Tweeters:

Anne Winskie and I held our annual fall survey at Graysmarsh yesterday. The
cooler, wetter weather pattern gave rise to hopes that there might be a
decent passage of passerine migrants, but there was only a brief shower
overnight. It was a mediocre day for overall species count (105), and there
were a number of misses, but we did have several local rarities, migrant
highs and first arrivals of the season:

GRAYSMARSH HIGHLIGHTS 9/4 (notable migrants, species totals)

Canada Goose 230 (high count, mostly s. Grays)
Cinnamon Teal 3
Blue-winged Teal 4
BW/Cinn teal, sp. 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 (high count)
11 shorebird species (incl. BLACK OYSTERCATCHER 1, Baird's Sandpiper 6, Semi
Sandpiper 2)
6 gull sp in average numbers, Mews high already (120), but no Bonies or Com.
Terns
Parasitic Jaeger 2
BLACK SWIFT 1 (down low w/swallows following squall in morning, new for site
list)
Empidonax, sp. 1
Violet-green Swallow 112 (probably undercount)
N. Rough-winged Swallow 2 (getting late)
Cliff Swallow 3 (slightly late)
Barn Swallow 94 (probably undercount)
PURPLE MARTIN 2 (over Sugarma Lake, only 2nd time at Grays)
Swainson's Thrush 26 (incl. nightflight birds)
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET 1 (early)
Am. Pipit 1 (first of season)
Hutton's Vireo 21 (all-time high, at least 4 family groups plus singles)
Warbling Vireo 8
9 warbler species (70 individuals), including MacGillivray's Warbler 1,
NASHVILLE WARBLER 1*
Savannah Sparrow 113
Lincoln's Sparrow 16 (ties high)
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW 1 (first of season)
White-crowned Sparrow 69 (high count)

*Anne Winskie had the female NASHVILLE in a unlikely spot at the south edge
of the property, a wooded hedgerow that has never produced much of anything
in the past. Here were 5 other warbler sp, a Warbling Vireo and the Empid,
plus 2 Lincoln's Sparrows. I was unable to see the bird but heard it chip
distinctly twice. I had a bird at the public beach access nearly a year ago
to the day (Sept 3, 2004).

Behavioral and other highlights: Anne observed a female N. Harrier hunting
in an animated fashion/hovering over something that ascended to the lower
branches of a small tree, where it continued to make attempts; I stumbled
upon a juv. Swainson's Thrush that had just fledged, but was having real
problems getting the legs to function, it looked as though it had gone
"splat" face first near the edge of a ant-trail. 6-8 of the nasty Formica
ants (red-and-black) were attacking, and I even gave though to the idea that
they had forced it from its nest just a bit ahead of schedule. There were
63 Elk in s. Grays, evidently the herd that regularly hangs out off Schmuck
Rd. I found 4 new vascular plants for the property list, the most notable
being California Broomrape (Orobanche californica), a plant parasitic on our
familiar Puget Sound gumweed (Grindelia integrifolia).

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com