Subject: Redpolls at Spencer Island
Date: Feb 18 15:31:12 2002
From: B&P Bell - bellasoc at isomedia.com


Hi Tweets -

A belated report from yesterday. A group from Seattle Audubon was at
Spencer Island yesterday morning. We had just crossed the bridge onto
the island, at about 0910 when we noticed a flock of what turned out to
be about 50+ Common Redpolls. They were actively feeding in the alder
trees just behind the county parks container. They were crawling all
over the alders and gave us good views - life birds for many of those
present. While observing these western visitors, I saw one bird which
popped out as being distinctive. It was much paler than the others, very
white on the breast, belly and flanks (there might have been a hint of a
very pale streak on the flanks). It had a very pale pink suffusion on
the upper breast, and a pink cap above the eyes. A brief view as the
whole flock flushed back deeper into the trees, looked like the back was
quite frosty with possibly a whitish rump. Sure looked like a Hoary
Redpoll. The flock continued to work the whole alder clump over for the
next hour and a half - as we passed by we could get brief glimpses of
them.

Nice flock of about 30+ Ring-necked Ducks in the ponds north of the
central dike. Several Red-tailed Hawks around (one very dark morph), a
female Northern Harrier, and an immature Bald Eagle. Large numbers of
Mallards, Northern Pintails, and Green-winged Teals in the flooded area
south of the central dike.

Obviously the redpolls were the highlight of the day.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
bellasoc at isomedia.com
www.peregrinenorthwest.com