Report for December 15, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was gray and intermittently drizzly today, but really not too bad, though more than a touch dark. Birds came and went, but it wasn't terribly birdy. We did have a good day for ducks: 8 species, which is good at Marymoor.
Highlights:
Cackling Goose Maybe 1000 - awesome
Wood Duck Pair(?) flew up slough
Common Goldeneye All over the slough
Common Merganser At least 3 males
OSPREY 1 flew north from lake ~8:15
Barn Owl Early viewers had a couple of great looks
Hairy Woodpecker 1 near mansion
Pileated Woodpecker 1 at Rowing Club
Northern Shrike One north of fields 7-8-9
Purple Finch Some nice looks
This was our latest date for OSPREY, and just our 2nd December sighting ever. Previous late dates: 2007-12-06, 2003-11-26, 2005-11-02. We've also had 4 October sightings.
There were also 2-4 RIVER OTTERS on the lake.
For the day, 55 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Mew Gulls. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Some of the hundreds of Cackling Geese. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Purple Finch. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Purple Finch eating Oregon Ash seeds. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for December 8, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
We were all shocked. The forecast was for patchy morning ground fog, and Marymoor is *always* one of those patches. But not today. Instead, we had high overcast and a bit of a chilly breeze, but otherwise excellent weather. And it was birdy. It was also an amazing group. Augmented by three who just graduated (congratulations Scott, Paula, and Phyllis), there were seven Seattle Audubon Master Birders amongst the 12 of us!
Highlights:
Greater White-fronted Goose 1 adult with Cacklers
Cackling Goose Huge flock on grass soccer fields
Wood Duck 2 pair? (maybe only 1 pair seen twice) on slough
Green-winged Teal First of fall - male at Rowing Club
Common Goldeneye Especially numerous (dozen or more)
Barn Owl Nice looks as late as 7:15
Hairy Woodpecker Male near park office
Northern Shrike Fields 7-8-9 after 8:00 a.m.
Common Raven 1-2, a couple of sightings
American Pipit 1 flew over soccer fields
Yellow.-rumped Warbler Several at Rowing Club
Red-winged Blackbird 30+ at Rowing Club (all males?)
Pine Siskin Many great looks at large flocks
We couldn't turn up any Common Redpolls, despite the Pine Siskins being unusually cooperative.
For the day, 59 species. I had a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK near the windmill yesterday, to make at least 60 species for the week.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
American Crow eating a fish below the weir. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Male Wood Duck near the weir. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Common Goldeneye pair. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Common Raven. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Green-winged Teal at Rowing Club pond. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Red-winged Blackbirds at Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for November 3, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
We were stunned and amazed to have gorgeous weather this morning. It was clear at 7:00 a.m. and still pretty much clear when we finished after noon. It was really birdy, too, with lots of great looks at common birds. Not too many surprises, but a good day.
Highlights:
Cackling Goose Pure flock of ~200 minimas
Gadwall Pair in slough - First of Fall
Merlin? Quick look at a falcon - coulda been a Peregrine
Northern Shrike Between the Compost Piles and model airplane field
American Pipit One flew off from Compost Piles
Yellow-rumped Warbler Missed the last 2 weeks - both Audubon's & Myrtle's
Townsend's Warbler One near windmill in the cedars
White-throated Sparrow Tan-stripe near 2nd dog beach
American Robins and Dark-eyed Juncos were everywhere. We had particularly nice looks at Fox Sparrows, Bewick's Wren, both Kinglets. Had all of the usual suspects except Bushtit.
For the day, 59 species.
Yesterday, Marc Hoffmann photographed a TUNDRA SWAN at the north end of the lake, as well as a WESTERN GREBE. Ollie Oliver had some COMMON MERGANSERS, and on 11/1 a WOOD DUCK. On Halloween, Lillian Reis had BUSHTIT and a SNOW GOOSE. So the week total is at least 65 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
White-throated Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Adult Bald Eagle. Photo by Scott Ramos
Male Anna's Hummingbird near the park office. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Hairy Woodpecker near the Rowing Club Dock. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Tundra Swan, north end of Lake Sammamish, 2011-11-02. Photo by Marc Hoffman
Western Grebe, 2011-11-02. Photo by Marc Hoffman
Common Mergansers, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Steller's Jay, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Fog over the lake, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Spotted Towhee, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
"Sooty" Fox Sparrow, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
"Sooty" Fox Sparrow, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Snow Goose with Canada Goose, 2011-10-30. Photo by Lillian Reis
Western Grebe near weir, 2011-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Belted Kingfishers near weir, 2011-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Belted Kingfisher near weir, 2011-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2011-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2011-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for December 1, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
The sighting of the day was fog, as in, that's mostly what we sighted. It didn't lift, really at all, until we got to the Rowing Club. Otherwise, things weren't too bad - no rain, no wind, not too cold. But gray, gray, gray, gray, and fairly birdless.
Highlights:
Cackling Goose Several hundred on grass fields
Great Blue Heron More than usual - 10?
Virginia Rail Responded to clapping
Wilson's Snipe 1 at Rowing Club
Hairy Woodpecker Male at Rowing Club
Cedar Waxwing 5-10, getting late for them
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 near windmill
Pine Siskin Notably numerous - 200+
Matt had no owls early, but did hear a BEAVER. We also saw a MUSKRAT at the Rowing Club.
I made a late run to the condos at the northwest end of the lake (I have special permission to do quick surveys from there) to see if there was anything on the lake - it had been completely fogged in when we were at the lake platform. There were four adult BALD EAGLES visible, along with 12 PIED-BILLED GREBES and a COMMON MERGANSER male.
For the day, 52 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Pacific Wren on a Madrone Tree. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Pine Siskins in flight, showing their distinctive wing stripe. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Golden-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Golden-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
"Barbs and toenails". Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Lincoln's Sparrow - photo by Ollie Oliver
Lincoln's Sparrow. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Cackling Geese in the fog. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Steller's Jay on the park office. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Muskrat at the Rowing Club north pond. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Male Hooded Merganser, 2011-11-25. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Red-naped Sapsucker, 2011-11-25. Photo by Darrel DeNune
Possible Herring Gull x Glaucous-winged Gull, 2011-11-25. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for November 23, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Rain, rain, rain... It was dark and rainy and sometimes breezy, but I'm thankful it wasn't cold as well. We were a small group today, visiting Marymoor on a Wednesday because of Thanksgiving, and we definitely missed our friends for their eyes and ears as well as their presence. There wasn't much out - More than 10 species were recorded with just a single bird each, and 3 were heard-only. It was that kind of day.
Highlights:
Gadwall Six in a flooded gravel parking lot
American Wigeon With Gadwall early
Western Grebe One on the lake, seen late
Cooper's Hawk Wet adult
Virginia Rail First of fall, one heard from boardwalk
Barn Owl Brian had one early near Gadwall
Common Raven 1 seen twice, I believe
American Robin Hundreds - many more than recently
Purple Finch A dozen seen well at last dog beach
For the day, just 48 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Birding in the rain. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Male Bufflehead. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Great Blue Heron from the lake platform. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Cooper's Hawk. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Marsh Wren, 2011-11-20. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Ring-necked Pheasant, 2011-11-20. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Ring-necked Pheasant, 2011-11-20. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for November 17, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
The weather could have been way worse. By the time we started this morning, it was over 40 degrees, and at least partly sunny (and getting sunnier). The wind was dropping down to where it was only gusty, but without much sustained wind, at least at times. We didn't get any rain.
There was still enough wind, though, to keep the little birds mostly hidden away and quiet. But we did okay for a November day.
Highlights:
Northern Shoveler 2 in the slough - First of Fall (FOF)
Ring-necked Duck 5 at the Rowing Club pond - FOF
Common Goldeneye Male in slough - FOF
Merlin 1 at RC. Seen 15 of 46 weeks in 2011!
Great Horned Owl Matt & Scott had many looks before 6:30 am
Northern Shrike Seen both from Compost Piles and north of 7-8-9
(same bird, we believe)
We also ended up with some pretty nice looks at various common birds, such as GOLDEN-CROWNED and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, and BROWN CREEPER.
For the day, 53 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Northern Shoveler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Anna's Hummingbird near the park office. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Four of the five Ring-necked Ducks with a Hooded Merganser. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Great Blue Heron. Photo by Ollie Olvier
White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, 2011-11-15. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Mew Gull, 2011-11-15. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Mew Gulls, 2011-11-15. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Lincoln's Sparrow, 2011-11-15. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Brown Creeper, 2011-11-13. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for November 10, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was chilly this morning, and foggy until we got to the lake. The birds seemed somewhat slow to get going this morning (I don't think it was just us...) There were a big group of people, though, and we eventually found some birds.
Highlights:
Wood Duck Male and female seen
Bufflehead Maybe 10; First of Fall
Common Merganser One male flew upslough
Green Heron Adult at Rowing Club (south pond)
Peregrine Falcon One flew north along east edge of park
Red-breasted Sapsucker One at Rowing Club
Northern Shrike One north of fields 7-8-9
Townsend's Warbler One in cedars near windmill again
There was also a RIVER OTTER on the lake, and maybe some distant Western Grebes, though we didn't count them.
For the day, 58 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Great Blue Heron. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
A murmuration of European Starlings. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Adult Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Northern Shrike. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Northern Shrike. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Male House Finch. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Green Heron at the Rowing Club, hidden well. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Cooper's Hawk, 2011-11-06. Photo by Marc Hoffman
Adult Greater White-fronted Goose with Cackling Goose, 2011-11-05.
Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for October 27, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Despite the fog, we had a pretty good day at Marymoor today that featured several notable sightings. Generally things were quiet, but not all the time!
The big highlight was a NEW PARK BIRD - an AMERICAN DIPPER was at the weir. I never expected to see a dipper on the calm, deep Sammamish Slough, but maybe because the water level is unseasonably low and thus the weir and rocks below the weir are yet to be covered in deep water, a wandering fall dipper found the area attractive. We saw the bird just before 9 a.m., and Lillian texted me that it was back at the weir around 10 a.m.
Matt, on his early morning owling, had a GREAT HORNED OWL in parking lot G, and heard BARN OWL. Then, after 7:30, while was joined by Brian and Scott, they enjoyed a SHORT-EARED OWL along the fence just south of the east kiosk.
Other highlights:
Cackling Goose Hundreds, mostly hidden in the fog
WESTERN GREBE Out of place, also at the weir
MOURNING DOVE One at the Pea Patch
Northern Shrike An adult at the Compost Piles
Common Raven Mobbed by crows
Varied Thrush Heard near the mansion early
WHITE- THROATED SPARROW THREE, together, east of 3rd dog beach
Evening Grosbeak One on the ground near the windmill
Gulls were back, with at least a few MEW, RING-BILLED, CALIFORNIA, and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS.
A RIVER OTTER was seen well across from the Rowing Club dock.
For the day, counting a heard-only Downy/Hairy, 60 species.
[My day list at Marymoor this morning was exactly the same (55 species) as my bird list for three weeks in Prague (we returned yesterday). Four species were on both lists, and I believe 15 genera were in common.]
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Western Grebe. Photo by Ollie Oliver
American Dipper. Photo by Scott Ramos
American Dipper showing its white nictitating membrane. Photo by Lillian Reis
American Dipper. Photo by Lillian Reis
Female Purple Finch. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Lincoln's Sparrow. Photo by Scott Ramos
Common Raven with Killdeer. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Common Raven mobbed by American Crows. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Mourning Dove in the Community Gardens. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Scruffy male Evening Grosbeak. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bewick's Wren. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bewick's Wren. Photo by Ollie Oliver
River Otter showing its nasty sharp pointed teeth. Photo by Ollie Oliver
River Otter. Photo by Ollie Oliver
European Starling, 2011-10-25. Photo by Ollie Oliver
European Starling, 2011-10-25. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Killdeer, 2011-10-25. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Hooded Merganser, 2011-10-25. Photo by Ollie Oliver
First-winter Pied-billed Grebe, 2011-10-25. Photo by Ollie Oliver
White-throated Sparrow, 2011-10-22. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for October 20, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
In spite of this it was a great morning out at Marymoor with the following notable birds:
Barn Owl Over east meadow
Short-eared Owl Over the east meadowPectoral Sandpiper First seen last night, but still continuing today (in with lots of Killdeers on soccer fields) (first in several years)White-throated Sparrow 2 tan stripes near first dog beach east of weirNorthern Shrike Near soccer field parking lot, first of seasonBrewer's Blackbird Not frequentCackling Goose About 170Green Heron Adult at Rowing Club pondPacific Wren First of season?MerlinTownsend's Warbler Adult male55 species
Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
White-throated Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Glaucous-winged x Western hybrid Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Hooded Merganser. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Pectoral Sandpiper. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Pectoral Sandpiper. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Golden-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Golden-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Ring-billed Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Mew Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Pectoral Sandpiper with Killdeer, 2011-10-19. Photo by Graham Hutchinson
Pectoral Sandpiper with Killdeer, 2011-10-19. Photo by Graham Hutchinson
Male Ring-necked Pheasant, 2011-10-15. Photo by Lillian Reis
Red-breasted Sapsucker, 2011-10-13. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for October 13, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Michael and family are still over in Prague so Matt and I got to play at being Michael on Thursday at Marymoor. The day was schizophrenic - starting out quite foggy and chilly and damp, and then in late mid-morning burning off and lots of nice warm sun. The birds were doing some singing, but early we couldn't always see thru the fog. Some notable birds for the day included:
Greater Scaup Out at the lake
Cackling Goose A flock of over a hundred
Northern Harrier Juvenile
Cooper's Hawk Immature seen several times
Barn Owl 1 early in the fog
Common Raven
Barn Swallow 1 really late one
Swainson's Thrush 1 early, a late birdA total of 56 species in spite of the low visibility for much of the day.
Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
Male Greater Scaup. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Greater Scaup. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Anna's Hummingbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Red-breasted Sapsucker. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Long-tailed (???) Vole. Photo by Hugh Jennings
1st-winter Pied-billed Grebe, 2011-10-12. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Hooded Merganser, 2011-10-12. Photo by Ollie Oliver
1st-winter Green Heron eating a dragonfly, 2011-10-12. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Steller's Jay and Red-breasted Sapsucker, 2011-10-12. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Steller's Jay, 2011-10-12. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Northern Harrier, 2011-10-08. Photo by Lillian Reis
Juvenile Northern Harrier, 2011-10-08. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for October 6, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Michael Hobbs is in Prague for three weeks, and Matt Bartels & I substituted for him today at Marymoor. 0635-1300, 51-60F, cloudy
Started out cool and cloudy, but really quite birdy (we were to 40 species before dog central). Fairly quiet, but we still managed to see lots of good birds including:
- Two flights of Snow Geese (one of 5, one of 93)
- Wood Ducks with the males in prime plumage
- Hooded Merganser with a beautiful male
- A very obliging Cooper's Hawk that posed for us for several minutes
- 3 Red-tailed Hawks, with one immature with a blue wing tag (couldn't read a number)
- A late flock of Violet-green Swallows
- The first Varied Thrush of the season [Scott had one last week ~mh]
- Tons of Yellow-rumped Warblers, plus Orange-crowned, Wilson's and Common Yellowthroat
- Several Fox Sparrows
63 species
bunny, Long-tailed Weasel, deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel
Brian H. Bell
Woodinville, WA
Long-tailed Weasel in the early morning. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Five Snow Geese. Photo by Ollie Oliver
94 Snow Geese. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Northern Harrier (top left) and Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Golden-crowned Sparrow and Savannah Sparrows. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Northern Pintail. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Hooded Merganser. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bewick's Wren, 2011-10-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Meadowlark, 2011-10-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Coyote, 2011-10-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Lincoln's Sparrow, 2011-10-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Cabbage White butterfly, 2011-10-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Meadowlark, 2011-10-02. Photo by Lillian Reis
Wilson's Snipe, 2011-10-02. Photo by Lillian Reis
Green Herons, 2011-09-30. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for September 29, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was a beautiful day, though cold (39) and a touch foggy at the start. It was immediately clear that it was birdier than last week, that's for sure. We kept lingering in the sunshine to try to get warm, as our clothing didn't quite match the season. Definitely, the fall birds are arriving, though still no ducks.
Highlights:
Greater White-fronted Goose 1 adult in slough, later near Pea Patch
Cackling Goose 1 in a flock of Canadas
Double-crested Cormorant 1; First of Fall
TURKEY VULTURE Bob Schmidt reported 7 as he left
Northern Harrier Juvenile over East Meadow
Merlin With full crop, at lake platform
Spotted Sandpiper Lillian saw 1 at weir
Violet-green Swallow 2, and maybe some Barns as well
Varied Thrush Scott Ramos reported 1
American Pipit Many, on grass soccer fields, parking lot
Orange-crowned Warbler Scott had 2
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1-2; getting late for them
Western Meadowlark FIFTEEN - East Meadow, Dog Meadow
I think for the day, my total was around 53, but BobS, ScottR, and LillianR added at least 6 more between them.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Mt. Rainier at sunrise through the morning fog
Adult Greater White-fronted Goose. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Adult Greater White-fronted Goose. Photo by Scott Ramos
Black-throated Gray Warbler. Photo by Lillian Reis
Fog-dewed spider webs were everywhere
Male Downy Woodpecker. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Male Downy Woodpecker. Photo by Lillian Reis
Evening Grosbeak. Photo by Scott Ramos
Fox Sparrow. Photo by Scott Ramos
Spotted Sandpiper (top right) and Green Heron at weir. Photo by Lillian Reis
Red-eared Slider at Rowing Club, 2011-09-27. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Steller's Jay, 2011-09-27. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Marsh Wren, 2011-09-25. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for September 22, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was as quiet a day as I can remember in any September this morning. We had heavy overcast, and warm wet air, though no precipitation during the walk. We also had no birds, or so it seemed at times. What we did have was often distant, heard-only, and/or fleeting.
Highlights:
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 sightings. One sent starlings into a ball
Barn Owl Matt had at least 2, as late as 6:30 a.m.
SHORT-EARED OWL One flew over Pea Patch 7:45 a.m.
Vaux's Swift 2 over mansion
COMMON RAVEN 2nd straight week, over lake platform
Orange-crowned Warbler 1-2
Yellow-rumped Warbler Several, all drab
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1-2
Purple Finch Many, some singing
Evening Grosbeak Invisible flyovers
We've only had COMMON RAVEN 20 times at Marymoor, but 5 of those sightings have been in 2011.
It was a good day for mammal sightings, with COYOTE and MULE DEER as well as the usual rabbits and squirrels.
Misses for the day: We had no flycatchers or vireos. Also, no Brown Creeper, Common Yellowthroat, Fox Sparrow, or Lincoln's Sparrow, though Ollie Oliver sent me photos of a Lincoln's Sparrow from yesterday. He also photographed NORTHERN HARRIER and WESTERN MEADOWLARK yesterday.
For the day, only just 50 species, but at least 53 for the week.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Young male Wood Ducks on the Rowing Club dock. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Female Blue-eyed Darner(?) laying eggs on a tree trunk. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Lincoln's Sparrow, 2011-09-21. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Meadowlark, 2011-09-21. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Cedar Waxwings, 2011-09-21. Photo by Ollie Oliver
House Finches, 2011-09-21. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for September 15, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Did you notice that "klunk" a few days ago? Fall fell. Today was overcast and cool. We're in the switchover from summer birds to winter birds. At times, today, it felt like we were between the "switch" and the "over", for the birds were scarce for much of the morning. But we did run into a couple of nice mixed flocks, and the eyes and ears of the many observers managed to find a fair amount by the end of the day.
Highlights:
Greater White.-fronted Goose Houston Flores reported 5 early
Wood Duck Males are back into gorgeous plumage
Northern Harrier Juvenile over boardwalk
Peregrine Falcon Streaking south, west of the slough
Wilson's Snipe First of Fall, 1 with Killdeer on grass soccer fields
Glaucous-winged Gull First since August 4
Willow Flycatcher Just one still holding on
Warbling Vireo 1-2 still
Common Raven Our 4th sighting for 2011!
Swainson's Thrush Matt heard many call notes early. None seen
Orange-crowned Warbler Quite a few
Yellow Warbler Several
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1-2 near last dog swim beach
Common Yellowthroat Fewer than previous weeks
Wilson's Warbler 2-3
Golden-crowned Sparrow Several at Compost Piles - first of fall
Western Tanager Scott Ramos had one
Jim McCoy said he had a GREAT HORNED OWL near the east kiosk the night of September 14.
Missed today, and maybe gone for the year: Osprey, Vaux's Swift, Western Wood-Pewee.
So, all told for the day, 60 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== http://www.marymoor.org/BirdBlog.htm
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Yellow Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Warbling Vireo. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Golden-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Ollie OIiver
Male Wood Duck. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for September 8, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Another nice day for a walk at Marymoor - clear skies, except for the weird clouds and the thunder(!) and a dozen or so raindrops. But we were mostly in the sun, not too hot, not too cold, not too windy. Unfortunately, we didn't have much birding excitement. It was pretty quiet, though we worked hard to find a few things of interest.
Highlights:
Canada Goose Flock sizes increasing, 80+
Wood Duck 8 on a log with 1 Mallard in slough
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 adult
Cooper's Hawk Juvenile
Band-tailed Pigeon Few sightings recently, but saw several today
Vaux's Swift Just 1 seen, from Compost Piles
Pileated Woodpecker 1 on a snag far to the west
Western Wood-Pewee Only 1, south of mansion
Willow Flycatcher Only 2, west edge of Dog Meadow
Warbling Vireo A couple, 1 singing
Yellow Warbler Only 1
Black-throated Gray Warbler 3 or so
Common Yellowthroat Still abundant and widespread
Lincoln's Sparrow 2 south of Pea Patch
WESTERN TANAGER First of fall, 1
RED CROSSBILL Heard only, 6:45 a.m., near mansion
Evening Grosbeak Heard only, east of East Meadow, flying
For the day, 56 species. A bit disappointing, but birding can be very hit-or-miss at this time of year.== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Common Yellowthroat. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Adult White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
American Crow finds lunch. Photo by Hugh Jennings
...and feeds the baby too. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Baby Garter Snake. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Muskrat at the Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2011-09-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2011-09-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for September 1, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
A fabulous day at Marymoor today. The early ground fog wasn't a problem, and after that burned off, the skies were clear. Not too cold, not too windy. And very, very birdy!
We had a great mixed flock just north of the Dog Area portapotties that included many warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and chickadees. And we had an 8 sparrow day that included 2 spizella sparrows - both CLAY-COLORED and CHIPPING SPARROWS.
Highlights:
Sharp-shinned Hawk Juvenile - 2 sightings
MERLIN Chasing a Belted Kingfisher (or vice versa)
Red-breasted Sapsucker Juvenile at Rowing Club
Western Wood-Pewee Notably abundant
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1-2 at Rowing Club
Purple Martin Quite a few near the lake
Orange-crowned Warbler Maybe as many as 10
Yellow Warbler 3-4
Black-throated Gray Warbler 6-10, all in that first warbler flock
Common Yellowthroat Everywhere
Wilson's Warbler 5-6
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW See below
CHIPPING SPARROW Juvenile at Rowing Club
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 - First of Fall, I believe
RED CROSSBILL 2+ NE of mansion
Evening Grosbeak 3 flew by before 7:00 a.m.
The CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was hanging around the Compost Piles and the trees just west of the East Kiosk, generally near White-crowned Sparrows. This was a fairly colorful bird, with warm yellow and red tones, and was a real treat. Previous sightings of CCSP at Marymoor were 1 from 9/28 - 10/9 2005, and 1 on 10/7/2006, so it was a surprise to have one 4-5 weeks earlier than the previous sightings.
The CHIPPING SPARROW was a juvenile feeding along the gravel path to the Rowing Club building.
This was just our 5th ever sighting of RED CROSSBILL, but our 2nd for this fall. There seems to be a good cone crop on the Doug Firs NE of the mansion, so this could be a banner year for sightings.
We had 61 species for the day, and 2 new birds for the year list: Amazingly this was our first PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER. And the CCSP was new. We already had Chipping Sparrow on our 2011 list, on both May 26 and June 2.== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Clay-colored Sparrow. 2011-09-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Clay-colored Sparrow. 2011-09-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Black-throated Gray Warbler. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Black-throated Gray Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Cedar Waxwing. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Yellow Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Steller's Jay. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Swainson's Thrush. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Black-capped Chickadee. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Marsh Wren. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Pacific-slope Flycatcher. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Pacific-slope Flycatcher. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Red-breasted Sapsucker. Photo by Ollie Oliver
River Otter from lake platform. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for August 25, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
I filled in for Michael & Brian today on the weekly Marymoor walk. 16 of us enjoyed a sunny day of actual summer birding. I was out early looking for owls and was not disappointed with multiple sightings of at least 2 Barn Owls over the east meadow. The changing seasons meant dawn was not greeted with a chorus of fitz-bews from Willow Flycatchers this week -- they were still present in lower numbers, but remained mostly silent all day. We ran into several nice flocks of migrants throughout the day - spaced well enough apart to keep things pretty interesting all along the 5+ hours.
Highlights:
Green Heron Great looks at 3 immatures, perched high in a tree.
Pied-billed Grebe Back last week, we saw 3 this week as well.
Northern Harrier Distant looks at one, interacting with an adult
Cooper's Hawk Near the sparrow piles
Purple Martin Still 2 bills poking out of one of the gourds at the
lake-viewing platform, with 2-3 more perched on
tree branches not far away
Pileated Woodpecker Heard only , but seemingly at home in their trees
across W.Lake Samm from the park.
Orange-crowned Warbler 2 or 3
Yellow Warbler 2 or 3
Black-throated Gray Warblers 3-4
Warbling Vireos Maybe 6 total - definitely more than we've recently
had, so another sign of movement
Black-headed Grosbeaks A group of 6 mostly juvies, working the trees
after the boardwalk, together
Steller's Jay Starting to eat the hazel nuts- a sign that they've
moved from the silent season at Marymoor to a
stretch when we'll be seeing them easily for a bit.Our only swallows besides Purple Martins were Barn Swallows. They were joined briefly by 2 Vaux's Swifts
Red-tailed Hawk -not seen during the walk at all, so I had to double back to pick one up on the light standards after we finished
On the mammal front, 3 River Otters were working the slough.
For the morning, we ended up with 56 species
Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA
Juvenile Green Heron. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Orange-crowned Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Osprey. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Black-capped Chickadee Photo by Ollie Oliver
Red-breasted Nuthatch. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Hooded Mergansers with Mallard at the Rowing Club ponds. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for August 18, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Dawn was gorgeous, with a gibbous moon and a little bit of morning ground fog. Just before 5:30, I heard my first crows. I was afraid I was too late for owls, but maybe the owl heard the crows too. From the east, a BARN OWL flew low and fast straight to me, then pulled up, looking at me quizzically. It flew two circles close around my head before continuing west. A great start to the morning. Moments later, I watched as ~750 AMERICAN CROWS streamed north from the SE part of the park.
On the main walk, there were only seven of us, and the number dwindled with time, especially as people began to leave so they could get ready for the WOS Conference. By the Rowing Club, it was just Ollie and me. It was a quiet day, with many species notably NOT seen. But still interesting.
Highlights:
PIED-BILLED GREBE 2-3, first since early May
Accipiters Many sightings, both Sharp-shinned and Cooper's
Anna's Hummingbird Especially abundant
Red-breasted Sapsucker Sharon spotted one WAY to the west
Pileated Woodpecker One flew in from west of the mansion
Willow Flycatcher Especially abundant, with many juveniles
Purple Martin Two pair at gourds, baby noises in r.h. gourd
Common Yellowthroat Especially abundant, with many juveniles
Notable misses:
- No vireos.
- No Tree Swallows. We've never had them this late, however there were still young in a nest box last week so I thought we might get them this week still.
- No warblers except Common Yellowthroat - Historical sighting rates:
Orange-crowned: 47%, Yellow: 71%, Black-throated Gray: 53%, Wilson's: 82%,
so a real surprise to have none of those.
A good day for mammals, with a LONG-TAILED WEASEL west of the west kiosk, a RACCOON across the slough from the first dog swim beach, and what I think was a LONG-TAILED VOLE in the East Meadow. Also had the usual EASTERN GRAY SQUIRRELS and EASTERN COTTONTAILS.
For a very quiet day, we still managed 56 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Photo by Ollie Oliver
Photo by Ollie Oliver
Osprey in the early morning light. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird being attended to by a Song Sparrow. Photo by Ollie
Raccoon across from first dog swim beach. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Willow Flycatcher. Photo by Ollie Oliver
American Goldfinches. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Cooper's Hawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for August 11, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Brian Bell & I subbed for Michael Hobbs today on a cloudy august day at Marymoor today. Birding was noticeably slower than in recent weeks, with stretches between the flocks of birds. In the end we came up with 58 species for the day, with some signs of fall migration mixed in.
Highlights:
Green Heron -2 adults - no sign of the young 'uns, but there was lots of rowing traffic.Cooper's Hawk - 1 adult w/ a full crop -- a park worker mentioned seeing it catch a mammal of some sort
Merlin - our 4th week straight for Merlin
Spotted Sandpiper - it has not been a good year for them at Marymoor [often we have scattered summer sightings] - today we saw one from the viewing platform then one [same or different?] on the slough by the windmill
Barn Owl -2 adults hunting in the east meadow & at the model airplane field, and sounds of one baby in the windmill, all early.
Western Wood-Pewee - feeding a Brown-headed Cowbird
Willow Flycatchers - still many around singing, along with a pretty high count of Pewees.
Purple Martin - 2 were at the gourds, male & female - 2nd clutch?
Tree Swallow - last week and this week, we've had adults feeding young in one of the east meadow nest boxes -since most of the swallows have left, this is a late double clutching , we assume.
Orange-crowned Warbler - 2 , presumably moving through
Black-throated Gray Warbler - one immature male, presumed migrant
Common Yellowthroats - many family groups around, w/ 10+ young seen
On the 'other' front, Brian saw our first Coyote in a long time, early. And we had a big crawfish off one of the dog launches.
Good birding,
Matt Bartels
Juvenile Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Warbling Vireo. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Black-headed Grosbeak. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Female Purple Martin cleaning the nest gourd. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Purple Martin. Photo by Ollie Olive
Male Purple Martin. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Spotted Towhee. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Willow Flycatcher. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Red-breasted Nuthatch. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Long-tailed Weasel, 2011-08-08. Photo by Marc Hoffman
Three juvenile Green Heron along slough, 2011-08-06. Photo by Marc Hoffman
Report for August 4, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
We had a wonderful day today. Clear skies. Views of Mt. Rainier. Warmth (mid-50's rising to low 70's). And birds. Lots of birds. Fall migration/dispersal is beginning, as we definitely saw some species that don't breed near Marymoor.
Highlights:
Green Heron 2 babies, 1 adult, along slough
Merlin 3rd week in a row
Barn Owl Baby(s?) still inside windmill
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 NE of mansion
Pileated Woodpecker 2 flew east, landed near mansion
COMMON RAVEN 2 flew down river around 6:20am
Purple Martin Heard overhead a few times
BANK SWALLOW???? Tantalizing *maybe* near weir
Orang-crowned Warbler 1 - NW part of Dog Area
Yellow Warbler 1 male somewhat near Orange-crowned
Black-throated Gray Warbler 2-4 seen, several locations
Wilson's Warbler 1 near east end of boardwalk
Common Yellowthroat Many, including male feeding cowbird
RED CROSSBILL Heard overhead more than once
Pine Siskin With goldfinches, thistles in East Meadow
This is just the 4th record for RED CROSSBILL at Marymoor, and the first outside of the spring season.
Also, right on schedule, we heard the distinctive flight call of the BLUE ANGELS, though we were unable to see them. They seem to migrate through this area annually, right around this time of year. If previous years are any guide, they may stick around for another couple of days, and then they'll disappear again until next year. Very odd...
For the day, 64 species. For the year, with the crossbill, we're now at 148.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Pileated Woodpecker showing primary molt. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Black-headed Grosbeak. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Orange-crowned Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bushtit on the ground! Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Brown-headed Cowbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female House Sparrow - first of 2011. Photo by Lillian Reis
Western Wood-Pewee. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bushtit, 2011-08-03. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2011-08-03. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Purple Martin, 2011-08-01. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Caspian Tern, 2011-08-01. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Killdeer, 2011-07-29. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Swift Forktail Damselfly just emerged from its exuvia (lower left). Photo by Ollie Oliver
Eight-spotted Skimmer and Cardinal Meadowhawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Cardinal Meadowhawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Eight-spotted Skimmer. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for July 28, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was a fabulous day at Marymoor. The dawn was gorgeous, with a sliver of a moon, Mt. Rainier to the south, and wispy (though fairly dense) ground fog that cleared by the time we started. It was just 48 degrees at 6:00 a.m., but with the sunshine it warmed nicely. There were lots of birds to see; not many singing, though, and we had to puzzle through quite a bit of odd bird noises that we don't know nearly as well as their songs. Lots of baby birds were about, some still tended by adults. Fall migration is definitely beginning.
Highlights:
Canada Goose Flocking up - maybe 80 or more
Green Heron Several looks - lake and Rowing Club
Cooper's Hawk 2 sightings (maybe same bird)
MERLIN Flew north over Community Gardens
GREATER YELLOWLEGS Flew circles over lake platform calling
Ring-billed Gull 1 adult. Also 2 unidentified gulls earlier
Barn Owl Babies still calling from windmill predawn
Pileated Woodpecker Scott saw one fly east from boardwalk
Warbling Vireo One feeding a BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD
COMMON RAVEN One flew south down East Lake Samm Pkwy
Orange-crowned Warbler Scruffy (juvenile?) bird near 3rd dog swim beach
WESTERN TANAGER One (female or imm.), west edge of Dog Meadow
Most of the summer birds were still around, though we saw no Tree Swallows nor Purple Martins.
Obvious baby birds included Mallard, Barn Owl, Anna's Hummingbird, American Crow, Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, and Brown-headed Cowbird, though I'm sure we saw juveniles of other species (Canada Goose, Bushtit, etc.) that weren't so obvious.
The GREATER YELLOWLEGS was just our 5th confirmed sighting for the park, and the first since 2007 (though there was a probable one in 2009).
COMMON RAVENS are not common at Marymoor (18 sightings now). Most of the reports are from Sept-Jan, with three sightings in March. This was just our 2nd sighting from the April-August window, the other one being from JULY 26, 2006.
We had 60 species for the day. The yellowlegs and raven were new for the year - I think that puts us at 148 for 2011.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Canada Geese in the morning fog. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Merlin. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Mallards, demonstrating "dabbling". Photo by Ollie Oliver
Orange-crowned Warbler. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Osprey. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Great Blue Heron. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Warbling Vireo. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird that was being fed by the vireo. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Greater Yellowlegs circling over the lake platform. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Greater Yellowlegs circling over the lake platform. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Greater Yellowlegs circling over the lake platform. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Greater Yellowlegs circling over the lake platform. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Male (left) and female American Goldfinch. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Rufous Hummingbird. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Anna's Hummingbird chase. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Juvenile male Anna's Hummingbird. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Juvenile Barn Swallows, 2011-07-20. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Juvenile Barn Swallow begging desperately, 2011-07-20. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Adult Barn Swallow feeding young, 2011-07-20. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Juvenile Juvenile Barn Swallow, 2011-07-20. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Report for July 21, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
I usually try to start our walks soon after sunrise. I was pushing things a bit by starting this morning a few minutes before the 5:33 a.m. official sunrise. It didn't really matter. It was dark before sunrise. It was dark long after sunrise. Heavy overcast, quite a bit of mist, mizzle, drizzle, and a little bit of almost rain this morning. Birds were hard to see, and there wasn't much singing. There were lots of awkward-looking juveniles about, and quite a few fledglings begging for food. But by the end of the morning, we had the largest species count we've had since early June. Go figure.
Highlights:
Green Heron Several sightings
MERLIN Matt saw one dart across the grass soccer fields
Caspian Tern Four flew down to the lake
Black Swift Three briefly seen during a moment without rain
Hairy Woodpecker Male near last dog swim beach
Purple Martin One in right gourd at lake platform
Orange-crowned Warbler One along Snag Row - juvenile?
Bullock's Oriole 3-5, adult male(s?), adult female, juvenile(s?)
Pine Siskin Heard over mansion area
For the day, 63 species, though the numbers for each species were often pretty low.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Male Downy Woodpecker. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile American Robin. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Adult male Bullock's Oriole. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow (still in juvenal plumage). Photo by Ollie Oliver
Adult White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Swainson's Thrush. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Wood Ducks. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for July 14, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Michael is still away so I got to sub for him this morning.
The day dawned(?) dark and overcast. It stayed that way and we got a little misty rain later. In spite of that it was a pretty good day for the doldrums of July with many birds singing (although often from cover).
Notable species:
Green Heron
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Barn Owl
Black Swift
Vaux's Swift
Willow Flycatcher Many singing
Marsh Wren Many singing
Swainson's Thrush Lots singing
Common Yellowthroat Lots singing
Black-headed Grosbeak With young
Bullock's Oriole JuvenileFor the day, 56 species.
Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
Swainson's Thrush. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Adult Bald Eagle. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Common Yellowthroat. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Savannah Sparrow with grub. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Coyote near the Osprey nest tower, 2011-07-10. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Osprey watching the coyote, 2011-07-10. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Adult Osprey with three young on the nest, 2011-07-10. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Adult Osprey bringing in grass for new bedding, 2011-07-10.
Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Report for July 7, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Michael is in California so Matt Bartels and I got to put our Michael masks on for the day. It started out clear (4:10) and by 5 a.m. was almost completely cloudy. The predicted misty rain held off until we reached the east meadow and then was on and off. Didn't really get going until we finished. For July it was a pretty good day with a lot of birds singing.
Notable for today were:
Barn Owl - 1 with young in windmill early, 2 over East Meadow, 1 at airfield
Green Heron
Many Swainson's Thrush singing over much of the park
Three Wood Duck females with young (3, 4 and 5)
Hooded Merganser juveniles (4) at the rowing club pond
Vaux's Swift
Bullock's Oriole - nestlings apparently fledged, at least one adult male
Sharp-shinned Hawk - probable, being mobbed by crow and looked smaller
Yellow-rumped Warbler - somewhat unusual for Marymoor in July
Purple Martin - probable young in gourd at lake
Long-tailed Weasel59 species
Brian H. Bell
Male Downy Woodpecker. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Band-tailed Pigeon. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Wood Ducks. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Purple Finch. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile(?) Common Yellowthroat. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male American Goldfinch. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Belted Kingfisher, 2011-07-01. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for June 30, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
Except for it being cold enough that we were all wearing sweaters and jackets (and some were wearing gloves) it otherwise felt like a July visit. Quite quiet, nothing too surprising in terms what species we saw, lots of baby birds. But we were still rewarded for our diligence in making the usual rounds.
The first highlight was a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE nest, with both parents bringing food back to squeaking babies inside. The nest was just east of the 3rd dog swim beach in a cottonwood. This is only the 3rd time we've found an oriole nest at the park, the others being in 2004 and 2006 over at the Rowing Club. (Two other years we've seen adults feeding fledged juveniles, so they probably nested at least near the park those years, if not somewhere we didn't find within the park).
Our second highlight was truly unexpected. At the south end of the dog area we heard the squeaking of a juvenile bird begging. We were shocked to find a baby BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD being fed by at least two BUSHTITS. Looking a little bit into the literature, this appears to be extremely rare (10 reports as of 1989, according the article cited below), with most of those being documented by examination of the eggs within the nest. Bushtits actually feeding a cowbird may be even rarer, though the authors indicate that the host providing food to a cowbird may not be the same species as the hatching host. I have a hard time imagining a cowbird being able to leave an egg in a bushtit nest, though it apparently is possible. See http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/wb/v21n01/p0035-p0036.pdf
Other highlights:
Wood Duck Quite a few ducklings, wide range of sizes
Common Merganser One in the slough as we left the park
Band-tailed Pigeon Many flyovers, some good looks.
Barn Owl Matt may have heard babies in the windmill, saw 3 adults
Rufous Hummingbird Notably large numbers - mostly juvies
Yellow-rumped Warbler Male "Audubon's" south of windmill, singing
LAZULI BUNTING Male singing north of fields 7-8-9
The Band-tailed Pigeons were a life bird (or at least a life-look) for Julie, a visiting birder from Houston. It's always fun to get someone a lifer.
Amazingly, the group managed to find 57 species today, though few of us had more than 50 species on our personal lists.== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Violet-green Swallow (left) with Tree Swallows. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Bullock's Oriole in flight. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Bullock's Oriole at the nest. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Bullock's Oriole at the nest. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Spotted Towhee. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Rufous Hummingbird. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Band-tailed Pigeon. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Eclipse male Common Merganser in the slough. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Great Blue Heron. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Kingbird. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2011-06-24
Report for June 23, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was cold, drizzly, rainy, dark, and fairly quiet at Marymoor. At this time of year, the chance of surprises is fairly low, and sure enough we didn't get anything really surprising.
But even in the wet, there were some things to see:
Wood Duck Several females with ducklings
Common Merganser Mama in slough with babies riding her back
Green Heron Many sightings
Killdeer At least 18 on grass soccer fields
Caspian Tern Two high over lake platform
Barn Owl Matt & Ollie had several pre-dawn
Black Swift A dozen over the lake platform
Rufous Hummingbird Many, some presumed juveniles
Yellow-rumped Warbler One singing NE of the mansion
Bullock's Oriole Megan saw a male near Dog Central in Cottonwood
There were many baby birds begging from adults (Black-capped Chickadee, Bewick's Wren, and a Brown-headed Cowbird being fed by a Song Sparrow, just to name a few), and usual numbers of the typical summer breeders like Swainson's Thrush and Willow Flycatcher. Black-headed Grosbeaks were not very apparent, but at least 1 was heard singing, and a nice male landed in front of us at the Rowing Club, where we were serenaded by Warbling Vireos. Lots of Cedar Waxwings. Lots of bunnies.
For the day, 59 species. Grace glimpsed an accipiter, which would make a
nice, round 60. Nothing new for the year.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Babies climbing aboard female Common Merganser. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Babies aboard female Common Merganser. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Purple Martin in the rain. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male American Goldfinch. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Singing White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Chestnut-backed Chickadee. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Canada Geese massing in the slough. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Pacific Ninebark blossoms. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Nuthatch feeding its young at the park office. Photo by Lillian Reis, 2011-06-19
Willow Flycatcher, 2011-06-17. Photo by Lillian Reis
Band-tailed Pigeons, 2011-06-17. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Belted Kingfisher, 2011-06-17. Photo by Lillian Reis
Warbling Vireo, 2011-06-17. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for June 16, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
We had a nice morning, though it was chilly for June. Really chilly. Migration seems to be pretty much over. Breeding season is well underway. And while we had few surprises, we had a really good day.
Highlights:
Wood Duck At lake + ducklings at RC
Mallard Ducklings as big as adults
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 sightings, plus maybe Coop
Caspian Tern A few flew north early
Red-breasted Sapsucker Great looks at Rowing Club
BLACK SWIFT Two dozen or more overhead
American Crow Sounds of juvenile begging
Black-capped Chickadee Fledged young being fed
American Robin Copulating. 2nd clutch?
Cedar Waxwing Berry passing near nest
Dark-eyed Junco Juveniles chasing after adults
LAZULI BUNTING Male singing in Dog Meadow
Bullock's Oriole At least 2 males, 1 first-year
Muskrat One at Rowing Club pond
For the day, 63 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Male Bullocks's Oriole. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Tail of a Cedar Waxwing sticking up out of the nest. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Black Swifts. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Northern Flicker. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Lazuli Bunting. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Lazuli Bunting. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Red-eared Slider. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bee at Comfrey flowers. Photo by Lillian Reis
Swainson's Thrush, 2011-06-12. Photo by Lillian Reis
Green Heron, 2011-06-12. Photo by Kathryn Speirs
Report for June 9, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was overcast, but not too chilly, nor windy, nor did it rain. Conditions were perfect -- for MOSQUITOES. They also must have been perfect for CEDAR WAXWINGS, because they were everywhere. It seemed that every single bird we ever saw perched up and visible was a waxwing. In general, sightings of birds were tough to come by today, but we glimpsed a lot and heard a lot.
Biggest highlight was a BREWER'S SPARROW at the Compost Piles. Our in-the-field assessment was that it was NOT a "timberline" subspecies, but I'd like to sit down with some photos and some books. This is just the 2nd time Brewer's Sparrow has been seen at Marymoor. The other sighting was from 2000-04-30.
Other highlights:
Green Heron Many sightings
Virginia Rail Matt actually saw 1, boardwalk, predawn
CASPIAN TERN Two flying north, twice. 4 birds?
Barn Owl Matt had 3 predawn - young birds?
Black Swift 2-3 over Big Cottonwood Forest
Red-breasted Sapsucker Many sightings
RED-EYED VIREO Singing, not seen, N of Dog Central
Purple Martin Female in gourd, male & female at Compost Piles
Western Tanager Maybe our last for this spring
We also had a DEER, a LONG-TAILED WEASEL, and 4 GARTER SNAKES at the Rowing Club.
For the day, 64 species of bird. Evan Houston birded last Tuesday, 6/7, and had six species we didn't have today: Hooded Merganser, Cooper's Hawk, PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, Lazuli Bunting, Bullock's Oriole, and Evening Grosbeak, and earlier in the week Lillian had Mourning Dove and Western Kingbird. Also, the Lewis's Woodpecker was being seen until at least Saturday, so the week total is at least 73.
New for the park year list were the Caspian Terns, Red-eyed Vireo, and of course the Brewer's Sparrow. Evan's Pacific-slope Flycatcher was also new for the year list, to put us at 146.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Brewer's Sparrow. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Green Heron, SE part of Dog Meadow. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Caspian Tern. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Vaux's Swift - the "cigar with wings". Photo by Ollie Oliver
Green Heron. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Green Heron. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Savannah Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Willow Flycatcher. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Brewer's Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Brewer's Sparrow. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Mourning Dove. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Rufous Hummingbird. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Bullfrog at the Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Garter Snake. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Female Purple Martin in the left gourd. Female Tree Swallow in the right gourd.
Males of each species eyeing each other from above their respective gourds.
Photo 2011-06-05 by Lillian Reis.
Mourning Dove, 2011-06-05. Photo by Lillian Reis
Cliff Swallow building nest, 2011-06-04. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Cliff Swallows at their nest, 2011-06-04. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Kingbird in East Meadow, 2011-06-04. Photo by Lillian Reis
Cedar Waxwing, 2011-06-04. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Lewis's Woodpecker, 2011-06-04. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Lewis's Woodpecker, 2011-06-04. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Wood-Pewee, 2011-06-04. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Black-headed Grosbeak, 2011-06-04. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bushtit cleaning the nest, 2011-06-03. Photo by Dave Templeton
Bushtit with babies to feed, 2011-06-03. Photo by Dave Templeton
Lewis's Woodpecker, 2011-06-03. Photo by Lillian Reis
Lewis's Woodpecker, 2011-06-03. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for June 2, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was dark and rainy (fairly hard rain until we got to the lake platform). We also faced an onslaught of mosquitoes, primarily south of the Dog Area. It did begin to clear slowly, though, and the birds started showing themselves.
Biggest highlight of the day was a LEWIS'S WOODPECKER, probably the same one found May 30. It was hanging around in the London Plane trees as you enter Lot G (the Interpretive Lot, or the eastern Dog Area lot). This was my personal 200th species for Marymoor Park!
Other highlights:
Wood Duck Twice, females with ducklings
Green Heron About 3 sightings (slough, lake)
Ring-billed Gull Flyover flock of about 30, mostly juveniles
Mourning Dove Houston Flores reported one
Barn Owl Matt had one early
BLACK SWIFT 1-2 over mansion
Red-breasted Sapsucker 2 seen
Willow Flycatcher One singing, East Meadow
Purple Martin Female in gourd at lake
CHIPPING SPARROW One in Pea Patch
Warbler numbers were down considerably, except for YELLOW WARBLER which seemed more common.
For the day, 68 species. For the year, WILLOW FLYCATCHER and BLACK SWIFT were new, and also added this week were the LEWIS'S WOODPECKER and LARK SPARROW, both from May 30.
So not a bad day at all, despite the weather !
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Lewis's Woodpecker. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Chipping Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Purple Martin. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Ring-billed Gulls. Photo by Ollie Oliver
White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Black-headed Grosbeak. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Lewis's Woodpecker 2011-05-30. Photo by David Slater
Lewis's Woodpecker 2011-05-30. Photo by David Slater
Lark Sparrow, 2011-05-30. Photo by Ron Ben-Shalom
Lark Sparrow, 2011-05-30. Photo by Ron Ben-Shalom
Male Wilson's Warbler, 2011-05-29. Photo by Marc Hoffman
Swainson's Thrush, 2011-05-27. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Black-headed Grosbeak in flight, 2011-05-27. Photo by Lillian Reis
Courting Cedar Waxwings, 2011-05-27. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for May 26, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was cold, dark, and breezy this morning, though gradually the clouds cleared as the wind picked up. Did I mention cold? Water levels are still high too, so it didn't feel very spring-like to say the least. It was fairly birdy, though it was a day when we didn't get a whole lot of great long looks at birds. Sometimes we had long looks and sometimes we had great looks, but rarely both. With the leaves fully out, we spent a lot of time peering into trees at birds flitting about, revealing little about themselves.
Still, there was plenty to see:
Wood Duck With 6 babies at Rowing Club
PEREGRINE FALCON 1 soaring high over Rowing Club
Belted Kingfisher Taking fish NE out of the park
Hairy Woodpecker Young look ready to fledge
W. Wood Pewee Finally. Had about 4. Our only flycatcher
Warbling Vireo Abundant, singing
Purple Martin Male at Rowing Club
Pacific Wren One singing SW of windmill around 6:00 a,m
Golden-crowned Kinglet Adult feeding 4-5 young at RC
8 WARBLER DAY:
Orange-crowned Several, singing
NASHVILLE One in slough above weir, 1 at S end of Dog Area
Yellow A few singing males
Yellow-rumped 1 female Myrtles, 1+ female Audubon's
Black-throated Gray Scott had 1 N of the mansion
Townsend's 1 N of the mansion
Common Yellowthroat Several, mostly just heard
Wilson's Most abundant of all
CHIPPING SPARROW 1 North of mansion
Dark-eyed Junco Adult feeding fledglings
Western Tanager A few glimpsed
LAZULI BUNTING Pair near 2nd dog swim beach
Bullock's Oriole At least 3 seen
Evening Grosbeak More flyovers
We also had LONG-TAILED WEASEL, in a cottonwood, kind of along the slough in the Dog Area.
New for the year this week were the WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, CHIPPING SPARROW, and LAZULI BUNTING. Grace & Ollie Oliver had a SPOTTED SANDPIPER on Sunday. Also, Tony Ernst sent me a photo he took of a HORNED GREBE back on April 23.So I believe that brings the park year list up to 135 (unofficial :) )
For the day, 68 species. If I'm not mistaken, Gadwall, Northern Flicker, and Steller's Jay were notable misses for the day. And still no Willow Flycatchers.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Adult Bald Eagles. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Yellow Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Black-headed Grosbeak. Photo by Marc Hoffman
Male Lazuli Bunting. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Brown-headed Cowbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male American Goldfinch. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Wood-Pewee. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Hairy Woodpecker. Note the red on the top of the head.
Photo by Ollie Oliver
Wood Ducks at the Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Long-tailed Weasel, 2011-05-24. Photo by Lillian Reis
Long-tailed Weasel, 2011-05-24. Photo by Lillian Reis
Long-tailed Weasel, 2011-05-24. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Hairy Woodpecker at the nest, with baby in hole, 2011-05-23.
Photo by Marc Hoffman
Male Yellow Warbler, 2011-05-23. Photo by Marc Hoffman
Spotted Sandpiper, 2011-05-22. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Late April Horned Grebe, 2011-04-23. Photo by Tony Ernst
Eastern Cottontail, 2011-05-19. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for May 19, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was COLD out there (just 37 degrees at 5:30 a.m.), but with almost clear skies and little wind, it did slowly warm up and it was 61 degrees by the time we left the Rowing Club. We were disappointed in having ZERO FLYCATCHERS, though this is still a bit early for them. Basically, nothing is showing up early and some things are lingering late, but we found virtually everything that ought to be here at this time of year.
The best few minutes were along the west edge of the Dog Meadow, where we were treated to prolonged, glorious looks at both male and female WESTERN TANAGERS. One or two trees over were a pair of BULLOCK'S ORIOLES. We had our first-of-the-year CEDAR WAXWINGS. And WARBLING VIREOS, WILSON'S WARBLERS, and BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS were out singing.
Lingering winter visitors included:
Northern Shoveler Pair flyby at 5:30
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 east of the East Footbridge
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2 near Pea Patch
Other highlights:
Great Blue Heron Numbers up - foraging for young?
Green Heron Several sightings; one posed at RC
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 south of windmill
Hairy Woodpecker Female very actively feeding young at nest
Cliff Swallows Gathering mud at Compost Piles
Swainson's Thrush 1 singing at 5:00; first song of year
Townsend's Warbler 2+ east of East Footbridge
Evening Grosbeak 4 flyovers (dang hard to see)
Our only real misses were Pied-billed Grebe (absent in recent summers, so no surprise there), Band-tailed Pigeon (a 50-50 shot this time of year), Belted Kingfisher (less than a 50-50 shot), Western Wood-Pewee (seen 7 out of the last
17 years), and House Sparrow (absent for several years now, so totally no surprise). That is to say, we didn't miss anything expected.
We also had a Pacific Tree Frog hopping around near the park office.
For the day, 66 species. Adding Cedar Waxwing, the year list is now at 130.
It was a good day, except for my whining.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Male Bullock's Oriole. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Western Tanager. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Swainson's Thrush. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Pacific Treefrog. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Hairy Woodpecker at the nest hole. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Hairy Woodpecker leaving the nest hole. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Common Merganser. Photo by Marc Hoffman
Barn Swallow, 2011-05-18. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Cliff Swallow, possibly starting a nest, 2011-05-18. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Mourning Dove, 2011-05-18. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Osprey, 2011-05-18. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Olive-sided Flycatcher, 2011-05-17. Photo by Kathryn Speirs
Orange-crowned Warbler, 2011-05-13. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Wilson's Warbler, 2011-05-13. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Rufous Hummingbird, 2011-05-13. Photo by Lillian Reis
Wood Duck pair, 2011-05-13. Photo by Lillian Reis
Snail photo by Ollie Oliver
Report for May 12, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
We had a glorious day at Marymoor today. It was cold and cloudy to start, but it gradually warmed and gradually cleared, and there were a lot of birds to see. The trees and shrubs average about half leafed-out. The grass is tall. It felt like a cold spring day, rather than winter day.
Highlights:
Hooded Merganser Female with babies at Rowing Club
Green Heron One flying downslough
Barn Owl Matt had 2 or more ~5 a.m. at model airfield field
Killdeer Adults near 1 baby near Compost Piles
Hairy Woodpecker Nest with young opposite RC dock
Hammond's Flycatcher Maybe 7-10, singing, calling, silent
WESTERN KINGBIRD East Meadow
Cassin's Vireo Two in Big Cottonwood Forest
Purple Martin 1-2 over boardwalk
N. Rough-winged Swallow 1-2 at lake, late
Ruby-crowned Kinglet At least 1 still around
Swainson's Thrush A couple, calling
Hermit Thrush 2-3, silent
Orange-crowned Warbler Many
NASHVILLE WARBLER Silent male near east footbridge; sang eventually
Yellow Warbler Only 2-3
Yellow-rumped Warbler Still lots, Audubon's & Myrtle's races
Black-thr. Gray Warbler Male at Rowing Club
Wilson's Warbler Many seen, more heard
Western Tanager Pair near park office
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE Male singing near start of boardwalk
EVENING GROSBEAK 2 flyover flocks, 7-9 birds total
We also had a LONG-TAILED WEASEL near the Pea Patch.
For the day, 74 species, with BULLOCK'S ORIOLE new for the year. The week has added several more, including HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, WESTERN KINGBIRD, CASSIN'S VIREO, and SWAINSON'S THRUSH, so for the year we're at around 128.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Male Black-headed Grosbeak. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Male Black-headed Grosbeak
Male Bullock's Oriole
Male Nashville Warbler, singing
Baby Killdeer
Female "Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler. Photo by Lillian Reis
Female (left) and male Western Tanager
Close-up of the male Western Tanager. Photo by Lillian Reis
Snail photograph by Hugh Jennings
Western Kingbird, 2011-05-10. Photo by Kathryn Speirs
Copulating Black-capped Chickadees, 2011-05-10. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Northern Flicker, 2011-05-10. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Great Blue Heron, 2011-05-10. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Song Sparrow, 2011-05-10. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Vaux's Swift, 2011-05-10. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Red-winged Blackbird, 2011-05-10. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Solitary Sandpiper, 2011-05-10. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Solitary Sandpiper, 2011-05-10. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Hooded Mergansers, 2011-05-10. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Hooded Merganser duckling, 2011-05-10. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Least Sandpiper, 2011-05-06. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Least Sandpiper, 2011-05-06. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Least Sandpiper and Wilson's Snipe, 2011-05-06. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Wilson's Snipe, 2011-05-06. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Least Sandpiper, 2011-05-06. Photo by Shawn McCully
www.shawnmccully.com
Least Sandpiper, 2011-05-06. Photo by Shawn McCully
Killdeer, 2011-05-06. Photo by Shawn McCully
Report for May 5, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
The weather was less than ideal, with solid overcast, and long stretches of light rain, but it was about as birdy as Marymoor has ever been. It was a phenomenal day that started with shorebirds - 6 species by the end of the day, which is unprecedented for the park. Most of them were at the two muddy puddle-ponds in the grass-and-gravel parking lot north of the grass soccer fields. They were not the only special birds, though. Passerine spring migration was in full swing too.
Highlights:
Cooper's Hawk Adult near Compost Piles
Killdeer Several
LESSER YELLOWLEGS 1 with the peeps before 6:00am
SOLITARY SANDPIPER 1 with the peeps
WESTERN SANDPIPER 1 with the Least Sandpipers
LEAST SANDPIPER About 15
Wilson's Snipe 1 flyby. Getting late for snipe
Vaux's Swift Maybe 30. Rather a lot, really
Empidonax sp. Two. Maybe Hammond's and Willow???
Cassin's Vireo One, silent
Warbling Vireo 2, not together, silent
Pacific Wren Still one - latest spring sighting ever
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE One near windmill
Hermit Thrush 2, not together
American Robin First fledgling of the year
American Pipit Megan and Ollie had about 28
Orange-crowned Warbler Quite a few, most silent
Yellow-rumped Warbler Numbers down a tad perhaps but still lots
Black-throated Gray Warbler 2 or more in maples
Wilson's Warbler Saw 2, heard several more
Western Tanager 3 males
Black-headed Grosbeak 1 male singing at Rowing Club
Evening Grosbeak Twice heard overhead
Amazing to get a new park bird (WESTERN SANDPIPER - park bird #218), two birds seen only twice before (SOLITARY SANDPIPER and TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE), a 5th-ever sighting (LESSER YELLOWLEGS), a 6th-ever sighting (LEAST SANDPIPER), and just the 10th-ever spring sighting of BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, all in the same day! For that matter, CASSIN'S VIREO has been seen fewer than 20 times, and Tuesday Sharon Aagaard had a SORA, another sub-20 species.
And I was just noting that I have records from just about exactly 1000 visits to Marymoor Park now.
For the day, a whopping 77 species in 5 hours. For the week, counting my scouting trip on Sunday, Sharon's scouting trip on Monday, and our King County Big Day visit on Tuesday, another 11 species to get us to 88 species for the week!
Oh, and 17 species added to the park year list, bringing the 2011 total to 124 species (Sora (5/2), Solitary Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Mourning Dove (5/3), Cassin's Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Purple Martin (5/1), Townsend's Solitaire, American Pipit, Nashville Warbler (5/3), Black-throated Gray Warbler, Wilson's Warbler (5/3), Western Tanager (5/3), Black-headed Grosbeak (5/2) )
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Western Sandpiper. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Sandpiper. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Solitary Sandpiper with Killdeer. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Solitary Sandpiper. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Solitary Sandpiper with Least Sandpiper. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Tanager on Himalayan Blackberry. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Anna's Hummingbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Black-throated Gray Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Black-throated Gray Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Townsend's Solitaire, near the windmill. Photos by Ollie Oliver
A male Anna's Hummingbird chased it further south through the mansion area.
Adult Red-tailed Hawk lands on the odd-snag nest to join the two babies, 2011-05-01. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Common Yellowthroat, 2011-05-01. Photo by Lillian Reis
Killdeer, 2011-05-04. Photo by Lillian Reis
New fir growth. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for April 28, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was dark and windy and cold. We were all grumpy, but it didn't rain, so we're all just a bunch of whiners. We're still waiting for the big rush of spring migrants to show up, but we had some excitement with the LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE in the East Meadow. This is just the 4th record of Loggerhead for the park, and the latest date. A very nice looking bird. But we had no other new arrivals for the week.
[ Any minute now, we should be getting our first flycatchers, vireos, martins, Swainson's Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Bullock's Oriole. ]
Highlights from today:
Green Heron 2 near Rowing Club dock
Red-tailed Hawk Baby(s) on odd-snag nest
Wilson's Snipe Matt heard them winnowing again
California Gull Unusual late spring sighting
Great Horned Owl Matt heard one west of the park entrance
Pacific Wren Matt heard one singing at dawn
Orange-crowned Warble Quite a few around, singing
Yellow-rumped Warbler MANY, both Audubon's and Myrtle's
Spotted Towhee Copulating at Rowing Club
Lincoln's Sparrow More in migration, 2-3 today
Brewer's Blackbird Ollie had a female on 4/23
For the day, 64 species. For the year, adding Loggerhead Shrike and Brewer's Blackbird, 109 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.comUncredited photos by Michael Hobbs
Loggerhead Shrike in the East Meadow. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Loggerhead Shrike. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Lincoln's Sparrow photo by Ollie Oliver
Baby Red-tailed Hawk atop odd-snag nest. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Anna's Hummingbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Great Blue Heron photo by Lillian Reis
Male American Goldfinch. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Shrew (Vagrant? Masked?). Photo by Ollie Oliver
Rock Pigeon, 2011-04-23. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Brewer's Blackbird, 2011-04-23. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Golden-crowned Sparrow bathing, 2011-04-22. Photos by Ollie Oliver
Tree Swallows and Savannah Sparrow, 2011-04-22. Photos by Ollie Oliver
Tree Swallow photo by Ollie Oliver, 2011-04-22
Report for April 21, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It wasn't exactly spring out there - cold, damp (though with only a trace of precip.), dark much of the time, and a bit breezy. But the leaves are starting to come out, and some of the spring birds are arriving. It was actually a really good day for birds.
Highlights:
Still 8 species of duck Mallard with 2 ducklings, Rowing Club
American Kestrel Male in East Meadow, gorgeous
Merlin Eating Song Sparrow in Dog Area cottonwood
Wilson's Snipe Saw 4. Matt heard winnowing early
VAUX'S SWIFT Two with swallows over Dog Area
Black-capped Chickadee Nest hole just south of Dog Area
Brown Creeper Nest in snag near boardwalk
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD Female flew from Snag Row south
Hermit Thrush One in NW corner of Dog Area
Varied Thrush Several singing (unseen)
Orange-crowned Warbler Only 1, SE of mansion
Yellow-rumped Warbler Abundant, singing, Audubon's & Myrtle's
Lincoln's Sparrow Maybe 7 - migration pulse
For the day, 67 species. Vaux's Swift, Hermit Thrush, and Orange-crowned Warbler were new for the year.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.comUncredited photos by Michael Hobbs
The red tail of the Hermit Thrush was obvious. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Merlin eating what looked like a Song Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Savannah Sparrow along west edge of the Dog Meadow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male American Kestrel in East Meadow. Photo by Ollie Olliver
Male American Kestrel in East Meadow. Photo by Ollie Olliver
Male American Kestrel in East Meadow. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Lillian Reis had a male Northern Harrier in the afternoon...
...and she took this fabulous photo
Report for April 14, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
The weather wasn't exactly the nice spring day that we'd all hoped for. It rained hard, especially before 7:00. But after that, we really didn't have any precipitation. The wind died down frequently, and there were a few moments of sun, so really not bad at all. It was birdy, too, though the birds could have been more cooperative. Several heard-only or seen-poorly or seen-only-by-a-few on the list.
Highlights:
Common Loon One on lake
Bald Eagle At least 5 birds, many sightings
Northern Harrier Sharp-looking male flew high to the NE
Sharp-shinned Hawk One flying lazy circles over Dog Meadow
MERLIN Sharon saw one around 7:00
Virginia Rail Heard east of East Meadow
Barn Owl Matt & Brian, early, model airplane field
Great Horned Owl Matt had one early - first since Feb.
4 woodpecker day Missed Pileated. Pretty R.-breasted Sapsuckers
SAY'S PHOEBE NE corner of East Meadow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2+ seen
Pacific Wren Still 3 singing
Townsend's Warbler 2+, NE of mansion
C. Yellowthroat Many back, singing, not being seen
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 along west edge of Dog Meadow
BUSHTITS were seen building 2 or 3 nests; there's another completed nest at the Rowing Club. CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES were excavating two nests. One is on the underside of a branch on a Big-leafed Maple NE of the mansion. The other is on the end of the upraised vane of the windmill. Odd locations both.
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (both races) and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS were everywhere and abundant.
A juvenile BALD EAGLE flew too close to the odd-snag nest. The adult RED-TAILED HAWK came down off the nest in hot pursuit. We wondered if the Red-tail would be as eager to chase and attack an adult eagle...I noted 21 species of bird singing. Additionally, we had drumming Red-breasted Sapsuckers and Downy Woodpecker, winnowing Wilson's Snipe, and a display flight from Pine Siskin.
New for the year were NORTHERN HARRIER, SAY'S PHOEBE, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, to bring the 2011 total to 103 species.For the day, 69 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com
Uncredited photos by Michael Hobbs
Male Wood Duck in slough
Female Common Goldeneye. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male "Myrtle's" Yellow-rumped Warbler
Wilson's Snipe at the East Meadow. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Rufous Hummingbird at a Salmonberry blossom. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Distant shot of the Say's Phoebe at the East Meadow. Photo by Lillian Reis
Juvenile Bald Eagle. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Chestnut-backed Chickadee excavating a nest hole. Photo by Lillian Reis
Margaret, in the penalty box :)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee excavating a nest hole. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Savannah Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Olier
Red-breasted Sapsucker. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Intergrade male Yellow-rumped Warbler, showing attributes of both
"Audubon's" and "Myrtle's" races, 2011-04-07. Photo by Ryan Merrill
American Crow chasing American Kestrel, 2011-04-08.
Photo by Lillian Reis
Dueling or flirting Tree Swallows, 2011-04-09. Photo by Lillian Reis
Garter Snakes emerging for the spring, 2011-04-09. Photo by Marc Hoffman
Report for April 7, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
It was cold and dark and rainy and flooded. It was often hard to find the birds, and often really hard to see them at all. There were a lot of species that were "heard-only" for a long time before we finally saw one, and a few things that were only seen by one or two people.
But there was a LOT out there.
Highlights:
American Wigeon Two east of the East Meadow
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE Female with all-dark bill at lake
Common Loon Three at lake
Green Heron One at Rowing Club
American Kestrel TWO females
Merlin 1 quick flyby
Barn Owl 1 after 6 a.m., model airplane field
SHORT-EARED OWL 1 after 6 a.m., model airplane field
Hairy Woodpecker Near Rowing Club dock
CLIFF SWALLOW 1 at lake, first of the year
Barn Swallow 2-3 over East Meadow
Pacific Wren Still at least 2 singing
Varied Thrush 1 heard near mansion, 1 at Rowing Club
The BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was only our 8th record at Marymoor (and first since 2007), and could easily have gone unnoticed. Ryan Merrill spotted it amongst a tight group of Common Goldeneye females. The bill was all dark (unusual for either species at this time of year) but was clearly smaller than the bills of the Commons. And the head shape consistently had the steep forehead and "puffy" appearance of a Barrow's.
While we've had COMMON LOON every month of the year except July-September, April seems to be the time we see them most consistently. November would be the other good month for them. Three birds, however, is noteworthy.
Pacific Wren apparently don't breed at Marymoor, and tend to clear out by this time of year. We have only one sighting later than today in the spring period - April 9, 2003. They show up again in September. Today we had two singing at quite disparate parts of the park. Maybe with the cold spring, they'll hang around a while.
We also had a large, pale, black wing-tipped gull that might have been a Herring Gull, but it was seen only distantly in flight.
We did well with mammals too:
Virginia Opossum 1 dead in the grass at airplane field
American Beaver Matt heard tail slaps near windmill
Muskrat 1 in slough
Townsend's Mole 1 on mansion lawn - great looks
River Otter At least 2 from the lake platform
For the day, 70 species! Earlier in the week, at least 5 additional species were seen: Cooper's Hawk, Band-tailed Pigeon, Mountain Bluebird, Lincoln's Sparrow, and Brown-headed Cowbird.New for the year list this week were Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Loon, Osprey, American Kestrel, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Mountain Bluebird, and Brown-headed Cowbird, to bring the park year list to 99 species.
A good week.
== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.comUncredited photos by Michael Hobbs
Okay - a very distant shot. But this was one of three Common Loons
Female Common Goldeneyes with a female Barrow's Goldeneye (far right)
Partially leucistic Dark-eyed Junco with a pied pattern. Photo by Ryan Merrill
Red-breasted Sapsucker at Rowing Club. Photo by Ryan Merrill
Female American Kestrel. Photo by Lillian Reis
Pacific Wren in the afternoon. Photo by Lillian Reis
Pacific Wren in the afternoon. Photo by Lillian Reis
Townsend's Mole near the mansion
Note the stubby tail and huge front paws
Male Ring-necked Pheasant, 2011-04-02. Photo by Darrel DeNune
Female Bufflehead, 2011-04-08. Photo by Lillian Reis
Report for March 31, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
|
I was sick on the 31st, and thus missed the 17th Anniversary of my Marymoor surveys. Here's a report from Matt Bartels, who was good enough to take on the data gathering and reporting tasks for the day - Michael.
Biggest surprise of the weekly walk at Marymoor today was arriving
and finding no Michael & no Brian! Eight of us managed to persevere
without them. The weather wasn't bad -- drizzle early [during the
owling time], but only a couple drops of rain during the walk. Lots
of wind though, and that resulted in very low numbers of birds all
day.
Highlights:
Wood Duck
1 male in the slough
Green Heron
1 lurking around the rowing club dock
Barn Owl
2 at model airplane field early
Rufous Hummingbird Only heard 1 -
still waiting for them to get
into place properly
Bushtit
Building nest at Rowing Club
Yellow-rumped Warbler Nice male in breeding plumage singing away at
the mansion area. Myrtles at Rowing club
Savannah Sparrow
Heard a few singing in the east meadow before dawn,
and part of the group saw one later in the walk at the sparrow piles - first of the year
Lots of singing , and several American Crows were carrying nesting
materials.
For the day, I believe we had 56 species [including a few I had to
go back through the park to snag]. Barring any new arrivals during
the past week, I believe the Savannah Sparrows bring the year list
to 91.
Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA
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Report for April 3, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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I took advantage of a relatively nice morning, and
headed down to Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co., WA) to try and find
some spring birds. Water levels are unseasonably high - 5.26 feet at the
gauge, or about 1.3 feet higher than average. |
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Report for March 24, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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We had a really nice day today at Marymoor, though we
were all a bit impatient to get spring birds back. Things were just a
little slow in that regard. But we had good weather improving to great
weather during the morning, and we certainly had a lot of bird song. BUSHTITS really were everywhere. I'm going to have a
very hard time guessing how many we saw, total, since it was clear that
we were pacing a flock for a long time (or vice versa). But we had them
everywhere, just about, so there must have been many flocks. There were two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS in the East Meadow
yesterday, but none today. |
Uncredited photos by Michael Hobbs |
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Report for March 17, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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We had a gorgeous day, with only about 1 minute of
sprinkles around 8 a.m., and then increasing sun and rising temps. It
didn't quite feel like spring, and the birds pretty much agreed with our
assessment - not much in the way of spring arrivals, but all of the rest
of the birds seemed to be taking advantage of the sunshine. It was
birdy! |
Uncredited photos by Michael Hobbs |
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Report for March 10, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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We were amazingly blessed with good weather this
morning. We had one squall at about 7:15 a.m., but otherwise the
weather was delightful. Usually overcast and a bit of a breeze, but
pleasant temps and no rain (it all fell overnight). The birds were
active and singing, though we didn't often get good looks at things. |
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Report for March 3, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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It wasn't exactly warm, and it rained lightly for the
first 2 hours or more this morning. Even after it stopped raining, it
was very damp and chill; I declared the day to be an honorary addition
to February. And for the most part, the birds agreed. But there are a
few weak signs of spring, and the species count was not down in February
depths. |
March 3 was not photogenic... |
Report for February 24, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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It was like old times today at Marymoor, as it was just
Brian Bell and myself for most of the walk. We were joined by Lillian
when we got to the East Meadow. It was cold (23 degrees) when we
started, but it was above freezing by the end. The park was gorgeous,
covered in 1-2+ inches of snow, and lit by the sun peeking out from the
clouds (our shadows joined the walk about half the time). It seemed
fairly birdy, but a lack of gulls, owls (nobody got there early to go
owling), and a few other misses kept our species count fairly low. |
Uncredited photos by Michael Hobbs |
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 Mallard pair in the snow. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 One of the Townsend's Warblers NE of the mansion |
 Townsend's Warbler |
 Townsend's Warbler |
 Turkey Vulture flying down the slough |
 American Robin eating Holly berries |
 Downy Woodpecker male. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 River Otter in slough. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 River Otter in slough. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 Bewick's Wren singing, 2011-02-19. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 Male Wood Duck, 2011-02-18. Photo by Lillian Reis |
Report for February 17, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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The sleet stopped just before our 7:30 start time, and
we really had quite a nice morning. No real precipitation, and the wind
didn't kick up until we were past the East Meadow. Compared with last
week, it was quite birdy. |
Thursday was not very photogenic, but Ollie
Oliver took these shots the day before, on Wednesday, 2011-02-16 |
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 American Wigeon pair |
 Gadwall pairl |
 Hairy Woodpecker female |
 Red-breasted Nuthatch |
 Green Heron at the Rowing Club |
Report for February 10, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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February typically has the lowest species counts of the
year, and today was no exception, despite the glorious sunshine. It was
only about 26 degrees when we started, though with the sun, it warmed to
43 before we were done. Plenty of birds were singing, including the
first American Robin songs I've heard this year. But we had no
accipiters, no falcons, only one species of gull, and no shorebirds. We
also had nobody at the park early, and thus ended up with zero owls.
Still, it was a nice walk. |
Uncredited photos by Michael Hobbs |
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 Pied-billed Grebe. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Female Northern Flicker. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 Bewick's Wren. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 Great Horned Owl, 2011-02-06. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 American Robins. Photo by Lillian Reis |
Report for February 3, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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The threatened rain pretty much held off until after our
walk, as did the wind. Unfortunately, the birds appeared to have been
chased out of the park by raptors. There were about a dozen of us
walking a bit quicker than usual under quilted skies, and the hawks and
owls were the highlights: During the wee hours, Matt enjoyed BARN OWLS circling
close over his head at the model airplane field, and Lillian and I
enjoyed watching two BARN OWLS hunting the East Meadow. My sighting was
at about 6:45 a.m. I'm not sure |
Uncredited photos by Michael Hobbs |
 Peregrine Falcon in Snag Row. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Peregrine Falcon in Snag Row. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
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 Ring-billed Gull. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 Ring-billed Gull. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 Ring-billed Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Male Anna's Hummingbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Male Ring-necked Duck at the Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Great Blue Heron, 2011-01-28. Photo by Lillian Reis |
 VALV-E, a friend of WALL-E, hanging out at the Rowing Club. Photo by Lillian Reis |
Report for January 27, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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I think there were something like 16 of
us enjoying good weather under the fog today. We even got a few
minutes of blue skies showing through the clouds, but no actual
sunshine. Water levels remain high, and tall rubber boots are still
necessary to walk the whole loop.
When I arrived a little after 6:30,
there was a GREAT HORNED OWL hooting east of the East Meadow. Then,
right around 8:00, maybe 1200 CACKLING GEESE, a couple of hundred
CANADA GEESE, and 3 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE landed on the grass
soccer fields and remained all morning. It's probably the largest
number of geese we've had land in the park ever. Some other days in
2010 may have rivaled the total number, but at least one day I can
think of had flock after flock flying *over* the park and not
landing.
Other highlights:
American Wigeon A handful still
enjoying the flooding
Cooper's Hawk Two calling to
each other, 3 more sightings
MERLIN Ollie had
one fly through
Western Gull One with
other gulls on grass fields
Hairy Woodpecker Four seen (2
pairs)
Northern Shrike One around 8
a.m. north of fields 7-8-9
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Suddenly abundant,
1 singing
Evening Grosbeak Matt and others
had 3(?) flying over
Birds heard singing today: Virginia
Rail, Great Horned Owl, Black-capped Chickadee, Bewick's Wren,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned
Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Purple Finch, and House Finch
After the walk, I found 3 Common
Merganser at the north end of the lake that we'd missed earlier.
That brought the day total to 57 species.
Merlin, Western Gull, and Evening
Grosbeak were new for the year, bringing the 2011 total to 78.
= Michael |
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 Less than a third of the Cackling Geese that landed on the grass soccer fields. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
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 Male Anna's Hummingbird. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Greater White-fronted Goose with Cackling Geese. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Northern Flicker, 2011-01-26. Photo by Lillian Reis |
Report for January 20, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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The weather really wasn't too bad, with temps starting
around 36 and probably rising a bit. We had heavy, quilted overcast
skies, but little wind, and it only misted some and rained on us for a
few minutes during a long morning. |
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 Northern Shoveler. Photo by Lillian Reis |
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 Male House Finch, 2011-01-19. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Female Purple Finch, 2011-01-19 |
 Song Sparrow, 2011-01-19. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Golden-crowned Sparrow, 2011-01-19. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Bewick's Wren, 2011-01-19. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
Report for January 13, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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It rained hard at times, and water levels are pretty
high (5' reading at the gauge). There were some gusts of wind too.
But it was in the upper 40's, and we had some pretty long stretches
without rain and even a touch of sun. So the weather wasn't nearly as
bad as it could have been. |
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 Swamp Sparrow, 2011-01-08. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
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 Brown Creeper, 2011-01-08. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2011-01-08. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 American Crow with dead vole, 2011-01-09. Photos by Lillian Reis |
Report for January 6, 2011 Birding at Marymoor
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HAPPY NEW YEAR
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 American Robin with Song Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
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 Four photos by Marc Hoffman |
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Report for December 30, 2010 Birding at Marymoor
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Our last walk for 2010 was cold (27-34F), with crunchy
snow pellets on the ground. For the first couple of hours we were in
fog, which impeded viewing and kept the birds under cover. When the sun
finally came out, we were able to see more birds. |
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 Pine Siskin on a Red Alder. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
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 Adult Bald Eagle further along the slough. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Brown Creeper. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Cedar Waxwings with an American Robin, in the East Meadow |
 Male Varied Thrush |
 Male Varied Thrush |
 Bewick's Wren, 12-25-2010. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Male Ring-necked Ducks at the Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 Male Green-winged Teal at the Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver |
 European Hazelnut catkins at the Rowing Club |
 Two Bobcats resting the East Meadow trail, 12-31-2010 |
 Both photos by Lillian Reis |
