I had to remind people that the weather was actually
good, not bad. They were complaining about cold. In Garfield County on
Tuesday, I had cold. 24 degrees, howling wind, and snow. Yeah, yeah, I
was at 5500 ft., but still... Eastern WA was windy for six of the seven
days I was over there. Today at Marymoor was blessedly windless, and I
think the temperature got to about 60 at one point. Sure it wasn't a
nice sunny day, but picky picky picky...
Mammals highlighted the day. First, we had a LONG-TAILED WEASEL going
after a bunny (until it saw us) just south of the Dog Area. Then, at
the lake platform, we watched a RACCOON swim out about 100 yards
underneath the new dock (for the new development). It was swimming
directly under the jetty portion, between the pylons, all the way to the
floating platform where it swam around and dove for a minute before
swimming all the way back. Bizarre. Then, along the southeast portion
of the East Meadow there were two more LONG-TAILED WEASELS, one of which
had spots or brindling on its back - this year's young? Along the main
road just north of the compost piles, someone spotted a TOWNSEND'S MOLE
running along the base of the curb, unable to get up and away. Alexia
and Georgia rushed over to rescue it.When they got it onto the grass, it
immediately burrowed underground, causing worms to flee in wormy
terror. Finally, at the Rowing Club, we had yet a fourth LTWE. Lots of
Eastern Cottontails and Eastern Gray Squirrels rounded out the mammal
list. There were Red-eared Slider and Painted Turtles at the Rowing
Club, and hoards of nasty, biting MOSQUITOES, especially south of the
Dog Area on both approaches to the boardwalk.
Now for birds:
Black Swift
20+ over the park all morning
WESTERN KINGBIRD Flycatching along Snag Row
Warbling Vireo
*Vireo invisibilis* singing grandly
Red-eyed Vireo
Mosquitos kept us from even thinking of trying to see it.
Swainson's Thrush
Singing AND giving us good looks
Lazuli Bunting
Singing from north of fields 7-8-9
Bullock's Oriole
1-2 first-year males being pretty obvious
Nesting highlights:
Canada Goose
Goslings almost fully feathered
Wood Duck
Several females w/ducklings of a range of sizes
Mallard
Several females with fairly large young
Green Heron
On nest at Rowing Club
Red-brested Sapsucker Nest hole with young in the Cottonwood
Forest
Western Wood-Pewee Building nest just
south of Dog Area
Tree Swallow
Nesting in natural cavity as well as many boxes
Black-capped Chickadee Feeding fledged young at the Rowing Club
Bushtit
Nest found
Cedar Waxwing
Found a nest being built
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. Lots of spotted young robins already on
their own. No activity seen at either the Cooper's Hawk nest or the
Bald Eagle nest. I didn't really check the Red-tailed Hawk or Osprey
nests, though the latter is likely still active.
We also found a dead VAUX'S SWIFT that appeared to have tried to roost
about one foot off the ground, nestled into a deep groove in the bark of
a large Douglas Fir. It looked like it may have gone to sleep and
expired from exposure/starvation perhaps. No sign of trauma.
For the day, 61 species.
== Michael
Ollie Oliver's photo of a Western Wood-Pewee on a nest south of the Dog
Area
Ollie's photo of a Marsh Wren near the lake
Ollie's photo of a Black Swift
Moth at the Rowing Club
Everybody was tired by the end of the morning
Wood Duck family across from the Rowing Club
dock
Green Heron on the nest