Spring 2022

WBRC Spring 2022 MEETING RESULTS

Thursday, April 28, 2022, the Washington Bird Records Committee met via Zoom for its spring meeting.
Here is a summary of our results:

  • 26 reports were accepted as valid new records.
  • 1 additional record was accepted as continuing sighting of a record previously accepted at an earlier meeting.
  • 13 reports were not accepted.
  • 2 reports were tabled for further analysis.

No species were added to the official Washington state list. The list remains at 522 species, including 510 species fully accredited (supported by specimen, photograph, or recording) and 12 species which are sight-only records (supported only by written documentation).

Key:
Votes in parentheses (# accepted – # not accepted – # abstain)
[Notations: p=photo, v = video, a = audio, s = sketch]

ACCEPTED RECORDS

EMGO-2021-1, Emperor Goose – 6 October 2021, Myrtle Edwards Park, Seattle, King County. Sam Fason [w, p, v] (7-0-0).

EMGO-2021-2, Emperor Goose – 28-30 October 2021, Washington side of Columbia across from Fort McNary, Benton County. Bill & Nancy LaFramboise [w, p], Mason Maron [w, p], Patrick Van Thull [w, p], Maxine Reid [p] (7-0-0).

EMGO-2021-3, Emperor Goose – 4-6 November 2021, Sterino Farm, Puyallup, Pierce County. Edward Pullen [w, p] Michael Charest [p], Patrick Van Thull [p] (7-0-0).

EMGO-2021-4, Emperor Goose – 5 December 2021 – 13 January 2022, March Point, Skagit County. Gary Bletsch [w, p], Blair Bernson [p], Jordan Gunn [p], Pamela Myers [p] (7-0-0). Two birds initially; one shot by hunters.

BESW-2022-1, Bewick’s Tundra Swan – 21 January 2022, Best Road, Mt. Vernon, Skagit County. Robert Hoffman [w, p] (7-0-0).

BESW-2022-2, Bewick’s Tundra Swan – 11-12 March 2022 Saltese Wetlands, Spokane County. Curtis Mahon [w, p], Tim O’Brien [w, p] (7-0-0).

WHOS-2022-1, Whooper Swan – 6 February – 18 March 2022, Monroe Prison Farm, Monroe, Snohomish County. Phil Dickenson [w, p], Carl Haynie [w, p], Avery Lee [w, p], Neil Pankay [w], Bill Tweit [w], Melissa Hafting [p], Christian Hagenlocher [p], Jordan Roderick [p], Gregg Thompson [p], Tina Toth [p] (ID: 7-0-0; Origin: wild = 7).

TBMU-2021-2, Thick-billed Murre – 16 November 2021, Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, Pierce County. Charlie Wright [w], Will Brooks [w, p] (7-0-0)

SCMU-2004-2, Scripps’s Murrelet – 10 July 2004, off shore pelagic, Grays Harbor County. Graeme Stevens, Bill Tweit [w] (7-0-0). Five individuals.

LIGU-2021-1, Little Gull – 26-28 September 2021, McNary NWR – Two Rivers Unit, Walla Walla County. Mike & MerryLynn Denny [w], Lars Hovde [w, p], Bill & Nancy LaFramboise [w, p], Michael Woodruff [w, p], Jason Vassallo [p] (7-0-0).

SLBG-2021-2, Slaty-backed Gull – 19-27 October 2021, Cedar River Mouth & Gene Coulon Park, Renton, King County. Heidi Erland [w], Carl Haynie [w, p, v], Nadine Drisseq [p], Raphael Fennimore [p], Greg Harrington [p], John Puschock [p] (7-0-0).

SLBG-2021-3, Slaty-backed Gull – 26-30 October 2021, Clallam Bay, Clallam County. Michael Barry [w. p], Will Brooks [w, p], Steve Hampton [w, p], Jason Vassallo [p] (6-1-0).

EAPH-2021-1, Eastern Phoebe – 23 October 2021, Trilogy, Redmond, King County. Philip Magallanes [w, p] [fide Dennis Paulson] (7-0-0).

EAPH-2021-2, Eastern Phoebe – 3-12 December 2021, Deer Lagoon, Whidbey Island, Island County. Dick Holcomb [w, p], Greg Harrington [p] (7-0-0).

EAPH-2021-3, Eastern Phoebe – 11 December 2021, McNary NWR, Burbank, Walla Walla County. Bruce Toews [w] (7-0-0).

RFBL-2022-1, Red-flanked Bluetail – 17-29 March 2022, Sheridan Heights Neighborhood, Lake Forest Park, King County. Nancy Morrison [w, p], John & Tracy Bell [p], Nadine Drisseq [p], Jordan Gunn [p], Tom Mansfield [p], Ryan Merrill [p], John Puschock [p], Jason Vassallo [p] (7-0-0).

PUFI-2019-2, Eastern Purple Finch – 10-12 January 2019, Sturm Ave., Walla Walla, Walla Walla County. Timothy Parker [p] (7-0-0).

HORE-2021-1, Hoary Redpoll – 2 December 2021, Clearwater Guard Station, Umatilla NF, Garfield County. Will Brooks [w, p] (7-0-0).

HORE-2021-2, Hoary Redpoll – 31 December 2021 – 16 January 2022, Green Lake, Seattle, King County. Bill Tweit [w], Nadine Drisseq [p], Greg Harrington [p], Ryan J. Merrill [p], John Puschock [p] (7-0-0). The WBRC did not endorse sightings after 16 January 2022.

OROR-2021-1, Orchard Oriole – 8-9 October 2021, Hoquiam STP, Hoquiam, Grays Harbor County. Liam Hutcheson [w, p], Jordan Gunn [p], Greg Harrington [p], Maxine Reid [p] (7-0-0).

COGR-2022-1, Common Grackle – 2-7 February 2022, North Rd. 42, Pasco, Franklin County. Victor Hubbard [w, p], Bill & Nancy LaFramboise [w, p] (7-0-0).

COGR-2022-2, Common Grackle – 12 March 2022, Two miles west of Burlington, Skagit County. Faye Whitney [w, p] (7-0-0).

GTGR-2021-1, Great-tailed Grackle – 11-19 November 2021, Neal Road, Fall City, King County. Carl Haynie [w, p], Nadine Drisseq [p], Greg Harrington [p], John Puschock [p], Maxine Reid [p], Jordan Roderick [p], Patrick Van Thull [p] (7-0-0).

BLBW-2021-1, Blackburnian Warbler – 15-19 November 2021, Home Valley Park, Skamania County. Cara Borre [w], Marcus Roening [w], Keith Brady [w, p], John Davis [w, p], Asta Tobiassen [p] (7-0-0).

BTBW-2021-3, Black-throated Blue Warbler – 23 December 2021 – 2 January 2022, Port Angeles, Clallam County. Michael Barry [w, p], Bob Boekelheide [w, p], Richard Klawitter [p] (7-0-0).

DICK-2021-1, Dickcissel – 20 December 2021 – 8 March 2022, Laura Lane & Jamestown Rd., Sequim, Clallam County. Michael Barry [w, p], Bob Boekelheide [w, p], Brad Waggoner [w, p], Steve Hampton [p] (7-0-0). The WBRC considered the December and March sightings to pertain to the same individual.

RECORDS ACCEPTED AS CONTINUING SIGHTINGS OF PREVIOUSLY-ACCEPTED RECORDS

Slaty-backed Gull in Eastern Washington: The committee agreed that the October 2021 – February 2022 record of a Slaty-backed Gull in Walla Walla, Benton and Franklin counties (formerly treated as SBGU-2021-4) is best treated as a returning instance of SBGU-2016-1, the prior sighting of this species in the area the previous five winters. The two records are merged and treated as SBGU-2016-1.

Dates and observation info for October 2021 – February 2022 occurrence: Slaty-backed Gull, 14 October 2021 – 27 February 2022, Columbia Park Marina, Kamiakin HS fields, Carpet Island, Lower Monumental Dam, Benton, Franklin, & Walla Walla County. Elke Davis [p], Bill & Nancy LaFramboise [p], Sochetra Ly [p], Maxine Reid [p] (7-0-0).

REPORTS NOT ACCEPTED

BARG-1990-1, Barnacle Goose – 10 November 1990, College Place, Walla Walla County. Mike & MerryLyn Denny [w, p]. (ID: 7-0-0; Origin: Uncertain/Not wild = 7). Observers reported the bird was present for two additional years – unreviewed by WBRC.

BATE-1996-1, Baikal Teal – 7 January 1996, Montesano-Satsop Rd., Grays Harbor County (0-7-0).

YBCU-2005-1, Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 17 June 2005, Rooks Park, Walla Walla County (0-7-0).

TBMU-2021-1, Thick-billed Murre – 2 October 2021, Sand Dune Ave., Ocean Shores, Grays Harbor County (0-7-0).

TBMU-2021-3, Thick-billed Murre – 14 December 2021, Protection Island Aquatic Reserve, Clallam County (0-7-0).

LIGU-2021-2, Little Gull – 31 December 2021, Rimrock Lake, Yakima County (0-7-0).

MUPE-2015-2, Murphy’s Petrel – 16 May 2015, Off-shore, 47.619, -124.894, Clallam County (0-7-0).

CAEG-2022-1, Cattle Egret – 13 February 2022, McNary NWR, Burbank, Walla Walla County (0-7-0).

STSE-2022-1, Steller’s Sea Eagle – 14 February 2022, NW Coast of Camano Island, Island County (0-6-1).

YBMA-2021-1, Yellow-billed Magpie – 13 October 2021, Long Beach, Pacific County (0-7-0).

YBMA-2022-1, Yellow-billed Magpie – 20 January 2022, Overpass, Spokane County (0-7-0).

PSJU-2021-1, Pink-sided Dark-eyed Junco – 20 November 2021, Swan Creek County Park, Pierce County (0-7-0).

BLPW-2021-2, Blackpoll Warbler – 28 September 2021, Yakima Arboretum, Yakima County (3-4-0).

REPORTS TABLED

The following reports will be reviewed after additional input is received:
HERG-2021-1, Vega Herring Gull – 23 March 2021, Lewis River Road, Woodland, Cowlitz County.
SOSP-2021-1, Eastern Song Sparrow – 8 October 2021, Bingen Pond, Bingen, Klickitat County.

OTHER DECISIONS

California Condor in Washington
The WBRC reviewed historical information from the traditional knowledge of the indigenous peoples who were the first inhabitants of the region and from the early naturalists and explorers regarding the status and distribution of California Condor in present-day Washington.  All of the sources confirmed that they were regular and widely distributed in the state throughout the 19th century with the Columbia River and southern Cascades being the center of their distribution. Their identifications were corroborated by accurate depictions in basketry and weavings, the consistency of the stories that formed the knowledge base of the indigenous peoples, specimens and drawings in field journals.  Their status as a regular component of the state’s avifauna changed by about 1900, when their population decline became evident throughout their range.  Thus, the WBRC voted to only review reports after 1900.

Comments are closed.