Hi Folks:
We had a migrant kind of day at Green River Natural Resources Area
(Kent Ponds) today, Aug 24 during our monthly census. Total numbers
weren't
huge, but what we had was pretty special. We started at 7:45am, and
ended at noon; the weather was clear, and there was no wind. The
birds started coming out by about 8am, and at 8:30 in a tree near some
apartments (but inside the census area) we saw a Warbling Vireo, a
pair of Western Tanagers (the male came in calling its prr-dit), one
Black-throated Gray Warbler, and one Yellow Warbler. Common
Yellowthroats were scattered about the whole area, but only one sang.
Several called. Near the warehouses, and out over the ponds there
were lots of V-green Swallows, lesser numbers or Barn Swallows, and
the birders in the West Meadow saw 80 Tree Swallows perched. Many of
these were juveniles. The folks that were inside at the ponds only
saw 2 Tree Swallows. There were also 2 Cliff Swallows, and 2 N.
Rough-winged Swallows.
Raptor numbers were low, but Ospreys, Red-t Hawks, and an Amer Kestrel
were seen. Three Green Herons were seen. At one point, in the
interior of the area, we saw a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, a first-fall
female. And from the grassy knoll on the east side of the ponds, we
saw a Short-billed Dowitcher (it called), a Spotted Sandpiper, and a
Least Sandpiper. No mud was showing at the Kent Ponds (we wish there
was MORE MUD!), and peeps were
seeing flying over a couple of times. The only mud we saw at all was
a 4 ft square patch under some emergent vegetation. Sheesh... In
this little patch there were 4 shorebirds: a Sht-billed Dowitcher, a
Least Sandpiper, and two Killdeer. This patch was visible
from the grassy knoll on 64th Ave.
Despite the lack of mud, it was a good day at the ponds for a census.
Migration was happening. Here is our list of species below.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines, WA
linusq at att.net
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Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron - 3
Canada Goose
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Hooded Merganser
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Virginia Rail
American Coot
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs - 1
Spotted Sandpiper - 2
Western Sandpiper - 3
Least Sandpiper - 1
Short-billed Dowitcher - 1
Rock Dove
Vaux?s Swift - 2
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Willow Flycatcher - 5
Warbling Vireo - 1
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
N Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Blk-capped Chickadee
Bewick?s Wren
Marsh Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler - several
Blk-throated Gray Warbler - 1
Common Yellowthroat - moderate numbers
Yellow-breasted Chat - 1
Western Tanager - 3
Song Sparrow
Lincoln?s Sparrow - 2
Wht-crowned Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch - numerous

Total species - 51