West Seattle wildlife: Rare bird spotted in Alki area

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Seeing more people than usual in the Alki area with binoculars? Here’s why. Thanks to Maurie for the photo and the explanation:

There are likely to be a lot of birders wandering around alki for the next few days. This morning a Black-billed Magpie (in the corvid/crow family) was seen moving back and forth between 61st and 63rd between Stevens and Alki Beach. This is a bird native to Eastern Washington but extremely rare for Western Washington.

It’s now on my yard list – and that’s one good bird to have on a yard list for Alki!

Babs January 7, 2010 (5:57 pm)

Cute bird! I used to be a native of Eastern Washington until I wised up in the 1980’s – so maybe this little fellow did too! :) Welcome to the West Seattle hood birdie!

KR January 7, 2010 (6:58 pm)

Rare indeed! Hope you find your way home little guy!

timeslid January 7, 2010 (6:59 pm)

WOW!!!! I grew up with these rascals. Funny thing this is.

JayDee January 7, 2010 (7:08 pm)

I did fieldwork in Montana once and discovered Magpies–very loud and clever birds typical of Corvidae.
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One imprudent colleague had put some underwear outside the bunkhouse to dry…and dry it did after the magpie left it on a branch 20 feet in the air.

Dano January 7, 2010 (10:09 pm)

This bird has been hanging out in my front yard…. I thought he was a bit unusual! He has been snacking on the Squirrel feeder pretty heavily… He also seems to be pretty comfortable with people, as he has been sitting on a branch about two feet from the walkway. I offered him a latte, but he said he was “trying to cut down”…. (wink)