Tweets - I headed down to the Kent Ponds today to look for the teal, and
found it around 12:30. It was way far away, down the channel that runs
north about halfway from the southeast tower to the grassy knoll. This
channel can be viewed from the Power Line trail.

I caught just a glimpse of a portion of the head, but even at full zoom on
my scope and at extreme distance, the combination of the white horizontal
crown stripe and the gold/cream face is extremely eyecatching. When the
Pintail in front finally moved, I was able to see the whole face confirming
the ID. Several other birders who had given up on the tower and who were
heading towards the knoll were able to see the bird, as was Alan Knue who
had given up on the grassy knoll and was heading towards the tower.

After about 2 minutes, the bird flushed and was not refound for 10 minutes
or so. I had just given up when Alan spotted the bird again, about 1/3
closer on the left shore of the channel. MUCH better looks, as the bird
preened. We still could only see the head and a tiny bit of the back, but
since it was being so active, we saw all aspects of the head and a bit of
the decorative plumes on the back. It was still visible when I left shortly
after 1:00.

Also at the Kent Ponds were at least 3 EURASIAN WIGEON, 2-3 AMERICAN BITTERN
(visible from the south end of the grassy knoll), and a pair of CANVASBACK.
There were also 3-5 RIVER OTTER.

Oh - when I first arrived, two TRUMPETER SWAN flew out of (or simply over?)
the Kent Ponds heading south. After I left the Kent Ponds, I headed down to
277th St, where there were two TRUMPETER SWAN, quite possibly the same pair.
These were right at the intersection of 277th and SR-167.

At the pond a block south of 277th on the West Valley Highway, there was a
lone SNOW GOOSE, and no less than 5 EURASIAN WIGEON drakes.

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