Subject: Discovery Park this AM
Date: Sep 20 19:21:02 1998
From: Alan and Steve - tuftedpuffin at earthlink.net


This AM I spent the morning at Discovery Park. There was a great showing
of migrants, including some really good birds for King County. Large
numbers of Northern Flickers (at least a third of which were hybrids
and two Yellow-shafted), Cedar Waxwings, Varied Thrush, Hermit Thrush,
Wilson's Warblers, Lincoln's Sparrows, and Evening Grosbeaks were noted.
Among other birds noted were:

One Blue Jay was seen and heard well between 9-9:15 near the
intersection of the Bike Loop and the Loop Trail, west/ southwest of the
North Parking lot. It seemed to be associating with a group of 15
Steller's Jays moving south through the park. I went back to the spot at
10:00 and was unable to re-locate the bird. I checked most areas nearby;
the bird was very vocal and if calling is easy to locate.

An immature Lewis' Woodpecker was found flycatching from the top of a
dead tree in the fields above the South Bluff. The bird was seen from
10:45-12:00.

While watching the woodpecker, an immature Northern Mockingbird appeared
in a hawthorn to my left. It then flew to the same tree where the
woodpecker was perched only to fly off to another hawthorn several feet
away when a pair of kestrels decided to use the same tree as a lookout
post. This bird was still in a nearby hawthorn when I left at 12:00.

Townsend's Solitaire: One bird earlier in the morning (8:25) near the
same spot as the Lewis' Woodpecker; could not be found later in the
morning.

Other noteworthy species: a group of 20 or so Lapland Lonspurs flew
over, followed by two Snow Buntings, and several groups of American
Pipits; two Merlins flying into the nearby woods flushing the numerous
thrushes, grosbeaks, waxwings, sparrows, and wablers feeding there; and
at least two American Kestrels feeding in the South Bluff fields.

Later this afternoon, I birded with Alan Grenon on the West Seattle-
Vashon Ferry, trying to find the Cassin's Auklet seen yesterday. We
never saw the auklet, but did see 3, possibly four Parasitic Jaegers.
Two Dall's Porpoises help to round out a great official start of autumn.

Good Birding, Alan

______________________________
Alan J. Knue
tuftedpuffin at earthlink.net
Seattle, WA