OREGON & WASHINGTON 
southbound birds. Though individuals often 
summer on the outer coast, each summer a 
few are found among other southbound 
shorebirds in late Jun and Jul, about two 
months ahead of the “normal” fall arrivals. 
Single Short-billed Dowitchers at N.S.C.B. 5 
Jun (TR) and RS.B. 7-13 Jun (SM, DFi) and a 
Long-billed Dowitcher at Nisqually 10 Jun 
(BS) dehed categorization as to their migra- 
tion status. A tally of 380 Long-billeds at 
FR.R. 10 Jul QS) reflected the first influx of 
southbound adults. An apparent southbound 
migrant Wilson’s Snipe was at RS.B. 20 Jun 
(SM); migration dates for this species in the 
Region are poorly understood. Wilson’s 
Phalaropes were once again at RS.B., recently 
considered their only w. Washington breeding 
site, and included an ad. high count of 48 on 
7 Jun; at least 10 males guarded nests during 
Jun (SM). However, breeding was also con- 
firmed at Midway Beach, Pacific, with an ad. 
male performing a “distraction display” flight 
16 Jul (BW, TA, RM) followed by 2 downy 
juvs. noted 30 Jul (ph. G. Thompson). Baskett 
Slough N.W.R. can be added to the list of W.V 
sites, with burgeoning nesting populations of 
Wilson’s; 40 juvs. were counted there 14 Jul 
(RG). Most surprising was an ad. female Wil- 
son’s Phalarope observed 35 km w. of Cape 
Alava, Clallam 17 Jul (GW, BW, RM, R Ho- 
dum); this species had not been previously 
recorded offshore in Washington. Single Red- 
necked Phalaropes at Burns 2 Jun (TJ et al.) 
and Beverly Beach, Lincoln 3 Jun (D. Bailey) 
were the latest northbound birds. The migra- 
tory status of lone Red-neckeds at Gleneden 
Beach, Lincoln 18 Jun (DB) and RS.B. 20 Jun 
(SM) was less clear, as they would be excep- 
tionally early southbound migrants. 
A Parasitic Jaeger was at Partridge Pt., Is- 
land 27 Jun (SM), and a Pomarine Jaeger was 
there 11 Jul (SM, RM); jaegers of any species 
are rare in the RT. prior to Aug. Up to 4 
Franklin’s Gulls at Sprague, Lincoln were the 
only ones reported this summer in e. Wash- 
ington, about half the recent norm (m.ob.). 
An exceptional count of 7500 Heermann’s 
Gulls came from O.S. 24 Jul (BW). Mew Gulls 
(mostly imms.) are rare but annual on the 
westside during summer, and 2 were at Use- 
less Bay, Island 7 Jun (SM). A Glaucous Gull 
at Westport, Grays Harbor 25 Jul+ furnished 
only the 2nd summer record for Washington 
(BS, S. Mills, B. Labar). The season’s only Ele- 
gant Terns were 13 at Gold Beach, Cuny 25 
Jul (DMu); despite weak El Nino conditions, 
no major invasion materialized during the 
early fall season. 
Arctic Terns again nested at Dungeness 
Spit, Clallam, where they were first noted in 
2004, with 2 ads. and a chick observed there 
10 Jul (GGe). Noteworthy in the ET. away 
from Dungeness Spit, one visited Crockett L., 
Island 27 Jun (SM). A Forster’s Tern visited 
Everett 13 Jun (SM, R. Shaw); there are only 
about eight previous summer records for this 
species in w. Washington. A presumed northb- 
pound Black Tern, rare in the P.T., visited 
Nisqually 3 Jun (BS). A summer-record 300 
Marbled Murrelets congregated near Pt. Wil- 
son, Jefferson 21 Jun (GGe). Eight Ancient 
Murrelets were near Ediz Hook, Clallam 1 Jun 
(D. Wheelan), and one was near Observation 
Pt., Clallam 31 Jul (BW); this species is not 
annual during summer in the Straits of Juan 
de Fuca. Also in the Straits, and more surpris- 
ing, were 2 ads. with 2 chicks near Protection 
L, Jefferson 14-19 Jun (ph. T. Amico). A Tuft- 
ed Puffin, very rare in the e. Puget Trough, was 
near Edmonds, Snohomish 11 Jul (T. Haas). 
Band-tailed Pigeons are rare in e. Washing- 
ton away from w. Klickitat, so singles at Top- 
penish, Yakima 3 Jun (fide Denny Granstrand) 
and at Farmer, Douglas 8 Jul (MWi) were note- 
worthy. A White-winged Dove, first detected at 
Frenchglen 30 May, remained through 3 Jun 
(AC), and another was at Florence, Lane 1 Jun 
(WH); most records of this species, now annu- 
al in the Region, come during fall. A calling 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo was in suitable breeding 
habitat at the Sandy R. mouth, Multnomah 22- 
23 Jul (JW JGa); the bulk of the Region’s 
record have come from se. Oregon oases dur- 
ing late May and early Jun. A Northern Hawk 
Owl near Tatoosh Butte, Okanogan 17 Jul (ph. 
V. Click) continues the recent trend of back- 
country sightings during breeding season. Al- 
though no young were located, it is likely that 
this bird bred in the area. A congregation of 98 
Common Nighthawks (all ads.) about 19 km 
n. of Moses L., Grant 3 Jul (ph. SM, DS) was 
likely a seasonal record. It is unknown why so 
many assembled at one site so early in the sea- 
son. A Black-chinned Hummingbird, extreme- 
ly rare for w. Washington, was at Naches Pass, 
King 19 Jul (EH). Four Calliope Humming- 
birds were located on the westside, 21 Jun-12 
Jul. Though small numbers of Calliopes oc- 
cur w. of the Cascades in spring, they are still 
rather rare there during summer, and breeding 
has yet to be documented. Yet another Acorn 
Woodpecker wandered e. of the Cascades, 
where formerly extremely rare; this season’s 
bird inhabited Malheur N.W.R. 1-14 Jun (C. 
Chutter et al.). Rare at any season w. of the 
Cascades, a Red-naped Sapsucker was at the 
County Line Ponds, Whatcom (ph. RM, TA, T. 
Brooks). Almost certainly the result of in- 
creased observer scrutiny, an exceptional 3 
Red-naped Sapsucker x Red-breasted Sapsuck- 
er hybrids were detected in w. Washington 
lowlands 10Jun-19Jul. 
PASSERINES 
The ongoing range of Least Flycatchers into 
the Region continued, with no fewer than 1 1 
holding breeding territories in e. Washington 
3-21 Jun. In w. Washington, an unprecedent- 
ed 4 territorial males were detected, including 
3 in King 10 Jun-19 Jul and one near 
Oakville, Grays Harbor 21-25 Jun (T. Schoo- 
ley). In Oregon, where Least Flycatchers have 
summered and bred sporadically, singles were 
at Fort Klamath, Klamath 26 Jun (A. McCal- 
lum) and n. of Sisters 3 Jul+ (S. Shunk). 
Washington’s 13 th Black Phoebe was near 
Willapa Bay, Pacific 24 Jul (ph. JGi); this 
species has been expanding its range north- 
ward, and most of the records are from sw. 
Washington. An Ash-throated Flycatcher at 
Northrup Canyon, Grant 3 Jul (SM, DS) was 
350+ km ne. of the nearest known breeding 
location. A northbound Ash-throated strayed 
to Newport 8 Jun (]L); this species is near an- 
nual on Oregon’s outer coast in early Jun. 
Aside from expected pairs at the Sandy R. 
mouth, the only w. Oregon Eastern Kingbird 
was at Cape Blanco 4 Jul (K. Andersson). 
Oregon’s first White-eyed "Vireo enlivened 
Fields 9 Jun (AC, ph. GF). This species has 
rarely occurred n. of cen. California along the 
West Coast; one at Vashon L, King 11 Jul 
1981 is the only prior Regional record. A 
singing Red-eyed Vireo along Balch Cr. in nw. 
Portland 16 Jun (AH, CH) and another at 
Freyer Park, near Molalla, Clackamas 19 Jun 
(TJ) were at locations where they have not 
been detected previously; given the abun- 
dance of suitable breeding habitat, there are 
likely many such pairs in the Willamette Val- 
ley. Clark’s Nutcrackers inexplicably showed 
up in several lowland locations where they 
are rare at any season; these included 2 at 
Richland, Benton (117 m elevation) 2 Jun 
(fide NL), 2 at Trout L., Klickitat (580 m) 27 
Jun (SJ), and singles at Saddle Mt., Adams 
(823 m) 30 Jun (SDs) and the mouth of 
Northrup Canyon, Grant (550 m) 3 Jul (SM, 
DS); the latter provided just the 2nd record 
for Grant. Western Scrub-Jays maintained 
their foothold in e. Washington, evidenced by 
singles at Ward Gap Rd., Benton 1 Jun (MH) 
and Yakima, Yakima 28 Jul (SDs). A wayward 
Black-billed Magpie near Tacoma 31 Jul 0 - 
Meyer) made w. Washington’s 2nd summer 
record and only the 3rd at any season since 
1988; prior to the 1980s, this species was con- 
sidered a rare but somewhat regular winter 
visitor to the westside. Over the past decade. 
Red-breasted Nuthatches have started sum- 
mering in the Columbia Basin, where former- 
ly absent during the breeding season. They 
now summer annually at Othello (RH), and 
this summer, they were also noted from 
648 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
