Hello All,
At about midday, after getting good views of the Red Crossbills at the
edge of Seahurst Park, I drove down to the Des Moines Marina to assess the
Barn Swallow nesting situation. In a survey all the way from Anthony's
Restaurant up to the fishing pier entry at the north end of the Marina,
10-11 active Barn Swallow nests were seen. This is quite a small number
compared to the 79 nests found under the public launch area alone only
4 years ago. I'll return to the Marina sometime in June to check again.

After returning to Seahurst Park, I took a leisurely 2.5 hr loop hike and
found: Several 'fitz-bew' singers, the WILLOW flycatcher is here now. A
female BLACK-THROATED GRAY Warbler was also spotted. And there is a real
puzzle here, at least to me, about the breeding status of the Varied
Thrush at a site like Seahurst Park. In addition to seeing an adult male
today, I also saw what appeared to be a juvenile Varied Thrush! There
were no adults near this 'juvenile'; it was large, plump, and
well-feathered. I consulted my Bent's Life Histories library and the
account of the breeding range of this species indicates that earlier in
this century, Varied Thrushes nested on the shores of Lake Washington.
Could this species be nesting in Seahurst Park? It seems much too early
for a well-fledged Varied Thrush; perhaps this 'juvenile' is an adult
female a little lighter and less well-marked than the norm, a first year
bird? At any rate, it is May 23, and Varied Thrushes are still here in
the deep woods of Seahurst Park.

Finally, I also scanned the water at both Des Moines Marina and the
shoreline of Seahurst. Nothing was swimming about or beachcombing
other than the expected Glaucous-winged gulls (mostly all immature birds)
and associated hybrid gulls.

A very good day and cheers,

Maureen Ellis me2 at u.washington.edu U of WA & Burien-Seahurst Park, WA

"Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of
confusion and bamboozle requires vigilance, dedication, and courage."
-Carl Sagan-

"We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities." -Pogo-