Hello Tweets,

Today Dave Hayden, and my mother, and I birded mainly Snohomish Co., with a
quick visit in south King County on our way home with a total of 85 species
for the day. The main highlight was the male HOODED ORIOLE briefly present
at 10:15am in Canyon Park in southern Snohomish County, after rather
extensive searching of the vicinity, where it was present behind the
residence of 23511 53rd Ave. SE flying low from a pink-flowering dogwood
tree then not to be seen again, as we remained our stay. I was unfortunately
the only one person to see the bird, as Dave Hayden and I walked the
perimeter of surrounding residence, after we watched the feeders for quite
awhile, with NO LUCK. The weather at this location was quite cool and
cloudy, with isolated light rain showers at times,with minor wind, as was
the case throughout the remainder of our visit to Snohomish County, with
heavier winds along the Everett waterfront. The oriole is probably searching
the surrounding habitat, despite not coming to the hummingbird feeders, as
it can also eat available insects too, but it is may remain quite elusive.
Other birders were also at this location, as they watched and searched the
surroundings as well as us, during our stay until 11:15am.

Other notable species during our visit included:

1 Cooper's Hawk
5 California Quail
12 Band-tailed Pigeons
1 pair of ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS
1 Hairy Woodpecker
1 WILLOW FLYCATCHER(seen and heard in a small patch of decidious trees,
being a migrant at this location)
3 Western Wood Pewees
5 Swainson's Thrushes
1 Warbling Vireo
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
10+ Wilson's Warblers
2 Yellow Warblers
1 MacGillivray's Warbler
1 pair of Black-headed Grosbeaks
1 pair of Red Crossbills


At 12pm we checked the Snohomish Sewage Treatment Plant in Snohomish, where
weather conditions began to improve, but still cloudy, where highlights
included:

5 calling Virginia Rails(with one bird seen)
3 Blue-winged Teal
1 pair of Cinnamon Teal
1 Lesser Scaup
1 Osprey
6 swallow species, including 3 BANK SWALLOWS
1 Bullock's Oriole

Next, our main birding location was the Everett waterfront at Port Gardner,
as we viewed the east shore of Jetty Island at incoming high tide. The winds
were most notable at this location during our stay, although we managed to
locate 21 ARCTIC TERNS, with most birds birds seen flying over the south,
and west portion of the island, as well as at least two birds noted resting
on the exposed mudflats along the eastern portion of the island, as we
viewed them with our spotting scopes. I have never encountered this high
number of birds at this location, although many of them are defintely
believed to be true migrants, as they continue to head north, with only a
few nesting pairs to remain. Past visits for my mother and I have always
been in June and July during the nesting season, with a few nesting pairs,
so it was nice to see many of them in migration.

Other notable species at this location included:

1 Common Loon
1 pair of Am.Wigeon
12 Northern Pintails
1 Common Goldeneye
1 pair of Hooded Mergansers
2 Marbled Murrelets
4 Ring-billed Gulls
6 California Gulls

On our way home, as mentioned before we made afew stop in southern King
County, as the weather began to greatly improve, but the wind still
remained, being heavy at times. We started at the Kent Ponds(old name),
where the only highlights were 7 Cinnamon Teals, 4 Ruddy Ducks, 3 Ospreys,
and 1 calling Spotted Sandpiper. Our last species of the day was 2 female
Buffleheads resting with other waterfowl, in a flooded field between Emerald
Downs, and Hwy.167 in Auburn.

Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net