Tweets - sorry about the lateness of this report. Wednesday, twelve of us
birded on a partly sunny morning, but we were plagued by stiff west winds
all morning. There were moments of good birding, but there were large
sections of the walk that were really too windy to see or hear much.

Some nice birds though.

Warbling Vireo 2 or 3
Western Tanager 5, including 3 at once
Black-headed Grosbeak Saw ~3, but heard many more (10?)
Wilson's Warbler Saw ~6, but heard many more (12?)
Yellow Warbler Saw 3, but heard many more (8?)
Orange-crowned Warbler 2, silent
Black-throated Gray Warbler Silent pair on east end of trail

We also had 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and many Common Yellowthroat, so we
had a 6 warbler day. The Black-throated Grays were only our second
sighting in springtime, and the Western Bluebird is our second Marymoor
record period. Both WEBL sightings have been in Week 20, quite a bit
later than our Mountain Bluebird sightings.

I heard a "whit" that sounded very much like a SWAINSON'S THRUSH, and
MaryFrances thought she had a Willow Flycatcher.

Nancy and Jim Roberts reported a male WESTERN BLUEBIRD near the pedestrian
bridge over the slough (just north of the main entrance bridge), but we
were unable to relocate it. In the same area, though, was the AMERICAN
ROBIN with the entirely white back and tail - a very striking bird. A
juvenile robin was begging it for food, so the aberant-plumage robin
apparently bred successfully.

Nancy & Jim also directed us to a couple of baby KILLDEER with their
parent, generally in the same area where the bluebird was reported. We
did get to see those little guys.

The most interesting sighting was just south of the first footbridge on
the slough trail. Brian Bell noticed the robins going nuts, and as we
approached, we could see a couple of robins, a towhee, a Bewick's Wren,
and some chickadees, all giving alarm calls. They did not seem to be
looking overhead - no accipiter. Just moments before I saw it, I realized
what it must be. A LONG-TAILED WEASEL poked ouf of the ivy covering a
tree, and started making its way down to the ground from about 10 feet up.

SADLY, I must report that the GREEN HERONS have abandoned their nest that
was just north of the Rowing Club dock. Last Friday, I noticed that
someone (perhaps a fisherman) had CUT a trail right at the water's edge,
from the Rowing Club boat launch ramp northward. The path passes just 10
feet behind the nest, and there is a likely-looking fishing spot about 20
feet north of the nest. Nobody has seen the herons at the nest since the
7th or 8th, though we did catch a glimpse of one at the RC dock.

For the day, 52 species (plus maybe SWTH and WIFL). For the year, 106
species (WEBL and BTYW new for 2003).

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