I didn't send out a Marymoor Park Report for yesterday (bad Michael), but I saw
a raft of at least 12 Common Mergansers where the lake empties into the slough.
Since they were a ways out and were diving, this might well be the same raft as
your 19. I have seen 10 or more several times at Marymoor, in both spring and
fall. My record, though, was around 75 just west of Coulon Park in Renton,
1/23/98.

Other birds at Marymoor yesterday included

Green Heron 2 or 3
Osprey 1 or 2 over lake
Vaux's Swift At least 30 over rowing club ponds
Red-eyed Vireo 1 brightly colored bird singing
Yellow Warbler 1 singing male
Wilson's Warbler 1 singing male

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland WA
== hummer at isomedia.com

----- Original Message -----
From: Jacki Bricker <seaotter at eskimo.com>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, August 13, 1999 3:04 PM
Subject: Raft of 19 common mergansers on Lk Sammamish


>
> Last weekend I was visiting a friend's house on Lake Sammamish. During
> the evening, we were standing out on their dock, when a raft of 19 (!!!)
> common mergansers swam by. It was quite a sight. Looked like a healthy,
> robust little flock, too.
>
> My question is this: I've never seen that many common mergansers together
> all at once before. The most I've seen is 4 or 5 foraging in the same
> place at the same time. I know I've never seen that many swimming en
> masse. I just found it unusual. Has anyone else seen large groups of
> common mergansers traveling together?
>
> -Jacki Bricker
> Woodinville, Washington
>
>
>