Brian Bell and I did our usual Thursday morning trip to Marymoor today. Very
heavy, wet air, and a bazillion mosquitos, but quite good birding too.

We had what we are 95% sure was a female LAZULI BUNTING, near the weir.
Unfortunately, there was an out-of-control dog problem at the same time, and
the bird headed west before we could be positive.

First-of-the-year birds:

Spotted Sandpiper Working over the lilly pads in the slough
Mourning Dove One bird at the model airplane field
Black Swift Approx. 10 birds, where the marsh wrens are near the lake.
Seen simultaneously with Vaux's, giving us nice comparisons.

There were Swainson's Thrush singing everywhere, very nicely, and we got to
see three.

At the Bald Eagle nest, we saw both adults, and two young. The babies are now
the size of crows, and are almost as dark colored. They are still pretty
fuzzy; no flight feathers yet.

We had a gorgeous look at a Great Blue Heron feeding in the slough. While we
watched, a male Red-winged Blackbird landed on a nearby branch. Then, over
the next 30 seconds, the blackbird flew three times, hitting the heron on its
lower back with its feet, then returning to the branch. The heron paid it
little attention, but it did move away, walking down the slough a few yards.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland WA
== MJCT_Hobbs at msn.com