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