Subject: On the Duwamish - 2-17-2004
Date: Feb 17 12:52:08 2004
From: Desilvis, Denis J - denis.j.desilvis at boeing.com


11:49am start; water level - 10.5ft
12:22pm end; water level - 10.8ft

Tweeters,

COOPER'S HAWK, a bright male, landed near the pier opposite me at 12:14pm. It was on the end of one of the 12X12s that are on the ground next to the pier. At first I thought it was going to preen, but it shifted position (what great views!) several times, and was very much involved with scanning the area. Twice it "smoothed down" and seemed to get ready to launch after some Rock Pigeons that flew around the Quonset hut, but it stood fast. At 12:22pm, it went airborne, heading along the edge of the river (over the water) south, and then landed in some shrubby vegetation about 200 yards from its position on the pier. Unfortunately, I had to get back to work, or I'd have waited to see if it was on the hunt. (This was the first COHA I've seen here on the river.)

The dredging barge left the scene, so the river was much quieter than it's been for several weeks. I actually heard a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD singing somewhere on the other side of the river. A harbor seal was active, surfacing several times about 50 yards from the goose exclusion area to the southwest of my position.

Other birds seen during this scan include the following:

Canada Goose (8)
Gadwall (5)
Mallard (3)
Double-crested Cormorant (5)
Cooper's Hawk
Glaucous-winged Gull (13)
Rock Pigeon (33)
Belted Kingfisher (heard)
American Crow (2)
Song Sparrow (2)
Red-winged Blackbird (heard)
House Finch

May all your birds be identified,

Denis DeSilvis
Seattle, WA
mailto:denis.j.desilvis at boeing.com