Tweets,

This morning before work, I dropped by for some birding at Lake
Sammamish State Park. Half way between the lake and the foot
bridge, on the west side of Issaquah Creek and atop a Douglas
Fir (I think), was a familiar song from my days of birding
northern Michigan. For a frustrating 10 minutes I strained to
see the source of the song which remained fixed in the upper
canopy.

The song was an insect-like, lazily-delivered, doubled and some-
times tripled "b-z-z-z-z-z b-z-z-z-z" all on the same pitch.
About 10 seconds would elapse between phrases. The first part
of doubled phrases was longer in duration than the second part.
This bird sang for all of 10 minutes while I strained to find
it.

Then a sparrow-sized brown bird dropped from the tree tops and
into some thick lower canopy. I could see from the naked eye
that the underparts appeared unmarked and were an off-white, but
that was it. I figured that seeing it lower down would be a
cinch. Wrong!! I stayed another 15 minutes searching all
around before giving up (it never sang again).

At the point where Issaquah Creek drains into the lake, there
were 3 Spottted Sandpipers and an amazing 6 adult Bald Eagles,
3 in the cottonwoods nearby and 3 more along the shoreline near
the n.w. end of the park. An 3rd-year Bald Eagle was also
counted as were an Osprey and a Cooper's Hawk.

Wilson's, Orange-crowned, Yellowthroat, Yellow-rumped, and
Yellow Warblers were all singing away this morning along with
Swainson's Thrushes, Willow Flycatchers, and Western Wood-Pewee.

Great morning to be out.

Carl Haynie
Sammamish, WA