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