Migrants are moving through. A wave of Wilson's warblers were seen and
heard in the forested cove of the beach park along with scads of
Violet-green swallows plus a few Yellow warblers and an Orange-crowned.
A very small flycatcher with a somewhat oversized, flattish dark head
that contrasted from the upper back, short tail, and wingbars was seen
swooping insects from a high, wind-broken snag; overall impression was
Hammond's.

There are many Song sparrows and Bewick's wrens belting out songs on
their territories and two Spotted towhee males were also heard singing
(this species disappeared for most of the winter after the Christmas
storms). Swainson's thrush and Brown-headed cowbirds were heard somewhere
in the canopy, and a beautiful male Western tanager was showing off.

An interesting sapsucker was seen in woodland east of the beach park
Senior Ctr bldgs. It had a fully red head, throat, and upper breast (no
black breast band) with distinct black and white facial stripes, and a
fairly heavily striped back (daggetti subsp for one of the parents?) It
was clearly a sapsucker, and my best guess is a Red-breasted/Red-naped
hybrid. Can anyone comment about the distribution/prevalence of
this sapsucker hybrid in the Puget Sound area?

The Barn swallow colony is slowly growing with nests at all stages under
the public launching piers. Up to four nests now have hatchlings; while
other pairs are still constructing nests. A casual recollection of last
season is that about 70 nests had fledgling Barn swallows. I'm monitoring
these local colonies more closely because of reports of population
declines in this seemingly infinite species (at one time, the Passenger
pigeon was also considered numerous beyond counting.)

Four Band-tailed pigeons were seen in the trees just north of
the beach park. A (human) couple in their 80's who often bird this area
twice a day! told me that years ago, the Band-tailed pigeon population
was over 40 in the beach park and neighborhood surrounds, but these
endearing pigeons are many fewer in recent years. They mentioned this AM
that there was a large flotilla of at least 200 Western grebes just off
the fishing pier on Friday (05-09-97). There are no reports of
any local (Normandy Park area or Des Moines marina/beach park or Saltwater
Park) nesting success among the Great Blue herons; the nearby, and
successfully nesting, Bald eagles find them easy prey.

All wintering cormorants, grebes, scoters, most of the goldeneyes, many of
the Glaucous-winged gulls, some of the Mallards and all of the Wigeons
have left. Our local Canada goose family still has the entire brood of 5
babies (these hatched approximately May 1). Happy Mother's day to these
diligent parents. This family is viewed with especially much delight by
(human) parents with their own kids.

It's an exceptionally beautiful NW springtime weekend; rejuvenation to
all! Call your mothers.

Maureen Ellis me2 at u.washington.edu Univ of WA and Des Moines, WA