many times since - and usually in the prime time window for
that location (after 2pm and particularly after 4pm).
I have always thought that the PNW Osprey stay here thru the winter.
However, many Osprey do migrate long distances South where they are
seen in Mexico and further South.
Date: 11/4/25 6:38 am From: Matt Bartels via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Washington Bird Records Committee recent decisions (Oct 25, 2025 meeting)
Happy to report that the results of the Fall meeting of the Washington Bird Records Committee are now in and the files on the WOS website are all updated with our more recent decisions. As always happens with our Fall meeting, many of the fall vagrants chose to visit the state as soon as we wrapped up the packet for review - Next Spring’s meeting will take on exciting recent finds like that Yellow-green Vireo Little Blue Heron[s], and more. Results from the meeting are here [https://wos.org/records/votingsummary/fall-2025/] and are are copied below. All the WBRC results are available along with the updated state checklist and more at: https://wos.org/records/
A summary of our results:
· 22 reports were accepted as valid new records.
· 1 additional record was accepted as a continuing sighting of a record previously accepted at an earlier meeting.
· 12 reports were not accepted.
In addition, a change to our state list come from taxonomic updates by the American Birding Association Checklist Committee this year:
· Vega Gull was split from Herring Gull, adding one species to the state list based on 4 previously accepted records.
Finally, the state list is updated to incorporate a few name changes that don’t affect the number of species on the list:
· Herring Gull was split, with WA records all assigned to American Herring Gull, except for the previously mentioned Vega Gull records.
· Warbling Vireo was split, with WA records all assigned to Western Warbling Vireo.
The state checklist is now at 529 species, including 516 species fully accredited (supported by specimen, photograph, or recording) and 13 species which are sight-only records (supported only by written documentation).
Reports reviewed this meeting:
Key: Votes in parentheses (# accepted – # not accepted – # abstain)
[Notations: p=photo, v = video, a = audio, s = sketch]
ACCEPTED RECORDS:
COHU-2025-1, Costa's Hummingbird – 30 June 2025, Montana St., Wenatchee, Chelan County. Neil Paprocki [w, p] (7-0-0).
UPSA-2025-1, Upland Sandpiper – 11-12 September 2025, Cedar River Mouth, Renton, King County. Eric Hope [w, p], Raphael Fennimore [w, p, v,a], Tom Bancroft [p], Sam Hogenson [p], Tom O'callahan [p], Neil Pankey [p], John Puschock [p] (7-0-0).
RNST-2025-1, Red-necked Stint – 7 September 2025, Cedar River Mouth, Renton, King County. Eric Hope [w, p], Liam Hutcheson [w, p], Russ Koppendrayer [p], Sarah Peden [p], Jordan Roderick [p], Maxine Reid [p], Asta Tobiassen [p] (7-0-0).
CRAU-2025-1, Crested Auklet – 8 June 2025, Discovery Park, Seattle, King County. Matt Dufort [w, p], Jason Vassallo [w, p], Greg Harrington [p], Spencer Hildie [p, v] (7-0-0). [Second state record]
LIGU-2025-1, Little Gull – 13 May 2025, Sand Island NA, Grays Harbor County. Liam Hutcheson [w, p] (7-0-0).
LIGU-2025-2, Little Gull – 14 September 2025, Carkeek Park, Seattle, King County. Ryan Merrill [w] (7-0-0).
WIWR-2025-1, Winter Wren – 24 September 2025, Carkeek Park, Seattle, King County. Ryan J Merrill [w, a] (7-0-0).
OROR-2024-3, Orchard Oriole – 22 October 2024, Neah Bay, Clallam County. Jordan Gunn [p], Steve Hampton [p] (7-0-0).
HOOR-2025-1, Hooded Oriole – 6-7 September 2025, Hobuck Beach, Neah Bay, Clallam County. Jordan Gunn [p], Garrett Hughes [p], Liam Hutcheson [p], Ryan Merrill [p], Brad Waggoner [p], Dan Waggoner [p], Kevin Waggoner [p] (7-0-0).
GTGR-2025-2, Great-tailed Grackle – 31 May 2025, Steigerwald NWR, Clark County. Cindy Merrill [w, p] (7-0-0).
GTGR-2025-3, Great-tailed Grackle – 6 June 2025, Kartchner St. x Hwy 395, Pasco, Franklin County. Jef Blake [w, p], Kameron Lantor [w], Mason Maron [w, p], Grant Brandberg [p], DeQuan Flight-Robertson [p], Liam Hutcheson [p] (7-0-0).
GTGR-2025-4, Great-tailed Grackle – 7 June 2025, Bay Center, Pacific County. Rachel Winslow [w. p] (7-0-0).
NOPA-2025-1, Northern Parula [2] – 31 July - 9 September 2025, Lyons Ferry SP, Franklin County. Jef Blake [w, p], Mary Cantrell [w, p], Jason Fidorra [w, p], Liam Hutcheson [p, a], Christopher Lindsey [p], Bonnie Roemer [p] (7-0-0).
BLBW-2025-1, Blackburnian Warbler – 26 September 2025, Olympic Discovery Trail, Port Angeles, Clallam County. Roger Hoffman [w, p] (7-0-0).
INBU-2025-2, Indigo Bunting – 31 May 2025, Wenas Lake, Yakima County. Becky Kent [w], Russ Koppendrayer [w] (6-1-0).
RECORDS ACCEPTED AS CONTINUING SIGHTINGS OF PREVIOUSLY-ACCEPTED RECORDS:
Lesser Nighthawk – The committee agreed that the May - June 2025 record of a Lesser Nighthawk in Kittitas County (formerly treated as LENI-2025-1) is best treated as a returning instance of LENI-2024-1. The two records are merged and treated as LENI-2024-1.
Dates and observation info for May - June 2025 occurrence: 21 May - 20 June 2025, Getty's Cove, Vantage, Kittitas County. Jef Blake [p], Liam Hutcheson [p], Dave Swayne [p], Darchelle Worley [p] (7-0-0).
REPORTS NOT ACCEPTED:
BARG-2025-1, Barnacle Goose – 21-22 May 2025, Thea Foss Waterway Public Esplanade, Tacoma, Pierce County (0-7-0).
GRKN-2025-1, Great Knot – 12 July 2025, Tyson Blood Ponds, Walla Walla County (0-7-0).
COMG-1988-1, Common Greenshank – 10 January 1988, Nahcotta Fish & Wildlife Field Station, Pacific County (0-7-0).
LIGU-2025-3, Little Gull – 14 September 2025, Charles Richey Sr. Viewpoint, West Seattle, King County (0-7-0).
LAGU-2025-1, Laughing Gull – 26 June 2025, Seahurst Park, Burien, King County (3-4-0).
LETE-2025-2, Least Tern [3] – 6 July 2025, Toothaker HMU, Riek Rd., Benton County (0-7-0).
STSE-2025-1, Steller's Sea-Eagle – 30 May 2025, near Chinook, Pacific County (0-7-0).
HAHA-2025-1, Harris's Hawk – 16 June - 31 August 2025, Dayton Fishing Pond, Dayton, Columbia County. (ID vote: 7-0-0. Origin vote: 0-7-0).
NOTE: ID confirmed, but bird was confirmed as escapee.
EAPH-2025-1, Eastern Phoebe – 28 May 2025, Westside Calispell Road Bridge, Pend Oreille County (0-7-0).
SOTH-2025-1, Song Thrush – 19 July 2025, Sylvan Way, Port Angeles, Clallam County (0-7-0).
ORGR-2024-1, Oriental Greenfinch – 28 December 2024, Columbia Park, Benton County (0-7-0).
GTGR-2025-5, Great-tailed Grackle – 9 & 15 August 2025, Naches Trail, Fredrickson, Pierce County (0-7-0).
Date: 11/3/25 8:07 pm From: Tom Benedict via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Peak Migration for Canada Geese over King County
This morning around 9 AM I heard geese calling from very high overhead. I scanned the sky and found a line of Canada Goose, I believe, headed south over Burien, WA. There were about 35 or 40 and were pretty large. Given their altitude, I think it’s unlikely they are members of the local population.I guess this is the right time for CANG migration.
Date: 11/2/25 8:57 pm From: Kim Thorburn via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] (DR: The political illustrations are notable)—-"Kill the barred owls!agree U.S. Senate Democrats with Republicans” - Animals 24-7
Hi,
I believe that Washington just adopted a recovery plan during its periodic status review of the spotted owl this year. The plan involves introduction of captive-bred or translocated spotted owls to identified healthy habitat territories and then barred owl management for their protection. As far as I know, there have been no introductions yet.
Kim
Kim Marie Thorburn, MD, MPH
Spokane, WA
(509) 465-3025 home
(509) 599-6721 cell
________________________________
From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces...> on behalf of Steve Hampton via Tweeters <tweeters...>
Sent: Sunday, November 2, 2025 7:00 AM
To: TWEETERS tweeters <tweeters...>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] (DR: The political illustrations are notable)—-"Kill the barred owls!agree U.S. Senate Democrats with Republicans” - Animals 24-7
Thanks, Dan, for sharing this. It's a bit of a bizarre article, positing that saving Spotted Owls will allow more logging. I didn't follow the logic.
But the larger issue is the widespread assumption that this is a budgeted plan with an allocation of millions of dollars. In fact, all along the "plan" is nothing more than a permit (a "take permit" from the USFWS under certain conditions) -- it comes with no budget, no staffing, and needs volunteer donation of staff time from other agencies to be implemented. In short, it will never be implemented in a widespread way. I described this in my Post Alley article here:
Things got wonkier this summer when a Texas Republican identified the project as wasteful government spending - even though it had a budget of $0 - and went on a crusade against it, which was picked up by right-wing media. This was during the DOGE era. Then the legislator and the right-wing media started citing each other. It was an example of bad math, bad legislative staff work, and bad journalism. He was just using it to blow his horn. I explained that here:
The bad owl math that haunts us<https://substack.com/home/post/p-169221688>
Now it seems that Dems and Reps have simply let the permit stand, with a budget of zero, and are leaving it alone.
To my knowledge, the only place where owl removal has occurred is in northern California, where the Barred Owl expansion is still young and many Spotted Owls still remain. I've not heard that any agencies - federal, state, local, or tribal - in WA have participated in it yet.
On Sun, Nov 2, 2025 at 5:35 AM Dan Reiff via Tweeters <tweeters...><mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
Tweeters,
I found this current article to be an interesting read.
The political illustrations are notable.
A past five year program covering the area below Blewett Pass resulted in what I found to be observable signs of success.
Please understand that just because I post an article doesn’t mean that I agree with the content or opinions.
To view other current articles from other sources, Google some of the key words of this Subject line.
Steve Hampton also wrote a past, thoughtful article regarding the controversies regarding eliminating some Barred Owls in carefully selected locations.
Dan Reiff, PhD
Date: 11/2/25 7:35 am From: Louise via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] (DR: The political illustrations are notable)—-"Kill the barred owls!agree U.S. Senate Democrats with Republicans” - Animals 24-7
The logging industry is in fact participating in the campaign to stop the
shooting of barred owls - probably because if spotted owls become extinct,
one of the must publicised reasons for protecting certain area of forest
will also disappear.
Louise Rutter
Kirkland
On Sun, Nov 2, 2025 at 7:01 AM Steve Hampton via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Thanks, Dan, for sharing this. It's a bit of a bizarre article, positing
> that saving Spotted Owls will allow more logging. I didn't follow the
> logic.
>
> But the larger issue is the widespread assumption that this is a budgeted
> plan with an allocation of millions of dollars. In fact, all along the
> "plan" is nothing more than a permit (a "take permit" from the USFWS under
> certain conditions) -- it comes with no budget, no staffing, and needs
> volunteer donation of staff time from other agencies to be implemented. In
> short, it will never be implemented in a widespread way. I described this
> in my Post Alley article here:
>
> *No, They’re not Really Going to Shoot 450,000 Owls
> <https://www.postalley.org/2024/09/12/no-theyre-not-really-going-to-shoot-450000-owls/>* >
> Things got wonkier this summer when a Texas Republican identified the
> project as wasteful government spending - even though it had a budget of $0
> - and went on a crusade against it, which was picked up by right-wing
> media. This was during the DOGE era. Then the legislator and the right-wing
> media started citing each other. It was an example of bad math, bad
> legislative staff work, and bad journalism. He was just using it to blow
> his horn. I explained that here:
> *The bad owl math that haunts us*
> <https://substack.com/home/post/p-169221688> >
> Now it seems that Dems and Reps have simply let the permit stand, with a
> budget of zero, and are leaving it alone.
>
> To my knowledge, the only place where owl removal has occurred is in
> northern California, where the Barred Owl expansion is still young and many
> Spotted Owls still remain. I've not heard that any agencies - federal,
> state, local, or tribal - in WA have participated in it yet.
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, Nov 2, 2025 at 5:35 AM Dan Reiff via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
>
>> Tweeters,
>> I found this current article to be an interesting read.
>> The political illustrations are notable.
>>
>> A past five year program covering the area below Blewett Pass resulted
>> in what I found to be observable signs of success.
>>
>> Please understand that just because I post an article doesn’t mean that I
>> agree with the content or opinions.
>>
>> To view other current articles from other sources, Google some of the key
>> words of this Subject line.
>> Steve Hampton also wrote a past, thoughtful article regarding the
>> controversies regarding eliminating some Barred Owls in carefully selected
>> locations.
>> Dan Reiff, PhD
>>
>>
>> https://www.animals24-7.org/2025/10/30/kill-the-barred-owls-agree-u-s-senate-democrats-with-republicans/ >>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...>
>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>
>
>
> --
> Steve Hampton
> Port Townsend, WA (qatáy)
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/2/25 7:20 am From: Steve Hampton via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] (DR: The political illustrations are notable)—-"Kill the barred owls!agree U.S. Senate Democrats with Republicans” - Animals 24-7
Thanks, Dan, for sharing this. It's a bit of a bizarre article, positing
that saving Spotted Owls will allow more logging. I didn't follow the
logic.
But the larger issue is the widespread assumption that this is a budgeted
plan with an allocation of millions of dollars. In fact, all along the
"plan" is nothing more than a permit (a "take permit" from the USFWS under
certain conditions) -- it comes with no budget, no staffing, and needs
volunteer donation of staff time from other agencies to be implemented. In
short, it will never be implemented in a widespread way. I described this
in my Post Alley article here:
Things got wonkier this summer when a Texas Republican identified the
project as wasteful government spending - even though it had a budget of $0
- and went on a crusade against it, which was picked up by right-wing
media. This was during the DOGE era. Then the legislator and the right-wing
media started citing each other. It was an example of bad math, bad
legislative staff work, and bad journalism. He was just using it to blow
his horn. I explained that here:
*The bad owl math that haunts us*
<https://substack.com/home/post/p-169221688>
Now it seems that Dems and Reps have simply let the permit stand, with a
budget of zero, and are leaving it alone.
To my knowledge, the only place where owl removal has occurred is in
northern California, where the Barred Owl expansion is still young and many
Spotted Owls still remain. I've not heard that any agencies - federal,
state, local, or tribal - in WA have participated in it yet.
On Sun, Nov 2, 2025 at 5:35 AM Dan Reiff via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Tweeters,
> I found this current article to be an interesting read.
> The political illustrations are notable.
>
> A past five year program covering the area below Blewett Pass resulted in
> what I found to be observable signs of success.
>
> Please understand that just because I post an article doesn’t mean that I
> agree with the content or opinions.
>
> To view other current articles from other sources, Google some of the key
> words of this Subject line.
> Steve Hampton also wrote a past, thoughtful article regarding the
> controversies regarding eliminating some Barred Owls in carefully selected
> locations.
> Dan Reiff, PhD
>
>
> https://www.animals24-7.org/2025/10/30/kill-the-barred-owls-agree-u-s-senate-democrats-with-republicans/ >
> Sent from my iPhone
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
Date: 11/2/25 5:55 am From: Dan Reiff via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] (DR: The political illustrations are notable)—-"Kill the barred owls!agree U.S. Senate Democrats with Republicans” - Animals 24-7
Tweeters,
I found this current article to be an interesting read.
The political illustrations are notable.
A past five year program covering the area below Blewett Pass resulted in what I found to be observable signs of success.
Please understand that just because I post an article doesn’t mean that I agree with the content or opinions.
To view other current articles from other sources, Google some of the key words of this Subject line.
Steve Hampton also wrote a past, thoughtful article regarding the controversies regarding eliminating some Barred Owls in carefully selected locations.
Dan Reiff, PhD
Date: 11/2/25 2:57 am From: Dan Reiff via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Article from 2019- Note comparison to one part of next article-“Despite habitat protection, endangered owls decline in Mount Rainier National Park”
Date: 10/31/25 4:46 pm From: Sharon Howard via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Band-tailed pigeon
Hello All— this Thursday at 3:30 p.m. we had a visit from a band-tailed pigeon. It was purchased in our large viburnum and hoping around seemingly eating something or trying to find something. Earlier a man working on a neighbor’s house said he saw it sitting in the middle of the street and had wondered if it were injured, but he then saw it fly into the viburnum. That’s when I came outside and saw it. I managed to get a couple photos of it before it flew up to a neighbor’s roof showing us its signature banded tail. I have never see it or even other pigeons near our home.
Sharon Howard
Lower Sunset Hill
Ballard _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list <Tweeters...> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
Date: 10/31/25 11:33 am From: HAL MICHAEL via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] California scrub jay - Wikipedia
At my previous location, south of Lacey, two out of about 20 Scrubs I banded were hatch-year birds. More may have come to the feeders but weren't trapped. Steller's, on the other hand, seem to have a lot more hatch-year participants.
Hal Michael
Board of Directors, Ecologists Without Borders http://ecowb.org/ Olympia WA
360-459-4005
360-791-7702 (C)
<ucd880...>
> On 10/31/2025 10:38 AM PDT Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <tweeters...> wrote:
>
>
> P.S. And I don't believe I've ever had fledgling Scrubs come to these feeders. The Steller's Jays, on the other hand, bring their fledglings immediately to the feeders, telling them You're on your own now, kids.
>
> On Fri, Oct 31, 2025 at 10:33 AM Robert O'Brien <baro...> mailto:<baro...> wrote:
>
> > Here 20mi SE of Portland in a rural area ,the Scrub/Stellar (sic) Situation is exactly the same as Steve Loitz states. Exactly, and has been this way for 50 years. We get Scrub Jays coming up to us from the residential areas along the Clackamas River only in the summer when the babies are demanding a lot of food and we have available feeders in a coniferous/mixed habitat.. Always overrun by Steller's Jays.
> > Bob OBrien Portland
> >
> > On Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM Steve Loitz via Tweeters <tweeters...> mailto:<tweeters...> wrote:
> >
> > > Ann, I have not seen any evidence that CASJs are pushing out STJAs in and around Ellensburg. There is little overlap of their respective habitats. Our CASJs are mostly in riparian zones and residential landscaped areas. STJAs tend to stick to areas with confiers. We have seen them on the same property, but no obvious antagonism.
> > >
> > > OTOH, CASJs may well be competition with Black-billed Magpies in some places in our areas. I have some bickering between those two species.
> > >
> > > YMMV on the Wet Side of the Cascades, of course.
> > >
> > > Steve Loitz
> > > Ellensburg
> > >
> > > On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 9:03 PM Ann Kramer <lens4birds...> mailto:<lens4birds...> wrote:
> > >
> > > > I will be sad if the Steller's Jay's are pushed out of our area. We are heavily forested with NGPA forests around, and I've only seen one Scrub Jay over the years. The Stellar's come to the suet as a family unit, and they are the only brave enough to harass a Cooper's or Sharp-Shinned Hawk far from the busy feeders we have. They are amazing to watch, as they work as a team to chase the Hawks and then quickly fly away, squawking, as it turns on them. Such a lot of moxie!!!
> > > >
> > > > Ann
> > > >
> > > > On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 12:13 PM Steve Loitz via Tweeters <tweeters...> mailto:<tweeters...> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > CASJs are now in and around Ellensburg. A few years ago, it was rare to see one north of Yakima.
> > > > >
> > > > > Steve Loitz
> > > > > Ellensburg WA
> > > > >
> > > > > On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 11:45 AM Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters <tweeters...> mailto:<tweeters...> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > On Oct 27, 2025 at 11:36:37, Stephen Elston via Tweeters <tweeters...> mailto:<tweeters...> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > I am regularly seeing California Scrub Jay in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle. The Stelars Jays still outnumber them significantly.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > For better and worse, Scrub Jays are quite good at expanding territory. Back when I was living in California there was an area I was monitoring regularly over a number of years, and over about a decade, we saw it go from being primarily a Stellar’s Jay area to Scrub Jay territory with only a couple of isolated Stellar’s families in the deeper wooded areas. I expect by now the Stellar’s have been completely pushed out. Scrub Jays keep more of a family unit going than Stellar’s, which I think gives them an advantage when competing for territory (much like Northern Mockingbirds do). The Scrub Jays adapt much more easily to suburban and urban environments.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Chuq
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ---------------------------------------
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me)
> > > > > > Silverdale, Washington
> > > > > > Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Email me at: <chuqvr...> mailto:<chuqvr...> > > > > > > Mastodon: @<chuqvr...> mailto:<chuqvr...> > > > > > >
> > > > > > Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ > > > > > > My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks > > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > Tweeters mailing list
> > > > > > <Tweeters...> mailto:<Tweeters...> > > > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Steve Loitz
> > > > > Ellensburg, WA
> > > > > <steveloitz...> mailto:<steveloitz...> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Tweeters mailing list
> > > > > <Tweeters...> mailto:<Tweeters...> > > > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Steve Loitz
> > > Ellensburg, WA
> > > <steveloitz...> mailto:<steveloitz...> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > Tweeters mailing list
> > > <Tweeters...> mailto:<Tweeters...> > > > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters > > >
> >
> _______________________________________________
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> <Tweeters...>
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Date: 10/31/25 10:59 am From: Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] California scrub jay - Wikipedia
P.S. And I don't believe I've ever had fledgling Scrubs come to these
feeders. The Steller's Jays, on the other hand, bring their fledglings
immediately to the feeders, telling them *You're on your own now, kids.*
On Fri, Oct 31, 2025 at 10:33 AM Robert O'Brien <baro...> wrote:
> Here 20mi SE of Portland in a rural area ,the Scrub/Stellar (sic)
> Situation is exactly the same as Steve Loitz states. Exactly, and has been
> this way for 50 years. We get Scrub Jays coming up to us from the
> residential areas along the Clackamas River only in the summer when the
> babies are demanding a lot of food and we have available feeders in a
> coniferous/mixed habitat.. Always overrun by Steller's Jays.
> Bob OBrien Portland
>
> On Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM Steve Loitz via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
>
>> Ann, I have not seen any evidence that CASJs are pushing out STJAs in and
>> around Ellensburg. There is little overlap of their respective habitats.
>> Our CASJs are mostly in riparian zones and residential landscaped areas.
>> STJAs tend to stick to areas with confiers. We have seen them on the same
>> property, but no obvious antagonism.
>>
>> OTOH, CASJs may well be competition with Black-billed Magpies in some
>> places in our areas. I have some bickering between those two species.
>>
>> YMMV on the Wet Side of the Cascades, of course.
>>
>> Steve Loitz
>> Ellensburg
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 9:03 PM Ann Kramer <lens4birds...> wrote:
>>
>>> I will be sad if the Steller's Jay's are pushed out of our area. We are
>>> heavily forested with NGPA forests around, and I've only seen one Scrub Jay
>>> over the years. The Stellar's come to the suet as a family unit, and they
>>> are the only brave enough to harass a Cooper's or Sharp-Shinned Hawk far
>>> from the busy feeders we have. They are amazing to watch, as they work as
>>> a team to chase the Hawks and then quickly fly away, squawking, as it turns
>>> on them. Such a lot of moxie!!!
>>>
>>> Ann
>>>
>>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 12:13 PM Steve Loitz via Tweeters <
>>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>>
>>>> CASJs are now in and around Ellensburg. A few years ago, it was rare to
>>>> see one north of Yakima.
>>>>
>>>> Steve Loitz
>>>> Ellensburg WA
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 11:45 AM Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters <
>>>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Oct 27, 2025 at 11:36:37, Stephen Elston via Tweeters <
>>>>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I am regularly seeing California Scrub Jay in the Greenwood
>>>>>> neighborhood of Seattle. The Stelars Jays still outnumber them
>>>>>> significantly.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> For better and worse, Scrub Jays are quite good at expanding
>>>>> territory. Back when I was living in California there was an area I was
>>>>> monitoring regularly over a number of years, and over about a decade, we
>>>>> saw it go from being primarily a Stellar’s Jay area to Scrub Jay territory
>>>>> with only a couple of isolated Stellar’s families in the deeper wooded
>>>>> areas. I expect by now the Stellar’s have been completely pushed out. Scrub
>>>>> Jays keep more of a family unit going than Stellar’s, which I think gives
>>>>> them an advantage when competing for territory (much like Northern
>>>>> Mockingbirds do). The Scrub Jays adapt much more easily to suburban and
>>>>> urban environments.
>>>>>
>>>>> Chuq
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ---------------------------------------
>>>>>
>>>>> Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me)
>>>>> Silverdale, Washington
>>>>> Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
>>>>>
>>>>> Email me at: <chuqvr...>
>>>>> Mastodon: @<chuqvr...>
>>>>>
>>>>> Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ >>>>> My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks >>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>>>> <Tweeters...>
>>>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Steve Loitz
>>>> Ellensburg, WA
>>>> <steveloitz...>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>>> <Tweeters...>
>>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Steve Loitz
>> Ellensburg, WA
>> <steveloitz...>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Tweeters mailing list
>> <Tweeters...>
>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>
>
Date: 10/31/25 10:53 am From: Robert O'Brien via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] California scrub jay - Wikipedia
Here 20mi SE of Portland in a rural area ,the Scrub/Stellar (sic) Situation
is exactly the same as Steve Loitz states. Exactly, and has been this way
for 50 years. We get Scrub Jays coming up to us from the residential areas
along the Clackamas River only in the summer when the babies are demanding
a lot of food and we have available feeders in a
coniferous/mixed habitat.. Always overrun by Steller's Jays.
Bob OBrien Portland
On Tue, Oct 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM Steve Loitz via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Ann, I have not seen any evidence that CASJs are pushing out STJAs in and
> around Ellensburg. There is little overlap of their respective habitats.
> Our CASJs are mostly in riparian zones and residential landscaped areas.
> STJAs tend to stick to areas with confiers. We have seen them on the same
> property, but no obvious antagonism.
>
> OTOH, CASJs may well be competition with Black-billed Magpies in some
> places in our areas. I have some bickering between those two species.
>
> YMMV on the Wet Side of the Cascades, of course.
>
> Steve Loitz
> Ellensburg
>
> On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 9:03 PM Ann Kramer <lens4birds...> wrote:
>
>> I will be sad if the Steller's Jay's are pushed out of our area. We are
>> heavily forested with NGPA forests around, and I've only seen one Scrub Jay
>> over the years. The Stellar's come to the suet as a family unit, and they
>> are the only brave enough to harass a Cooper's or Sharp-Shinned Hawk far
>> from the busy feeders we have. They are amazing to watch, as they work as
>> a team to chase the Hawks and then quickly fly away, squawking, as it turns
>> on them. Such a lot of moxie!!!
>>
>> Ann
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 12:13 PM Steve Loitz via Tweeters <
>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>
>>> CASJs are now in and around Ellensburg. A few years ago, it was rare to
>>> see one north of Yakima.
>>>
>>> Steve Loitz
>>> Ellensburg WA
>>>
>>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 11:45 AM Chuq Von Rospach via Tweeters <
>>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Oct 27, 2025 at 11:36:37, Stephen Elston via Tweeters <
>>>> <tweeters...> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I am regularly seeing California Scrub Jay in the Greenwood
>>>>> neighborhood of Seattle. The Stelars Jays still outnumber them
>>>>> significantly.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> For better and worse, Scrub Jays are quite good at expanding territory.
>>>> Back when I was living in California there was an area I was monitoring
>>>> regularly over a number of years, and over about a decade, we saw it go
>>>> from being primarily a Stellar’s Jay area to Scrub Jay territory with only
>>>> a couple of isolated Stellar’s families in the deeper wooded areas. I
>>>> expect by now the Stellar’s have been completely pushed out. Scrub Jays
>>>> keep more of a family unit going than Stellar’s, which I think gives them
>>>> an advantage when competing for territory (much like Northern Mockingbirds
>>>> do). The Scrub Jays adapt much more easily to suburban and urban
>>>> environments.
>>>>
>>>> Chuq
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ---------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me)
>>>> Silverdale, Washington
>>>> Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
>>>>
>>>> Email me at: <chuqvr...>
>>>> Mastodon: @<chuqvr...>
>>>>
>>>> Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ >>>> My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks >>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>>> <Tweeters...>
>>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Steve Loitz
>>> Ellensburg, WA
>>> <steveloitz...>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Tweeters mailing list
>>> <Tweeters...>
>>> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >>>
>>
>
> --
> Steve Loitz
> Ellensburg, WA
> <steveloitz...>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> <Tweeters...>
> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters >
