Tweets - sorry for the belated report. Yesterday, the weather felt like it was
the 91st day of February, but the number of birders (11) and the bird species
list confirmed it was May. Lots of new birds for the year, and lots of birds
not seen.

Highlights:

Band-tailed Pigeon 6 over the grass soccer fields at 5PM, first of
spring
Vaux's Swift Two at RC; first of spring
Warbling Vireo 1-2 near south end of Dog Area, first of spring
N. Rough-winged Swallow Several over lake, first of spring
Hermit Thrush Great view of one south of the East Meadow
Orange-crowned Warbler About 10 scattered
YELLOW WARBLER Male at southernmost dog swim beach, first of spring
Yellow-rumped Warbler Abundant, males & females, Myrtle's and Audubon's
Wilson's Warbler Male near lake platform, first of spring
BL-HEADED GROSBEAK 2+ males seen singing, first of spring

Yesterday's YELLOW WARBLER was the earliest record (by a day) for Marymoor,
beating out May 3, 2000.

The BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was the earliest (by a WEEK), beating out May 9, 1990
and 2001. Trying to interpret my data, which mostly suffers from granularity
of a week, it would appear that yesterday's sighting is week earlier than the
earliest reasonable average first record. (What I'm trying to say here is that
my data shows an average first arrival of May 13. However, due to the fact
that I only have data from one day each week, the actual average first arrival
could be as early May 9 without conflicting with my observations. If the
actual average first arrival was before May 9, I would have had to have
consistantly missed those early birds. In any case, yesterday's sighting seems
to be very notably early).

We also had an OSPREY or two (several sightings) all morning. In the afternoon
I saw an Osprey circle up with a fish in "hand", and fly off to the northeast
out of Marymoor. I'd be interested in where a nest might be. There was an
adult BALD EAGLE flying over the lake, well south of Marymoor. Lots of
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS over the slough in the morning, and a Chestnut-backed
Chickadee in the cottonwoods just north of the Pea Patch (a somewhat unusual
location).

Birds not seen: Double-crested Cormorant, American Coot, Steller's Jay,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow,
Dark-eyed Junco, Western Meadowlark, and Pine Siskin. Maybe it is May after
all.

48 species seen during the morning, another 2 in the afternoon while my son
played soccer (Cooper's Hawk and Band-tailed Pigeon). For the year, lots of
new ones (plus better counting of previous weeks') brings the year total to 101
species.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland WA
== Hummer at isomedia.com
== http://www.scn.org/fomp/birding.htm