[Tweeters] Birding in Trout Lake Area (SW Washington)

[Kevin Lucas]

Kellie,

First -- We've seen many, in fact mostly, hybrid Hermit x Townsend's
warblers in that area. I enjoy the challenge of birding by ear, my high
frequency hearing is very good, and I can't tell the difference between the
songs of Hermit Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, and hybrid Hermit x Townsend's
Warbler that I see and hear. Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze has a motif that
each of the three sing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK_p1vay-AY
Based on my visual with auditory observations, I doubt accurate auditory
identification distinction can be made between them, at least anywhere near
areas like the area near Trout Lake where overlap between Hermit &
Townsend's occurs.
Similarly, it would be easy to misidentify one of these three visually.
There's a very good description, with a nice set of cover color
illustrations available online, an Auk journal article.
The Auk   Volume 115  Number 2   April 1998   pages 284 - 310
  THREE HYBRID ZONES BETWEEN HERMIT AND TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS IN WASHINGTON
AND OREGON SIEVERT ROHWER • AND CHRISTOPHER WOOD Burke Museum and
Department of Zoology, Box 353010, University of Washington, Seattle,
Washington 98195, USA
I downloaded it & printed it out and have carried it with us whenever we've
visited the area.
Front page in color:
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v115n02/front.pdf
Body text:
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v115n02/p0284-p0310.pdf

We've often camped at Pineside Sno-Park (a parking lot).
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sno-Park:+Pineside/@46.0130563,-121.5270951,7822m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x5496678335de9e69:0x6f46feb695c9333d!2sTrout+Lake,+WA+98650!3b1!8m2!3d45.9973427!4d-121.5281369!3m4!1s0x54965c3979a1dc67:0xcd0e550fb9e78eea!8m2!3d46.048887!4d-121.499662!5m1!1e4
It's 4 miles (straight line distance) north-northeast of Trout Lake Ranger
Station, just east of the Mt. Adams Recreation Area Road, a.k.a. NF-8225.
The first time we camped there we were serenaded by Northern Saw-whet Owls.
We've heard them at night every subsequent visit. We don't harass them.
https://blog.aba.org/2012/02/the-jerk-snowy-owls.html
We awoke early the next morning with a glorious chorus of bird songs and
calls, among them Townsend's Warblers, Hermit Warblers, and hybrid
Townsend's x Hermit Warblers.
At the same spot we found, photographed, and enjoyed wonderful views of
other warblers including Black-throated Gray Warblers, Williamson's and
Red-breasted and Red-naped Sapsuckers, Pileated and Hairy Woodpeckers,
hummers, flycatchers, Band-tailed Pigeons, Purple Finches, Evening and
Black-headed Grosbeaks, Townsend's Solitaires, Red Crossbills, Pine
Siskins, vireos, thrushes, Northern Goshawk,..., and more.

Since then we've camped there and at other places including nearby SnowKing
Sno-Park
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sno-Park:+SnowKing/@46.0313675,-121.5016458,7838m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x5496678335de9e69:0x6f46feb695c9333d!2sTrout+Lake,+WA+98650!3b1!8m2!3d45.9973427!4d-121.5281369!3m4!1s0x54965c0d1103447d:0x3d65564c3fc0f9ee!8m2!3d46.0543!4d-121.4722!5m1!1e4
with the same wonderful variety & slew of birds.

Be sure to use the eBird checklist entry "Townsend's/Hermit Warbler" for
any bird that looks like either Townsend's or Hermit, but that you haven't
clearly seen ALL nine distinguishing plumage characteristics.

For hybrids, "Townsend's x Hermit Warbler (hybrid)" is the appropriate
entry.

Hermit Warbler, Townsend's/Hermit Warbler, and Townsend's x Hermit Warbler
(hybrid) have all been appropriately designated by eBird as "Rare" in that
area, if for no other reason than for how extremely easy it is to not
accurately distinguish between the three. I think Townsend's Warbler should
be treated as rare there too, for the same reason. Perhaps it is.

Happy Trails & Good Luck,
Kevin Lucas
Yakima County, Washington
https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/
*Qui tacet consentire videtur*


On Mon, Feb 28, 2022 at 5:48 PM Kellie Sagen <kelliekvinne at hotmail.com>
wrote:


> Hello Tweets,

>

> If anyone has knowledge of the Trout Lake area I would love to hear where

> some good birding spots are. I was looking at eBird checklists under the

> hotspot name of "Trout Lake area" - a man named Mark Lundgren seems to be

> the main birdwatcher. I viewed a satellite map of that hotspot and it

> appears to be in the middle of a brown field. I am thinking that is not the

> actual location the birds on those checklists are being seen. Would like to

> visit sometime in June to see the Hermit and Nashville warblers. Any tips

> would be greatly appreciated!

>

> Kellie Sagen

> Lake Stevens

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> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

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