This morning Fred Parent, Carol Magallanes and I went birding, first
stopping in Kent for a look the Baikal Teal. We didn't have any luck
from on 277th and guided by a note left on around the arrow I placed a
couple days ago we tried at the overlook on 52nd. We didn't see it
there either but did stumble on some RED CROSSBILL. The light was
reflecting off the ponds so we decided to leave and come back in the
afternoon when the light would be better.

>From there we drove to Nisqually NWR and saw the strangest thing.
First some sort of Canada/Domestic Goose flew in and landed in a
nearby tree. Soon after while looking at the Eagle Nest above the twin
barns we saw not an eagle but the head of a single Canada Goose poking
out. Really odd if you ask me. Less strange of a sighting, but
equally impressive, included the Great-horned Owl chicks, the reported
AMERICAN BITTERN, and Cinnamon Teal.

After Nisqually we headed to Brady Loop RD to try for the Ruff with a
quick stop over in Olympia. The highlight in Olympia was a Common
Loon in breeding plumage on Capitol Lake. We didn't locate the Ruff
on Brady Loop road but we did get great looks at a WIMBREL on the
eastern side of the loop. After the turn right at the south end of
Brady Loop rd we flushed several AMERICAN PIPET foraging on the right
side of the road. Further ahead in the reeds west of Fosters Rd we
saw GRYE and Black-Bellied Plovers in breeding plumage. On the way
home we stopped back at the Teal ponds on S277th and were greated with
a large scope line. We got brief looks as it went in and out of reeds
before it was flushed by a pair of BAEA. We ended the day at
Shilshole and Golden Gardens where we got great looks at two Barred
Owl's about 5 feet above our heads in the woods. We wern't really
trying for such big day but we wound up with 87 spices. I guess
spring has sprung. The day list is below:

European Starling
American Coot
Rock Pigeon
Double-crested Cormorant
Mallard
Canada Goose
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Northern Shoveler
American Crow
Ring-necked Duck
Green-Winged teal
Common Yellowthroat
Red Winged Blackbird
Marsh Wren
Barn Swallow
Song Sparrow
Great Blue Heron
American Goldfinch
Violet-green Swallow
House Finch
American Robin
RED CROSSBILL
Spotted Towhee
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Steller's Jay
Bufflehead
Merlin
Rufous Hummingbird
Northern Flicker
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Bushtit
House Sparrow
Common Merganser
Savanna Sparrow
Killdeer
Eurasian Wigeon
Cackling Goose
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Greater White-fronted Goose
Lincoln's Sparrow
Cliff Swallow
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Horned Owl
Osprey
Belted Kingfisher
Glaucous-winged Gull
Wood Duck
Bewick's Wren
Sora
Common Raven
AMERICAN BITTERN
Cinnamon Teal
Bald Eagle
Common Goldeneye
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Surf Scoter
Herring Gull
Lesser Scaup
Greater Scaup
Pine Siskin
Common Loon
Hooded Merganser
Gadwall
Turkey Vulture
White-crowned Sparrow
American Kestrel
WHIMBREL
Greater Yellowlegs
AMERICAN PIPIT
Northern Harrier
Black-bellied Plover
BAIKAL TEAL
Barrow's Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Pigeon Guillemot
Western Grebe
Rhinoceros Auklet
Mew Gull
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Hermit Thrush
Barred Owl

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Aaron Martin
Seattle, WA