Seven of us braved the cold this Christmas Eve, 24 Dec 2009, at Marymoor. It was 31F and foggy when we started. We made an effort for an owl early, but drew a blank - guess the Barn Owl stayed warm someplace. It took a while for the sun to burn the fog off, but by mid-morning we almost thought we could feel some heat.   It was very quiet for Marymoor this morning with the fog and cold keeping the small birds inactive until later in the day. Nevertheless we did get some nice views. 48 species.   Cackling Goose Cooper's Hawk Lincoln Sparrow Pine Siskin - a flock of about 50 Purple Finch Common Merganser - overhead Virginia Rail Northern Shrike - in the East Meadow Yellow-rumped Warbler Red-breasted Sapsucker Green Heron - at rowing club pond   Brian H. Bell (standing in for Michael Hobbs, in Prague)	Morning mist.  Photo by Scott Ramos
Sunrise by Ollie Oliver	Ollie being artistic again, and nicely
Displaying Great Blue Heron.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	Displaying Great Blue Heron.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Displaying Great Blue Heron.  Photo by Hugh Jennings	Opossum in a European Hawthorn.  Photo by Scott Ramos
What's the technical term for a bird pooping?  Cooper's Hawk, photo by Ollie Oliver	Green Heron at the Rowing Club.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Northern Shrike. Photo by Lillian Reis	Northern Shrike in flight, showing white wing patches.  Photo by Lillian Reis
Immature White-crowned Sparrow taking off.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	Male Belted Kingfisher.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
	Male Spotted Towhee.  Photo by Ollie Oliver

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What a nice morning.  It wasn't too cold, and it was sunny for part of the time.  No wind, though that left us with a small amount of fog. Nothing too serious.  The birds sure were out, to make for a really good day for December.  We saw just about everything one might expect to see, plus a few others. Highlights: BRANT                     Again, 1 with a large flock of Cacklers Northern Pintail       Some flying, some on lake ducks, generally      Nine species total, pretty good diversity MERLIN                   Third week in a row.  Chased by a crow. Barn Owl                  Scott had one early at the windmill Hairy Woodpecker  One in East Meadow Northern Shrike       Adult in East Meadow Varied Thrush          Male at start of boardwalk Cedar Waxwing       Maybe 40 total - very active Y.-rumped Warbler  Two or three - scarce in December Fox Sparrow             LOTS - 20+ For the day, 61 species. == Michael	Golden-crowned Sparrow, photo by Hugh Jennings
Two male Ring-necked Ducks, showing different plumages.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	Female and male Purple Finch.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Spotted Towhee (top) and Golden-crowned Sparrow.  Photo by Ollie.	Fox Sparrow photo by Ollie Oliver
Golden-crowned Kinglet photo by Ollie Oliver	Another great shot by Ollie
Varied Thrush near the start of the boardwalk	Northern Shrike in the East Meadow
The Merlin landed for just a moment in Snag Row before crows chased it off	Double-crested Cormorant photo by Lillian Reis
Bewick's Wren photo by Lillian Reis	Cedar Waxwing photo by Lillian Reis
Lillian Reis photographed three (of four) River Otters in the slough on 2009-12-18...	...and an Opossum in the Pea Patch

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What a frosty gem of a day.  It was only TEN DEGREES at 8AM, but the sun was shining, there was no fog except the merest wisps over the slough, and it was windless.  We were "shakin' our little HOTTiES" to stay warm, but the sun and the abundant birds helped too. It seemed there were birds everywhere for most of the morning.  Nothing terribly rare, but, for example, the first grove of trees we passed had about 20 Dark-eyed Juncos, a good-sized handful of Chestnut-backed Chicadees, a few Black-capped Chickadees, fluttering Golden-crowned Kinglets with at least one Ruby-crowned, two Red-breasted Nuthatches, a Brown Creeper, and a Bewick's Wren.  And that was just the first grove of trees! Sparrows galore.  Five woodpecker species, four finch species, thirteen species of ducks and geese... Highlights: Wood Duck                 3 brief sightings amongst us MERLIN                     Very dark bird landed in Snag Row Virginia Rail                  SEEN from the lake platform Townsend's Warbler     One near mansion Lynne surprised us by delivering hot cocoa and cinnamon-raisin bread at about noon.  Thanks, Lynne! After we were done, I decided to walk from the model airplane field out across the Connector Trail and down the East Lake Sammamish Trail to the lake viewpoint at 187th Ave.  Along the way I found: Dark-eyed Junco       Leucistic bird with white head California Quail         Near Redmond Storage Winter Wren             Ticking along the trail House Sparrow         Near 187th - no reports since Oct. On the lake were more Wood Ducks, some Common Merganser, and one Bufflehead. Surprisingly, we couldn't turn up any Mew Gulls, owls, kingfisher, or shrike.  But that was about all we missed. Between the main walk and my jaunt down the trail, the total tally was 61 species! == Michael	Mt. Rainier from the model airplane field, 7:45AM Pied-billed Grebe in the misty slough
Ollie Oliver's portrait of a Bushtit	Dark eye indicates male
Golden-crowned Sparrows	Hugh Jennings got this great shot of the Merlin at the east end of Snag Row
Hugh Jennings got great photos of hoar frost on the dock railing	This one of Hugh's was the frost on the boardwalk railing
Partially leucistic Dark-eyed Junco near the new shops	Another shot showing the other side of the head
Three Northern Shovelers.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	Red-breasted Sapsucker.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Townsend's Warbler.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	... and away.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Downy Woodpecker, 2009-12-04.  Photo by Lillian Reis	American Robin eating haws from a European Hawthorn, 2009-12-05. Photo by Brian Dobbins

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What a glorious day to be out.  Even an hour before sunrise, the full moon, shining through thin overcast onto frosty fields, made it bright enough to read.  And it was frosty - 28 degrees at 7:30.  We had to deal with some fog from 7:30 until about 8:00, but then it cleared off nicely, leaving us with a mostly windless day with some sun, and crisp, clear air. It wasn't very birdy early, but with a large group of birders (18), we managed to find quite a bit by the end.  Along the way, we had some nice looks at a few birds as well. Highlights: We had a flock of about 500 CACKLING GEESE, comprised of several subspecies, inside one of the baseball diamonds in the NE corner of the park.  Amongst them were two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, and probably the same BRANT I saw yesterday. Matt, Natalie, and Mark saw three (presumed) TRUMPETER SWANS fly overhead. We had good (for this winter) duck diversity, if not high numbers, with 1 WOOD DUCK, a few AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARDS, a single female GREEN-WINGED TEAL, four BUFFLEHEAD, three  COMMON GOLDENEYE flying, three HOODED MERGANSER, one or more male COMMON MERGANSER flying,   Still, pathetically low numbers. The GREEN HERON was again tucked in along the east edge of the Rowing Club pond. We had three different COOPER'S HAWKS, two adults and one juvenile. A MERLIN streaked across the river at Dog Central and flew though trees loaded with robins.  Later we saw it fly across the Dog Meadow heading east. We had one HAIRY WOODPECKER in an ash tree. We had a not-terribly-cooperative NORTHERN SHRIKE in the East Meadow, which gave us a few views. A COMMON RAVEN was being harassed by crows NE of the mansion. We also had a RIVER OTTER well out on the lake. For the day, 59 species, though that number is somewhat inflated by birds seen only by one or two of the 18 of us. == Michael	Frosty East Meadow, 7:27 a.m. The Merlin briefly landed in a distant cottonwood
The clouds, the moon, the trees, and the frost	The moon, a bit past full, setting around 8:30 a.m.
Hairy Woodpecker high in an Oregon Ash tree	Lillian Reis' photo of a Downy Woodpecker
American Coot from the lake platform	Juvenile Cooper's Hawk, seen from the boardwalk
Song Sparrow at the Compost Piles	Bewick's Wren at the Compost Piles.  Photo by Lillian Reis
Brant goose with Cackling Geese	Ollie Oliver got a little closer for his nice shot
Ollie's photo of an adult Greater White-fronted Goose with Cackling Geese	Juvenile White-crowned Sparrows, from front and back.  Photo by Lillian Reis
Anna's Hummingbird in the Pea Patch	Ollie's photo of same
Adult Cooper's Hawk next to the Pea Patch	Vexing gull. Almost looks like a Western Gull.  The head is a bit smudgy, though, and the mantle isn't that dark.  Probably at least mostly a Western, though it may have a Glaucous-winged  ancestor somewhere...

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I made an impromptu trip out to Marymoor this morning.  It was interesting to do the loop solo for a change, instead of with a dozen people.  I missed the extra ears and eyes.  There was a heavy overcast, and a steady breeze.  No rain, but the air was damp.  The barometer was probably falling, and birds were scarce and hard to see. Highlights: Cackling Goose        1000-1500, none landing Western Grebe         One on the lake Green Heron            Hidden along east shore at Rowing Club DUNLIN                 4 on floating dock seen from lake platform Mew Gull                 About 1000 flew in at dawn to soccer fields Hairy Woodpecker  South end of East Meadow Winter Wren            Once again, singing at 2 locations The Cackling Geese came over in about 10 flocks between 8:00 and 9:00 Dunlin are new for the year list. Duck numbers remain absurdly low, with only a few Mallards, 4 Bufflehead and one Hooded Merganser at the Rowing Club, a and a flyby small flock of wigeon.  And no American Coots at all. Oh - I should mention...  Water levels are high.  There's about 6" of water over the slough trail on the way to the boardwalk, and about 3" of water over the boardwalk in places.  No problem wearing tall rubber boots, but too much water for ankle boots. == Michael UPDATE 12/1/2009:  There was a single BRANT with a flock of  Cackling and Canada Geese in the NE part of the park, near the baseball diamonds.  The geese flew out around 12:30.   I also had a NORTHERN SHRIKE.  A couple of Lincoln's Sparrows,  and four American Coots were the other species I had there today that I did not see Monday.	Lillian Reis photographed this Fox Sparrow, 2009-11-27 Some of the ~1000 Mew Gulls on the soccer fields
Large flocks of (mostly) Cackling Geese were overhead...	... for much of the morning
	"Slate-colored" Dark-eyed Junco

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A glorious day today.  Almost sunny, after the fog burned off. Fairly warm.  No wind.  We had lots of great looks at birds, and a few surprises to make for an even better day. Water levels are high.  The boardwalk is partly flooded, as is the approach along the slough.  We discussed whether Eastside Audubon should extend the boardwalk further, but as there is just as much water over the old parts of the boardwalk, so it hardly seems worth the effort. Highlights: Green Heron                         1 hard-to-see at the Rowing Club Mourning Dove                     1 along the slough trail R.-breasted Sapsucker          Fabulous looks near mansion Northern Shrike                    One at Compost Piles etc. Winter Wren                         Unusually common, strange locations MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD    East Meadow, like 2 weeks ago, 1 male Cedar Waxwing                    Good sized flock (35+) Additionally, we had really excellent, close views of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, BROWN CREEPER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, and many other of the common birds. Scott Ramos left early and had a large flock of CACKLING GEESE, and some TRUMPETER SWANS to the northeast. Counting Scott's birds, that made for an even 60 species today, MUCH better than last Thursday's rainy result. == Michael	Golden-crowned Sparrows
Male Mountain Bluebird	The sign is right - there are blue birds along the Audubon Birdloop Main Trail
Male Anna's Hummingbird in the Pea Patch	Red-breasted Sapsucker near the mansion
Male Dark-eyed "Oregon" Junco	Great Blue Heron across from the rowing Club dock
At the lake was a kind of algae we've never seen there before	It was a very strange color - very much a blue-green
	Fungus in the grass at the south end of the East Meadow

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Ugggh - it was wet.  Dark and wet and not terribly warm and wet and fairly birdless and wet.  Ten of us started out, with a few dripping by the wayside after the main loop.  There wasn't much to see, though we did have a good little flock near the mansion, and a few birds at the Rowing Club.  Water levels are pretty high, especially for mid-November.  We were grateful for the new boardwalk extension, as there must have been at least 8" of water under it that we'd otherwise have had to slog through. Highlights: Common Goldeneye    Male at the lake, first of the winter Barn Owl                     Matt & Scott had 2 sightings early Varied Thrush               Nice male singing at the Rowing Club Townsend's Warbler     Female in the firs NE of the mansion Purple Finch                 One made the briefest visit to its usual tree See, I told you there weren't many highlights. The group total for the day was a whopping 49 species. == Michael	Even more thankful for the boardwalk extension.
The remaining photos are from previous days, as the weather Thursday was not conducive to photography
Lillian Reis photographed the male Mountain Bluebird on 2009-11-13	She also had some unidentified swans fly overhead
Ollie Oliver's photo of an adult Northern Shrike in the East Meadow, 2009-11-17	Ollie's photo of a Pied-billed Grebe and a Gadwall at the Rowing Club, 2009-11-17
Male Varied Thrush at the south end of the East Meadow,...	...2009-11-14
A few of the hundreds of Cackling Geese land inside the northeast baseball fields...	...then all of them fly out, 2009-11-14

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Before and after a touch of dawn fog, we had an absolutely gorgeous day at Marymoor today.  It was chilly but windless, and when the sun shone, it was very pleasant.  Not too terribly birdy, but there were some good, if brief, sightings. Upon arriving home this evening, I was greeted by an email from Tom Sanders, with links to photos.  At about 1:00 p.m., he had a stunning male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD in the East Meadow.  We've never had a fall bluebird sighting before, and I cannot find any reference to a November western Washington Mountain Bluebird sighting ever.  Does anyone have one?  (I found records from every other month, but with very few October sightings and no November). There was one other sighting that I'll mention here.  I'm almost positive of ID, but because the sighting was brief and of birds in flight only, I'm refraining from adding this species to the Marymoor list right now.  As some of us were walking the north edge of the East Meadow, I heard waxwing-like calls from a flock of fast-flying birds - only the call was a kind of churring call.  I called out "waxwing", but my sense was that they seemed large and grayer.  I also noted some white spots on the upper wing in flight.  It penetrated my consciousness that these might (or some of these might) be BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.  I tried, as they flew away, to get a confirming look at undertail coverts.  They *seemed* dark, but the birds were past so quickly, I cannot be 100% positive.  They were heading west, and we were unable to locate any waxwings subsequently.  I'm so, so, so close to being sure that's what they were.  But... Other highlights: Cackling Goose            Flocks totaling at least 500 Northern Pintail            A small flock flew down slough Northern Harrier          Adult male, flying very high, heading south Cooper's Hawk           Gorgeous adult at Compost Piles Pileated Woodpecker  Two sightings on far side of slough Winter Wren                Like last week, singing east of weir Purple Finch                Again in tiny Ash at 2nd dog beach Evening Grosbeak       One flew circles around Compost Piles calling For the day, 53 species. == Michael	Tom Sanders found this male Mountain Bluebird in the East Meadow around 1pm The Cascades were sparkling in fresh snow
Ollie Oliver's shot of the Pileated Woodpecker	Bewick's Wren
Most of today's group.  Photo by Lillian Reis	Hugh Jennings keeps his feet dry on the new boardwalk extension (6" of water below)
Adult Cooper's Hawk at the Compost Piles	Ollie's photo of the Cooper's Hawk stretching
Northern Flicker on the windmill blade	Some of about 50 American Coots in the slough near the Rowing Club dock
Ollie's photo of a Great Blue Heron at the Rowing Club, 2009-11-10	Ollie's photo of a Wood Ducks at the Rowing Club, 2009-11-10

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Weird weather was the most notable thing this morning.  It was overcast to start, and fairly warm.  Just before 8:00, we had ten seconds of dramatic sunlight streaming down on the last of the beautiful fall foliage, but with deep, dark clouds in the background.  We had moments of sprinkles, but the rain held off until 11:00.  Between 8:00 and 10:00, we were periodically hit by puffs of incredibly warm air, occasional puffs of cold air, and sometimes both within seconds.  The wind picked up gradually, though it faded about when the rain started, thankfully. A lot of the birds might have been battening down the hatches, I don't know. Things were pretty quiet for a long time.  We did have a huge set of flocks (~500) CACKLING GEESE overhead, with some landing.  And later we had an enormous mixed flock of BUSHTIT, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, one or two CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, and a couple of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and BEWICK'S WRENS.  That flock, or other(s) with identical constituents, seemed to follow us around (or we them) for quite some time. Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose        2 with Cacklers near the climbing rock Cackling Goose                            ~500, including non-minima subspecies Band-tailed Pigeon                        Flock of 14 - unusual for November Barn Owl                                      Matt & Scott had several sightings early Northern Shrike                            Prominent in East Meadow Winter Wren                                 Singing east of weir Varied Thrush                               First of Fall - landed in large cottonwood Mallard was our only species of duck!  (Though there were a couple of flybys that might have been Northern Shoveler and Common Goldeneye respectively). We had none of the recent "good" birds - Horned Lark, White-throated Sparrow, or American Tree Sparrow - all seen in the last week. For mammals, besides the usual Eastern Cottontail and Eastern Gray Squirrel, we had a Raccoon asleep in a tree near Dog Central, and a dead Townsend's Mole near the windmill. For the day, 52 species. == Michael	Our dramatic 10-seconds of sunshine At least 20 Cedar Waxwings near the weir
Cackling Geese	Cackling Geese, but not of the minima subspecies
Raccoon near Dog Central	Dead Townsend's Mole near the windmill
Ollie's photo of the White-throated Sparrow, 2009-11-02	Ollie's photo of the White-throated Sparrow, 2009-11-02
Anne Lawrence's great shot of the White-throated Sparrow, 2009-11-02	Ollie's photo of a male Bufflehead at the Rowing Club, 2009-11-02

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Even when it rains, it pours.  Eleven of us slogged through some soaking rain at times this morning while making our way around the park.  It wasn't terribly pleasant, I must say.  Nor were there a lot of birds to see. However, there were some good highlights, and our species count was excellent. Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose         10 in the grass/gravel parking lot C Cackling Goose                              2 large flocks overhead + 3 in lot C Northern Pintail                              Flock of 20+, pintail, and some wigeon??? Greater Scaup                                1 at lake, First Of Fall Bufflehead                                      2 males at lake, FOF Ring-necked Pheasant                    Male at Compost Piles Green Heron                                  One at Rowing Club Sharp-shinned Hawk                      One at Rowing Club, going after siskins Cooper's Hawk                             One in Oregon Ash along slough MERLIN                                       3rd week in a row; one seen (3 times) Barn Owl                                       Brian had one early Short-eared Owl                            One in East Meadow about 7:40 Hairy Woodpecker                        One west of mansion Northern Shrike                             1, East Meadow and north of soccer fields Winter Wren                                  1 heard near east end of boardwalk, FOF American Pipit                                Heard some over grass soccer fields AMERICAN TREE SPARROW   One at Compost Piles Pine Siskin                                     First large flocks of fall Rain makes birding difficult, what with wet optics and cold hands.  We were a bit reluctant to bring binocs up to the eyes, especially if looking upwards.  Using them often didn't do much good anyway, due to water droplets and fog.  So the flock of ducks flying by might not have gotten the best scrutiny possible.  One of the ducks was clearly a drake pintail. The others went unidentified.  In my experience, Northern Pintail and American Wigeon will often fly together and are hard to tell apart in flight, so it could well have been a mixed flock, though only pintail made the list. The AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was hanging out with White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows at the Compost Piles (east of Lot G).  This is the same location where we had one for six weeks back in Jan/Feb. For the day, 64 species!!!  Admittedly, the owls were before the start of the walk, and six were heard-only, but still... We also had a couple of deer, and a dead Opossum at the Pea Patch. == Michael	Ten Greater White-fronted Geese with three Cackling Geese Rock Pigeons
Adult and immature Ring-billed Gulls	Horrible photo of the American Tree Sparrow
One of two Mule Deers	Ollie Oliver's photo of the Northern Shrike
Ollie's photo of the Green Heron at the Rowing Club	Ollie's photo of the Sharp-shinned Hawk that chased off the Pine Siskins
Ollie's photo from 2009-10-28, of a male Hooded Merganser at the Rowing Club	Same photographer, same bird, same location
Ollie's photo from 2009-10-28 of a Wilson's Snipe at the Rowing Club	Ollie's photo from 2009-10-28 of a first-winter Pied-billed Grebe

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It was gorgeous before First Crow this morning.  The sky was cloudless and deep, with Venus shining brighter than the gathering dawn to the east.  A low ground fog covered the meadows, so I climbed the dirt piles at the north end of the East Meadow and watched and waited.  At about 7:10,  or maybe just before, a SHORT-EARED OWL worked its way south from the road along the ditch at the east edge of the meadow and then disappeared into the fog. Brian Bell was approaching, and I dreaded having to tell him that he'd missed the owl by less than two minutes.  But Brian called out to me something I couldn't quite parse.  I looked down towards him, only to come face-to-face with a Short-eared that may have been intending to try for a morning meal around the Compost Piles.  We spotted each other when the owl was about ten feet away.  I didn't have time to flinch before the owl, startled by my presence, jerked away to the east. For a while, it seemed like the rest of the day would pale in comparison to the early owl experience, but no... There were about a dozen of us this morning, and though the birds were mostly invisible early on, the day was fine.  The early fog lifted to form a thin overcast though which the sun fought feebly all day.  The birds came in bunches, sometimes with good looks. Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose    10 with Canadas in NE fields Cackling Goose                         About 8 with the White-fronts Wood Duck                              Still a pair.  They get sparse until March MERLIN                                  One perched briefly across the slough Barn Owl                                  Matt & Scott had at least 1 early Red-breasted Sapsucker           Two, including nice looks at RC Hairy Woodpecker                   One in Big Cottonwood Forest Pileated Woodpecker               One across from Rowing Club dock NORTHERN SHRIKE            Nice adult in East Meadow Orange-crowned Warbler         One with bushtits and chickadees Western Meadowlark               One at the East Meadow Evening Grosbeak                     Often heard overhead, no good looks The 10 Greater White-fronted Geese is by far the most we've ever had at Marymoor at one time. The previous high was 5 on October 16, 2008. The NORTHERN SHRIKE was very active.  It was first spotted on a hawthorn in the middle of the East Meadow, but it then moved to the willows east of the meadow, then perhaps all the way north towards the velodrome, before returning to the cherry trees at the Compost Piles.  It then flew off to the southeast.  So it might be covering the entire NE quadrant of the park. There were a variety of gulls on the grass soccer fields at 7:30.  The fog and their jumpiness made viewing difficult.  There was one particularly dark large first-winter gull that we think might have been a Western Gull, but distinguishing field marks were not noted. We had no Green Heron for the first time since March.  Sometimes Green Herons will stick around sparsely through the winter, and other years they clear out.  We have seen Green Heron all but three weeks of the year over the last 15+ years.  But perhaps this winter will be one of the winters we don't see them. For the day, we managed 64 species! == Michael	See also Marc Hoffmann's photos at http://dartfrogmedia.com/birds/marymoor091022/index.html   Nice fall color, even in the fog Bewick's Wren
Male Purple Finch eating Oregon Ash seeds	Ruby-crowned Kinget
Golden-crowned Kinglet	Adult Northern Shrike east of the East Meadow
Four of ten Greater White-fronted Geese that were with Canada and Cackling Geese	Hugh Jennings photo of same.
Steller's Jay	Hugh Jennings photo of a Pileated Woodpecker female

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I made a quick stop at Marymoor this afternoon (the weather was too nice to pass up).  Generally, things were extremely quiet, but on the lake, along with Western Grebes, Pied-billed Grebes, and Wood Ducks, was a single, sparkling PACIFIC LOON. I was able to get pretty good looks, and was able to note the satiny-silver back of the neck, the pure white chin, throat, breast, and belly, cut only by a hint of a chin-strap. When the rowers came out, it swam around the corner to the east, but it may be visible from East Lake Sammamish Parkway at 187th Avenue. This is a new bird for Marymoor, and is our 215th species for the park.	The windmill, 2009-10-16.  Photo by Lillian Reis
Fungus growing in wood chips. Photo 2009-10-16 by Lillian Reis	Close-up of a male House Finch, 2009-10-18.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Savannah Sparrow photo by Ollie Oliver, 2009-10-18	Red-winged Blackbird male, photo by Ollie Oliver, 2009-10-18
	White-crowned Sparrow juvenile, photo by Ollie Oliver, 2009-10-18

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Fifteen of us enjoyed unexpectedly good weather today.  Early on, there was a touch of fog, somewhat hiding the crescent moon.  The fog cleared fast, though, and the rest of the morning there was thin overcast with occasional sun breaks.  The early morning chill (45 degrees) gave way to rather warm conditions for mid-October (63 degrees).  The park was filled with sparrows. We had at least 3 and maybe as many as 5-6 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, seen today.  There were two along the slough trail north of the Dog Area, one in an elderberry at the northwest corner of the dog area, one at the Compost Piles, and two in Snag Row along the edge of the Community Gardens (Pea Patch).  I may even be forgetting a sighting.  In any case, we had some really nice looks.  None of the birds was white-striped, but they ranged from drab juveniles to quite bright and crisp adults.  Maybe not so coincidentally, I've had a White-throated Sparrow at my house the last 3 days. The other big highlight was a MERLIN perched in Snag Row that gave us good, long looks. Other highlights: Mew Gull                          1, with Ring-billed Gulls - First of Fall Barn Owl                           Matt & Scott, early, East Meadow Short-eared Owl                Matt & Scott, early, East Meadow Orange-crowned Warbler  1 in the Pea Patch Western Meadowlark        2 at the north end of the East Meadow Evening Gosbeak               Heard a couple of times overhead Sparrows were very numerous, with good numbers of all 8 regular species (towhee, Savannah, Fox, Song, Lincoln's, White-crowned, Golden-crowned, and junco).  We heard singing from Fox, White-crowned, and Golden-crowned. For the day, 60 species.  For the year, I think we're up to 153. == Michael	One of many Golden-crowned Sparrows Our second White-throated Sparrow, just north of the Dog Area
Same White-throated Sparrow as above, I believe	American Coot at the lake
White-throated Sparrow at the Compost Piles	Merlin in Snag Row
White-throated Sparrow in Snag Row next to the Pea Patch	Hugh Jennings caught the same bird just leaving
	Hugh Jennings photo of a moth(?)

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Maybe it was a good thing that several of my "regulars" were out of town or otherwise away today, as there were 20 of us even so.  That's a big group, but we just sort of strung along and tried to let those at either end know what was being seen.  Sharon kept calling us back for the good birds! The morning was foggy to start, though not so bad that it really hindered viewing except at the lake.  But after the first hour or so when things were hopping, the day got REALLY SLOW - basically from the weir to the lake, we saw almost nothing.  It picked up a bit after that, though, and our 5+ hours netted a good species list and a few surprises. Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose    2 with Canadas, seen by few of us RUDDY DUCK                       First of the year, female at lake Western Grebe                          Brian and 1 had 2 late on the lake, FoF Green Heron                             3 sightings Northern Harrier                       1 or more constantly overhead, it seemed Sharp-shinned Hawk                 Tiny presumed male at Compost Piles Cooper's Hawk                         Juvenile.  Also, some accipiter sp. seen. Wilson's Snipe                           First of Fall (FoF), 2 at Rowing Club Barn Owl                                  1 flew north across soccer fields early Hairy Woodpecker                   Male gave great views near weir Anna's Hummingbird                 3+, including displaying male at Pea Patch Red-breasted Sapsucker          1-2 birds, seen poorly COMMON RAVEN               1 calling as it flew west - First of the year American Pipit                          About 10 near east-end ball fields BREWER'S BLACKBIRD      First of the year - rare bird for Marymoor Pine Siskin                                FoF - 3-4 at Pea Patch Essentially no summer birds left.  Absolutely no swifts, flycatchers, vireos, swallows, Swainson's Thrush, warblers (except for Yellow-rumped), tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, or cowbirds. Only about 4 of the 61 species we had today are birds that don't winter in this area. == Michael	Terrible photo of the female Ruddy Duck at the lake Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk, photo by Hugh Jennings	Killdeer
Male Anna's Hummingbird	Female Gadwall
Adult Ring-billed Gull, 2009-10-11.  Photo by Lillian Reis	Song Sparrow eating Bittersweet Nightshade berries, 2009-10-11. Photo by Lillian Reis

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What an unexpectedly great day at Marymoor.  The forecast rain failed to arrive, and while it was overcast, there was little wind.  Temps were moderate.  And it was BIRDY.  It was a real mix of new arrivals, lingering summer birds (or more likely migrant summer birds from up north passing through), and some lucky finds. Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose  2 juveniles with Canadas Ring-necked Duck                   First of fall (FoF) - a couple Common Merganser                FoF - 6 flew overhead to the lake Double-crested Cormorant      FoF - one seen late on the lake American Kestrel                     One seen early Merlin                                      One flying down the slough Virginia Rail                             Heard one.  First since May Mourning Dove                       One in Pea Patch Vaux's Swift                            Getting late - 1 with swallows Pileated Woodpecker              One in Snag Row Violet-green Swallow              Maybe 50+, all over.  Maybe way more. Barn Swallow                          Maybe 20 Ruby-crowned Kinglet             FoF - 2 American  Pipit                        ~30 on grass fields Cedar Waxwing                      Many flocks - 90+ birds Orange-crowned Warbler       6+, many bright yellow Yellow Warbler                       2 Yellow-rumped Warbler          MANY Common Yellowthroat             Still one heard Western Meadowlark               FoF - 2 in East Meadow, 1 near pipits Evening Grosbeak                   Small flock flew over lake platform An astounding 66 species, though I must admit that it was so birdy that we stayed six hours in the park!  I'm pretty sure there were a few more species that we just couldn't nail down too. == Michael	Hooded Merganser, photo by Scott Ramos Juvenile Cooper's Hawk
Lincoln's Sparrow, photo by Scott Ramos	Yellow Warbler, photo by Ollie Oliver
Band-tailed Pigeons	Common Mergansers
Savannah Sparrow	Savannah Sparrow, photo by Scott Ramos
Western Meadowlark, photo by Scott Ramos	Orange-crowned Warbler, photo by Randy Byorklund
Pileated Woodpecker	Pileated Woodpecker
American Crow	Two adult male, one juvenile male, and two female Red-winged Blackbirds
Mourning Dove, photo by Ollie Oliver	Two juvenile White-fronted Geese
Two juvenile Greater White-fronted Geese, photo by Ollie Oliver	White-fronted Geese, photo by Scott Ramos
Toadstool	Toadstool
High-bush Cranberry	Raccoon, 2009-10-02, photo by Lillian Reis
"Sooty" Fox Sparrow, 2009-10-02, photo by Lillian Reis	Hairy Woodpecker, 2009-10-02, photo by Lillian Reis

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We had an unexpectedly good day at Marymoor.  It was overcast, but we didn't suffer from fog nor precipitation.   Fall is definitely here, though we did find one good flock, just south of the Dog Area, of hangers-on from summer. Highlights: American Wigeon                  First of fall Northern Harrier                    Several looks Barn Owl                               Early over the East Meadow Western Wood-Pewee           One at the Rowing Club Warbling Vireo                       One with "the flock" Orange-crowned Warbler       One with "the flock" Yellow Warbler                      One with "the flock" Yellow-rumped Warbler         About 5 with "the flock" Black-throated Gray Warbler  One with "the flock" American Pipit                        About 15 in grass soccer field lot Fox Sparrow                          One gave us great looks We had a 5 woodpecker day (the expected 5: RBSA, DOWO, HAWO, NOFL, PIWO), though the Hairy was barely seen, and the Pileated was heard to the west of the park. And we had the 8 expected sparrows - Towhee, Savannah, Fox, Song, Lincoln's, White-crowned, Golden-crowned, and Junco. == Michael	We don't really think of small mammals moving around a lot through "unsuitable" habitat, but they must do some of that. We had our first ever DOUGLAS SQUIRREL, along the slough at the 2nd dog swim beach.  It ran across the beach access and went into a small maple.  There are no large conifers anywhere near that location, and very few cones on the very young planted Doug Firs in the riparian strip. A terrible photo, but you can kind of make out that this is a Douglas Squirrel.
Fox Sparrow.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	Wood Duck pair.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Northern Harrier.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	American Pipit
American Pipit.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	American Pipit.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Wood-Pewee at the Rowing Club	Common Yellowthroat in the Pea Patch.  Photo 2009-09-27 by Lillian Reis
American Crow mobbing Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2009-09-27.  Photo by Lillian Reis	Sharp-shinned Hawk getting a hold of a mobbing American Crow, 2009-09-27. Photo by Lillian Reis

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Nice sunny day after the morning fog burned off.  And amazingly birdy. Highlights: Northern Harrier                     Circling over the boardwalk area Cooper's Hawk                      A couple of sightings Mourning Dove                       Two southeast of boardwalk Barn Owl                                Matt had 3 flybys in the East Meadow Vaux's Swift                            20+ overhead Pacific-slope Flycatcher           Several - nice movement Warbling Vireo                        Still one hanging around Swainson's Thrush                    Matt had many flight calls early Orange-crowned Warbler        One or two Yellow-rumped Warbler          A few Black-throated Gray Warbler   A couple Fox Sparrow                           One heard, one seen Lincoln's Sparrow                    2+ back Golden-crowned Sparrow        Several back for fall = Michael	Large spider webs were everywhere
Pacific-slope Flycatcher at the south end of the Dog Meadow	Ollie Oliver's photo of the flycatcher
Northern Harrier over boardwalk	Northern Harrier over boardwalk
Amazing fungus	Savannah Sparrow.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Black-capped Chickadee.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	Black-capped Chickadee.  Photo by Ollie Oliver

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Report from Brian Bell: Today was a great day at Marymoor. Michael is still out of town so Matt and I substituted for him. We were joined by 10 other people. Good weather that got better during the day, nice temperatures and little wind. Bird activity was high early with lots of groups of birds. We had seen 45 species by the time we got to dog central (less than a quarter of the way around the walk).   Notable birds today:   Black-headed Grosbeak (imm. male) Western Tanager (male) this may be the latest we have seen one Barn Owl flyby early in east meadow Swainson's Thrush heard whitting early (usually mostly gone by now) Purple Finch good numbers with some really nice males Evening Grosbeak flyover early Warbling Vireo several Orange-crowned Warbler probably 8-10 Wilson's Warbler 3 males Green Heron 2 adults, 1 imm.   Starting to get some Canada Goose flocks back. Real reductions in some species, only a few Barn Swallows seen today, Willow Flycatcher only two seen, Marsh Wren.   All in all a really nice day, with 52 species.	Chestnut-backed Chickadee.  Photo by Ollie Oliver Yellow Warbler.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Tanager.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	Western Tanager.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
American Robin.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	American Robin.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Black-headed Grosbeak.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	Red-tailed Hawk pair interaction.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Moon photo by Hugh Jennings	Bullfrog photo by Hugh Jennings
Harvest moon, 2009-09-03.   Photo by Brian Dobbins	Harvest moon, 2009-09-03.   Photo by Brian Dobbins
	Lincoln Sparrow, 2009-09-12.  Photo by Lillian Reis

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Michael is in the Czech Republic, so Matt and I substituted for him at Marymoor. We were joined by 6 others on a morning that was initially slightly rainy but surprisingly warm (69F to start). Gradually the rain turned to mist and then to sun breaks. Kept threatening more rain. It was unusual in that it was cooler at the end (66F) that at the start.   The birds were around, but we had to work for them as they were really quite silent - hardly any calls and only one or two songs. In spite of that we wound up with a pretty good day. The best bird of the day was a Vesper Sparrow in the southeast corner of the dog meadow (near the north entrance to the interpretive trail).   Of note:   Vesper Sparrow Canada Goose - three flocks, starting to return Barn Owl - over the east meadow early Killdeer - 20 (first big group) Swainson's Thrush - 2 Orange-crowned Warbler Wilson's Warbler Yellow Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Merganser - 7 immatures at rowing club pond Green Heron - adult and immatures at rowing club pond   51 species for the day.   Brian H. Bell Woodinville WA	ALL PHOTOS BY OLLIE OLIVER Willow Flycatcher Western Wood-Pewee
Male Downy Woodpecker	Female Wood Ducks
Great Blue Heron	Adult Bald Eagle

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Here is a photo by Randy Rawluk of one of two Western Scrub-Jays he saw at Marymoor on Monday, August 24, in the birch tree along the west edge of the East Meadow. This is a new species for Marymoor Park.

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It started out a chilly 48 degrees, with a touch of ground fog. Jupiter shone brightly to the east before sunrise.  Mt. Rainier was crystal clear to the south as the sun began to rise above the Cascades.  We saw noowls in the early hours, but things sure got birdy shortly after our 6:30 a.m. start.  The projected winds failed to materialize, and the sun quickly warmed us.  The birds, however, were exciting enough to make all of this poetry irrelevant. The first half hour or so, we ended up birding south of the windmill, drawn by the calls of WESTERN TANAGER and glimpses of woodpeckers.  In a mostly-leafless tree, we ended up with 4 species of woodpecker within about 5 minutes.  There were lots of other birds around too. Later, just a bit south of Dog Central, at the place where we usually traverse a tiny trail to access the Dog Meadow from the slough trail, we found a RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER which posed in the cottonwoods for several minutes. Highlights: Hooded Merganser                  10 at the Rowing Club pond Rufous Hummingbird                Still 2-3 of these around RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER  See above Red-breasted Sapsucker          2-3, all juveniles just getting red Downy Woodpecker                Several Pileated Woodpecker              One in the tree south of the windmill Willow Flycatcher                     3 mostly silent birds Purple Martin                           Gourd empty, but a couple flying at lake Barn Swallow                           Dozens - only other swallow Black-throated Gray Warbler   One near Dog Area portapotties Western Tanager                      2+ south of windmill LINCOLN'S SPARROW        First of Fall, east edge of East Meadow Evening Grosbeak                     Heard, and 2 glimpsed Additionally, we bumped into some birders from BC.  One showed us a photo he took last Monday, August 24th, of a WESTERN SCRUB-JAY.  He reported 2 birds, and it sounded like they'd been in the East Meadow trees near the gate to the Dog Area.  This is a new species for the Marymoor Park list, and has been long anticipated.  Hopefully, next time, one of US will be able to see them! For the day, I think we had 55 species. == Michael	Green Heron on rocks just below weir Chestnut-backed Chickadee on an uncharacteristically exposed perch
Red-naped Sapsucker in a Black Cottonwood	In this photo you can see the black below the red on the throat
Red-naped Sapsucker in a Black Cottonwood	In this photo you can see the black below the red on the throat
Bad photo of the Lincoln's Sparrow	Osprey over the East Meadow
Red-winged Blackbird in the Pea Patch	First of three hot air balloons, looking north
The following photos are copyrighted by Brian Dobbins.  All were taken at Marymoor on Monday, August 23, 2009
Juvenile Green Heron eating what looks to be a Bullfrog	Young male Common Yellowthroat
Young male Wood Duck	Eclipse-plumage Mallard drake
Female Wood Duck	Male Bushtit (note the light-colored eye)
	Young Sharp-shinned Hawk - note very narrow tarsus (leg) - i.e. a "sharp-shin"

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It was a beautiful sunny morning, with moderate temperatures. Unfortunately, the wind was constant at about 10 mph.  It really put a damper on the birding, especially as most of the birds are mostly silent right now.  Between the moving branches and the wind noise sufficient to hide chip notes, it made finding birds very difficult. Highlights: Hooded Merganser                 Suddenly up to 7 at the Rowing Club Accipiter sp.                           One at weir, our first since June Barn Owl                                Reports of a great show, East Meadow, early HUTTON'S VIREO               Only the 5th-ever Marymoor sighting Black-throated Gray Warbler  One juv. female, west edge of Dog Meadow White-crowned Sparrow        A multitude of juvies in the Pea Patch Black-headed Grosbeak         One juvie male in Pea Patch Evening Grosbeak                  A dozen near east end of boardwalk House Sparrow                      Our first since June The HUTTON'S VIREO was in the northwest part of the Dog Meadow, and gave us great looks and a call or two. A big surprise were our big misses today.  No Red-tailed Hawks!  No Willow Flycatchers, Violet-green Swallows, Swainson's Thrush, or Yellow Warbler (though all of those tend to have stuck around through mid-September in previous years).  No Red-winged Blackbirds (though we've missed them this time of year before - a definite dip in mid-August in a species otherwise resident).  No Orange-crowned nor Wilson's Warblers, though those migrants are a bit less dependable by week 34.  And only single Warbling Vireo and Black-headed Grosbeak. For the day, 53 species.  I did have a bat near the windmill at about 5:30 this morning, though. == Michael

Hutton's Vireo in a willow, northwest corner of the Dog area Hugh Jennings' photo of the Hutton's Vireo

One more view of the Hutton's

Hugh's photo of two Green Heron juveniles, near the RC dock

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It was a really weird day at Marymoor today.  For weather, it misted a bit at the start, but was mostly just darkly cloudy.  We kept joking about wanting to turn up the brightness (where's the remote???).  It also wasn't very birdy - REALLY QUIET.  Well, sort of... You see, while there weren't that many birds, and while we never did find the mythical mixed flock of warblers, vireos, and tanagers that we felt Connie Sidles had all-but-promised us, we ended up with a really high species count.  Lots of one-offs.  And we did our best to scour the place. Highlights: Blue-winged Teal                           New for 2009,. 1 female at RC ponds Green-winged Teal                        First of Fall, 2 at RC ponds Green Heron                                  4+ juveniles, 1-2 adults Glaucous-winged Gull                    First of Fall - a couple.  Black tipped gulls too. Barn Owl                                      Matt & Scott had 2-3 early Rufous Hummingbird                     Still 1-2 at the Community Gardens Pileated Woodpecker                   1 just south of the Dog Meadow Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2 from Lake Platform Orange-crowned Warbler             2 Yellow Warbler                            2 males (singing), 1 female Black-throated Gray Warbler       1 female at RC Common Yellowthroat                 Abundant Wilson's Warbler                         1 male, 1 female Western Tanager                         Heard near windmill, but never could find the bird LAZULI BUNTING                   1 male NE corner of Dog Meadow There were many GREEN HERON sightings, including 4 youngish juveniles (still with downy tufts here and there, though fledged) together along the southeast edge of the Dog Meadow.  We had a beautiful adult at the Rowing Club ponds, and later a juvenile there.  5-8 birds total. This is by far the latest we've ever had LAZULI BUNTING. So for the day, an astounding 66 species!  But that includes 3 heard-only birds (Killdeer, Swainson's Thrush, Western Tanager), and over 20 species represented by only 1 or 2 individuals .== Michael	Band-tailed Pigeon.  We were thinking it was a juvenile... Male Belted Kingfisher
Fuzzy-headed juvenile Green Heron, one of four together at the SE edge of the Dog Meadow	The new boardwalk extension, finished.  Thanks, Eastside Audubon! The trail is now at least crudely wheelchair accessible.
The Purple Martin family	Water Lily
Female Blue-winged Teal at the Rowing Club	Green Heron (top left), Blue-winged Teal (bottom left), Hooded Merganser (middle and right), and 2 Mallards (right), at the Rowing Club
Ollie Oliver's photos from the Rowing Club, 8/16/2009, showing a Green Heron..	...and Hooded Mergansers and turtles

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About a dozen of us met this morning at 6:00 a.m. to bird a rather quiet Marymoor under heavy overcast skies.  There wasn't much about, but the more we scoured the bushes, the more we found.  We proceeded slowly, because there were lots of unfamiliar bird calls and song fragments.  In most cases, these were traced to various juvenile birds trying out their voices.  We had BEWICK'S WRENS making barely recognizable broken fragments of songs and calls, a BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD juvenile sounding like a calling Black-headed Grosbeak, and other vocal oddities.  It made for slow going, as we kept having to ask ourselves "what the heck was that???" Highlights: Osprey                                   5 minimum, maybe several more MERLIN                               One in the Community Gardens Spotted Sandpiper                  4 on the railing of the lake platform, 1 at weir CASPIAN TERN                  Over the lake, our latest sighting ever Barn Owl                                Scott had one in the wee hours Hairy Woodpecker                 One heard and glimpsed near the weir Pacific-slope Flycatcher          One bird along west edge of Dog Meadow Purple Martin                          Parents feeding 3 young at nearest gourd Brown Creeper                       4-5, including begging young following parent Swainson's Thrush                   One obvious juvenile, several others Yellow Warbler                       Two across from Dog Central, singing Black-throated Grey Warbler   2-3 along west edge of Dog Meadow Wilson's Warbler                     3-4 Western Tanager                     2-3 males - First of Fall At one point, there were two OSPREY perched in large firs near the mansion, calling incessantly.  Juveniles?  Two more Osprey flew northward, ignoring the youngsters.  Then another Osprey came flying north with a fish, again ignoring the two in the tree.  At least 1 Osprey was at the nest platform for much of the day, and multiple birds were seen over the lake.  Hard to count... Before 6:00 a.m., Matt and Scott had a falcon fly by the east end of Snag Row.  They tentatively identified it as a Peregrine, though Matt was second-thinking that ID after the definitive Merlin sighting at the Pea Patch.   Scott also thought he had a NORTHERN HARRIER near the Compost Piles, but nobody else got more than glimpses of the bird. We had baby BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS doing their best to insist on getting fed by:  WILLOW FLYCATCHER, WARBLING VIREO, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, WILSON'S WARBLER, and, I think, SONG SPARROW. For the day, 60 species (not counting the possible harrier and/or peregrine).  Not bad at all for the August doldrums... == Michael	CRAPPY PHOTO DAY Male Western Tanager in a Black Cottonwood Bushtit in a European Hawthorn, part of a large flock
Baby Purple Martins looking glum because they haven't been fed in AT LEAST ten seconds	Female Purple Martin stuffing bugs into one gaping maw
HURRY UP, DAD.  I'M STARVING	Red-winged Blackbird looking for bugs under the lily pads
Osprey "riding a fish"	Brown Creeper on a Western Red Cedar near the mansion
Scott Ramos saw a Common Opossum in the early morning hours	Scott's photo of a juvenile Green Heron

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Eight of us met at 6:00am for our walk.  It was sunny and warm, and while it got hot, it wasn't unbearable.  From 6:00-11:00, temps ranged from the mid-70's to the mid-80's.  The real heat is reserved for afternoons. It was amazingly birdy this morning.  Between the usual doldrums of this time of year, combined with the heat, I thought we'd get 50 well-baked species and hurry home before we melted. Highlights: Ring-necked Pheasant        Our lone male continues Spotted Sandpiper              2-3 on lily pads in slough Caspian Tern                     One flew downslough calling Anna's Hummingbird          Numerous and widespread Red-breasted Sapsucker    One near start of boardwalk Hairy Woodpecker            One east of the weir Pacific-slope Flycatcher      One near start of boardwalk Red-eyed Vireo                  2? near east end of boardwalk We had a four warbler day, with 1-2 YELLOW WARBLERS, 2-3 male WILSON'S WARBLERS, many COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, and an immature BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER at the Rowing Club. At the south end of the Dog Meadow, we had 1-2 juvenile LAZULI BUNTINGS being fed by a female. Later, we had a male Laz at the east end of Snag Row. We had a juvenile(?) BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, our latest sighting ever for that species.  We've never had orioles in August-April, so it will be a surprise if we see one next week. We also had one unseen calling EVENING GROSBEAK apparently flying high above the weir. The Community Gardens were abuzz with hummingbirds.  There were several ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD and at least 2 RUFOUS.  Might have been 6-8 hummingbirds in the gardens all told, and there were lots of conflicts (including  interspecies jabbing over ownership of particularly nice flowers). No Tree or Violet-green Swallows. For the day, 60 species. == Michael	Juvenile Bald Eagle having breakfast at the model airplane field Red-winged Blackbird
Marsh Wren photo by Randy Bjorklund	Spotted Sandpiper on the weir.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Hairy Woodpecker	Western Wood-Pewee photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Lazuli Bunting	Adult female and juvenile Lazuli Bunting
Female Purple Martin photo by Randy Bjorklund	Red-eyed Vireo photo by Ollie OIiver
Willow Flycatcher photo by Randy Bjorklund	Male Lazuli Bunting photo by Randy Bjorklund
Fish photo by Ollie Oliver	Raccoon at the Rowing Club.  Photo by Ollie Oliver
Blue Angels	Blue Angels
Juvenile male Red-winged Blackbird.  Photo by Brian Dobbins, 2009-07-25	Juvenile Green Heron.  Photo by Brian Dobbins, 2009-07-25
Muskrat.  Photo by Brian Dobbins, 2009-07-25	Female Purple Martin.  Photo by Brian Dobbins, 2009-07-25

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Not the best day at the park.  It was chilly and windy with heavy overcast.  Singing was way down from previous weeks.  It was dark.  Birds were hard to find. Highlights: Hooded Merganser          Two half-grown young at the Rowing Club Osprey                            There are 2 young on the nest, not 1 as I thought Accipiter sp.                    One near weir caused consternation amongst blackbirds Barn Owl                         Scott had two early on, one east and one west Hummingbirds                  The Pea Patch featured both Anna's and Rufous Warbling Vireo                One in the East Meadow, more at RC Purple Martin                   One went in a gourd prev. used by Tree Swallows Wilson's Warbler              One heard singing south of East Meadow - First of Fall Bullock's Oriole                1-2 juveniles Brown-headed Cowbird   No adults, mostly unaccompanied juvies There were lots of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS overhead in large flocks much of the morning, but only one VAUX'S SWIFT, and no Black Swifts nor Tree Swallows. Mammals were more of a highlight, with a MUSKRAT and two sightings of RACCOON, one in the slough near Dog Central and one asleep in a tree at the Rowing Club boathouse. Despite the weather, we ended up with a moderately respectable species count of 55 species, though about 7 of those were heard only, and a few more were only glimpsed. == Michael	Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird, illustrating just how bland they look Muskrat in slough
Raccoon across slough from Dog Central	Dead fish (4 inches long) - perch?
2 male and 1 female American Goldfinch on the path next to the East Meadow	Female Anna's Hummingbird on a Red Elderberry in the Community Gardens
Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow	Raccoon asleep next to the boathouse at the Rowing Club

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It was a really nice summer day.  Unfortunately, I had to leave after only 2 hours to take my son to the airport, so Brian Bell compiled the list for the day. Highlights: The male RING-NECKED PHEASANT was seen early on the grass fields, and heard later. We had one CALIFORNIA GULL fly down the slough at about 6:00 a.m. We had our first-ever July sighting of PILEATED WOODPECKER, calling and seen flying west of the park. Sharon Aagaard found a juvenile BARN OWL in the maple tree next to the nest box, straight above the path.  The rest of us had given up on finding one.  It appears that only a single baby was fledged this year from the nest box. BROWN CREEPER was heard singing; later, a family with adult and juveniles was seen. At least one LAZULI BUNTING was still singing near the Compost Piles. BULLOCK'S ORIOLE:  Brian noted "2 or 3 males, female, several young being fed, including one without a tail" For the day, I think 56 species. == Michael	Male Ring-necked Pheasant in the early morning fog Juvenile Barn Owl in a maple tree near the nest box
Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird	Juvenile Green Heron
Fireweed	Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird, photo by Scott Ramos
Male Yellow Warbler feeding juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver, June 18	Bullock's Oriole pair.  Photo by Lillian Reis, June 19.
Rufous Hummingbird	Rufous Hummingbird

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There were only 8 of us this morning, on an overcast (but otherwise very nice) day.  In fact, when I arrived at 5:29, I was the ONLY person, and I was frantically trying to figure out if I'd come the wrong day or the wrong time (I'd had less than 4 hours sleep, so give me a break). The first three of us who got there, though, saw a PEREGRINE FALCON fly north past our cars, so getting there on time does have advantages. Other highlights: Three BLACK SWIFTS flew over Dog Central.  We had only two VAUX'S SWIFTS; their numbers seem way down from previous years. A PURPLE MARTIN female was bringing twigs to the left gourd of the far pair at the lake platform. We had both a CEDAR WAXWING with nesting materials, and a juvenile, so either there is double-clutching going on, or widely asynchronous nesting of various pairs. We again had a family of YELLOW WARBLERS near Dog Central. At the Compost Piles, there was a flock of 15+ juvenile BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, with no adults (of any species) around.  Apparently, they've realized that they're cowbirds... Two male LAZULI BUNTINGS were in a singing duel, one from the cherry trees at the east end of the Compost Piles, the other from the cherry grove just west of the birding kiosk in Lot G - about 100 yards apart. LOTS of juveniles of many species about, including:  Wood Duck, Bald Eagle, Warbling Vireo (we think), Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, American Crow, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Spotted Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch.  Probably also Anna's Hummingbird, and several other species, though some of the young are difficult to tell now from adults. Mammals were the real highlight.  Scott had RACCOON and BEAVER early on.  We had a MINK across from the first dog swim area, and a MUSKRAT too, as well as the usual squirrels and rabbits. Oh, and Scott might have heard a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET... For the day, 57 species. == Michael	Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird One of the three Black Swifts
Most of the flock of juvenile Brown-headed Cowbirds at the Compost Piles	Close-up of same
	Float plane coming in for a landing on Lake Sammamish

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It went from chilly (46 degrees) to hot (okay - only in the 70's). Not a cloud in the sky, and no breeze.  A really nice summer day.  10 of us strolled around slowly, trying to locate the birds - a difficult task, as most weren't just out there on display like they are earlier in the breeding season.  It seemed pretty quiet overall, though we managed to have some good sightings. Highlights: The RING-NECKED PHEASANT was heard near the Community Gardens, maybe hidden in Snag Row. The OSPREY have at least one young on the nest. One CASPIAN TERN was seen flying very high down the river. The concert venue closures meant we couldn't get a good look into the BARN OWL nest box, but we were barely able to see there was at least 1 owl inside the box. A HAIRY WOODPECKER female was excavating a nest hole in a snag near the start of the boardwalk.  We also saw adult and juvenile DOWNY WOODPECKERS. Lots of WILLOW FLYCATCHERS and WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, with one of the latter possibly building a nest Many baby birds were about; we got to watch a BUSHTIT bang a caterpillar against a branch to kill it, and then feed it to a baby. We had a great deal of fun seeing a male YELLOW WARBLER feeding both a baby Yellow and a baby BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, and then later a female feeding two young.  My guess is this was two separate families.  The second group was also along the west edge of the Dog Meadow, and we spent about a half hour watching them. We had a juvenile YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER along the west edge of the Dog Meadow - all streaky with no yellow at all.  The male LAZULI BUNTING was again singing near the Compost Piles.  We had great looks at a male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE at the south end of the Dog Meadow, and a female a bit further north, as well as great looks at BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. For the day, 56 species. == Michael	Juvenile American Robin eating a cherry Hot air balloon off to the north
Juvenile Yellow Warbler	Juvenile Yellow Warbler in a dogwood
...and in a willow.  Note the gray down showing through the feathers	And, yes, they could fly
Looking up at a female Bullock's Oriole	Male Bullock's Oriole.  Are they breeding at Marymoor?
Cedar Waxwing acrobatically eating Red Elderberries	Black-capped Chickadee
Female Hairy Woodpecker...	...excavating a nest hole near the start of the boardwalk

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It did not feel like summer today.  In absolute terms, the temps were okay (55-64 degrees), but with cloudy skies and a stiff wind, it was chilly.  The wind made things difficult as usual.  I hate wind.  About a dozen of us started out at 5:30 for a pretty decent day. Highlights: AMERICAN BITTERN  One seen briefly near the weir Barn Owl                         Adult visible in the nest box Pacific-slope Flycatcher   1 faintly singing in Big Cottonwood Forest Purple Martin                   6 at lake Red-eyed Vireo               2-3 singing today! (invisibly) Lazuli Bunting                   Pair between Compost Piles & model airplane field Bullock's Oriole                Male just east of weir Long-tailed Weasel          Crossed trail near weir The AMERICAN BITTERN was our first for 2009.  We get bitterns usually about 3-4 times per year, and we've had them every month except December.  They seem to occur slightly more often in May and June than in other months, but with little other discernable pattern. We have not previously had PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER often during the peak breeding season; usually only as migrants.  One, at least, was singing last Thursday, and was heard again Saturday, and then today.  So maybe he's on territory. Last Saturday, my son Tim and I put up two more gourds for PURPLE MARTINS on a piling visible from the lake platform.  Today, a female (and later a male) was in the leftmost of the near (old) gourds, and three martins were perched on the crossbar of the new gourd pair.  All together, I think we saw 6 martins from the lake platform.  On Saturday, Tim and I also canoed over to the northeast corner of the lake, where I was surprised to see that someone had put up some new boxes, and possibly cleaned and refurbished some of the old boxes.  In a very quick scan, we found martins in at least 6 of those boxes.  So a banner year for nesting Purple Martins at Marymoor! LOT OF BABY BIRDS were about today, including Wood Duck, Hooded Merganser, Osprey (baby(s?) on nest), Bald Eagle, Rufous Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, Bushtit, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, and Brown-headed Cowbird.  (Maybe some of the House Finch too?) The weasel was very cute! For the day, 54 species.  For the year, 141? == Michael	Juvenile Tree Swallow Female Purple Martin
New gourds with 3 Purple Martins visiting	Singing Swainson's Thrush at the Rowing Club
Female (left) and male Purple Martins.  Photos by Brian Dobbins, June 26.
Female Wood Duck with Ducklings.  Photo by Brian Dobbins, June 26

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A surprisingly interesting day at Marymoor this morning.  About 15 of us wandered around on a morning with heavy, dead air, under mostly overcast skies.  Thankfully, there wasn't a lot of heat to go with the humidity, and by about 8:00 a touch of breeze came up.  That kept the mosquito problem down to uncomfortable. We kind of expect June to be a fairly static month, yet we had 10 species this week that we didn't have last week. Highlights: Sharp-shinned Hawk           Grace & Ollie reported 1 in the Pea Patch Cooper's Hawk                   Adult (& immature?) near mansion Caspian Tern                       One flying down river Pacific-slope Flycatcher       1 singing at start of boardwalk Purple Martin                      Male in gourd with 2 females Orange-crowned Warbler   2(?) singing at "Mysterious Thicket" Lazuli Bunting                      Several males singing still Evening Grosbeak               Male calling at east end of boardwalk An OSPREY was seen atop the Odd Snag which has hosted nesting RED-AILED  HAWKS for years.  The hawk nest failed this year (report of a Bald Eagle raid).  Sharon saw a Red-tail atop the snag moments after the Osprey had been seen, so the hawks may be maintaining ownership of the nest. The GREEN HERON nest at the Rowing Club was empty, but one mostly-feathered young bird was a few feet away.  Presumably the others had managed to fly to other parts of the pond edges.  Many adults were sighted today. This week (#25) is the week with the most CASPIAN TERN sightings at Marymoor.  Terns have been seen on 13 weeks, spanning May-July plus 1 April and 1 August sighting.  We've seen terns on 35 total days, and 7 of those have been on week #25.  So this week appears to be the peak of their summer wandering. The BARN OWL nestbox had an adult visible, but in the morning, a white-fluffed baby, looking like a demented sock puppet, was also seen in the box.  It's still unknown how many babies there are this year, but the box looks crowded Once again, Scott heard a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL southwest of the windmill area somewhere in the early morning. The EVENING GROSBEAK is our first sighting of that species in "summer"  (June/July). For the day, 61 species. == Michael	A baby Barn Owl on the left, with a hint of the face of the adult, right Rufous Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird, photo by Ollie Oliver	Anna's Hummingbird, photo by Yoshi Nishimura
Female Purple Martins	Male Purple Martin in near, left gourd
Male Purple Martin, photo by Yoshi Nishimura	The amazing sky over the lake platform
Nothern Flicker	Male American Goldfinch, photo by Yoshi Nishimura
Violet-green Swallow, photo by Yoshi Nishimura	Osprey atop Red-tailed Hawk nest on odd-snag west of the park
	White Campion flowers, photo by Hugh Jennings

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Tweets - Another summer day at Marymoor, though thankfully it was a bit overcast at the start, and the heat didn't get troublesome until we were nearly done.  The birds were mostly too busy, I think, to be posing for us, so there was a bit of frustration with the quick views we had of birds.  We had quite a few heard-only, several flybys, and a number of glimpses. We were also, I'm afraid, rushing the walk just a bit, as several of us were eager to get to Snoqualmie to find the Indigo Bunting and Least Flycatcher. We shouldn't have worried, since those birds proved relatively easy to find. :) Marymoor Highlights: Wood Duck                    4 or 5 females with young, several sizes Hooded Merganser         2+ unsupervised ducklings Green Heron                   At least 4 chicks being fed at the nest Bald Eagle                       3 newly fledged birds east of the boardwalk Western Screech-Owl     Scott had one early near the windmill Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 flew past Compost Piles, 1 at Rowing Club Belted Kingfisher             Several sightings - we haven't had many in 2009 Black Swift                     One appeared briefly over the slough American Crow               Two dead babies under the nest tree :( Bushtit                             Parent(s) feeding young near RC nest Lazuli Bunting                  2-4 males, 1 female, lots of bad looks Bullock's Oriole               Male in Big Cottonwood Forest CEDAR WAXWINGS were everywhere. The LAZULI BUNTINGS were singing, but mostly posing only when entirely back-lit.  This was actually pretty typical for the day - birds popping up backlit or at distance or both.  We had YELLOW WARBLER on a birch far across the river, for example.  And a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER hid amongst the CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES above the Barn Owl nest box, and only 2 people managed to glimpse the bird before it flew away. We did manage 56 species for the day, though. == Michael	One of two dead baby crows under the nest tree near the mansion Mother Wood Duck with at least 8 babies
Band-tailed Pigeon	Savannah Sparrow singing in the East Meadow
American Crow with a facial tumor and an extended, hooked bill	Male Brown-headed Cowbird singing in the Community Gardens
Northern Flicker	Adult and one of the four baby Green Herons at the Rowing Club nest
Dick Martin caught a Swainson's Thrush in good light, June 12	Brian Dobbin's wonderful photo of a male American Goldfinch, June 13
Brian Dobbin's photo of the Green Heron chicks at the Rowing Club	Another photo from Brian, both taken June 13
	Lillian Reis found baby Killdeer in the stormwater pond near the velodrome parking lot on June 14

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A gorgeous summer day, EXCEPT FOR THE MOSQUITOES!  The summer birds were singing, but mostly invisible.  Lots of babies about, though. Highlights: Ring-necked Pheasant        Male sounding off frequently Rufous Hummingbird          Nobody visible at the nest, but female nearby Hutton's Vireo?                  Calling bird near Dog Central may have been this species Cedar Waxwing                 Ubiquitous. Lazuli Bunting                    3(?) near southeast entrance to Dog Area Bullock's Oriole                 Pair chasing each other around, maybe more For juveniles, we had lots of baby AMERICAN ROBIN, a female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD feeding a young bird below the weir, a probable juvenile RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD near the start of the boardwalk, at least one baby GREEN HERON visible under the adult on the nest at the Rowing Club, and a baby HAIRY WOODPECKER was peeking out of the nest hole across from the Rowing Club dock. Near the Rowing Club dock, we had a mixed flock of baby WOOD DUCKS (8+) which included 3 baby HOODED MERGANSER.  There was no adult of either species around, as far as we could tell.  The ducklings all appeared to be same age, and quite young. The BARN OWL in the nest box is rising higher and higher in the box, and is looking cramped.  We couldn't see any young ones yet, though. We also had a RACCOON and 2 LONG-TAILED WEASEL.  Huge CARP were stirring up the lily pads a the lake For the day, 56 species. == Michael	The Barn Owl is sitting higher and higher The Raccoon disappears on the far side of the slough
When the two weasels spotted us, one went left and one went right...	...then the one on the left popped up and made a dash across the trail to join the other
Male Rufous Hummingbird in the Dog Meadow	Some of the 8+ Wood Duck babies with 2 (of 3) Hooded Merganser ducklings
Probable juvenile Northern Flicker along the east edge of the East Meadow	There were two of them together, and they were playing/fighting/being siblings
Dave Templeton's male House Finch	In the photo the juvenile(s?) under the adult are not visible

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A gorgeous summer day. Migration is mostly over, so our bird count was down from last week.  But the summer birds were singing and visible, and there were still a couple of migrants to enjoy. There were also mosquitoes... Highlights: Wood Duck                       3 clutches of babies Mallard                              Ducklings at the Rowing Club Ring-necked Pheasant        Male strutting around near mansion Green Heron                      On nest at Rowing Club Bald Eagle                          FIVE at lake Rufous Hummingbird          Still on nest near Dog Central Warbling Vireo                  One with nest material at RC Red-eyed Vireo                 Heard 1 at the S end of Dog Meadow Swainson's Thrush              Beginning to sing Cedar Waxwing                 Ubiquitous. Yellow Warbler                 Several, singing, and a female Common Yellowthroat       Most common warbler Wilson's Warbler               One or two males Western Tanager               Male near mansion, female near lake Black-headed Grosbeak    Ubiquitous Lazuli Bunting                     Pair in Snag Row, maybe a 2nd male too Bullock's Oriole                 Pair chasing each other around Purple Finch                      One highly-colored male in forest One CEDAR WAXWING was doing a funny display dance.  With his tail cocked and his head back, he'd bounce to the right, bounce to the left, then hop up a branch.  For several minutes he moved his way up a bare tree closer and  closer to another waxwing at the top who appeared uninterested (though she didn't fly away). We also had a Raccoon, a Long-tailed Weasel, and either a Beaver or a River Otter (I think the latter), plus the usual squirrels and bunnies. For the day, 58 species.  For the year, adding REVI, we're now at 141. BTW - I just had a Raccoon and a Pacific-slope Flycatcher in my yard while writing this note. == Michael	Ollie Oliver's portrait of a male Black-headed Grosbeak, taken May 23
Brian Dobbin's took this wonderful photo of a Long-tailed Weasel on May 22	Ollie's photo of a Northern Harrier, May 23
Ollie's photo of a male Lazuli Bunting near the Compost Piles on May 23	Same bunting singing
Dave Templeton's photo of the female Rufous Hummingbird on her nest	Ollie's photo of a male Purple Finch in an Oregon Ash tree
Dave Templeton's male Black-headed Grosbeak	Ollie Oliver's photo of a Tree Swallow at the nest box in the East Meadow
Another shot by Brian Dobbins - the Barn Owl in the nest box	Ollie's photo of a male Gadwall duck

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It was a perfect day, weatherwise.  Sunny, warm (but not hot), pretty much windless.  The birds were singing and active, and there were a lot of them.  Good diversity too, plus LOTS of new things for the year. Highlights: Green Heron                                 On the nest at the Rowing Club Cooper's Hawk                             Constantly harassed by crows Peregrine Falcon                            Over boardwalk Spotted Sandpiper                         1 on the condo dock way out there Mourning Dove                              One in the East Meadow Barn Owl                                       Still in the nest box - sitting higher? BLACK SWIFT                           25+ high over boardwalk Hairy Woodpecker                        Pair seen? OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER.  One or two, calling not singing Western Wood-Pewee                  Many, singing Willow Flycatcher                          Matt & Scott heard some early CASSIN'S VIREO                       One singing on W. edge of Dog Meadow Warbling Vireo                              DOZENS, singing Cedar Waxwing                            Dozens, everywhere Yellow Warbler                            High numbers Townsend's Warbler                     Big movement - 6+ birds Western Tanager                          3-5, males and female(s) Black-headed Grosbeak               15+, singing everywhere LAZULI BUNTING                     Male at Compost Piles, singing Bullock's Oriole                            3+, males and females Evening Grosbeak                         Often heard calling, glimpsed 3 The BLACK SWIFTS seemed to be making sure they stayed above the PEREGRINE FALCON.    The falcon, BTW, appeared to be a sub-adult, as did the Cooper's Hawk. TEN NEW BIRDS FOR THE YEAR:  Spotted Sandpiper, Mourning Dove (though I think someone reported one previously), Black Swift, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Cassin's Vireo, Lazuli Bunting, Bullock's Oriole, and Evening Grosbeak So for the day, 68 species.  For the year, we're up to 140 species. == Michael	Male Yellow Warbler singing from the far side of the slough One of the hoards of Warbling Vireos
Female Rufous Hummingbird on her nest near Dog Central	Cassin's Vireo
Large Bass seen from the lake platform	Peregrine Falcon high over the boardwalk
Willow Flycatcher	Same Willow Flycatcher
Olive-sided Flycatcher - we had two disparate sightings	Male Lazuli Bunting in the cherries at the Compost Piles
Cliff Swallow - note light forehead and buffy rump	Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadees appear to be nesting SE of the stage	Scott Ramos's photo of a Marsh Wren gathering nest materials

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Well the weather sucked.  High 40's to low 50's, overcast, drizzle, cold wind.  Mayvember again.  Still, there were at least 10 of us out there this morning trying to find spring somewhere. It was moderately birdy, but the viewing was terrible.  We often spent long minutes searching fruitlessly for the bird we could hear siging "in that tree - it's got to be".  Several times, though, we did find the birds with work. Lots and lots of BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS singing - the new ubiquitous species. We had two mystery empidonax flycatchers, which were kind of the highlight of the day, and caused lots of conversation. Other highlights: Bufflehead                      Four females still at the lake Green Heron                  Four sighted, including on the RC nest Pacific-slope Flycatcher  Very obvious ID on this guy Warbling Vireo               Nearly as common as the grosbeaks Swainson's Thrush          1 seen, two more heard.  FOS Cedar Waxwing              2 near east footbridge  FOS Townsend's Warbler      1 singing, and finally seen, at Rowing Club Western Tanager            Male and female at Rowing Club Matt saw some DEER, we had one RACCOON climbing a cottonwood near Dog Central, and there were loads of Eastern Cottontail rabbits. After the walk, there was the official opening of the Marymoor Connector Trail (new bike trail connecting the Sammamish River Trail to the East Lake Sammamish Trail, through Marymoor Park).  The opening event was held over by the model airplane field at the east side of the park.  I added a couple of birds to the day list - RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, drumming, and a single PURPLE MARTIN. For the day, we had 59 species, plus the mystery empidonax(es).  For the year, we're up to 130 species. == Michael	Male Black-headed Grosbeak obscured by the leaves, typical of the kind of views we had today. Eastern Cottontail in the East Meadow
Pacific-slope Flycatcher near first footbridge	Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Ollie Oliver's photo of Cedar Waxwings near the east footbridge	Ollie's photo of the Green Heron on the nest at the Rowing Club
Ollie's photo of a female Western Tanager at the Rowing Club	Male Hairy Woodpecker at the nest hole, across from the Rowing Club dock. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Ollie went back later and found a female Wood Duck with 10-11 ducklings	...and one of the ducklings was a Hooded Merganser (in front of her tail, the near one of the trio)
Ollie's photo of a non-native snail	Brian Dobbin's photographed a Virginia Rail and baby on the east side of the boardwalk on May 14.

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At least it wasn't raining like it was yesterday.  Fifteen of us birded this morning on a cold, windy day, with big gray clouds looming and zooming overhead.  Not exactly warm and sunny.  Much of the time it wasn't very birdy either, but we managed to do okay in the end. Highlights: Green Heron                      Looks like they've started a nest California Gull                    1 - Rather late for Marymoor Warbling Vireo                  2 at Rowing Club, heard a couple more Ruby-crowned Kinglet       One still lingering at the Rowing Club Black-headed Grosbeak    Several back, singing RED CROSSBILL            Near mansion - just our 3rd ever sighting For WARBLERS, we had ORANGE-CROWNED, YELLOW, YELLOW-RUMPED, WILSON'S, plus COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. The BARN OWL was still in its box.  Matt saw/heard a couple more in the wee hours. The RED-TAILED HAWK nest atop the odd snag was empty all day.  Possibly their nest failed with the recent atrocious weather.  We also found a dead fledgling PINE SISKIN near the stage, and a hundred yards away on the lawn we found what could have been a 2-day-old robin dead.  We also found a BUSHTIT nest with the bottom missing.  Tough time for nesting... For mammals, besides the squirrels and rabbits, we had a MUSKRAT and a RIVER OTTER, and saw footprints of a RACCOON. For the day, 57 species.  For the year, the grosbeak and vireo bring us to 126 species. == Michael	The weather sent dozens of Violet-green Swallows to the trees Close-up of some of the Violet-green Swallows
Dead Pine Siskin fledgling near the mansion	Ollie Oliver's photo of a Green Heron near the new nest at the Rowing Club
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (right) with Violet-green Swallow	Ollie's photo of the Northern Rough-winged Swallow at the Rowing Club
Hugh Jennings photographed this male Western Tanager on May 9th	David Maloney's photo of a Marsh Wren from 5/10
David Maloney's photo of an Orange-crowned Warbler from 5/10	David Maloney's photo of a male Common Yellowthroat from 5/10

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A cold morning warmed nicely to a gorgeous day.  Only 37 degrees to start, though, and it didn't really get warm until we were nearly done.  It wasn't all that birdy, but things are definitely switching over from winter to summer birds. Highlights: Matt heard and saw a SORA at the lake platform well before 6:00 a.m.  We searched the area during the normal walk, and saw nothing.  However we did get two whinny calls in reply to the iPod. Other firsts for 2009: Caspian Tern            Matt heard 1 while watching the Sora Vaux's Swift             1 or 2 over the East Meadow Purple Martin            2 checking out the gourds Yellow Warbler        2 singing males Wilson's Warbler      2 singing males We also had the first ducklings of the year, a female WOOD DUCK with 8-9 small ones, seen from the lake platform.  (I was going to say they were at the "mouth of the slough", but isn't the mouth the place where a river flows *into* a lake?  What's the name for the other end of a lake-to-lake river?) Lots of BUSHTITS around nesting.   We also had 3 looks at HAIRY WOODPECKER. Otherwise, it was pretty quiet.  Most of the ducks are gone, as well as the grebes, and cormorants.  No Wilson's Snipe, and only one gull.  No Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Our last bird of the day, though, was a nice HERMIT THRUSH at the Rowing Club. For the day, 58 species.  For the year, we're at at 124. == Michael	Ollie Oliver's photo of a male Common Merganser Distant shot of the female Wood Duck with 8-9 ducklings A slightly better view of the Nashville Warbler
Hugh Jennings' photo of a male Anna's Hummingbird	Maples and fruit trees were in full bloom
Female Hairy Woodpecker in a blooming maple tree	Ollie's photo of same
Ollie's photo of the Red-tailed Hawk on the Odd Snag nest	Ollie's photo of the only Bufflehead we saw all morning, at the Rowing Club
	Also at the Rowing Club, a Hermit Thrush
	Marc Hoffmann's nice portrait of a pair of Common Mergansers

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It was cold, cloudy, and damp today, with a touch of precipitation. There were more than 15 of us (I lost count at that point, I'm afraid).  It seemed a pretty quiet day, though with a couple of very notable bits of excitement. Highlights: Wood Duck                      Some great looks Northern Pintail                 3 flyby - our latest spring sighting ever Green Heron                     Several views, at least 2 birds American Kestrel              1-2 birds MERLIN                          Flew quickly to the northwest Wilson's Snipe                   Still 4+ around Western. Screech-Owl      Scott had one early near the windmill Belted Kingfisher               Only our 4th of the year Hammond's Flycatcher       At Rowing Club.  Not 100% sure of ID WESTERN KINGBIRD   THREE in the East Meadow American Crow                 Occupied nest near stage area Hermit Thrush                    At least 2 American Robin                 Nest with young at Rowing Club Orange-crowned Warbler  Several, singing, all quite yellow NASHVILLE WARBLER South of east footbridge We also had a sleeping Raccoon, two Long-tailed Weasels, and a dead Beaver. For the day, 66 species.  Merlin and Western Kingbird were new for the year, bringing us to 118. == Michael	ALL PHOTOS BY OLLIE OLIVER Male Wood Duck at the weir in the early morning light Raccoon asleep in a cottonwood A slightly better view of the Nashville Warbler
Male Hairy Woodpecker	Western Kingbird in the East Meadow
Male American Kestrel in Snag Row	Osprey cleaning its talons
Ollie went back in the afternoon for more photos of Western Kingbird...	...and found a female Mountain Bluebird we hadn't seen earlier

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Having missed Stupendous Thursday on the 16th, I decided to head down to Marymoor this morning while the weather was still glorious. Unfortunately, I did NOT get one of those magically birdy mornings where the species count climbs really high.  I didn't get 74 species like they got on Thursday - only 56. Also, I missed almost all of the unusual species they found on Thursday.  SO I HAD TO FIND MY OWN ONES! I had EIGHT species they didn't have Thursday: Ring-necked Pheasant        Male at Compost Piles Cliff Swallow                      Several at the lake - FOS Red-breasted Nuthatch      2 on new trail - First of 2009 Hermit Thrush                    2 near 3rd dog swim beach NASHVILLE WARBLER 1 near 3rd dog swim beach CHIPPING SPARROW    1 east of mansion in firs Lincoln's Sparrow              1-2 at the N end of the East Meadow RED CROSSBILL             Flock of 9 briefly in Dog Meadow This is the earliest we've ever had Nashville at Marymoor. Other things to mention - Tons of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and several ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS.  Had a HAIRY WOODPECKER excavating a nest hole, and both DARK-EYED JUNCO and PINE SISKIN with nest materials. So, 56 for the day, 82 for the week !!!, and with several new birds for 2009 this week, we're now at 116 for the year. == Michael BTW - sorry about how crappy today's photos are. The birds were not cooperative with the camera...	Note the bright yellow throat on the Nashville Warbler A slightly better view of the Nashville Warbler
This is as good a look as I got at the Red Crossbills before they flew off	Zooming in...
Blurry, but it shows the red color of a male Red Crossbill, and a bit of the crossed bill	Beautiful male Ring-necked Pheasant at the Compost Piles
Out-of-focus shot of the Chipping Sparrow east of the mansion	Slightly better focus, but the Chipping Sparrow was looking away :(\
	Okay - nothing too exciting  But there are nesting Rock Pigeons under the bridge at the main park entrance

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Report from Brian Bell: Today was the15th anniversary of his starting weekly walks at Marymoor Park. Michael couldn't be there today, but the day couldn't have been better. Started out cool (43F), with some overcast -but essentially nice. It only got better from there. Lots of bird activity all over the park today with birds singing, carrying nesting material, and constructing nest, and occupying nests. It must have been in celebration of the day, but we had 21 people on the walk today and all enjoyed some great views of some very nice birds. Some notable birds: 2 Ospreys at the nest Savannah Sparrows singing all over the East Meadow Barred Owl carrying a crow early at the south end of the East Meadow Barn Owl on the nest box near the mansion American Goldfinch - bright males showing up Bushtits constructing at least three nests Wilson's Snipe - at least 7 along the river Great Blue Heron - one in park and 9 just north of the park Cooper's Hawk - immature Sharp-shinned Hawk Downy Woodpecker pair Hairy Woodpecker pair - with some interactions with the Downy pair Red-breasted Sapsucker - at least 4 along the Cottonwood Forest trail Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1st of year American Pipit - on soccer fields American Kestrel - male Eurasian Collared-Dove - on Snag Row Mountain Chickadee - probably only 2nd for park Black-throated Gray Warbler - beautiful male, 1st for the year Green Heron - two at Rowing Club Ponds Hammond's Flycatcher Matt Bartels and I enjoyed subbing for Michael today, and definitely enjoyed the 72 species we saw today. Brian H. Bell, Woodinville, WA Thanks to all the photographers who sent me photos! - Michael	Scott Ramos' sunrise photo Knut Hansen caught this Marsh Wren singing
Knut Hansen caught some interactions between a Downy Woodpecker and...	...a Tree Swallow that seemed to want to nest in the same tree
Ollie Oliver got some photographs of a Mountain Chickadee	This is only the 2nd or 3rd time Mountain Chickadee has been seen at Marymoor
Ollie's photo of the Eurasian Collared-Dove in Snag Row	David Maloney's gem of a photo of a pair of Tree Swallows
Ollie caught this front view of the Hammond's Flycatcher	...and this side view
Knut Hansen's portrait of the Hammond's	Ollie's back view of the Hammond's shows the long wings and long primary extension
A gorgeous male Black-throated Gray Warbler...	...two photos by Knut Hansen
Knut also caught this Black-capped Chickadee...	...excavating a nest hole
David Maloney's male "Audubon"-race Yellow-rumped Warbler..	...and a male "Myrtle's"-race Yellow-rumped Warbler to go with it.
David's photo of a Golden-crowned Sparrow shows just how spiffy these get before they leave for their breeding grounds	Another one by David Maloney - a Ruby-crowned Kinglet

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Just a few nice photos from Ollie Oliver who made a Saturday visit to Marymoor.	Male Common Yellowthroat
Female Mountain Bluebird at the Compost Piles.  There was at least 1 male too.	Black-capped Chickadee
Pair of Common Mergansers	Male Spotted Towhee

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Tweets - what a great day at Marymoor.  We had overcast, but just a bit of very fine mist early on, and then no further precipitation, despite the forecast of rain.  Mostly no wind either, and it wasn't so cold.  Much better weather than I feared.  The birding was sort of slow at first, but it picked up - Boy, did it.  People came and went from the group throughout the day.  I think there were at least 18 people that birded at least a little with us, though we were mostly about a dozen at any one time. Highlights: HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, between the east end of the boardwalk and the East Meadow.  Very gray, small bill, clear wingbars, short-appearing tail, silent.  This is a new bird for the park list! MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, 4 females, 1 male, at the south end of the East Meadow BARRED OWL, in the big Weeping Willow, along the Rowing Club path Wood Duck                      Several, with a pair near a nest box California Quail                 Two south of the windmill Western Gull                     Our only gull.  On the grass soccer fields Barn Owl                          Three, including one in the box Western Screech-Owl       Scott heard 1 early to the west Rufous Hummingbird          Many, especially lots of females Red-breasted Sapsucker    Several great sightings, drumming Hairy Woodpecker            Pair flew east s. of East Meadow Hermit Thrush                    One near the flycatcher Orange-crowned Warbler  2-3, all very yellow Townsend's Warbler          Great views south of mansion Common Yellowthroat       Many singing Lincoln's Sparrow              1 at Compost Piles White-crowned Sparrow    Both pugetensis and gambelii For the day, 64 species.  For the year, I think this puts us at 105. == Michael	Red-breasted Sapsucker in the Big Cottonwood Forest Pied-billed Grebe entangled in green nylon mesh
Ollie Oliver witnessed one of our resident Bald Eagles hoping to catch the ensnared Pied-billed Grebe	The eagle, maneuvering for attack
The eagle watches as the grebe hides in the weeds, safe from attack for now	Ollie's photo of Common Goldeneyes at the lake
Steller's Jay gathering nest material just east of the boardwalk	Steller's Jay gathering nest material just east of the boardwalk
Hermit Thrush, with red tail contrasting with brown back.  Photo by Ollie Oliver	Ollie got the closest thing to a photo of the Hammond's Flycatcher
One of four female Mountain Bluebirds at the south end of the East Meadow	The male Mountain Bluebird at the south end of the East Meadow
Gambelii subspecies White-crowned Sparrow at the Compost Piles	Bushtit building a nest in a cherry behind the park office.  Photo by Ollie
Salmonberry in bloom	Barn Owl roosting near windmill
Townsend's Warbler in a cherry south of the mansion	Barred Owl in the large Weeping Willow along the path at the Rowing Club
Ollie's photo of the Barred Owl	Dave Templeton's photo

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Just before anyone panics, no it's not Thursday already. All of the posts about great birds from Montlake Fill almost got me headed there this morning before I "got real" about it and went to Marymoor instead.  I did my usual walk - usual in all regards except that I was alone.  Quite a change from the 12-17 people I've been having recently.  I kept wishing for another pair of eyes and ears.  The weather couldn't have been better - almost completely cloudless and no wind.  Cool to start, but warming quickly. The verdict?  Spring is Here!  I had SEVEN new birds for the year list! Highlights: Cinnamon Teal                      Male in slough near lake Osprey                                  One on nest platform Green Heron                         One near lake Greater Yellowlegs ?             3 high flying silent shorebirds Barn Swallow                        2 flew over the Compost Piles American Pipit                      1 flyby Orange-crowned Warbler     1 near weir, silent Common Yellowthroat          4-5 singing away (saw 1) Lincoln's Sparrow                 Only our second of the winter Brown-headed Cowbird       One male calling in flight White-crowned Sparrow      Still gambelii around, singing I'm almost 100% sure of the ID on the yellowlegs. Signs of breeding: Red-tailed Hawk, presumably on eggs, on odd-snag nest Barn Owl in nest box Red-breasted Sapsuckers drumming Downy Woodpecker drumming Anna's Hummingbird male displaying Rufous Hummingbird males displaying, female with nest material Tree Swallows visiting nest boxes Bushtits all paired up with one pair building nest American Robin with nest material For the day 57 species.  The park year list is now up to 101. == Michael	Orange-crowned Warbler in a Red Alder near the weir Same Orange-crowned Warbler in a different Red Alder near the weir
Male "Audubon's" race Yellow-rumped Warbler in a Red Alder	Yellow-rumped Warbler at the Rowing Club
Common Yellowthroat failing to remain still for his photo	Caught him this time, in a Spirea
Male Cinnamon Teal in the slough near the start of the boardwalk	Barn Owl is presumably on eggs

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Blech - heavy rain interspersed with slightly less heavy rain.  Temps in the low 40's.  At least there wasn't much wind - the only saving grace, but that's a biggie.  Only six more weeks of winter, thank god.  Over a dozen of us trudged around Marymoor Ark this morning.  There were birds to see, but overall the species total was fairly pathetic and my hands were cold.  And you know what?  It was great. Highlights: Wood Duck                                At least 5, lots of calling Common Goldeneye                    At least a dozen California Gull                              8-10, which is a lot for Marymoor Barn Owl                                     Sharon saw it in the next box WESTERN SCREECH-OWL     See the note below, and the photos way below Rufous Hummingbird                    Several - nice looks Northern Shrike                           At least 2, calling Fox Sparrow                               20-25, some singing The BARN OWL was *not* visible in the box shortly after 7:00, but Sharon stopped by again at about 11:00a.m. and was able to see it.  I think this demonstrates that the adult can be in the box and not be visible.  We also had one, barely visible, roosting near the windmill again. FOX SPARROWS were all over the slough trail through the dog area.  They were mixed in with SONG SPARROWS, SPOTTED TOWHEES, and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, but probably outnumbered those species combined. Ollie spotted a NORTHERN SHRIKE in the Dog Meadow, and we spent quite a while making sure it wasn't a Loggerhead.  At one point it was buzzed by a female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD.  Later, there were 2 shrike at the north end of the East Meadow.  They flew off together to the northwest, and at least one of them was calling in flight. Swallows were almost a no-show.  Finally, Ollie spotted one west of the mansion.  It turned out VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS were flying very very low over the slough there.  We found more at the Rowing Club pond, again flying very low over the water.  We had no other swallows today. The best moment of the morning, by far, though was just after we found those first swallows.   Matt turned to me and said, "Wouldn't it be cool if we found a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL in one of these trees?  Oh My God - there's one right there."  There really was barely time between the first and second sentences for me to actually write them as two sentences.  The owl was in just about the very first spot Matt looked, about 8 feet up a young fir. We had close but obscured views of the bird, which was a lifer for one or two people and was a first visible WESO for several more. Besides the female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD buzzing the first shrike, we had two males south of the East Meadow, which posed for us nicely.  Still no Salmonberry blooming, though we did find some Red-flowering Current in bloom. We ended up the day with only 49 species, but my wife says the Screech-Owl ought to count for two.  If you don't like that math, we also had a LONG-TAILED WEASEL with a mouth full of something furry, which ought to count for something... == Michael	Female Mallard (left) and male Gadwall (right) Strangely, the Gadwall shows a white neck ring. Possibly a sign of hybridization with Mallard.  Photos by Ollie Oliver
California Gull - photo by Ollie	Ollie's photo of a couple more of the California Gulls.
Ollie managed to get photos of the Western Screech Owl	And a bit of a back view.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.

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Oh how nice it was today. Cold to start, but sunny. The thin fog burned off quickly, and while some thin, high overcast persisted, we could see our shadows all morning. It was pleasant AND good birding and spring is actually beginning to happen. Highlights: Ring-necked Duck               Males with rings very visible at RC Horned Grebe                     One mostly in breeding plumage Red-tailed Hawk                  Must be on eggs on odd snag nest Barn Owl                             Must be on eggs in nest box Western Screech-Owl          Heard from within park, to the west LONG-EARED OWL         Perched low and in the open in Dog Area Rufous Hummingbird            Heard 2-4 birds, never got a look Red-breasted Sapsucker      One drumming near start of boardwalk Downy Woodpecker            Two near start of boardwalk Hairy Woodpecker               Northeast of boardwalk Northern Shrike                    Seen in model airplane field American Crow                    With nest materials near mansion American Robin                    With nest materials near mansion Varied Thrush                       Heard near mansion Yellow-rumped Warbler       Some were singing Townsend's Warbler             South side of mansion SAVANNAH SPARROW   First of spring, Compost Piles The LONG-EARED OWL, which we originally identified as a Great Horned Owl, spent the entire morning low in a Red Alder a bit east northeast of the weir. See the blog for photos. When we were at the lake, Sharon thought she'd seen a HORNED GREBE. It disappeared before we could verify. So at the end of our walk, I visited the cabana for another look. While there, I had great looks at a pair of HOODED MERGANSER, as well as three COMMON MERGANSER. And, with my scope, I was able to find a HORNED GREBE about half-way into breeding plumage. It would have been visible from the lake platform, but would probably have required a scope for ID. Sharon saw a LONG-TAILED WEASEL near the South Lot kiosk. Some people watched an EASTERN COTTONTAIL get precariously close to the Great Horned Owl. There were both a RED-EARED SLIDER and a PAINTED TURTLE sunning themselves at the Rowing Club. New for 2009 were HORNED GREBE, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, and SAVANNAH SPARROW. In addition, I saw a male NORTHERN HARRIER last Sunday. So for today, we were at an even 60 species. For the year, we're up to 94 species. == Michael	Dewy spider web in the early morning fog Long-eared Owl as seen from the slough trail
Closer view of the Long-eared Owl	And a bit of a back view.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.
Dave Templeton's fabulous photo of the owl (His lens is just a slight bit bigger than mine :)  )	Singing Spotted Towhee
	"Pussy" Willows along the edge of the Dog Meadow
Brown Creeper near the start of the boardwalk	Red-breasted Sapsucker preening near the start of the boardwalk
Another shot of the Red-breasted Sapsucker	Savannah Sparrow at the Compost Piles
Violets in a tree near the Stage	Note the burgundy neck ring on the right of the two male Ring-necked Ducks Photo by Ollie Oliver
Grace found a Cooper's Hawk in Snag Row which Ollie photographed	Ollie's photo of a Canada Goose in the slough
Northern Shrike, Ollie Oliver, 3/29/09	Northern Shrike, Ollie Oliver, 3/29/09

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A drizzly day, but pretty nice despite that.  It only really rained for a few minutes as we were going around the mansion.  Not too cold, not too windy, but not feeling totally spring-like either.  Yesterday was "springier".   Something like 17 people, so a big group today. Highlights: Green Heron                    Brian had one south of the East Meadow early Western Screech-Owl      Matt and Scott had one pre-dawn Downy Woodpecker       Two males sparring Hairy Woodpecker          One along the slough SAY'S PHOEBE             One at the N end of the East Meadow, flew east Northern Shrike               North of fields 7-8-9 Violet-green Swallow       Brian had them Tuesday, more today Varied Thrush                  Heard near mansion, seen near RC dock and forest Yellow-rumped Warbler  At least 1 alternate-plumage male Audubon's Purple Finch                     Many singing More than 1/3 of all of the SAY'S PHOEBE sightings for Marymoor Park have occurred in Week 12 (the week that started today), so it was not too terribly surprising to find one in the East Meadow, where most sightings have occurred.  It gave us distant looks before flying over towards the model airplane field. Still a lot of "winter" birds around - 4 species of gull, 8 species of duck, lots of FOX SPARROWS, quite a few GOLDEN-CROWEND SPARROWS, etc.  Spring birds still scarce - couldn't even find a Tree Swallow today, though I'd bet there were a few there somewhere. For the day, 59 species. For the year, 89 species (assuming I can count...) == Michael	Two male Downy Woodpeckers were doing a lot of posing Ollie Oliver caught them in a different tree a minute later, still at it.
The Say's Phoebe in the East Meadow only stayed around for a minute...	...before flying east towards the model airplane field
Ollie Oliver's photo of an adult Mew Gull	Ollie's photo of Mew Gulls in flight.  Note the large size of the white "windows" on the wing-tips, most visible on the bottom bird.  This is characteristic of Mews.
Ollie's photo of a Red-tailed Hawk in a London Plain tree along the road	Ollie's photo of the Northern Shrike north of fields 7-8-9
Ollie's photo of Gadwall on the grass fields.  Note that female Gadwall have white bellies, unlike Mallards.	Male Hooded Merganser at the Rowing Club pond, getting his first breeding plumage. This guy was born last year, and has been in plumage similar to a female until now.
Ollie went back in the early evening as the American Crows were heading to roost	The American Crows landed temporarily in the birch at the edge of the East Meadow

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Clear, sunny, and frigid.  The sun really helped, though.  The wind, which picked up about 10:00am didn't.  Still, it was a really nice day to be out.  Birdy too, especially at the beginning.  A long dry spell in the middle. Highlights: Green-winged Teal          At least 16 at the Rowing Club Green Heron                   One on far side of slough near start of boardwalk Cooper's Hawk               Pair near windmill.  Going to nest there??? Red-tailed Hawk             Odd-snag nest occupied all day PEREGRINE FALCON One sped past our cars as we were gathering Wilson's Snipe                 At least a dozen below weir Barn Owl                         Nesting in nest box after all Anna's Hummingbird        4 males found R.-breasted Sapsucker    2 near start of boardwalk (+drumming) Hairy Woodpecker          Pair near start of boardwalk Tree Swallow                  One near Compost Piles Varied Thrush                  At least 1 singing near mansion Brian Bell had 2 TREE SWALLOWS last Friday.  Grace and Ollie Oliver heard a WESTERN SCREECH-OWL last Saturday. For the day, 54 species.  For the year, we're up to 86. == Michael Had a singing Western Meadowlark on Friday, 3/13, between the Compost Piles and the model airplane field.  Also, a Garter Snake and a report of a Mourning Dove.	The full moon sets to the west Mt. Rainier at dawn
Barn Owl's face, barely visible inside the nest box between the mansion and the stage	Singing male Varied Thrush above the owl nest box
Ollie Oliver's profile shot of the Varied Thrush is more recognizable	Female Common Goldeneye in the slough
Ollie's photo of a male Common Goldeneye in the slough	Male Hairy Woodpecker at the base of a Black Cottonwood
Eastside Audubon is about 1/3 done with the boardwalk extension	Red-breasted Sapsucker near the start of the boardwalk
Ollie's photo of a Brown Creeper	There was still snow on the ground in shady places
"Audubon"-race Yellow-rumped Warbler at the Rowing Club	Both of these photos by Ollie Oliver
More cool fungi in Snag Row	More cool fungi in Snag Row

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Cinco de Marcho was a real stinko, as far as weather goes.  Heavy rains from 5:30 a.m. until about 8:00, followed by about an hour and a half of clearing, followed by hard rain and then extremely wet SNOW.  Uggh.  I thought this was supposed to be spring?  Anyway, with the heavy early morning rain, Matt, Brian, and Scott arrived at our starting place well soaked.  Amazingly, the rain didn't deter the birders- there were 16 of us today. I almost dread what a nice day in May will bring... The birds were somewhat cooperative, though, despite a lack of spring goodies.  Maybe this was our last good winter birding day or something. Highlights: Trumpeter Swan      Two flew over the East Meadow Mallard                    Maybe an all-time high count at about 100 Barn Owl                 Same roost spot as prev. weeks - hard to see Great Horned Owl   Matt & Scott had one near the mansion early Northern Shrike       One well east of East Meadow Lincoln's Sparrow    FINALLY - one at Compost Piles A pretty good day for non-bird animals as well, though many of these were only seen by one or a few people: Pacific Treefrog        Heard Raccoon                  Sharon had one on east side of the slough Long-tailed Weasel  Early sighting from Compost Piles Muskrat                   One in slough near RC dock Eastern Cottontail     Compost Piles early For the day, a rather surprising 54 species.  For the year, I think we might be up to 82 or 83, but I'll have to total things up later. == Michael	Ollie Oliver's Photos from March 6, when the weather was sunnier Hooded Merganser, probably a first-year male coming into male breeding plumage American Coot
Bewick's Wren	Female Green-winged Teal
Pied-billed Grebe...	...and with the neck down
Bushtit	My photo of the Barn Owl tucked into the cedar

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Isn't it getting kind of late in the winter for snow?  We had a couple of inches on the ground, and for a while we had heavy snow falling too.  Much of the morning, big snow clouds were threatening, even if snow wasn't falling.  Later, it got sunny, and the trees started shedding their snow coats all over us.  Not windy most of the time, though, and no rain, so the cold was tolerable.  And beautiful.  Can't forget to mention that.  It was gorgeous.  Not terribly birdy, but not bad either.  A small group of us today - 3 to start, growing to about 6.  Nice to have a small, compatible group. Highlights: Cackling Goose               Getting late for them, but at least 1 flock overhead Barn Owl                        Again visible in its day roost near the windmill Northern Shrike               East Meadow and west of the mansion.  2 birds? Winter Wren                    Gave us a GREAT show a the Rowing Club American Robin               100's on the ground everywhere that wasn't snowcovered Yellow-rumped Warbler  Maybe 10 or more at Rowing Club - great looks Fox Sparrow                   Good comparison views with Song Sparrow - lots too Western Meadowlark     One singing east of the mansion Ollie also found us a RIVER OTTER on the lake, our only mammal for the day, though we did see bunny tracks. For the day, 51 species.  The Meadowlark brings our year total to 80. == Michael	American Robin in a snowy European Hawthorn
Golden-crowned Sparrows under the same hawthorn	Double-crested Cormorant in the snow in the slough
Sure was pretty	The Barn Owl was a bit less visible this week
Male Anna's Hummingbird on watch southwest of the mansion	Northern Shrike west of the mansion
The Western Meadowlark flew in front of us...	...and landed in a Black Cottonwood near our cars
Yellow-rumped Warbler at the Rowing Club	Winter Wren gave us great looks at the Rowing Club
Ollie Oliver snapped this female Common Goldeneye in the snow	Ollie Oliver's portrait of a pair of Mallards
Ollie's Brown Creeper	Ollie got a closer shot of the male Anna's Hummingbird
	Ollie caught a different angle on the Winter Wren.

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We had a really nice day at Marymoor today.  We didn't add any species to the Marymoor year list, and we only had 52 species of bird (which is kind of a ho-hum total for us).  But it was still a really nice day. Mostly sunny with a bit of very thin clouds and some wispy morning ground fog here and there but mostly not where we were trying to bird.  Cold to start, but gradually warming. Highlights: Matt, Scott, and I had a SHORT-EARED OWL at the south end of the East Meadow at about 6:30. I had a PILEATED WOODPECKER fly past the Odd Snag hawk nest as I hurried to catch up with the rest of the party (after an emergency trip home because I'd forgotten my binoculars). We puzzled for a long time over a cricket-like chirping sound below the weir.  Remarkably, this quiet noise was being made by a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD who would occasionally shift to the usual Okaleee call. We had three WILSON'S SNIPE leapfrogging each other up the slough ahead of us as we approached the weir. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were singing all over the park.  We also heard robin, junco, towhee, Bewick's and Marsh Wrens, and House Finches singing. There were bunches of COMMON GOLDNEYE - probably 10 in the slough and 10 at the lake.  Couldn't find a Barrow's amongst them, unfortunately. Across from the first dog swim area we heard some very strange calls that turned out to be a vocalizing NORTHERN SHRIKE.  There was also a RACCOON on the far slough edge there. We searched the compost piles thoroughly, but it wasn't until we got to the east end of Snag Row before we found the AMERICAN TREE SPARROW (for the 6th straight week).  After it gave us good looks, it flew back to the compost piles, to the exact spot we'd spent the most time searching for it before. There were hundreds of AMERICAN ROBINS all over the grass soccer fields and the lawns around the mansion.  Right next to the mansion, Matt spotted a VARIED THRUSH amongst them. The cedars next to the windmill again held a BARN OWL, seemingly on the same branch as last week.  The nest box that was used by owls last year appears to be a squirrel nest this year, though. The Rowing Club featured about ten YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and the day's only AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (and - Oh Joy - HOUSE SPARROW). We had ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS at several locations around the park - at least 4 birds. And we had the very first INDIAN PLUM blossoms of the year (aka Oso Berry). As I said, 52 species for the day, still at 79 for the year. == Michael	Great Blue Heron hunting in the early morning frost below the weir Common Goldeneye, a male Ring-necked Duck, Gadwall, and Mallard at the weir
This Northern Shrike was vocalizing, across from the first dog swim beach	A Raccoon hunted the slough edge across from the first dog swim beach
Obligatory photo of the American Tree Sparrow, seen for the 6th week in a row	Varied Thrush male next to Clise Mansion amongst dozens of American Robins
Barn Owl in the cedars next to the windmill, like last week	Yellow-rumped Warbler at the Rowing Club, showing its namesake
As the bird turns. The yellow throat indicates this is an "Audubon's" race bird.	Scott Ramos caught a beautiful sunrise moment.
As the bird turns. The yellow throat indicates this is an "Audubon's" race bird.	Scott Ramos caught a beautiful sunrise moment
Fox Sparrow in the early morning light. Photo by Scott Ramos	Ollie Oliver's photo of a Bushtit
This photo by Ollie shows the distinctive lobed (not webbed) feet of the American Coot	Another nice American Coot portrait by Ollie
Ollie lingered to get a closer photo of the male Varied Thrus	Ollie's flight photo shows the distinctive longitudinal wing stripe of this species, which can be used to distinguish Varied Thrush from American Robin in flight.  It is an unusual field mark among passerines, but Townsend's Solitaires and Pine Siskin are also noted for their wing stripes

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It was quite a nice day today - thin high overcast, but some sun. Frosty to start, but it warmed well enough.  Birdy enough, especially the beginning and the end.  The downer was that Scott's car got broken into between 6:30 and 7:00.  Having to call the sheriff is no way to start a morning. The AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was again seen around the Compost Piles.  We missed it, but Jeff went back and found it, so after the Rowing Club, I went over and we found it again.  This is the 5th week for this individual. Highlights: Cackling Goose                  Big flock flew over around 8:00 California Quail                   Heard again this week, SW of the mansion Western Grebe                   Two out on the lake BARN OWL                     Roosting in cedar near windmill - seen at 11am Short-eared Owl                Matt and Scott - East Meadow early Red-brested Sapsucker      At the Rowing Club - not the hybrid NORTHERN SHRIKE      Two individuals - one much browner Lots of singing birds, including Black-capped Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, and Purple Finch.  Mallards were copulating.  A Red-tailed Hawk was atop the odd snag nest for a while. After the Tree Sparrow, I went over to the 187th Ave. access off East Lake Samm Parkway and walked a bit of the East Lake Samm Trail back towards Marymoor.  New birds for the day were: Lesser (?) Scaup      20 at the north end of the lake Wood Duck             Six in the NE corner of the lake Winter Wren House Sparrow So for the day, 59 species.  For the year, still at 79 species. == Michael	Red-tailed Hawk on nest atop odd snag Ollie Oliver's nice shot of a Golden-crowned Sparrow
Green-winged Teal on the far side of the slough	Ollie's photo of the adult Northern Shrike
Three Great Blue Herons in Snag Row	Barn Owl being warmed by the sun, in a cedar near the windmill
American Tree Sparrow at the Compost Piles again	Six Pied-billed Grebes in the NE corner of the lake
	Mount Rainier from the NE corner of the lake

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It was a pretty quiet day at Marymoor today - frosty, with high overcast, and some thin ground fog early.  Not the warm spring day we had yesterday.  There were very few birds that gave us good looks - much of what we did see was very distant. The AMERICAN TREE SPARROW remains active around the Compost Piles, even with road graders reworking the parking lot and a front-end loader pushing branches around the piles themselves. Other highlights: Bewick's Wren, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, and House Finch all singing. I had a BARN OWL flying around the main park road at around 7:00.  The male COOPER'S HAWK was seen in Snag Row several times. Had some good looks at PURPLE FINCH just south of Dog Central.  DOWNY WOODPECKERS and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS also showed themselves well. We had a very distant look at the NORTHERN SHRIKE, today perched at the far side of the model airplane field. An ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD was on one of his usual perches near the picnic shelter south of the windmill. Really, except for the ATSP, there wasn't much of note.  Still, it beats sitting at home. OH - we did have a COYOTE at the southeast part of the East Meadow - our first for 2009. For the morning, 50 species. == Michael	Frost, low ground fog, Mt. Rainier Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet hovering, as they often do	Female Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ollie Oliver got today's best shot of the American Tree Sparrow at the Compost Piles	...and a nice shot of an adult White-crowned Sparrow
American Crow in the Community Gardens.	Adult Cooper's Hawk in Snag Row.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.
Double-crested Cormorant near the windmill.  Photo by Hugh Jennings.	Female Buffleheads in the slough.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.

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Lots of excitement in the last 24 hours. Last night I had a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL from the East Lake Sammamish Trail within Marymoor Park.  This is a new bird for the park list! Also, the AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was again seen at the Compost Piles. And at the Rowing Club, we had a hybrid RED-BREASTED x RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER. Ryan Merrill got photos, a couple of which are included here. At 8:00, about a dozen of us met for our weekly walk under cloudy skies. There was a hint of mist, but really no real precipitation, and the winds were minimal.  Not too cold either. This morning, Matt had BARN OWL near the mansion nest box, and there was a new branch visible within the box.  Ryan Merrill had a SHORT-EARED OWL over the East Meadow early this morning. It was a good day for ducks and geese - CANADA and CACKLING GEESE flew overhead at about 8:15, with a few landing.  For ducks, we had GADWALL. AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED MERGANSER, and COMMON MERGANSER. Any day we have 10 or more species of duck at Marymoor is a good duck day. Other highlights: California Quail        Heard and glimpsed SW of the mansion Green Heron            Again on the beaver lodge at the Rowing Club Peregrine Falcon ?   Large falcon made a swipe at some starlings Northern Shrike       Again, in the Dog Meadow Brown Creeper        One singing near the mansion Varied Thrush          Female at Rowing Club, one heard at Mansion Purple Finch             Some excellent looks For the day (plus last night), 60 species.  For the year, we're up to 79 species. == Michael	Purple Finches eating Oregon Ash seeds.  Photo by Ollie Oliver. Male Ring-necked Duck in slough  Photo by Scott Ramos.
Northern Pintail flyby.  Photo by Ryan Merrill.	Enlargment of male Northern Pintail showing dark head and white neck.
Rock Pigeons form a ball to escape large falcon (lower left).  Photo by Ryan Merrill.	Male Spotted Towhee at the Compost Piles.  Photo by Ryan Merrill.
Fox Sparrow at the Compost Piles.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.	Fox Sparrow at the Compost Piles.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.
American Tree Sparrow at the Compost Piles.  Photo by Ryan Merrill.	American Tree Sparrow at the Compost Piles.  Photo by Ryan Merrill.
Red-naped x Red Breasted Sapsucker hybrid.  Photo by Ryan Merrill.	Note the extent of black and gray on the lower nape.
Male Green-winged Teal at the Rowing Club.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.	Copulating Green-winged Teal at the Rowing Club.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.
Post-copulatory posturing.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.	Female Green-winged Teal at the Rowing Club.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.
"Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.	Red-tailed Hawk inspecting the old nest on the Odd Snag, west of the main entrance to Marymoor Park.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.
Male Common Goldeneye.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.

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Tweets - it was 32 degrees, foggy and damp, and there was a slight breeze. That kind of weather sucks the heat out of your core. Hours later, I'm *still* cold.  We had a really good day birding, though I missed some of the best stuff. Highlights: Matt and Scott had an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW again.  I think they saw it around 7:30 a.m., and like last week, it was at the Compost Piles.  We couldn't really find ANY sparrows there when we passed the area at about 11:00. Matt and Scott also had BARN OWLS early on. A large flock of CACKLING and CANADA GEESE on the grass soccer fields also contained one SNOW GOOSE and one GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. We had a decent day for ducks with AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD, RING-NECKED DUCK (10 crowding the Rowing Club pond), GREATER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED MERGANSER, and COMMON MERGANSER.  We thought we were hearing some Green-winged Teal as well, and Brian may have seen some Gadwall flying. There as a fairly large flock of WESTERN GREBES out on the lake, visible from the lake platform - perhaps 20 in all, though only a few were really close enough to identify. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen in several locations in the Dog Meadow, East Meadow, and the southeast portion of the park. We flushed an owl near the windmill that was probably a GREAT HORNED OWL. At the Rowing Club, we had distant views of a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER. For the day, we managed 59 species.  Our year total grew to 73 species. == Michael	Adult Bald Eagle in a Black Cottonwood near the weir.  Photo by Ollie Oliver. Adult Northern Shrike in the Dog Meaodw.  Photo by Ollie Oliver.
Ollie's photo of American Goldfinches in a Red Alder just south of the dog area	Female Greater Scaup at the lake
Ollie's photo of the same scaup	A few of the Cackling Geese on the grass fields by our cars
Fresh workings by a Pileated Woodpecker in a Western Red Cedar near the mansion	Mallards and Ring-necked Ducks at the Rowing Club pond.  Photo by Ollie
Close-up of two male Ring-necked Ducks.  Photo by Ollie

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We had a good day today.  It was overcast, or maybe that was just high fog above us.  In any case, not too cold, not windy, and no precipitation.  Still very high water - we couldn't get to the boardwalk along the slough trail, but did manage to cut across on the new trail that runs east-west just south of the dog area.  The boardwalk was somewhat underwater.  Lots of water filled the Dog Meadow and puddled elsewhere.  The Rowing Club dock remains inaccessible. Big highlight was an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, very flighty, moving around the general area of the Compost Piles, with some juncos.  The eye stripe wasn't very red, so we spent a lot of time trying to make sure it wasn't a Chipping Sparrow.  We finally managed to see the orangey lower mandible, and the bold central breast spot (for which you need a frontal view, which this guy was loathe to give).  Overall, the bird seemed quite pale; too pale and too buffy for a Chipper. Other highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose  Two with Cacklers on grass soccer fields TUNDRA SWAN                  Juvenile in "pond" on grass soccer fields                                                2nd swan flyby that looked Trumpeter American Wigeon                    Many in flooded interior of Dog Meadow Green-winged Teal                  Four with wigeons Western Grebe                       1-2 at lake Green Heron                           One on beaver lodge at Rowing Club American Kestrel                    Male and female seen again Barn Owl                                Early sightings at windmill and East Meadow Great Horned Owl                  Matt heard (maybe saw) one near Dog Central Anna's Hummingbird               Nice male just south of Dog Meadow Yellow-rumped Warbler         A handful near the east end of the boardwalk I found two dead mammals - a Townsend's Vole and an American Shrew-mole. Both looked to have drowned. For the day, 57 species.  For 2009, up 11 to 65 species. == Michael	Juvenile Tndra Swan Juvenile Tundra Swan with Canada Goose for size comparison
Ollie Oliver's photo of the Tundra Swan	Ollie's photo of the Tundra in flight late in the morning
Great Blue Herons in a large Black Cottonwood	Flooded area in Dog Meadow.  From left, 1 Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid, 5 Ring-billed Gulls, 4 Mew Gulls
American Tree Sparrow	American Tree Sparrow
Ollie's photo of the American Tree Sparrow	Ollie's photo of a female American Kestrel north of the grass soccer fields

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The rain took a hiatus long enough for our walk, not starting to fall until I got home.  The wind, however, took no break.  In the early morning it was fairly calm, but the winds just picked up more and more as the morning went on. Flooding was the story today.  At the 2nd dog swim spot, water was clearly flowing from the slough to the interior of the park.  The water gauge read 6.2 feet at the weir.  The trail starts to flood at 4.1 feet, so it was clear we weren't going to get to the boardwalk via the slough trail.  We instead worked our way around the south edge of the Dog Meadow, but that meadow was also extensively flooded (just not as deep).  From the east side, we were able to get to the boardwalk, which was flooded too, and almost got to the lake platform.  At the Rowing Club, we could not get anywhere near the slough or the dock due to high water. Birding was pretty slow, with both few birds and fairly low diversity.  We did manage a few highlights though: American Wigeon            One in the slough Northern Shoveler           One with Mallards on "SODA Lake" GREEN HERON            Atop the beaver lodge at the Rowing Club American Kestrel             Female this week, hunting the model airplane field Barn Owl                         Scott and Matt had 2 early, windmill and East Meadow Pileated Woodpecker      Flew up the slough as we approached the weir Northern Shrike               Hunting in the Dog Meadow Red-winged Blackbird     Quite a few males with starlings and crows Purple Finch                    Good looks at S end of Dog Meadow This was just our 5th-ever January sighting of Green Heron.  We've seen Green Heron every week of the year except for 3 weeks in January and February.  But these winter sightings are quite uncommon and quite a treat. For the day, 47 species (same as last week). Just got a note from KC Parks: Due to flooding and standing water, Soccer fields # 2 and # 3 are closed tonight, Thursday January 8. User groups have been notified. Flooding in the off-leash area has increased throughout the day. Access will be restricted in some portions of the off-leash park. Park Maintenance staff and SODA volunteers will erect signs and barricades after evaluating the site tomorrow morning. The Clise Mansion, Maintenance shops and administrative buildings are not impacted by flooding at this time. == Michael	Swollen slough below the weir Female Northern Shoveler in flooded Dog Meadow area
"SODA Lake" - named for www.soda.org	Crossing the first west footbridge
Bewick's Wrens were SINGING	The boardwalk, approaching the lake platform from the east
Failing to get to the Rowing Club dock	Ollie Oliver's photo of a Bewick's Wren
Ollie's photo of the female Northern Shoveler	Ollie's photo of the Green Heron on the beaver lodge at the Rowing Club

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Conditions were really bad, but the light rain early and the dark grey conditions kept the birds quiet. Most birds showed up in ones and twos, with just a few flocks. One nice flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, FOX SPARROWS, SONG SPARROWS near the first water access, a nice WILSON'S SNIPE flew from the edge before we reached the weir and circled back and landed on the edge about 30 feet away. Several flocks of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS flew over, probably about 30 in all. A nice mixed flock of BUSHTITS, kinglets and chickadees were way up in the tops of the cottonwoods before Dog Central - too high under low light conditions to make reliable identification possible. They followed us down the path until just before leaving the dog area. We wondered if we were going to miss DOWNY WOODPECKER, but one showed up just before the gate to the cottonwood forest. As we walked the interpretive path, Rachel spotted a nice drake WOOD DUCK, who gave us quick looks before hiding along the river. Out at the platform, there was one BALD EAGLE in the usual place in the near cottonwood tree and another with prey on one of the pilings. BUFFLEHEAD were present in large numbers along the river and at the lake (probably in excess of 40 - they kept moving around). A couple of PIED-BILLED GREBES near the pier. No response from rails today. Because the water was high three people walked around and met us. As we walked out of the Alder forest I spotted a RING-NECKED PHEASANT crossing the path down near the large isolated cottonwood. Just around the bend Rachel said they had a flock of PURPLE FINCHES just before the bridge. We missed them. The sparrow piles were completely dead - nobody home. A small flock of CANADA GEESE across from the sparrow piles included two CACKLING GEESE. The AMERICAN KESTREL was back on the soccer goals and put on a show for us. The pea patch was dead - no birds. As we walked toward the mansion we could hear probably GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS high in the trees, but the wind had picked up by then and we never got a really good view. As we approached the shelter across from the cars we had a nice flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS (close views), CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES and a BROWN CREEPER. The pond was still frozen at the rowing club, and nothing new on the river. - Brian Bell

All Photos by Ollie Oliver American Coot Male Bufflehead

Male American Kestrel

Male American Kestrel

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