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