Subject: [Tweeters] Carnation to Renton birding 1-28-07
Date: Jan 28 20:21:22 2007
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com


Hello Tweets,

Today we spent another nice day in King Co. from the carnation area then ending the day gull-watching at the mouth of the Cedar River. We began the day along S.R. 203 just north of Carnation,where up to 2 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were located at the same farm location between Carnation Farm Rd. and 60th Street. We arrived at this location at 10:30am and easily located the female Rusty Blackbird alone with several Brewer's Blackbirds perched atop one of two rooftop of barns. By 12pm a few more birders arrived and is when both a male and a female Rusty Blackbirds appeared together at times,as they foraged on the ground near a grain silo,as well as rest atop rooftops and Locust trees across the street from the farm complex. During this time the blackbird flocks were quite "jumpy" and nervous as they flew around quite often. 2 predators may have been a result of how the bird's behaved including a pair of Cooper's Hawks and a Peregrine Falcon that were all seen independently of eachother from the farm area. The Rusty Blackbirds offered the best viewing for most birders,as we stood along the busy road with our spotting scopes trained on the rooftops and on the ground,where the bird fed on spilt grain. We left the location at 2:30pm,where the female Rusty Blackbird was seen atop the barn rooftops and was the most cooperative of both male and female bird during the day.

Other species of note from this location included 5 Trumpeter Swans that flew overhead around 11am.

At 3:30pm we arrived at the mouth of the Cedar River,where we joined other birders as well as fair amount of gulls resting and bathing in the fresh water. Here,we located a nice assortment of gulls including good comparisons between both Herring and Thayer's Gulls,as well as 2 adult Western Gulls that were noted at this site. During the later portion of our visit we located "BOB" the adult female Glaucous Gull and the bird first reported by Charlie Wright last winter in the Kent Valley. This bird offered great debate and discussion between several birders,who theorized the bird to be an adult Iceland Gull. To us the bird did not appear delicate enough for that species from body to bill structure. After the bird was located it was preening most of the time,but flew off once only to return and continue preening on the father sandy strip at the mouth of the Cedar River. Almost everyone had their own opinion on this bird! The bird at times was more concealed amongst other gulls,so it was hard to see until a bird moved showing the bird's completely white primaries and soft gray mantle. The bill was not especially small,but did show a slight hook on the low mandible. The head was quite clean except for some very faint and limited streaking on the crown and not visible in every view. In all ways the bird resembled "BOB" and we recall this bird being reported from this location in the past few weeks/months by other observers.


The Slaty-backed Gull was not present by us or other birders this afternoon at the mouth of the Cedar River,where many of us remained until dark near 5:45pm. A single Spotted Sandpiper was also present at the mouth of the Cedar River,as well as an adult Peregrine Falcon resting on the Boeing Plant buildings.


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at .msn.com