Tweets - last week was one of the few visits to Marymoor that I've made
where we had NO highlights. Enough said.

Today wasn't much better for most of us.

We started an hour late this morning, having spent an hour trying to
relocate the NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL that Matt Bartels found at about 7:15
south of the little footbridge south of the East Meadow. *He* got great
looks. We got no looks at all. There is a lot of impenetrable cover there
for a small owl to hide in. NSWO is our 5th owl species for Marymoor Park,
and our 148th species at the park in 2005. Great to get another addition to
the park list, even if I didn't see it.

So, having had no joy with the owl search, six of us headed out amid the
drizzle/rain and the wind. There wasn't much of note, but a few things
popped up:

Wood Duck Two at lake
Red-breasted Sapsucker One east of mansion near restroom
Yellow-rumped Warbler Two near S end of dog area
Townsend's Warbler One just northeast of mansion

There were large flocks of ducks flying south towards the lake all morning.
They were too far away and too high to see for the most part. One flock
contained at least 2 male NORTHERN PINTAIL, but we can only guess that most
of them were American Wigeon and/or Northern Pintail and/or Northern
Shoveler.

There were LOTS of sparrows at the Compost Piles, but only 6 species. Lots
of White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, several juncos, perhaps six
Lincoln's Sparrows, just a couple of Song Sparrows, and a towhee (our only
one of the day). Despite careful searching, we could find nothing unusual
there.

We missed such "easy" species as Canada Goose, Gadwall, Common Goldeneye,
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Fox Sparrow, and Red-winged Blackbird, but still
ended up with 46 species for the day.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland, WA
== http://www.scn.org/fomp/birding.htm
== birdmarymoor at verizon.net