Tweets - when we got there, it looked like the weather might not be too bad
after all. It was overcast, but not raining. But after a few minutes it
started to drip then to drizzle, and over the next two hours the rain got
slowly but steadily harder until we were all wet. The birding took a
nosedive in the rain too, and a promising day ended up just soggy. After
about 11:00, things cleared up a bit.

Highlights:

WOOD DUCK - we had a pair at the Rowing Club pond, and from the RC dock we
saw 8 fly south, for a total of 10.

NORTHERN PINTAIL - uncommon at Marymoor - 6 or 7 were in a tight flock at
the lake.

GREEN HERON - one flew around near the weir, and landed in a couple of the
large cottonwoods nearby.

When I first arrived, there was one OSPREY on the nest, with another on a
nearby lightpost. A THIRD Osprey then flew to the nest with a fish, letting
the one on the nest eat. The second Osprey then came and landed on the nest
too, making 3 on the tiny platform. The one who had brought the fish took
issue with the one coming over from the lightpole, and it departed. So
there seems to be some disagreement about just who is supposed to be doing
what at the nest. I don't know if the 3rd bird is a rival male or one of
last year's young hoping there's still a free home meal at Mom's.

An adult BALD EAGLE was seen carrying a very large branch ("a tree",
according to Matt). We were standing at the south end of the Dog Meadow and
watched it fly all the way north and maybe north out of the park. That's a
long way to carry a stick.

VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW - large numbers (~50) for the first time this year.
Several Tree Swallows too, but no other species.

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH - appearing to be excavating possible nests in a
couple of snags NE of the mansion.

BUSHTIT - continue to build nests, one near the east end of the boardwalk,
the other at the Rowing Club.

AMERICAN PIPIT - three landed in the Dog Meadow just west of the
Interpretive Trail. They hopped around a while before flying off to the
northeast.

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT - Matt (only) glimpsed 1 (only), but heard maybe 8
singing.

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW - heard both pugetensis and gambeli singing.

For the day, 56 species.

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