Wednesday 29 April 1998.
Complete count Green Lake; 06:15 - 07:35
Sunny, light N wind, 56F/14C

Some general remarks:
The water lilies broke through the surface some two weeks ago. I estimate
they are at about 20% of their final density. Carp are jumping throughout
the whole lake, but especially in the largest lily patch at the NW corner.

legend:
First number males, second female, third young, brood sizes in parentheses
If only one number, everything lumped.
Asterisk means a note about the species following the count.

Pied-billed Grebe 8*
Greater White-fronted Goose 1
Canada Goose 33 ad, 14gosl (9,5)
Domesticated Goose 8
American Green-winged Teal 1,1
Mallard 24,9,9 (2,2,2,3)
Gadwall 4,2
American Wigeon 1,0
Ring-necked Duck 1,1
Bufflehead 3,3
Ruddy Duck 2,0
Domesticated Duck 7
Bald Eagle 1,1*
American Coot 57
Killdeer 1*
Glaucous-winged Gull 24*
Caspian Tern 4*
Rock Dove 13
Belted Kingfisher 1,0
Downy Woodpecker 2
Violet-green Swallow 40
Cliff Swallow 4*
Barn Swallow 18*
American/Northwestern Crow 29
Black-capped Chickadee 8
Bushtit 6
Red-breasted Nuthatch 4*
American Robin 3
European Starling 16
Yellow-rumped Warbler 32
Song Sparrow 4
Red-winged Blackbird 41
Brewer's Blackbird 9
House Sparrow 42

Notes:

Pied-billed Grebe: there's one nest in the cattails in the NW corner. As of
yesterday there are two eggs, I'm expecting the third egg today. Male and
female are taking turns sitting on the eggs, although the male's shifts are
four to five times as long as the female's at this point (will undoubtedly
change as we progress), and the eggs are regularly left uncovered. The nest
is just inside a clump of cattails, on the edge of the band of cattails,
with a small patch of water. Definitely floating at this point, but
continued construction will surely make the nest come to rest on the bottom
(less than a foot of water here) before the eggs hatch. That is if the
clutch is not destroyed before then. Typically Pied-billed Grebe nest in the
cattails at this location are not successful, due to cats, dog, rats,
raccoons, people and who-knows what else. One reason why they try later out
in the open among the water lilies.
Some interesting new discoveries of the past few days: the grebes will
immediately respond to Red-winged Blackbird alarm calls by freezing in the
alarm position (sleek body [ready to crash-dive/escape-dive], neck stretched
up, looking in direction of calling blackbird), only relaxing when the
blackbird stops calling (seven occasions in the past two days).
I've noticed before how fresh eggs are turquoise and bleach over the course
of the first day post-laying. Then the eggs gradually take on the brown
coloration typical of well-incubated eggs, during the 23 day incubation
period. Yesterday I spent three hours observing in the morning and two more
hours in late afternoon. Both times, the eggs were regularly left uncovered
and were in the sun. By the afternoon the turquoise coloration of the second
egg had almost completely disappeared, both eggs being almost
indistinguishable. Should be easy to tell today's new egg.

Bald Eagle:
We still have a full adult female (with extensive areas of lighter brown fea
thers on breast and flanks) and a sub-adult male (osprey-stripe, brown outer
tail feathers and upper tail coverts) on the lake. They spend time on the
island, in the cottonwoods on Gaines Point (NE shore), Lower and Central
Woodland Park and various other trees. There is no nest at Green Lake. In
past years, the strategy in new territories in this area has been that the
birds spent the summer, building a nest that they used the following year to
raise a family. I'm hoping that what we're seeing here is a pair scouting
out a future nesting territory.
These birds are putting on a great show. They frequently perch in the
cottonwoods, practically over the path, with tens if not hundreds of people
walking by below. Increasingly people stop to look up. This morning I
watched as the little motorized brush (sweeping the path) bounced along
below the female; she didn't flinch. Urban eagles for sure.
The female caught at least two rainbow trouts this morning (the lake was
stocked several weeks ago). The first one out in mid-lake, the second along
the SE shore. On one side of me, on the road, a postal service truck with an
image of a flying eagle on the side of the truck was driving by. At the same
time, the female came lumbering by not 15 m up and 10 m offshore on the
other side. She landed in the tall willow near Kirkwood. A group of awed
people gathered at a respectful distance across the path, speaking in hushed
voices. Then she pulled a kingfisher-plunge. Straight down from her branch
into a meter of water, not 10 meters offshore, sitting on the water for a
few seconds before lifting off, with her second rainbow trout for the
morning. And off she went to the island.
Great opportunity to do some education and correct faulty information people
had received in the past (as for instance one couple who knew for sure this
must be a male, because the bird has the white head and tail....).

Killdeer:
One adult bearing the brunt of crow-wrath. What is it with crows in this
case? I can understand chasing eagles, but killdeer? Have to go check the
rooftop of the Heartstone retirement center just outside the park, to see if
the killdeer are attempting to nest on the gravel-covered roof again.

Glaucous-winged Gull:
Low numbers. More will show up later in the day. Many more sub-adult birds
than adults these days. Not surprising, given the time of year (adult
wrapped up in reproduction).

Caspian Tern:
Four birds fishing on the lake, chasing one another, their rasping calls
making detection easy. First showed up at 4/18.

Cliff Swallow:
First time today.

Barn Swallow:
First seen at the lake on 4/23.

Red-breasted Nuthatch:
The one nest under observation (snag on Oak hill north of the island) has at
least two young. Last week food was delivered inside the cavity, now the
young cling to the inside of the cavity, meeting their parents at the
entrance. Five food deliveries in ten minutes of observation around 7 AM.

I really can't imagine living anywhere else...

Good birding!

Martin Muller, Seattle
MartinMuller at email.msn.com