Tweets -

One of the most outstaning days ever, a gorgous morning with sun, light winds,
lots of birds, lots of animals. I was joined by Mike West and Joyce Meyer.

Highlights:

Mallard Four ducklings w/parents near
windmill
Wood Duck Pair in slough n. of boardwalk
Common Merganser At least 24, cooperatively fishing in the slough
Bald Eagle Adult flew over boardwalk
Osprey Near windmill
Cooper's Hawk East end, near baseball diamonds, adult male
Common Snipe One flew out from just n. of the weir
California Quail Three or four
Mourning Dove 1 on w. side of slough s. of Dog Central
Red-breasted Sapsucker PAIR harassed by Tree Swallows at s. end of dog area
Belted Kingfisher Male at Rowing Club Ponds
Pileated Woodpecker Brief look at flying bird
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 late one
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 near mansion - Late?
Orange-crowned Warbler Many, (at least 5 or 6), with lots of singing
Yellow-rumped Warbler Abundant. Mostly Audubon's males, but some Myrtles

We had nesting Mallard, Red-tail (just outside the park), Robin, Bushtit, and
(I think) House Finch. Several more species were gathering nesting materials.

The Tree Swallows REALLY didn't like the sapsuckers pecking on the swallows'
(presumed) nest trees. The crows REALLY harassed the Cooper's Hawk.

The mergansers were great to watch. They were in the slough all morning,
herding fish into corners. Gang fishing. Sometimes all up at once. There
were some near the weir early, more were further towards the lake later.
Twenty four emerged from the slough into the lake at the same time we arrived
at the lake platform. Later, more were back in the slough near the rowing
club. They appeared to be moving up and down the slough. LOTS of tiny fish
(salmonids?) were jumping in the slough.

AND THEN THE ANIMALS:

In the slough near Dog Central we had a BEAVER. In a tree opposite the rowing
club dock, a RACOON climbed up and went to sleep. And of course there were the
usual squirrels, garter snakes, turtles, frogs, and slugs. And -- the first of
the year MOSQUITOES.

All told, we had 53-55 species of birds in about four hours birding.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland WA
== hummer at isomedia.com
== http://www.scn.org/rec/fomp/birdlist.htm