[obol] an extraordinary range expansion of the Wrentit

[Paul T. Sullivan]

OBOL:

The Wrentit is a saucy little bird, quite secretive and sought-after.  I 
enjoy them a lot.  I am also able to do a very credible imitation of their 
song.  I've often called them out within a few feet of me, in front of a 
whole group of people.  This is always a crowd-pleaser.  The bird sits and 
flips its tail and flashes its bright yellow eye and ochre foreneck for all 
to see.

These birds are quite sedentary and rarely fly across open space.  Thus they 
range from Mexico to Ft. Stevens on the south side of the Columbia River, 
but have never made it across that forbidding expanse of water to Washington 
State.

A few years ago I attended the Washington Ornithological Society's annual 
meeting at Long Beach, WA., on the north side of the mouth of the Columbia. 
I went on a field trip led by a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless). 
We walked out to view the ocean near the North Head lighthouse. As we passed 
a big patch of Salal, he commented, "If ever a Wrentit is going to appear in 
Washington, this is the place."

We scoped the ocean for a good long while, then ambled back toward the 
parking lot, breaking into a straggling, walking conversation.  I dropped 
behind and dropped down into the Salal. 
"PSEET!.....PSEET!...PSEET!..PSeet,Pseet,pseet,pseet,pseet,seet,seet,seet," 
I whistled.  Then I stayed down in the salal for a time.  (I wasn't there to 
see it, but I'm told my friends eyes grew big as saucers.)

When I emerged from the brush onto the trail again, I saw the whole crew 
looking back down the trail at me.  With a rueful look, my friend said, 
"That was you, wasn't it."   We all laughed.

Good birding, everyone,

;-)  Paul pseeT. Sullivan