Subject: Great Egret continues at Kent
Date: Sep 8 18:01:40 2003
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net
Hello Tweets,
This afternoon my mother and I spent a few hours between 1:30pm-4pm checking a few birding locations in the Kent-Auburn area of south King Co. Most noteworthy observations included the Great Egret observed at the "old" Kent Ponds,which is presumably the same individual noted by Marc Breuninger,as he reported onto Tweeters on the 7th of September. Nevertheless a noteworthy species for King Co. and our personal second record for this particular location. We checked a few of the main shorebird locations than we had previously reported onto Tweeters in August such as the Thomas"pond" near Auburn and both of the Boeing Plant area mitigation ponds accessed from 66th Ave SE and 59th Ave SE near Kent,as well as the most time spent at the "old"Kent Ponds location. Overall shorebird numbers were seemingly much lower than our previous visits,probably most due to changing conditions and seasonal changes. Most notable were increased numbers of waterfowl noted specifically at the "old" Kent Ponds with relatively good numbers of Green-winged Teal,Northern Pintail, Am.Wigeon,Gadwall,and Northern Shovelers noted among other waterfowl species.The "old"Kent Ponds hosted the most diverse of species with the other locations just producing a few shorebird species of which were quite few in numbers. Good numbers of Barn Swallows persisted at many locations with smaller numbers of remaining Violet-green Swallows noted,being the only two swallows species observed.A list of noteworthy sightings during the afternoon at the following locations follow below:
Pied-billed Grebe
12 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Green Heron
2 adults at the "old"Kent Ponds
Blue-winged Teal
2 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Cinnamon Teal
1 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Ring-necked Duck
7 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Hooded Merganser
1 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Osprey
1 at the "old"Kent Ponds
1 observed along West Valley Hwy. near the Boeing Plant at a previous nestsite
Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 adult at the "old"Kent Ponds
Am.Coot
34 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Greater Yellowlegs
8 at the mitigation ponds north of the Boeing Plant(accessed along 59th Ave.SE)
Lesser Yellowlegs
1 at the mitigation ponds north of the Boeing Plant(accessed from 59th Ave. SE)
1 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Western Sandpiper
2 at the Thomas"pond"
1 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Least Sandpiper
9 at the Thomas"pond"
5 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Short-billed Dowitcher
1 at the "old"Kent Ponds(with 6 Long-billed Dowitchers)
Wilson's Snipe
1 at the mitigation ponds southeast of the Boeing Plant(accessed from 66th Ave.SE)
Willow Flycatcher
1 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Common Yellowthroat
17 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Lincoln's Sparrow
15 at the "old"Kent Ponds
Good birding,
Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net