Subject: Four Spectacular Days of Birds
Date: Sep 27 10:24:42 2000
From: Rob Conway - robin_birder at hotmail.com


Tweets,

I had the great fortune to be off work Friday through Monday to enjoy what
must be the four most glorious weather and bird days I've had since coming
to Washington 12 years ago. I spent some time chasing and some time just
sitting on the back deck soaking up sunshine and watching our avian friends.
Highlights below.

Friday 9/22

Started the day with a walk in the neighborhood (Cougar Mountain, Bellevue).
I had an adult LEWIS' WOODPECKER. This was a new neighborhood bird for
me. Fantastic looks as the bird briefly worked a snag before winging off to
the SE. I also had DOWNY, HAIRY, YELLOW- and RED-SHAFTED FLICKERS,
PILEATED, and Red-breasted Sapsucker for a six woodpecker morning. Flickers
are moving through in small groups of 4-10. Also goodly flocks of AMERICAN
ROBINS and a large flocks of mixed warblers including YELLOW, YELLOW RUMPED,
TOWNSENDS, ORANGE CROWNED, and BLACK THROATED GRAY. Also a single large
(200+) flock of HOUSE and PURPLE FINCHES. Other good birds included BROWN
CREEPER, a (very late) BLACK HEADED GROSBEAK, 3 EVENING GROSBEAKS and the
first VARIED THRUSH of the year.

I spent the afternoon lounging in the sun and noticed a very small but
steady trickle of migrating raptors passing overhead. Certainly no major
passthrough but 1 or 2 SHARP-SHINNED or COOPERS HAWKS passing by every
couple of minutes. I also had one positively identified PEREGRINE pass over
and one suspected during the afternoon.

Saturday 9/23

I took a quick trip to the grounds around the Bellevue Regional Courthouse
(5XX block of 112th SE). The court and school there are built amidst the
remains of old orchards - apples, plums, and filberts and I've had some good
birds there in the past. I wasn't disappointed getting a single late
BULLOCKS ORIOLE, 3 SCRUB JAYS among the several dozen STELLARS JAYS and the
best bird of all a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH.
I ran by Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island and had RING-NECKED DUCK, a
large flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS (with one odd-ball that I really, really
wanted to call Bohemian, but just couldn't justify) and ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD.

Sunday 9/24

Got out early and hit Discovery Park. I had a single PALM WARBLER as the
outstanding bird with a CLARKS GREBE on the water as a close second and
enjoyed watching a JAEGER sp. harassing just about every gull in sight.

Monday 9/25

I hit the turf farms in the Snoqualmie Valley. I had the usual Sandpiper
and Plover sp., CALIFORNIA QUAIL, and a single gull with a black head that I
could never get close enough to get a positive ID on.

Overall a truly relaxing long weekend with some great birdy company.

Rob Conway
Bellevue, WA (and no longer NY,NY)

robin_birder at hotmail.com



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