Hi Everybody:
It's hard to resist going to E WA these days after all the reports about
excellent birding over there. But Charlie Wright & I had a great time on
Tue, Apr 3 birding in our own area. We had lots of species, singing birds,
birds displaying & in breeding plumage. These areas include quick accesses
to the Green River Natural Resources Area (Kent Ponds), a newly-opened marsh
across the river from Kent Ponds, a well-hidden road's end access to Puget
Sound in Zenith near DesMoines, and a wonderful sparrow habitat in Puyallup.
We used 2 AAA maps (Seattle & Tacoma). The same areas are shown in greater
detail in the Thomas Guide 2001 - Metropolitan Puget Sound. This guide has
replaced the old King & Pierce County Guide & I highly recommend it for
outlying areas from Stanwood up north to Tacoma & Purdy in the south. It
even shows the new roads around Kent Ponds. (Detailed directions to all the
areas are at the end of this report.)
We started at 7AM, Apr 3 in the Kent Valley near S 212 St. This is where
the Lakeview Marsh, and GRNRA (Kent Ponds) are. Then we traveled south to
Kent and visited the Old Fishin' Hole and Lake Fenwick. In the afternoon we
came over to DesMoines (SW of SeaTac Airport) and observed waterfowl from a
roads-end access at Zenith. Finally in late afternoon we drove south to
Puyallup and observed a real hangout for sparrows at a wonderful birding
area in W Puyallup. It's the WSU Master Gardener's Area at Clark's Creek.
We stopped about 5:45PM.
It was a wonderful, relaxing day observing birds preparing for breeding.
Only later did we realize we had seen 79 species. Wow. Here's the list of
birds seen & heard, followed by detailed directions & some more comments.
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S. KING COUNTY & PUYALLUP - Apr 3, 2001
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe - calling
Horned Grebe - almost complete breeding plumage - at Zenith
Red-necked Grebe - almost complete breeding plumage - at Zenith
Dbl-crested Cormorant - beautiful breeding plumage - Lk. Fenwick
American Bittern - Riverview Marsh (I think this is the first Bittern seen
at this location)
Great Blue Heron
Brant
Canada Goose
Wood Duck - displaying and CALLING - several pairs
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon - Clark's Creek
American Wigeon
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Barrow?s Goldeneye - only one at Zenith
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Virginia Rail - Riverview Marsh
American Coot
Killdeer
Glaucous-winged Gull
Gl-w X Western Gull Hybrid
Pigeon Guillemot
Rock Dove
Rufous Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker - 3 at Lk. Fenwick
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Hutton?s Vireo
Steller?s Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow Kent Ponds
Violet-green Swallow Everywhere
Barn Swallow Kent Ponds
Cliff Swallow Kent Ponds
Blk-capped Chickadee
Bushtit
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Bewick?s Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler - numerous
Audubon's & Myrtle
Townsend?s Warbler - Lk. Fenwick
Common Yellowthroat - 1 only - heard at Riverview Marsh
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow - numerous & singing in Kent Valley
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln?s Sparrow
Wht-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Slate-colored Junco - 1
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark - Kent Ponds - Advo Side
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch - calling, and there some singing too
Evening Grosbeak - Riverview Marsh
House Sparrow

Total - 79 species
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DIRECTIONS & Some Comments
1. Lakeview Marsh - recently opened below a new-homes development.
Take I-5 to exit 152, Orillia Rd. Go east, down to the Kent Valley to
a new light at the bottom of the hill (42nd Ave S). Go right on 42nd.
(Thomas Guide pg 685.) Turn left on 216th and then an immed rt into a new
townhouse development called Riverview. You will be on the west side of the
Kent Valley. Drive south a few blocks on the main road in Riverview past a
gated community on the left and a children's play area on the right. Take a
right and park behind some townhomes. Walk back to the road, down about 1/2
block and look for the trail on the right which goes past a bench & gazebo.
Follow the trail about 2 blocks and follow it as it turns downhill to the
marsh.
There is a U-shaped trail (old road) around the marsh that goes about 10
blocks total. The marsh has waterfowl including Canvasback Ducks. We saw
the Bittern on the north (left) side of the marsh on the trail. It flew to
the marsh. Take the road/trail around to the south side & listen for
Virginia Rails in the cattails to the south of the trail. We also saw
sparrows including Lincoln's Sparrow in the thickets around the edges.
About a month ago we saw a White-throated Sparrow in this area. Tues we
could hear & see several Yel-rumped Warblers.

2. Green River Natural Resources Area (Kent Ponds) - the Grassy Knoll
Go back out to Orillia Rd & turn east (rt). You're in the fields of
Kent Valley. Go east. A Kestrel sometimes perches on the power lines
across from the KOA. Savannah Sparrows are singing in the Boeing Fields on
your left. Contin. on Orillia which is now S 212th St. Turn rt at 64th Ave
S & travel south about 3/4 mile, going past the animal shelter. Kent Ponds
is on your right. Park at Web Press, a bldg on the left. Walk across 64th
& up the "grassy knoll". You will overlook GRNRA (Kent Ponds). Look for
waterfowl, and maybe some raptors. They are now keeping the water level
high, so there probably won't be any migrating shorebirds this year. (I
hope this will change in the future.)

3. GRNRA (Kent Ponds) - Advo Entrance
Continue to drive south on 64th Ave S. Turn west (rt) on 226th St.
Watch for the Advo Bldg on the right. Park on the far (west) side of the
bldg. Enter the Power Line Trail from here. This is the south side of
GRNRA. We looked into the ponds from here and saw a Lincoln's Sparrow
behind the fence. If the gate to the tower is closed, walk the trail &
observe from the outside. (We only stayed a short time near the Advo
entrance.)

4. The Old Fish' Hole at Kent
Back on 64th drive south to S 228th St. Turn right (west), and follow
the road to the Green River & then south to Meeker St. Turn right at the
light and go west on Meeker. Go over the bridge, and immediately take a
left on the other side of the Green River. This is Frager Rd. The Fishin'
Hole is right there. Look for a CALLING Wood Duck pair. The rising squeal
& display of the male is amazing to hear & see. This pond is good for gulls
in the winter. (People feed them.)

5. Lake Fenwick (Thomas Guide - pg 715)
Go back to Meeker, & turn left (west). Go thru the light & start up
the hill. Meeker turns into Reith Rd. Take the first left onto Lake
Fenwick Rd. Keep left at the Y. Stay on Lk Fenwick Rd. Turn in at the
second or third entrance to Lk Fenwick. There is more parking across the
road and at the first entrance. A trail starts at the public boat launch,
goes across a boardwalk & bridge, and around the wetland. Watch for and
listen to several Wood Duck pairs. On the back (west) side of the wetland
the trail goes through some woods. We had warblers, & Red-breasted
Sapsuckers in here. It's a great spot to Bird-By-Ear. Take your time in
here. The birds don't seem to mind people. We were here about 1 PM We
couldn't tear ourselves away! A great place!

6. Zenith - South of DesMoines - Hard-to-find Road's-End Access. An
overlook of Puget Sound. We were here at 2:30 PM. Thomas Guide pg 715 &
685.
Go back down Reith to the light. Turn left (north) on Kent-DesMoines
Rd. Follow this north and then west, all the way over the hill and down the
other side into DesMoines. (From I-5 it's exit 149.) At the bottom of the
hill at the light in DesMoines, go left (south) on Marine View Dr about a
mile. Turn right (west) on 236th St. (It's small.) Follow this down and
then left. Go past the couplet (divided road). Just past the couplet the
road reunites. Go right on 239th. It looks like an alley and says dead
end. Go straight down it. At the bottom there is a chain link gate.
That's it! It's a public access w/ steps down to a landing w/ a picnic
table and a platform that overlooks the water. If you only have one car,
and it's not busy, you can park there. But parking is limited. You might
have to park up the road. This site had up to 40 Black Scoters and a
Harlequin Duck pair this winter. There is an outflow there and the
waterfowl seem to flock there in the winter. On Tue we had Grebes in
breeding plumage. There were other water birds. There were 182 Brant.
There were no Black Scoters.

7. Clark's Creek in West Puyallup - Master Gardener Area - Thomas Guide pg
805.
Go back out to Kent-DesMoines Road, and follow it all the way east to
I-167 down in the the Kent Valley Freeway. Go south (right) on I-167 to
I-512 (the Puyallup Freeway). Go south on I-512 and exit in Puyallup at
Pioneer Ave. Go west thru the city of Puyallup on Pioneer Ave about 2
miles? and park
where the road crosses Clark's Creek. You are at the WSU Pierce County
Master Gardener Demo Garden. Birders are allowed to walk along the fields &
near the creek. We birded here late (4:30-5:30) and the birds were very
active. It was a real hangout for sparrows at the end of the day. I
suspect this area might have owls at night. There must be at least 90 acres
of fields here along Clark's Creek. Birders are welcome to walk the fields,
and along the edges of the fields near the creek. We parked near the bridge
on Pioneer, and started walking near the creek at 4:30 PM. By 5:30 we had
seen several species of ducks (a Tufted Duck was reported to be here about 3
weeks ago but we didn't see it) and the following birds (among others):
Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Fox
Sparrow, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Slate-colored Junco,
& Spotted Towhee. The birds were in the thickets near the creek, and were
flying to big brush piles in the field near the bend of the river just
before the small sheds.
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Have fun birding out there this spring.
Carol Schulz
DesMoines
206-824-7618