I've been unable to attend Michael Hobbs' Wednesday walks at Marymoor
for the past month or more, so today I decided to brave the weekend
crowds. The weather cooperated, from sunrise on it was clear with
almost no wind, some clouds, and only a drop or two of rain early on.

And the birds were out in force. Highlights:
Wood Duck [f] trying vainly to wrangle 10, count em, 10 ducklings in
the Rowing Club pond. A
female Hooded Merganser looked on, in my mind sighing a breath
of relief....
Bullocks Oriole - a gorgeous male chattering away near the Windmill
2 or 4 Cedar Waxwings - I had long looks at a pair on the
interpretive trail, then quite a while later
had another[?] pair over at the rowing club
Western Tanagers all over the place. Definitely over 10, probably many more.
Warbling Vireos - 5-10
Black-headed Grosbeak - several. First of the year for me.
Red-breasted Sapsucker - at least 2, probably 3, maybe 4. I saw one
dingy one early, then had 3
widely spaced encounters with a very bright colored one
throughout the morning. Also saw
several Downy, one Hairy and 2 Flickers.
Green Heron by the slough
many Vaux's Swifts and 5 sp. of swallow overhead
Yellow, OC, Yellow-rumped [both], and Common Yellowthroat were the
'only' warblers. Couldn't find a
Wilsons!
Dark-eyed Junco sex, just as I stepped out of the car [I didn't mean
to drive into their bedroom!] -
It was interesting to watch the male strut around after the act,
fanning his tail & showing way
more of the white outer tail feathers than I'd seen before.
Bushtits beating up caterpillars & then carrying to their nest, repeatedly.
Starlings carrying worms to their _loud_ nest in one of the new snags
Osprey carrying a fish [forward facing, of course] back to its nest.
Crow carrying a snake [garter, I imagine], well, carrying it. I
didn't see that nest.

And one empid at the rowing club to end the day. I begged it to give
me a parting 'fitz-bew', but it wouldn't and I left it at 'empid sp.'
Gotta go reread that Kaufman chapter....

I was surprised to find neither Coot nor Cormorant all morning.

Non-birds: 2 deer at the n.end of the slough. A rabbit, many leaping
fish & sleeping turtles, and that dead
snake in the crow's mouth.

For the day, 59 species seen, 2 more heard

A good reminder for me that some of the best birding trips can be
done w/o a long drive each way.

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA


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