I just got back from Europe yesterday, and used jet lag to my advantage in getting to the park by 3:30 this morning. It was glorious, with an almost-full moon, Saturn and Venus to the east, clear skies, and ghostly fog all over the meadows. At the NE corner of Lake Sammamish, the PURPLE MARTINS were chorusing loudly from their nest boxes. Then I climbed as high as I could at the Compost Piles and was able to see a BARN OWL.

Eventually, I was able to find Matt Bartels in the fog at the model airplane field (his first appearance at one of my walks was 10 years ago yesterday).

On the walk itself, we battled the fog for the first couple of hours. Fog in sunshine becomes completely opaque, so it was a bit hard to see some of the birds early. Then the fog burned off, and the morning warmed up from the 45 degrees we had at 5:30.

Highlights:

Green Heron                     1 look, 1 glimpse
MERLIN                          Flew over the lake platform; swallows were upset
black wing-tipped gull       One at about 5:45 a.m. over the mansion
Hairy Woodpecker           One flew overhead
Pacific-slope Flycatcher    One was seen near Dog Area portapotty
Cassin's Vireo                   One singing near 2nd dog swim beach
Red-eyed Vireo                At least two singing, one seen
Purple Martin                    Male going into gourd, besides ones heard earlier
Orange-crowned Warbler Uncommon at this time of year
Yellow-rumped Warbler    At least 2 near mansion
Bullock's Oriole                 One near 3rd dog swim beach

The MERLIN was probably the biggest surprise, as we've never had one before during the late May->mid July timeframe. In fact, including all of May, June, July, and August, we've only had 10 previous sightings, mostly around the end of July through the beginning of August.

With WARBLING VIREO too, it was nice to have a 3 vireo day.

Lots of babies (including Brown-headed Cowbird young being tended by Song Sparrows and White-crowned Sparrows). Lots of activity at the heronry, including two juveniles tussling: "You're on my side of the nest", etc.

For the day, 61 species.

== Michael Hobbs
== birdmarymoor@frontier.com

Song Sparrow feeding a juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird.  Photo by

Female Wood Duck with ducklings.  Photo by Ollie Oliver