Yeah - I know it isn't Wednesday. But with the gorgeous day, and with no
way to *drive* anywhere, I decided to walk down to Marymoor (it's only 2
miles from my house if I take the trail). It stayed below freezing all day,
but it was sunny, with low humidity, and almost no wind. It reminded me of
the days of my youth 100 miles north of Toronto (though it was colder and
snowier there).

It was very different birding there today. First, I can only remember one
day with similar weather that I've spent at Marymoor, and that was way back
in 1988 or 1989. We cross-country skied to the park that day. Second, I
walked the loop backwards, which I've only rarely done. Third, I was there
solo, which I hardly ever get to do anymore. And fourth, I birded well past
noon, so the sun was coming from angles it doesn't normally come from.

I'm so glad I went down, because it was gorgeous. It wasn't all that birdy,
in an absolute sense, but there were definitely some highlights:

First was a flock of perhaps 350-400 CACKLING GEESE, by far the biggest
flock I've ever had on the ground at Marymoor. They were there all day,
despite being flushed up by dogs at least twice. Most were minimas, but
there were several Aleutians, and at least 10-20 that were much larger, but
still appeared to be Cacklers based on neck length and bill size. There
were a few obvious Canada Geese as well.

Among the Cacklers were three GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE. I was really
hoping for a Snow Goose, but no such luck.

There were at least 30 KILLDEER, a species we've missed entirely two out of
the last three weeks.

A SAVANNAH SPARROW popped up at the Compost Piles, the first we've had
since mid-October!

I had a single WESTERN MEADOWLARK which saw me, took off, and flew straight
out of the park.

The best bird of the day was a HUTTON'S VIREO, only the third to show up at
Marymoor, and my first, after more than 675 visits! It was in the big
Cottonwood Forest, just about where the flooding starts on the slough trail.
I was searching for a woodpecker when I found the vireo. The tapping turned
out to be from a HAIRY WOODPECKER.

The Hutton's Vireo brings the Marymoor 2006 total to 149 SPECIES - we have
more than a month to get just one more...

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