Tweets - I don't know why I bird Marymoor - I mean, it's not like we ever
see anything interesting there... Oh, yeah, well, okay. Maybe we do :)

I was stunned to have so many people show up today. TEN of us were there,
despite rather a lot of ice on the roads on the eastside. The morning was
COLD (about 22 degrees when we started), with a high thin overcast that
never burned off. No wind. No rain. Actually quite pleasant. The birds
were scarce early on; rather slow to get moving in the cold. But it ended
up being quite a day. Unfortunately, two people had to leave after breaking
through the ice and getting their shoes soaked with freezing water.

Highlights:

Gr. Wh-fronted Goose Perhaps same 3 as yesterday
TRUMPETER SWAN Almost certainly of ID, though silent. Flew NE.
Cackling Goose Not quite as many as yesterday, at least 1 Aleut.
Hooded Merganser MANY, maybe frozen out of small ponds
Northern Harrier Juvenile hunting over East and Dog Meadows
GR. YELLOWLEGS Two calling and flying north. Only 2nd ever.
Wilson's Snipe Three flushed, ONE STAYED right close
SHORT-EARED OWL Gave Matt a show early, gave us a show at ~10
Hairy Woodpecker Flew over lake platform
Northern Shrike Nice adult west of East Meadow; had report of 2
COMMON RAVEN Only our 7th sighting at Marymoor, 1 flying east
Varied Thrush At least 4 at Windmill eating apples, heard 2+
American Pipit Maybe 3-4, including 2 "skating" on ice
Savannah Sparrow Probably same bird as yesterday
Wh.-throated Sparrow Seen by one of the wet-footed ladies as she left
Dark-eyed Junco Two different Slate-colored birds
Pine Siskin 20 seen by the same wet-footed lady

Snipe ALWAYS flush, unless they are on the far side of the slough or on the
far shore of the pond. But not today. One remained in a puddle, just a
dozen feet from the trail, allowing us to watch it up close for several
minutes. WOW.

Greater Yellowlegs were the 2nd species I've added to my personal Marymoor
list in the last 2 days, following yesterday's Hutton's Vireo. Houston
Flores reported the only other GRYE ever, in April 2004. Today's birds
called constantly; we were standing near the maintenance barns when they
flew overhead.

The SHORT-EARED OWL was seen shortly after the Harrier went by, and at first
we thought that's what it was. But after the first quick glance, it then
proceeded to circle and rise over the model airplane field and the East
Meadow, giving us great looks. Today's bird was a female.

We had two PIPIT along the east edge of the Dog Meadow that were hopping
around on the ice (that area is flooded), which gave us good looks. Later
we had one at the Compost Piles, and still later we had a couple of
fly-overs of single birds.

We also managed to find a couple of BROWN CREEPER, a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, a
single PURPLE FINCH, and we had great looks at FOX SPARROW among others.

The Trumpeter Swan brings the 2006 Marymoor list to an even 150 species!

For the day, an awesome 63 species, with a 2-day total of 67.

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