Hi Tweets!

I explored Lake Fenwick Park in Kent again today and sturck paydirt!

While hiking up the trail on the eastside of the park I heard another
strange bird call growing ever louder. With binoculars in hand I spied a
large bird shape land up high in a tree not too far from me.

A PILEATED WOODPECKER "keeking" and surveying his territory!
Also sighted two NORTHER FLICKERS
And a DOWNY WOODPECKER

Today was my day for woodpeckers! How common are sighting of Pileated
Woodpeckers around here?

I also spied three CEDAR WAXWINGS
PIED BILLED GREBE
Mom WOOD DUCK AND six babies (same family as the other day, just more
ducklings were seen)
Male WOOD DUCK
REDWING BLACKBIRDS
Bazillion swooping swallows
FOX SPARROWS
ROBINS
And, ugh......starlings.

I think I heard Stellar's Bluejays. No "sound" of the Sora today.

I ended up doing the entire trail system at Lake Fenwick Park. Wonderful
one hour or so hike.(For more serious birding, it will be much longer) I
timed myself from parking lot at Woodland Estates Apartment complex at
Kent-DesMoines and Reith Roads back to where I had my car.....by the
lake. The trail is pretty easy, the stair climb might wind some older
Tweets or out of shape younger birders. Great habitat for spotting
woodland birds on the east side. Once you do the stair climb you have
only a few yards until you spy the lake, down below you. The trail back
down to the lake is pretty gradual and easy. Down by the lake there is a
trail which takes you to an open area. Just beyond the open area the
trail continues along the lake. This is a "pennisula" and the trail
becomes a board walk with the lake one side and the marsh (where I heard
the Sora) on the other. The marsh is full of swooping swallows and this
is where I've spotted the Wood Duck family and Pied Billed Grebe.
This boardwalk ends at another parking area. Do not cross the parking
lot, but turn right and walk along the edge of the lot till you find
another trail. This trail goes along the west side of the marsh and can
get a bit muddy. This is where I spied the Cedar Waxwings and the Downy
Woodpecker.

There are NO RESTROOMS on the trails or in the park. Thought you'd like
to be aware of that!

I read somewhere that there plans afoot to build a mini-golf course
somewhere in the Lake Fenwick Park area. No! Leave the park like it is.
It's almost like a little bit of the past and should be preserved as it
is.

Lydia In Kent

Lydia Gaebe In Kent, WA/lydia at wizards.net
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