Hello fellow tweeters,

Today was one of those charmed Western Washington days that makes everything
life can throw at you worth-while.
Got up and looked out the window, noticed some frost on the windows of cars
parked out front. After breakfast I scraped it off and loaded up the car and
off I went, down to Green Lake. Saturday morning bird walk to lead for the
Green Lake Park Alliance. When I arrived a number of East Lake Washington
Audubon Society members were already set up and busy checking out the lake's
waterfowl. A male and female Ruddy Duck in winter plumage. Not nearly as
challenging as the October Photo Quiz in ABA's "Birding" would have us
believe.
A few scattered high clouds. Eight AM and the promise of a sunny day was in
the air. An adult eagle across the lake in the top of a tree on the island.
The flock of American Wigeons off to our right, so after a quick
introduction to the lake's geological and human-related history,
wigeon-wards to see if we could find the Eurasian Wigeons. Wednesday morning
I noticed a likely candidate female Eurasian alongside the male Eurasian but
the lousy weather got the best of me. Bob Sundstrom confirmed my suspicions
in his tweeters report. Today, attempts to see the buffy-brown female's
sooty-black wing linings were mostly stymied (Daryll did manage to look at
the female as she flapped her wings and he got to see the all-important
field mark).
Heading counter-clockwise we found a male Common Goldeneye and a Horned
Grebe foraging in the bay near the wading pool. A male Common Merganser
remained distant, but with good enough light to see the iridescence on his
dark head.
Near the island we got a good look at may have been the female half of the
resident pair of Bald Eagles; some faint brown on the head behind the eyes.
These past weeks I've seen at least four distinctly different eagles at the
lake. Hard to tell who's who. I think it's safe to say that at any given
moment there are at least 100 Bald Eagles in King County (32 know
territories = 64 adults and a bunch of sub-adults). Unless you see the birds
acting like a pair while incubating eggs or tending young in the nest, how
can you be sure you're looking at the resident pair? The fact that the adult
birds often fly together and throw their heads and vocalize after landing in
close proximity is a good indication, but I don't feel 100% sure unless it's
the actual breeding season.
Suddenly there's the rattle of a Belted Kingfisher somewhere near the
island. There's been a male around these past few weeks. Today, as we spot
him, we fear for his life, for there's an adult female Cooper's Hawk in hot
pursuit. Don't know where the kingfisher escaped to, the Coop came and sat
in a tree and let us study her from various angles. Good looks at her
"crest", the relatively large head with centrally placed eye, and the adult
cinnamon-rufous breast markings. She kept her "skirts" down and didn't show
her legs. Still quite positive about the id. Gorgeous bird.
We continued, looking for Red-Breasted Sapsucker (in vain) near the north
tennis court. Probably need a good cold snap to drive this species down the
mountains into the lowlands (expecting a few reports of lowland Red-breasted
Sapsuckers now....).
As we started along Aurora Avenue the Coop came zipping along, trying for
some Black-capped Chickadees in willow trees. Missed. Perched. Another good
look.
Gadwalls, American Coots, Buffleheads, a number of Pied-billed Grebes. One
spreading the feathers around the small tail, exposing the darkly-pigmented
skin at the base of the white tail feathers to the sun; sunbathing posture,
back to the sun. Hard to believe this bird has about 18.000 feathers
(compare that to a hummingbird with approximately 1000 feathers and a swan
with 22.000).
Checked the logs for turtles, no luck (although some were seen later in the
day).
Heading toward the Aqua Theater both male and female Bald Eagle came flying
overhead, landing in a tree top out of sight, but quite audible. A quick
stop at the Aqua Theater to point out the nest tree.
A few Yellow-rumped Warblers flitting around in the top of a birch tree in
the riparian area east of the Pitch-n-Put Golf Course. Will they stick
around all winter again?
Goldfinches, Ring-billed Gulls. Not much news until at the very end, a large
bird or prey perched in a tree over the path, right at the Community Center.
Coop? Kinda big. Holy smokes, immature Peregrine Falcon! Quick check, no leg
bands. That makes six of these birds around town. Not sure I've seen this
bird before, although an immature bird has been reported from the SAFECO
building in the University District. The bird is BIG, female. Looks like
she's got a slight crop. Ate not too long ago. Good to see that. A few
head-bobs, she's interested in food. Boy, this could be good. She's off,
pursuing birds over the diving platform offshore, missed a Rock Dove,
returns to shore and sits in a tree on the beach, not paying much attention
(aside from an occasionally cocked head) to the multitude of people staring
at her through binoculars and scopes and camera gear, or walking 30 beneath
her, unsuspecting. Big mute (defecation), this bird has eaten well recently.
She's off in pursuit of her next meal.
She stayed in the general area for the next 1 1/2 hours. I set up my small
table and did my promised community outreach on behalf of the Green Lake
Park Alliance. Sell historical calendars, hand out newsletter and brochures
with a key to all the tree species labeled in the park. Hard to remain
focused at conversations with the peregrine zipping around trying for female
American Wigeon. Ring-billed Gull, American Crow, and a squirrel on the
ground. Eventually lost her after she flew off in the general direction of
the Library.
This by no means meant the excitement was over. Not 30 minutes later an
immature female Cooper's Hawk showed up and did some spectacular hunting
through the same trees along the same stretch of beach near the Community
Center, perching in a couple of locations for up to 20 minutes at a time.
Such a treat to have a scope at hand. Beautiful, pale-eyed, hatchyear bird.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love Green Lake Park?

Cheers,
Martin Muller, Seattle
MartinMuller at email.msn.com