Hi Tweets:

Thursday, May 9, East Lake Washington Audubon lead a field trip to Spencer
Island. This was the first visit for 6 of the 11 participants. It was an
extraordinary birding day. About 11:30 a.m., we watched 8 American Bittern
flying, dropping down into the cattail marsh, then flying out again. Some
were flying south of the barn, north of the dike, while others flew over the
eastern part of the marsh. When 2 of the bitterns dropped into the marsh, we
could see wings flailing for several seconds, before they were airborne
again. We managed to scope one bittern in its bittern pose.

>From the center dike we scoped several male Yellow-head Blackbirds, Dunlin,
Long-billed Dowitcher, Least and Western Sandpiper. On the return path to
our cars, everybody saw the Virginia Rail as it called, protecting at least
one youngster. Following is a complete list of the 54 species for the field
trip.

SPECIES SEEN
>From 5/9/2002 to 5/9/2002 - Spencer Island
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
American Bittern - 8
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Virginia Rail - 5, one seen
American Coot
Killdeer
Long-billed Dowitcher - 4
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove - 2
Vaux's Swift
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren
Bushtit
Black-capped Chickadee
American Crow
European Starling
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch

Joyce Meyer
Woodinville, WA