Subject: On the Duwamish - 7-06-2004
Date: Jul 6 13:06:47 2004
From: Desilvis, Denis J - denis.j.desilvis at boeing.com


12:13pm start - water level low and getting lower; all mudflats visible
12:41pm end

Tweeters,
A misty day along the river, and definitely a change from yesterday's sunny warmth. I could only see two nestling OSPREYS poking their heads up at the Hamm Creek nest; one adult was in attendance, which did leave the nest for a brief period. KILLDEERS are starting to show up on the south side of Turning Basin #3, with four seen among the many starlings feeding there.

A lone CASPIAN TERN flew past me to the south, following the river.

Note: At 5:59am, one of the Ospreys attempting to build a nest on the light tower in the Oxbow parking lot was at the tower. A photo taken yesterday (courtesy of Ray Hamlyn) showed quite a few more branches and twigs have been added to the "nest" since last week. At 7:30am, the local Peregrine Falcon was on the west power tower (Hamm Creek).

Birds seen during this scan include the following:
Canada Goose (31; one "domestic" goose was with them)
Mallard (17)
Double-crested Cormorant (2)
Osprey (1 adult; two young)
Killdeer (4)
Glaucous-winged Gull (8)
Caspian Tern
Rock Pigeon (11)
Belted Kingfisher (the first I've seen at TB3 for quite some time)
American Crow (8)
Violet-green Swallow
Marsh Wren (heard)
European Starling (>40 mostly feeding on the mudflats to the south of TB3 and in the (empty) stormwater drainage to the south of the goose-exclusion area)
Song Sparrow
House Finch (2)
American Goldfinch (2; looked as if they were in a territorial "discussion" with the incumbant chasing the other out and settling atop a birch tree to sing)
House Sparrow

May all your birds be identified,

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