Marymoor Birdlog 2010

Blog
2010

Marymoor Park

Report for September 9, 2010

Heavy overcast for most of the morning made it rather dark for seeing birds sometimes. Throw in some wind, many trucks driving through the Dog Area dumping hogs fuel for the paths, and construction closing the Rowing Club, and you might the we'd have had a mediocre day at the park. NOT SO.

We had birds in clusters. Much of the time they were very active, which made seeing sometimes difficult. But it was clear that fall is in full swing, with many migrants, returning wintering birds, and great mixed flocks the way you get in the fall.

Our best mixed flock came just before, and at, the east footbridge, south of the East Meadow. In about 100 feet of path, we had at least 29 species of bird, including 2 species of flycatcher, 5 species of warbler, 5 species of sparrow, plus WARBLING VIREO, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, and WESTERN TANAGER, as well as many more. Things quieted there after a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and an AMERICAN KESTREL went past.

It reminded me very much of a day back in the early years of my Marymoor walk. Here's a quote from my Tweeters report that day:

"Quiet day until I got near the east footbridge where, in a 30 yard stretch of path, I encountered heaps of birds. I spent around 15 minutes walking that very short distance, and saw approximately 240 individual birds comprising 18 species!"

The date of that trip?   September 12, 1996. Deja vu.

Highlights from today:

Seven raptor day: OSPREY, BALD EAGLE (often not seen this time of year), NORTHERN HARRIER juvenile over boardwalk and lake platform, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (at least 2), COOPER'S HAWK juvenile, RED-TAILED HAWK, and AMERICAN KESTREL.

Killdeer                                    37 counted in NE corner fields
Barn Owl                                 Scott had at least 2, calling, predawn
COMMON NIGHTHAWK    1 over Lot D, about 6:40 a.m.
Western Wood-Pewee             1 or 2
Willow Flycatcher                    3 or 4
Pacific-slope Flycatcher           1 or 2
Warbling Vireo                        3+
Orange-crowned Warbler        At least 10, some gray-headed
Yellow Warbler                       Close to 10, some VERY drab
Yellow-rumped Warbler          5+
Black-throated Gray Warbler 3+
MacGillivray's Warbler            3
Common Yellowthroat             Many
Wilson's Warbler                     5+
Western Tanager                      1
Lincoln's Sparrow                    4+, scattered
Golden-crowned Sparrow        3

The COMMON NIGHTHAWK was my first, personally, for the park. Nighthawks have been reported 4 times previously, all between the 17th and the 20th of September, all between 2004 and 2007.

Afterwards, I went to the lake viewpoint, since we'd had a few birds too far to see from the lake platform. There were WOOD DUCKS near the northeast part of the park. But out in the north end of the lake were PIED-BILLED (5+), HORNED (2), RED-NECKED (1), and WESTERN (1) GREBES, all of which would have been visible and identifiable with a scope from the lake platform. (We'd actually seen the PBGR and WEGR on the regular walk).

Two COYOTES were howling at each other before 6:00, according to Scott and Brian. And Brian found a PACIFIC TREEFROG hopping on the ground near the mansion.

For the day, 69 species! The Horned and Red-necked Grebe, and the Common Nighthawk were new birds for the park year list.

It was a great day.

== Michael

Steller's Jay. Photo by Ollie Oliver

American Kestrel. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Northern Flicker. Photo by Ollie Oliver

Very colorful Sharp-shinned Hawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver

Pacific Treefrog under the firs near the mansion

New Barn Owl nest box, courtesy of Eastside Audubon and King County Parks.
It's located near the mansion, just west of the old next box site.

Lincoln's Sparrow. Photo by Lillian Reis

American Goldfinch. Photo by Lillian Reis

Michael was over in eastern Washington today, so Matt and I stood in for him. The day started out with some early low-lying fog that cleared quickly. The rest of the day was gorgeous with sun and nice temperatures (well, after a start of 43F). At the very start we had a flock of warblers right at the parking spot where we meet. We worked it over and saw at least 9 Orange-crowned Warblers, a Yellow Warbler and a Black-throated Gray Warbler. During the first part of the walk it seemed that every good tree we stopped by was crawling with birds. We started at 6:30 and by 8:45 we hadn't reached Dog Central (normally takes about an hour). Lots of birds singing today, and lots of young birds out. A nice movement of migrants moving thru also. Notable birds: Barn Owl - east meadow early Orange-crowned Warblers - at least 14 Black-throated Gray Warbler - male and female MacGillivray's Warbler Cooper's Hawk - 2 (juvie and adult) Swainson's Thrush (at least 10 night calls) Common Yellowthroat - a whole bunch of juveniles of varying plumages Green Heron Willow Flycatcher - probably 10 Lincoln's Sparrow - first of season (9) Western Tanager Black-headed Grosbeak (immature male) Virginia Rail (heard) Pacific-slope Flycatcher Bushtit - first flocks for several weeks Evening Grosbeak - heard Brian H. Bell Woodinville WA	Western Tanager. Photo by Ollie Oliver Western Wood-Pewee. Photo by Ollie Oliver
American Goldfinch. Photo by Hugh Jennings	Spotted Sandpiper, 2010-08-28. Photo by Lillian Reis
Willow Flycatcher adult feeding juvenile...	Both photos, 2010-08-29 by Lillian Reis
Willow Flycatcher, 2010-08-29. Photo by Lillian Reis	Lincoln's Sparrow, 2010-09-04. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Black-throated Gray Warbler, 2010-09-04. Photo by Lillian Reis	Swainson's Thrush, 2010-09-04. Photo by Lillian Reis
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2010-09-08...	Two photos by Lillian Reis

The morning dawned absolutely gorgeous, with not a cloud in the sky, the almost-full moon setting, along with Jupiter, and Mt. Rainier shining in the morning sun. And then the weather changed. By 9:00 a.m., we had a thick overcast, and by a little after 10:00, it was starting to drizzle a touch. It was not tremendously birdy, but there were several nice highlights: Green Heron At least 3 juveniles, lots of looks American Kestrel New for '10. NE corner of the park Pileated Woodpecker One landed near the mansion, another called Orange-crowned Warbler 3+, including singing male Yellow Warbler 3+, including singing male Black-throated Gray Warbler 3+, male and female/juv. Wilson's Warbler 2 males, faint singing Common Yellowthroat Still abundant We had low numbers, but still fairly good diversity of our breeding birds, including 1 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, 1-2 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, 5+WILLOW FLYCATCHER, 2+ SWAINSON'S THRUSH heard (and Matt & Scott reported more pre-dawn, which were probably migrants), 1+ SAVANNAH SPARROW, and 1 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. While we did have a male PURPLE MARTIN flying high over Dog Central, they appear to be done with the gourds for the year. For the day, 54 species, with Kestrel new for the year. == Michael	Pileated Woodpecker atop whip snag south of the mansion. Photo by Ollie Oliver Juvenile male Common Yellowthroat. Photo by Lillian Reis
Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird close enough to step on	Ollie's slightly more flattering portrait of the heedless cowbird
Male Wilson's Warbler in the blackberries at Dog Central	Sometimes one lucks into wonderful peek-a-boo views
Male Downy Woodpecker in an elderberry. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Hugh Jennings caught the moon before it set.

Instead of the "mostly sunny' the weather report promised, we had dark overcast and mist this morning. The mist faded after a bit, though we did have a few minutes of light drizzle as we walked the East Meadow. Damp and 61 degrees - no wonder the summer birds have fled. At least, it seems that most are gone, and they're yet to be replaced by winter birds. We had just a hint of migration to spice things up. Otherwise, it was a pretty quiet day. Highlights: Hooded Merganser 8 flew upstream over the weir American Coot First since April - 1 at the lake Dowitcher sp. 2 birds flew north over the Dog Meadow Barn Owl Matt & Scott enjoyed 2 a the East Meadow early Vaux's Swift More than a dozen Orange-crowned Warbler 1 along slough Yellow Warbler 2+, still singing Wilson's Warbler 2 males I presume they were Long-billed DOWITCHERS, though they were silent and only seen in-flight, making a positive ID impossible. This is just the 3rd time we've had dowitchers at Marymoor. We had several WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES, but only a couple WILLOW FLYCATCHERS. We heard only 1-2 SWAINSON'S THRUSH, and had only 4 species of warbler, No Spotted Sandpipers. no vireos, no bushtits, no Black-headed Grosbeaks, no Red-winged Blackbirds, and no Brown-headed Cowbirds. For the day, 55 species. == Michael	Western Wood-Pewee. Photo by Lillian Reis Male Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Lillian Reis
Juvenile Spotted Towhee just getting a few rufous feathers. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Olive
American Robin photo by Ollie Oliver	Male Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Ollie Oliver
From August 17, a couple of photos of an Orange-crowned Warbler	Both photos by Lillian Reis. Note the dark tail feathers.

We had a small group today (lots of people are traveling) under a dark sky. It was neither warm nor cold, though it certainly wasn't summery. Kind of dead, really, but we found a few birds to look at. Green Heron At least 3 juveniles, lots of sightings Cooper's Hawk One over the weir Barn Owl Matt had 2 calling, East Meadow, early RED-EYED VIREO 2 south of Dog Central Purple Martin Lots of activity at the gourds Or.-crowned Warbler 2, west edge of Dog Meadow Yellow Warbler Still many, including singing B.-throated Gray Wblr 2 or so south of Dog Central Wilson's Warbler 1 male singing near east footbridge Summer birds linger in small numbers. Actually WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE and WILLOW FLYCATCHER were still singing all over, but SWAINSON'S THRUSH were down to a couple of glimpses and several whits. And we only had one BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, and no Warbling Vireos. For swallows, we had only PURPLE MARTIN, and VIOLET-GREEN and BARN SWALLOWS. And we had 1-2 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS in the Pea Patch, but we didn't have any the past 3 weeks. They're pretty much done around Marymoor for the year. Big misses included Bushtit and European Starling. And where the heck are the Spotted Sandpipers??? For the day, 55 species. For the year, I think we're at 131. == Michael	Male Common Yellowthroat. Photo by Ollie Oliver. Four of at least six Purple Martins seen at the gourds.
Juvenile Spotted Towhee just getting a few rufous feathers. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Barn Swallows, with a few Violet-green Swallows and House Finches.
Barn Swallow with unusual white markings. My soft-focus portrait...	...and Ollie's sharper one
Rufous Hummingbird in the Pea Patch. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Female Mallard with turtle, in the slough near the windmill
Osprey misses a fish...	...and shakes himself dry. Photos by Lillian Reis, 2010-08-06
Western Wood-Pewees. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-08-07	Photo by Hugh Jennings

We had a really nice day today. Warm and sunny, without being too warm, and mostly without being too sunny. The group consisted of just the hard-core regulars. And even though these are the August Doldrums, we had some post-breeding dispersal action to keep things interesting. Highlights: Cooper's Hawk One soaring above the stage Green Heron At least 2 birds-of-the-year Virginia Rail 2-3. loudly squawking, at the lake Red-breasted Sapsucker One near the mansion Vaux's Swift Maybe 8-10, and good looks Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1 glimpsed, 1, photographed by Lillian Warbling Vireo At least one at edge of Dog Meadow Purple Martin Left gourd has at least 1 baby being fed Tree Swallow Still active at nest boxes in the East Meadow Orange-crowned Warbler Several Yellow Warbler Several, including some still singing Black-throated Gray Warbler At least 2 (male and female) MacGillivray's Warbler At least 1 Common Yellowthroat Lots of juveniles Wilson's Warbler 1-3, including a very bright male Purple Finch Numerous and widespread We had good mixed flocks of hyperactive warblers at two spots - just north of Dog Central along the slough, and along the southwest edge of the Dog Meadow, near the bench. A six warbler day was quite special. The Virginia Rails were barely glimpsed (mostly just motion), but were working from a wide repertoire of calls. The Rowing Club area is mostly closed for preliminary work on a new boathouse. The regular path to the river is closed. You can walk a mowed trail to the north, but can get only a glimpse into the main pond from the north side.. The South Pond is completely inaccessible. For the day, 63 species. == Michael	Blurry photo day. This is a female and/or immature MacGillivray's Warbler Here you can see a faint hooding, and the broken eye ring (or eye arcs)
Lillian Reis got this confirming shot of a Pacific-slope Flycatcher	At least in the left gourd, the Purple Martins are feeding one or more young
Like Bushtits, only different	Swainson's Thrush on the slough trail. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Green Heron. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Downy Woodpecker, seen from the boardwalk. Photo by Ollie Oliver

I guess today I should have called this the Marymoor Parking Lot Report, as several thousand cars were being parked there, and 60 school busses were being used to take people to Sahalee golf course for the USGA Senior Tour tournament. Except for having to park near the mansion, instead of our usual spot, we weren't too, too impacted by the traffic though. The day was cool and gray, and we even had traces of mist late. There were a few mosquitoes out still, but maybe a touch less bad than previous weeks (some people may disagree with me there...) We're beginning to see the beginnings of post-breeding dispersal, which made things just a little more interesting than the doldrums last week. Highlights started with a parade of birds all stopping at the dead elm tree west of the mansion. We had 3 woodpecker species, at least 2 finch species, plus robin, oriole, and tanager. Maybe more stuff. It was fun. Highlights: Cooper's Hawk Matt had one early MERLIN Landed in Snag Row 5 woodpecker day R-b Sapsucker, Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Flicker Purple Martins Using both gourd nests at lake Baby swallows galore Mostly Violet-green and Barn, but a few Cliff too Orange-crowned Warbler One in Dog Meadow edge Western Tanager Nice male, and maybe 1 other Bullock's Oriole As mentioned above, near mansion For the day, 60 species. We also had a mother and baby deer at the Rowing Club == Michael	Male Pileated Woodpecker Willow Flycatcher
Female Purple Martin. Photo by Ollie Oliver	House Finch caught in netting a the Pea Patch (we freed it)
Merlin in Snag Row	Merlin. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Mule Deer and fawn at Rowing Club	Ollie's photo of the fawn
Eagle turns tables on a crow. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-07-27	Raccoon eying Mallards. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-07-28

It was cold, with heavy overcast, breezy, and at times misty at Marymoor this morning. Add in the late-summer blahs, and it wasn't our most exciting day at the park. Matt heard the WESTERN SCREECH-OWL near the windmill at about 4:10 a.m. I didn't hear my alarm clock until 4:45 a.m., so I can't confirm. Lots of WOOD DUCK babies, in a variety of sizes. We had 1 or 2 juvenile RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS. One was getting red on the face, but the rest of the head was still dark gray. The Least Flycatcher was not heard this morning. Maybe he only sings on sunny days. Still lots of WILLOW FLYCATCHER and SWAINSON'S THRUSH singing. BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK numbers are way down, though. We had a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER near the barns. There were many juvenile (and a few adult) WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS in the Pea Patch, along with many ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS and HOUSE FINCHES. At the end of the morning, we had a tight, swirling flock of small gulls that looked to me to be MEW GULL, but that could not be confirmed, as they rose up and disappeared into the clouds. For the day, 56 species were noted. It was a group effort (translation: several species were seen only by 1-2 people). == Michael	"Feed me Seymore". Juvenile Cedar Waxwing, begging. Photo by Lillian Reis "Faster". Photo by Lillian Reis
Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Juvenile Junco. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Hairy Woodpecker. Photo by Ollie Oliver	"Streeeeetch". Great Blue Heron. Photo by Ollie Oliver
	Juvenile Cedar Waxwing. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-07-18

Michael is out of town this week, so Brian Bell & I took the reins for this week's Marymoor Park walk. It was a beautiful morning at Marymoor -- little fog early, mosquitoes not too bad, and the heat never kicked in despite the sun. Mt. Rainier was prominent in the distance. As for birds, it was definitely summer doldrums time -- with lots of baby birds around, a good bit of singing persisting, but not as wide a variety of species making an appearance. Top highlight , as with last week: the LEAST FLYCATCHER was still present in exactly the same cottonwood grove at Dog Central [where the bulletin boards are] that it has been che-bekking in since June 17. Other notables: Pied-billed Grebe - our first grebe since before nesting season. Barn Owl - at the windmill @ 4:00am [no luck on the Screech-Owl this morning] Green Heron - 3 sightings, probably of 3 individuals, at least one was a juvie Red-breasted Sapsucker - 2 sightings including a juvie looking very grey/brown Bullock's Oriole - one juvie early, one adult male later Purple Martins - still in both of the gourds at the lake platform. Osprey - Young still on the nest over 520 We had baby Brown-headed Cowbirds all over the place -- hard time figuring out who was feeding them most of the time as they were getting a little grown up looking. A tantalizing 'maybe' was a look Richard Carlson had of a possible Bank Swallow over the sparrow piles. It would be/is the only the second Marymoor record for this species. Finally, this is how the east meadow woke up between about 4:30 and 5:10, as Scott Ramos & I waited for owl possibilities: Willow Flycatchers' "fitz-bews" & Swainson's Thrush "whits" begin the morning along with a few Killdeer calls. Swainson's switch to their songs slowly, as the American Robins join in. A scattered Song Sparrow song, and the beginnings of the Common Yellowthroat 'per-whichities' Add in a couple Spotted Towhee calls & trills, as a Bald Eagle gives a weak wake up call. Crows & Savannah Sparrows wake up and start filling in the gaps. Purple Martins up in the sky somewhere.... Marsh Wren begins late, as [this week] does Ring-necked Pheasant For the day, 59 species, with notable misses including Tree Swallow & Rock Pigeon. - Matt Bartels	Least Flycatcher. Photo by Ollie Oliver Male Bullock's Oriole. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Pied-billed Grebe at the lake platform. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver
White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Cedar Waxwing tossing a berry. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-07-16
Juvenile Downy Woodpecker. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-07-18	Green Heron. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-07-09
Cabbage White butterfly. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Young Mule Deer (or Black-tailed Deer). Photo by Ollie Oliver

Finally, a gorgeous, summer day. It actually felt like July, with not a cloud in the sky, and temps in the 70's. There was a touch of morning fog,, especially over the East Meadow before we started, but nothing that interfered with our regular walk. Oh - and the water levels have dropped to several inches below the 4 foot level, so there was no need for rubber boots! It was a fairly birdy, too. Top highlight - the LEAST FLYCATCHER was singing away at Dog Central, in the exact same spot it was both 2 and 3 Thursdays ago. Who knows why nobody was able to find it for so long in between. Other highlights: Green Heron 3 seen, all juveniles Osprey Young on the nest COOPER'S HAWK In snag row, being MOBBED by crows Caspian Tern 5-6, all flying north W. Screech-Owl Scott heard it early Red-breasted Sapsucker 2 near mansion Hairy Woodpecker 2 east of boardwalk Yellow-rumped Warbler 1+ singing near mansion Wilson's Warbler Male singing along boardwalk Bullock's Oriole Male feeding 1 or more young Juveniles were the order of the day - we had young from about 20 species this morning. It IS that time of year. For the day, 58 species. == Michael	Some of the mob of crows that harassed the Cooper's Hawk. Photo by Lillian Reis Male Yellow Warbler near Dog Central
Juvenile Barn and Tree Swallows in East Meadow. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Barn Swallows atop dirt piles. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male American Goldfinch. Photo by Hugh Jennings	Northern Flicker in nest hole in Snag Row
Chestnut-backed Chickadee	Male "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Dragonfly. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Marsh Wren, 2010-07-10. Photo by Lillian Reis

It was a rather gloomy and damp morning that made me wish I'd worn my gore-tex jacket instead of just a sweatshirt. We had gentle mist most of the morning, which was far less annoying than the mosquitoes. And while a few birds (i.e. robins) were very visible and obvious, things were otherwise pretty quiet. Highlights: Wood Duck Lots of females with broods Barn Owl Seen over the East Meadow early Western Screech-Owl Calling near the windmill as late as 5am Rufous Hummingbird Many - often 2 chasing each other Purple Martin Nesting in both gourds at the lake Bullock's Oriole Maybe female with young The "best birds" were two LONG-TAILED WEASELS at the Rowing Club. There were many juvenile birds - chickadees, bushtits, etc. Probably one of the Black-headed Grosbeaks was a young one. Definitely some of the Savannah Sparrows were juvies, as were a couple of Red-winged Blackbirds. The Least Flycatcher was not heard, despite our lingering there for quite a while. For the day, 56 species. Pretty quiet... == Michael	Eye in the Sky Black-headed Grosbeak, probable juvenile
Very pale-backed juvenile Bald Eagle. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Anna's Hummingbird in the Pea Patch. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Rufous Hummingbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Same bird. Juvenile???. Photo by Ollie Oliver

Finally a summery day! Still a cool 50 degrees to start, but by 10:30, it approached 70. And there was sun. Fairly birdy too. The most notable highlight was the LEAST FLYCATCHER, still singing incessantly from the grove on the north side of Dog Central, the main dog swim beach with the bulletin board and benches. This bird has remained in this tiny grove of willows and cottonwoods for 8 days at least, and he might be settled down for longer. Other highlights: Green Heron Two flew down the slough early Caspian Tern One over the lake Purple Martin One female heading towards the lake Wilson's Warbler One across the slough from the windmill Bullock's Oriole Several sightings There are lots of baby birds about, which provided us with strange noises to track down. We had a both MALLARD and WOOD DUCK ducklings, a young WILLOW FLYCATCHER huddled on a branch, juvenile TREE SWALLOWS on dead twigs hanging over the slough, and near the start of the boardwalk there was an adult and a juvenile RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, among many others. An Eastern Kingbird was seen as recently as Tuesday. The Ash-throated Flycatcher has not been seen since Saturday, to the best of my knowledge. For the day, 61 species. == Michael	Juvenile Tree Swallows Band-tailed Pigeon. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Least Flycatcher. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Female Black-headed Grosbeak. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Swainson's Thrush	Red-breasted Sapsucker. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bald Eagle adult in Big Cottonwood Forest...	...Ollie had a closer angle
American Goldfinch male	Same guy looking a bit less ruffled
Western Wood-Pewee	Savannah Sparrows. I believe the one on the right is a juvenile
Male Bullock's Oriole in Snag Row	Marsh Wren. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Wilson's Warbler near windmill	Male Purple Martin in a nest gourd, 2010-06-18. Photo by Bill Byers
Mt. Rainier looking good	The (non-native) Tulip Poplars are in bloom near the mansion

A very nice day at Marymoor, despite the heavy overcast. No precipitation, and not very much wind. On the downside, sometimes a bit dim for good viewing, way too many mosquitoes near the lake, and so much fresh growth on the trees and shrubs that finding birds was somewhat tricky. It's a jungle out there. Highlights: Green Heron A couple of looks Caspian Tern 1 flew south towards the lake Western Screech-Owl Matt heard 1 ridiculously early Black Swift A dozen or two - 5th straight week 6 FLYCATCHER DAY See below Purple Martins Looking to be taking over a gourd Wilson's Warbler Heard one near windmill Still no Red-eyed Vireo. Flycatchers: WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE; WILLOW FLYCATCHER; LEAST FLYCATCHER seen and heard just north of Dog Central, the dog swim area with the bulletin board; PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER heard near south end of the Dog Area; ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER found late at the north end of the East Meadow; EASTERN KINGBIRD in the East Meadow - Gene Hunn found 2 there later. Here are the Marymoor records of the 3 rare flycatchers of the day: Least Flycatcher 05-Jun-1983 Ash-throated Flycatcher 07-Jun-2006 - 09-Jun-2006 Eastern Kingbird 07-Jun-2006 - 08-Jun-2006 Eastern Kingbird 11-Jun-1998 Eastern Kingbird 13-Jun-2001 Ash-throated Flycatcher 15-Jun-2005 Least Flycatcher 17-Jun-2010 Ash-throated Flycatcher 17-Jun-2010 Eastern Kingbird 17-Jun-2010 Eastern Kingbird 18-Jun-2007 Ash-throated Flycatcher 19-Jun-2007 Least Flycatcher 05-Jul-2007 - 19-Jul-2007 (sporatic) Eastern Kingbird 26-Aug-2008 So it's not at all unprecedented for these species to show up at the same time of year. This was essentially the 3rd LEFL sighting, the 4th ATFL sighting, and the 6th EAKI sighting. Quite a day. 68 species. Caspian Tern and the 3 flycatchers were new for the year, which I believe brings our 2010 list up to 129 species. == Michael	Common Yellowthroat male Least Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Least Flycatcher. Photo by Rick Hibpshman http://www.flickr.com/photos/crappywildlifephotography
Purple Martin pair at nest gourds	Swainson's Thrush
Eastern Kingbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Female Common Merganser atop park office chimney
American Crow. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Mushroom gills. Photo by Hugh Jennings.
Ash-throated Flycatcher	Ash-throated Flycatcher. Photo by Rick Hibpshman http://www.flickr.com/photos/crappywildlifephotography

A heavy overcast with mist turning to rain was our fate this morning. By 9:00, it was clearing a bit, but we were almost done by then. Pretty quiet, except for the incessant buzzing on mosquitoes. Repellant can deter them from biting, but it doesn't keep them out of your eyes and ears. Water levels are outrageously high - 4.8 feet at the gauge, which translates into flooding over part of the trail as you approach the boardwalk, water over the east side of the boardwalk, and water over the access to the Rowing Club dock! This is approaching the high water levels of winter! Highlights - well, not a lot: Ring-necked Pheasant Poor Lonesome George struts well... Black Swift 15-20 over the south Dog Meadow Vaux's Swift Just a couple, but pretty good looks Red-breasted Sapsucker 2 just south of Dog Meadow Pacific-slope Flycatcher 2+ heard, one seen at start of boardwalk Swainson's Thrush Lots of nice singing Dark-eyed Junco Many juveniles around the mansion And did I mention mosquitoes and mist? For the day, 58 species, but several of those were heard-only, and several more were in the 1-seen, several heard category. == Michael	Band-tailed Pigeons. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Bald Eagle. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Great Blue Heron in front of Cirque du Soleil tents. Photo by Ollie Oliver
White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Ring-necked Pheasant male, in the Pea Patch. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Nest in the East Meadow. Species and photographer uncertain.
Song Sparrow with baby Brown-headed Cowbird...	...and feeding it. Photos by Lillian Reis
Western Wood-Pewee photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-06-11	Female House Finch photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-06-12

The weather was fairly cooperative this morning. Broken overcast, a bit of a breeze, and still unseasonably cool, but not cold today. And no precipitation (yay). Water levels are really high for June, with part of the boardwalk flooded! Normally we're heading down into dry times by now, but not this year. Not too terribly birdy today, and migration is almost over. But summer birds are here and nesting. Highlights: No Canada Geese Green Heron A couple of flybys Osprey At least 4, seen in one kettle Bald Eagle High numbers remain - 10+ BLACK SWIFT Maybe 35 all morning, most to the east Downy Woodpecker Female feeding baby at the nest Pileated Woodpecker 1 near Rowing Club dock Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1 in Big Cottonwood Forest American Crow Fledgling near park office Black-capped Chickadee Fledglings being fed Golden-crowned Kinglet Fledglings gadding about Cedar Waxwing Lots, incl. a pair passing a berry Wilson's Warbler Still a couple around Western Tanager Glimpses of a couple LAZULI BUNTING Male at Compost Piles - FOS Evening Grosbeak Heard overhead a few times The snag in Snag Row that has had a CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE nest in it this spring fell over sometime between last Thursday and today, smashing the split-rail fencing. Young were being fed last week - let's hope they fledged before the tree came down. Also seen - MULE DEER (or Black-tailed Deer) in the early morning. A COYOTE went into the Dog Meadow from the east at around 9:30. There was a dead (maybe juvenile) LONG-TAILED WEASEL on a wood chip pile in the East Meadow. One pile over had a dead TOWNSEND'S MOLE. And lots and lots of MOSQUITOES. For the day, 63 species. Lazuli Bunting was the only new species for the year. == Michael	Pileated Woodpecker photo by Ollie Oliver Osprey
Savannah Sparrow photo by Lillian Reis	Cedar Waxwing photo by Ollie Olive
Tree Swallow in the East Meadow	Cottonwood snag that had housed a Chestnut-backed Chickadee nest
Juvenile Downy Woodpecker in the nest hole. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Black-capped Chickadee fledgling photo by Ollie Oliver
Looking for kinglets near the mansion	Male Rufous Hummingbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver
American Robin with worms, 2010-05-28. Photo by Lillian Reis	Willow Flycatcher, 2010-05-30. Photo by Lillian Reis
	American Robin with worms, 2010-05-28. Photo by Lillian Reis

The weather was actually decent this morning. Well, not windy, not too cold, no precipitation. It was overcast, especially early on, and we were beset with thick fog for the first couple of hours. But really, compared to - say - yesterday, it was a delight. There were LOTS of birders, and luckily there were also LOTS of birds to look at and listen to., There were quite a few things that were seen/heard by only a few people, but that's the way it goes when you approach 20 people in the group. Highlights: We had a female COMMON MERGANSER with 8 ducklings. At first, she was on the far bank of the slough, with her wings drooped by her side, and a cluster of babies under her breast. When we were all pointing our binoculars at her, she decided to take to the water, with the little ones scurrying to catch up. About 3-4 managed to get close enough to her to climb on her back. VERY CUTE. BALD EAGLE numbers remain extremely high. We had 10 at one time, and probably quite a few more. Some rowers reported counting 25-30 birds! It's a good mix of adults and sub-adults. A BONAPARTE'S GULL was out on the lake. The bird appeared to be in non-breeding plumage, and was quite probably a very bleached juvenile. Matt had an adult BARN OWL over the East Meadow before 5AM. There were at least 2 babies in the nest box. There were at least a couple of dozen BLACK SWIFTS overhead above most of the south end of the park all morning, giving great views. In contrast, only a couple of people managed to see just a few (3-4) VAUX'S SWIFT. At the HAIRY WOODPECKER nest, visible from the Rowing Club dock, looking across the slough, we watched as both parents brought food to at least one very large juvenile. Evan Houston had a MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER south of the windmill. Other highlights: Green Heron One glimpsed at the Rowing Club Cooper's Hawk One, distantly seen Spotted Sandpiper One from the lake platform Western Wood-Pewee Around 6, up from 2 last week Willow Flycatcher They're back - maybe 4 singing Pacific-Slope Flycatcher Maybe 2 heard singing WESTERN KINGBIRD One flew east over East Meadow Chickadees - both With young Bushtits Feeding young Cedar Waxwing Building nests Western Tanager One male seen BULLOCK'S ORIOLE One male seen For the day, 71 species. The year list is up to 124, I believe. == Michael	Female Common Merganser sheltering her ducklings under her drooped wings Common Mergansers took to the slough. Photo by Ollie Oliver Some of the babies got a ride
Closer view of the babies climbing up. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Swainson's Thrush photo by Lillian Reis
Black Swift. The tail can look deeply notched...	...or slightly indented. The wings are usually arced, as here
Perhaps this Black Swift was maneuvering for a bug - tail flared, wings thrust forward	Male Bullock's Oriole. Photo by Ollie Oliver through the fog
Barn Swallow on the Stage fencing	...and leaving the fence. Photo by Lillian Reis
Cedar Waxwing. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Male Hairy Woodpecker bringing food to the young. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female arriving at the nest. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Female with young. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Mule Deer. Photo by Megan Lyden, 2010-05-21	Female Mallard, with her ducklings and a turtle. Photo by Megan Lyden, 2010-05-21 at the Rowing Club

It was a miserable, cold, windy, dark morning. Blessedly, we only had about 5 minutes of rain (9:02-9:07 or thereabouts), but it threatened all morning. About 10% of our species were heard-only, and there were quite a few things seen only by a few people. Whining aside, we actually did pretty well. Highlights: Bufflehead 1 female lingering at the Rowing Club Green Heron 1 near old nest at Rowing Club Bald Eagle Huge numbers (7-10) continue PEREGRINE FALCON 1 over Dog Meadow Virginia Rail 2+ near weir, one seen BLACK SWIFT At least 16 - earliest sighting ever, FOS Vaux's Swift 2-3. Numbers seem down this year Downy Woodpecker Copulating Western Wood-Pewee At least 3 WESTERN KINGBIRD 2 at the north end of the East Meadow Swainson's Thrush Finally some song, 1 seen Cedar Waxwing First in 8 weeks Wilson's Warbler Notably many singing Evening Grosbeak Heard many times overhead, glimpsed Our previous early record for BLACK SWIFT was 2009-05-21, so this was barely earlier, but earlier nonetheless. One BEAVER in the slough as well. Only one WESTERN TANAGER was heard, and that just barely. No Orange-crowned Warblers. And we hoped in vain for Lazuli Bunting or Bullock's Oriole. For the day, 66 species. == Michael	Female Common Merganser. Photo by OIlie Oliver American Crow harassing a Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female American Goldfinch. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Mallard Ducklings all in a row, with a Painted Turtle, at the Rowing Club
Bushtit rebuilding a nest at the Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Beaver in the slough across from Dog Central. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Green-winged Teals with a drake Cinnamon Teal, 2010-05-14. Photo by Lillian Reis	Male Bullock's Oriole, 2010-05-16. Photo by Lillian Reis

We had a really nice morning, and while it didn't feel particularly birdy, we had lots of good stuff. It was COLD to start, and while the temp went up more than 20 degrees during our visit (37-59), it didn't start to warm up until 9:00. That sounds like I'm a whiner, but we'd been birding 3 1/2 hours by 9:00... Highlights: Wood Duck Several males, 2 females with 'lings Blue-winged Teal Two males at weir Cinnamon Teal One male with BWTE's Green Heron One flyby Short-eared Owl Scott had one early in the East Meadow Western Wood-Pewee 1 in Big Cottonwood Forest, 1 near park entrance. Swainson's Thrush One south of East Meadow Western Tanager Several males around the mansion Black-headed Grosbeak Female already with nest materials Evening Grosbeak Heard overhead many times. Glimpsed. On my way home, a Red-breasted Sapsucker flew across the road from the main park entrance - Species #70 for the morning. Later in the day, Megan Lyden had the first Bullock's Oriole of the season. == Michael	Two male Blue-winged Teal, a male Cinnamon Teal, and a female Bufflehead, all together above the weir. Photo by Ollie Oliver.
Male Cinnamon Teal	Male Cinnamon Teal
Male Blue-winged Teal. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Male Cinnamon Teal with male Blue-winged Teal. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bushtit	Tree Swallows at a nest box. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Cliff Swallows gathering mud for their nests at the Compost Piles	Barn Swallow gathering mud for its nest. Photo by Lillian Reis
Fleeing female Hooded Merganser. Photo by Lillian Reis
Mushrooms in the Big Cottonwood Forest	Trout? From lake platform. Photo by Ollie Oliver

With Michael still back east, Matt Bartels and I got to substitute for him. 0600- 1230. The day started out cloudy and 43F. It stayed cloudy most of the day, but no wind. Later there were some sunbreaks. We finished at 52F. 4.20 water level. It was a good day with lots of bird activity, singing and calling. 70 species, 77 for week (see below), looks like 112 for the year Green Heron 1 at river by rowing club Bald Eagle A least 6 adults, at least 7 immatures Barn Owl 2 adults early, 3 young in nest box Vaux's Swift 1 flyover Hammond's Flycatcher 1 early near dog central - much studied Western Kingbird 1 at south end of East Meadow Cassin's Vireo 1 heard and seen at the rowing club Warbling Vireo At least 1 at RC Purple Martin 1 male at compost piles Cedar Waxwing 12 overhead Orange-crowned Warbler At least 8 singing, 2 seen Yellow Warbler 1 heard early, 1 at RC late Yellow-rumped Warbler ~30, both Audubon's and Myrtle's Common Yellowthroat ~12 Wilson's Warbler 1 singing near park office and mansion Western Tanager 2 adult males in conifers NE of mansion Lincoln's Sparrow 2 Black-headed Grosbeak 2 singing Evening Grosbeak 8-10 in flyover First of Year - Hammond's Flycatcher, Cassin's Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager Seen by Evan Houston on Sunday (same week) Greater White-fronted Goose Flock of 200 Red-necked Grebe 11 on lake California Gull 4 on soccer field Band-tailed Pigeon 4 flyover Short-eared Owl 1 in East Meadow Hermit Thrush 2 Nashville Warbler 2 [From Tweeters post by Brian H. Bell]	Hammond's Flycatcher. Photo by Ollie Oliver Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Scott Ramos
Female Hairy Woodpecker with a beak full of creepy crawlies. Photo by Ollie Oliver	And she hammers for more. Photo by Ollie
Western Kingbird photo by Hugh Jennings	Male Wilson's Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Western Tanager. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Male Western Tanager. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Mother Wood Duck at the Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver	One of her ducklings. Photo by Ollie
Bald Eagle with crows east of the boardwalk. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Yellow-rumped Warbler, 2010-05-07. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Common Yellowthroat, 2010-05-07. Photo by Lillian Reis	Barn Owl chick in the nest box, 2010-05-07. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Northwestern Deermouse (?). Photo by Ollie Oliver	Beaver. Photo by Ollie Oliver

The day started out cloudy, but it never rained. The temperature was 43F to start and got all the way up to 63 by the end of the day, with some sun. No wind. It was a good spring morning with lots of singing and calling. Michael had to leave early for an out-of-town trip. We wound up with 65 species. At least 107 for the year. Notable birds: Green Heron Flyby for Michael as he left Cooper's Hawk Flyby for Michael as he left Barn Owl Two downy young in the nest box Western Kingbird One in the East Meadow Warbling Vireo Purple Martin 1 male at lake Black-capped Chickadee At nest Chestnut-backed Chickadee At nest Hermit Thrush 2 Orange-crowned Warbler At least 20 Nashville Warbler 1 male singing along trail from East Meadow to Alder/Cottonwood Forest Yellow-rumped Warbler Everywhere, at least 100+, probably 60-70 Audubon's, about 30 Myrtles Fox Sparrow 1 lingering Black-headed Grosbeak 2 males singing - First of Year Eastern Cottontail, E. Gray Squirrel, Muskrat Notable misses: Barn Swallow, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Virginia Rail Brian H. Bell and Matt Bartels (for Michael Hobbs)	No, the photo isn't upside-down, nor is the bird. This shot is of the reflection of a Yellow-rumped Warbler in the still waters of the slough Cabbage White on a dandelion. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-04-30
Orange-crowned Warbler. Photo by Lillian Reis	Cliff Swallows gathering mud for their nests. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2010-04-30
Bad photo of a Warbling Vireo	From Tuesday, 2010-04-27, a Western Kingbird in the East Meadow
From Tuesday, 2010-04-27, a male Wilson's Warbler at the Rowing Club	Same guy

We had a FABULOUS Earth Day at Marymoor today. The weather was cloudy and chilly, though there was a bit of clearing and warmth very late in the morning. But it was phenominally birdy, with little wind and no rain. The best birds were two NASHVILLE WARBLERS; and a WESTERN KINGBIRD at the Compost Piles. Highlights: Common Goldeneye 2 females - probably last 'til fall Bald Eagle Large numbers - at least 13 Vaux's Swift 2 or 3, maybe. First of Year (FOY) Five woodpecker species (Pileated was heard-only though) WESTERN KINGBIRD At Compost Piles Cliff Swallow FOY (though actually, I had one 4/20) SWAINSON'S THRUSH Great looks, and came in to SWTH on iPod Hermit Thrush 3-4 - FOY NASHVILLE WARBLER 2, both with flocks of Yellow-rumps in willows Yellow-rumped Warbler Tons, both races. Some females Fox Sparrow Only 1 - maybe last 'til fall Lincoln's Sparrow One at Pea Patch White-crowned Sparrow Large movement of gambelii, some pugetensis Western Meadowlark Three in East Meadow Afterwards, I went to the 187th Ave. viewpoint off East Lake Samm Parkway, and walked north a bit up the East Lake Sammamish Trail along the east edge of the park. I added FIVE species: Common Loon 2 on lake, also seen Tuesday California Gull PURPLE MARTIN At least 1 Brown Creeper House Sparrow VAUX'S SWIFT was also seen Tuesday, 4/20, by Sharon Aagaard. The only earlier sighting was 4/17/2008 WESTERN KINGBIRD - this is our earliest sighting ever, beating last year's by a day. PURPLE MARTIN - this is our earliest sighting ever. Previous first sightings 4/29/08, and 4/30/09 NASHVILLE WARBLER - this is our second earliest sighting, a day later than last year's record YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER - large numbers (well over 50). Males outnumbered females about 10-1, though this represents an increase in the numbers of females from previous weeks. Audubon's outnumbered Myrtle's by about 3-1. Our big miss today was RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, though both Sharon and I had them on 4/20. Ruby-crowns often stick around for at least one more week, though in 2004 our last one was on 4/21. We'll have to see if we get any more this year. For the day, 70 species, plus the 5 extras after the walk! Also, from Tuesday, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Cooper's Hawk to make 77 for the week (or about 1/2 the species we'll get for the whole year). For 2010 so far: 105 species (adding Common Loon, California Gull, Vaux's Swift, Western Kingbird, Purple Martin, Cliff Swallow, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, and Nashville Warbler this week). == Michael	Bad photo of the first Nashville Warbler of the morning Western Kingbird at the Compost Piles Western Kingbird
2 of 3 Western Meadowlarks at the East Meadow	Savannah Sparrow in the East Meadow
Golden-crowned Kinglet	Same guy, different lighting, and with his crown mostly down
Black-capped Chicadee	Barn Owl in the nest box
After the walk, Lillian Reis tried to find the Western Kingbird at the Compost Piles, and instead found this American Pipit	Lillian took this photo of a Red-tailed Hawk with what looks like a snake, 2010-04-16
More great photos of the Anna's X Rufous Hummingbird hybrid...	...both taken by Michael Hamilton, 2010-04-18

We had a really nice morning (especially the first part) to close out a great week at Marymoor. It was a gorgeous morning until around 7:30 or 8:00, when it clouded over. The breeze really came up once we got to the East Meadow. But the weather never got bad. Highlights: Common Goldeneye Down to 1 female remaining Bald Eagle Usually high numbers - maybe 8+ Northern Harrier 2 sightings Merlin 2 sightings Orange-crowned Warbler Not many, just 1 or 2 Lincoln's Sparrow Just our 3rd for 2010 Brown-headed Cowbird ~6, FOY Evening Grosbeak Maybe the same 6 from Sunday??? Lots of species were building nests or at least gathering nest materials, including AMERICAN CROW, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, BUSHTIT, AMERICAN ROBIN, and PINE SISKIN. For mammals, we had Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Eastern Cottontail, and I saw one of the Beavers at the Rowing Club early. Non-mammals: one of the garter snake species, Red-eared Slider and Painted Turtles, Bullfrog, and Pacific Chorus Frog (yesterday). For the day, 61 species. For the week, 77 SPECIES. For the year, 97 species. == Michael	A great start to the morning
Hairy Woodpecker male just east of the weir	Male 'Audubon's' Yellow-rumped Warbler
Drake Wood Duck from the lake platform	Marsh Wren gathering fluff. Photo by Lillian Reis
Tree Swallow in the box, Savannah Sparrow on the box	Northern Harrier. Photo by Lillian Reis
Lillian's nice portrait of an apple blossom	It's a guy. No - it's a girl (look at the bill). The odd Mallard at the Rowing Club
Bushtit padding the nest. Photo by Lillian Reis at the Rowing Club	Possible nest location for Black-capped Chickadee. Photo by Lillian Reis at the RC

Been a busy week at Marymoor, so I'm putting up a blog posting in advance of tomorrow's regular survey. Spring brings a bunch of new birds that we haven't seen all winter. Occasionally, it brings something that hasn't been seen at the park at all. The new park bird was SANDHILL CRANES. There were two reports, actually. First, I received a belated report that Jan McGruder had seen two on the grass soccer fields on Saturday, April 3. Before I'd even had a chance to digest that report, I heard that Charlie Wright, Ryan Merrill, and Evan Houston had two fly over the Rowing Club on April 11. Ryan got a couple of photos of those. Other new birds for the year found by Charlie, Ryan, and Evan: Northern Harrier Barn Swallow Orange-crowned Warbler Evening Grosbeak (fly-over) I've also seen a couple of new birds for the year: 4/11: American Pipit - flock of 25 near model airplane field 4/12: California Quail - heard calling at the Rowing Club Other good birds seen: 4/10: Sharp-shinned Hawk and Merlin - Charlie et. al. at the Rowing Club 4/11: Northern Shoveler - small flock flyby 4/11: Western Meadowlark - at the model airplane field 4/12: Cooper's Hawk 4/12: Townsend's Warbler == Michael	Based on size disparity, these appear to be a 'Lesser' and a 'Greater' Sandhill Crane Two quick shots by Ryan Merrill documented this rare species for King County
Northern Shrike looking fine...	...East Meadow, 2010-04-11
Fox Sparrow, 2010-04-09. Photo by Lillian Reis	Pine Siskin 2010-04-13
Savannah Sparrow, 2010-04-13	Orange-crowned Warbler, 2010-04-14
Wait, is that a Golden Eagle????	Crap, no. It's a model airplane! !@#@$%

From 6:30 until about 8:00, we were beset by gloomy overcast. We then had a 20-minute rain squall. After that, it slowly got sunny. It was breezy at times. It was never exactly warm, and it certainly wasn't spring-like, but I'd say we were really lucky with the weather. For the first two hours after I got home it was hailing, sometimes hard. Water levels are high as well, after all of our recent precipitation, though there wasn't water over the trail, just mud. For all of the stormy weather, it was fairly birdy too. Highlights: Osprey Two hanging around the nest Sharp-shinned Hawk I had one at the Rowing Club late MERLIN Streaked through right over our heads Hairy Woodpecker Saw a couple Northern Shrike One still in the East Meadow Northern Rough-winged Swallow About 2 at the lake Yellow-rumped Warbler LOTS The MERLIN gave us a great show, flying in from the west just south of the weir, and streaking over our heads as it crossed the Dog Meadow. It aimed a little smack against an American Crow as it went by (no contact, I don't believe). The NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS were our only new arrivals for the year. We looked in vain for Cliff and Barn Swallows, Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, migrant Lincoln's Sparrows, or Brown-headed Cowbird, all of which should be here soon. I spent some time afterwards observing the (click for photos) ANNA'S x RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD hybrid at the Rowing Club. Again, I did not hear it vocalize while perched. When I played the Anna's Hummingbird track on my iPod, the bird responded aggressively. During that time, it made the ticking call that Anna's make. There was also a possibly gynandromorphic Mallard at the Rowing Club. It had a female-type bill, but it's overall coloring was a washed-out version of a male Mallard. Salmonberry are blooming fully. Red Elderberry are really beginning to bloom, as are many species of tree. For the day, 62 species. == Michael	Bushtits were visiting this nest in a Weeping Willow at the Rowing Club Male Hairy Woodpecker behind the Rowing Club dock
Mallard on left has a washed out male plumage, and a female-type beak	This is possibly a case of gynandromorphism. The male to the right appears normal
Hugh Jennings' photo of the tulips at the windmill	Hugh Jennings' photo of the turtles at the Rowing Club pond

We had a really good day, despite clouds, mizzle, and a cold breeze. Spring birds are beginning to return. Everything is singing. There are nests to watch. Etc. The highlight, though, was a very unexpected Toucan, which sat on one of the dirt piles north of the East Meadow. Nobody had the right field guides to get it to species, unfortunately. Other highlights: Cackling Goose Still 1-2 small flocks overhead Western Screech-Ow l Calling loudly near windmill, 5:30-6:00ish Band-tailed Pigeon 4 flew over Rowing Club area Violet-green Swallow A few mixed in with lots of Tree Swallows Northern Shrike One in East Meadow Red-breasted Nuthatch Excavating nest NE of mansion Common Yellowthroat Several hear, none seen At the Rowing Club, we scoped the ANNA's x RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD. Matt got to see it flare its tail, showing the extensive orange. For the rest of us, we could see a hint of orange on the sides, and the gorget which is never pink - just an inbetween reddish-orange. We did not hear it at all. For the day, 61 species, plus the toucan. ;) == Michael	Toucan sp., north of the Compost Piles.
First duckling of the year, but there was no adult in sight.	European Starling
American Robin	American Crow
Red-breasted Nuthatch excavating hole.	Ollie Oliver's photo of same. They nested in this hole last year
Golden-crowned Kinglet	Where did that iPod go? I heard it singing...
Brown Creeper. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Marsh Wren. Photo by Ollie Oliver

Fifteen of us trudged around Marymoor today. It was cold and dark and breezy and wet. Not terrible, but not very nice either. Certainly nothing like the last couple of balmy days. Oh, if only we'd had yesterday's weather! Not too terribly birdy, but we managed to see quite a lot. Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose 1 with Canadas flying Wilson's Snipe 3 near weir Anna's Hummingbird Female on nest NE of mansion Red-breasted Sapsucker 2-3 seen, pair at possible nest site Hairy Woodpecker Male checking out 2009 nest hole Northern Shrike 1 south of the model airplane field Yellow-rumped Warbler Both races, increasing numbers Fox Sparrow A few singing Lincoln's Sparrow One at Compost Piles White-crowned Sparrow Singing pugetensis American Goldfinch One bright yellow male Yesterday, Lillian Reis photographed a TURKEY VULTURE overhead. Also yesterday, I had a male NORTHERN SHOVELER, and two BAND-TAILED PIGEON, both new for the year. This week added seven species to the park 2010 list: Northern Shoveler, Turkey Vulture, Band-tailed Pigeon, Say's Phoebe, Violet-green Swallow, Townsend's Solitaire, and Savannah Sparrow, to bring the park year list up to 86 species. == Michael	Golden-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Lillian Reis, 3/24/10
"Myrtle's" Yellow-rumped Warbler. Photo by Lillian Reis, 3/24/10	Turkey Vulture. Photo by Lillian Reis, 3/24/10
Adult male, 1st winter male, and female Common Goldeneye. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Male Rufous Hummingbird in the rain. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Anna's Hummingbird on the nest. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Male Hairy Woodpecker checking out last year's nest hole
Snail on the path. Photo by Hugh Jennings	Another of Lillian's photos of the Turkey Vulture, 3/24/10

A frosty but sunny day today, and the sun warmed things up eventually. A bit of a breeze developed, though, so we never got to balmy. It was birdy, but we're still just edging into Spring. Highlights: GREEN HERON First in 5 weeks, across from Dog Central Sharp-shinned Hawk One buzzed us along the boardwalk Cooper's Hawk Juvenile near East Meadow Red-tailed Hawk Pair display flying at Rowing Club Wilson's Snipe Two in the slough gave us a look Red-breasted Sapsucker Several sightings Hairy Woodpecker Pair at Rowing Club Anna's Hummingbird On a nest NE of the mansion Rufous Hummingbird Heard one - first for 2010 Tree Swallow Checking out gourds and boxes Northern Shrike 2 birds, one singing Yellow-rumped Warbler Some singing, both races White-crowned Sparrow Heard singing pugetensis We found a couple of BUSHTIT nests, but no activity was seen at our brief stops at them. We found what looked to be a hummingbird nest at the Rowing Club as well. LOTS of singing today, For the day, 58 species. For the year, 79 species. == Michael	Green Heron across the slough from Dog Central
Great Blue Heron	Ollie Oliver got a different view showing the lower belly speckling
Tree Swallow at the martin gourds at the lake platform	Red-breasted Sapsucker. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Cooper's Hawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Red-breasted Nuthatch. Photo by Hugh Jennings
I don't know how Sharon ever spotted...	...the Anna's Hummingbird nest in the conifers NE of the mansion

We had a big group of birders (20+) sorting through the birds at Marymoor today, despite the damp and the mist. No swallows today, and it otherwise didn't feel particularly spring-like, except for the quantity and variety of bird song. Lots of (mostly ornamental) fruit trees in bloom, though. Highlights: Wood Duck Pair in slough Gr. White-fronted Goose 1 with a small flock of Canadas Brown Creeper Notably many sightings Cedar Waxwing About a dozen at Rowing Club Western Meadowlark 2 near Compost Piles Purple Finch LARGE flock at Rowing Club (20+) Coyote 1 on grass soccer fields at 7:00 At the Rowing Club, there was a pair of HOUSE FINCH, and the male appeared to be ripping strips of bark off of a branch, presumably for use as nesting material. We had a dozen species of bird singing, including RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, FOX and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, and PURPLE FINCH. For the day, 57-58 species. For the year, 78 species. == Michael P.S. I went to Seattle Opera's FALSTAFF last night, and it was great. Everyone should go!	Knut Hansen found the Western Screech-Owl posed where he could take flash photos
Here are its feet as it took off from the branch...	Knut Hansen got a great shot of a Golden-crowned Kinglet
Western Gull. Or "Olympic"? Wing-tips look black... Photo by Ollie Oliver	American Coot in front of a pair of Green-winged Teal, from the Rowing Club dock
Lillian Reis caught this Yellow-rumped Warbler in the act of landing	The lake platform is WAY too small for our large group. Photo by Lillian Reis
Lillian Reis caught the Bushtit working on the nest	Cherry(?) blossoms. Photo by Lillian Reis
Ollie Oliver got a photo of the Western Meadowlarks...	...and of the Killdeer
Marsh Wren singing. Photo by Lillian Reis, 3/5	Bald Eagle carrying stick (presumed nest material). Photo by Lillian Reis, 3/5

The skies couldn't decide what to do today, so we had overcast and sun, clearing and drizzle, in alternation. It was a touch breezy at times, though other times not bad at all. And the temps were mild; 45 degrees at the coldest. We're slowly losing winter birds - we had only Canada geese today, and only 1.5 species of gull (I.e. Glaucous-winged, plus one back-tipped gull not identified to species). But there are signs of spring. Highlights: Mallard An unusually large flock of over 60 Ring-necked Pheasant Heard by the early crew at Compost Piles Barn Owl 2 at windmill early, 3rd in nest box Western Screech-Owl Matt & Scott got to see it this morning Red-breasted Sapsucker One near first footbridge Hairy Woodpecker 3-4 seen, at several locations Northern Shrike East Meadow American Crow Allopreening observed TREE SWALLOW Several, flying overhead Bushtit Several, incl. pair building a nest Brown Creeper Several Another sign of spring were several SALMONBERRY blossoms, at least 2 weeks before the usual start of flowering for Marymoor. We had a few notable misses: Cooper's Hawk, Wilson's Snipe, Mew Gull, Downy Woodpecker, White-crowned Sparrow, and American Goldfinch. Even so, we managed 55 species for the day, with the Pheasant and the Tree Swallows new for the year. == Michael	Northern Flickers. Photo by Lillian Reis Red-breasted Sapsucker. Photo by Lillian Reis
My extremely out of focus shot of a Bushtit building a nest	Adult Bald Eagle. Photo by Lillian Reis
Red-breasted Nuthatch near park office	Eastern Gray Squirrel. Photo by Lillian Reis
Green-winged Teal and Hooded Mergansers at the Rowing Club	Male Green-winged Teal at the Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Red-tailed Hawk Pair	Red-tailed Hawk pair. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Hooded Merganser displaying to female.	Both photos by Ollie Oliver
Canada Geese. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Garter Snake photo by Ollie Oliver
Mew Gulls, with a juvenile Ring-billed Gull, center. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2/27	Tree Swallow. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2/27

A bit of early fog, and a bit colder than recently at the start, but another gorgeous day all-in-all.. Highlights: Cackling Goose Still some with Canadas on grass parking lot Western Screech-Owl Heard by several people way early near windmill Pileated Woodpecker First of the year Northern Shrike North of fields 7-8-9 Winter Wren East end of boardwalk Cedar Waxwing Lillian spotted 9 for us, near Dog Central Yellow-rumped Warbler Rowing Club; also near east entrance Lincoln's Sparrow Compost Piles. First since Jan. 7 Notable were all of the species heard singing:: Black-capped Chickadee Brown Creeper Marsh Wren Bewick's Wren Winter Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet American Robin European Starling Song Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Red-winged Blackbird House Finch For the day, 59 species. For the year, Pileated was new. = Michael	Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Lillian Reis Pied-billed Grebe
Golden-crowned Kinglet	Golden-crowned Kinglet
Female Bushtit. Photo by Scott Ramos	Red-tailed Hawk, 2010-02-19. Photo by Lillian Reis
	Willow

Early rain and rain after, but except for the first half hour, we were blessed with another good day for birding at Marymoor. For a few minutes around 11:00, it was actually sunny, though most of the morning was rather dark, though warm. It certainly feels spring-like, though of course we still only have "winter" birds. 7:30 a.m. start time, Thursday morning, in the rain, during the February doldrums... 22 birders. Highlights: Cackling Goose Good sized flock - usually scarce by February Common Goldneye Around 30 at lake (high count) Green Heron Continues unseasonable reliability at RC Cooper's Hawk Adult, motionless with very full crop, at Compost Piles PEREGRINE FALCON In snags east of boardwalk Rock Pigeon Pair copulating on NE corner light pole BARN OWL Pair at windmill early, adult in nest box later Anna's Hummingbird At least 5 males seen. Females on nest? Hairy Woodpecker Good looks south of East Meadow Northern Shrike Sub-adult west of grass soccer fields Varied Thrush Heard near weir Purple Finch ~15 along east edge of East Meadow House Sparrow Across the street from the Rowing Club We also had a BEAVER just above the weir. Matt & Scott had a pair of BARN OWLS at the windmill between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. They were clucking and clicking, there was quite a bit of pair-type interaction, and possible copulation. Later, we found an adult inside the nest box, between the mansion and the stage. The evidence of squirrel nest (twigs and leaves) had been cleared out of the box, presumably by the owl. For the day, 58 species. For the year, adding Peregrine, Varied Thrush, and House Sparrow. we're now at 75 species. = Michael	Beaver just upstream from the weir. Photo by Ollie Oliver Barn Owl in the nest box between the mansion and the stage. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Golden-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Hairy Woodpecker, uncharacteristically on a twig, not a trunk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Golden-crowned Sparrow with odd black-and-white mark on one side of the head only. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Fungus near the windmill
Lillian Reis had better weather for photographing this Fox Sparrow, 2010-02-05	Lillian caught this Red-tailed Hawk imitating the cover of the big Sibley, 2010-02-12