Subject: songbird migration around Seattle
Date: Sep 1 19:41:13 1999
From: Hal Opperman - halop at accessone.com


Hello Tweets,

JoLynn and I guided a Seattle Audubon field trip along the I-90 suburban
corridor today, visiting Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, Bellefield
Park (Mercer Slough) in Bellevue, and Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island.
Nothing spectacular turned up -- except the weather, which was gorgeous --
but we did find some evidence of songbird passage. WILLOW FLYCATCHERS were
quite numerous in the willows (!) and alders (hmmm, were they *all*
Willows?) along Issaquah Creek. The same area and adjacent meadows had
dozens of TREE SWALLOWS. WARBLING VIREOS were much in evidence at the
first two stops. Well over 100 AMERICAN ROBINS flocked and foraged at
various spots. They were especially fond of the blueberry farm, as were
the numerous CEDAR WAXWINGS. We saw close to 70 of the latter species
there and elsewhere. And finally, we had a good sprinkling of WESTERN
TANAGERS. Other than these, many RING-BILLED and CALIFORNIA GULLS, and
perhaps ten VAUX'S SWIFTS at Lake Sammamish, the rest of the total of 55
species we found today were probably summer residents rather than migrants.

Hal Opperman
Medina, Washington
mailto:halop at accessone.com