Tweets - I think there were just 10 of us today, under solid, high overcast,
with occasional drizzle (but nothing really to speak of). Windless and
mosquitoey, temps warming. Quite a nice day today, except that none of us
could wake up. I certainly needed a nap when I got back (hence this tardy
post).

The species count was pretty good, but there weren't any real surprises.
What there was were many opportunities to spend a lot of time watching our
common, extraordinary birds.

Here are some random highlights:

Just before 5:30 a.m., Brian and I saw a SPOTTED SANDPIPER in the
containment pond near the paved Event Pad.

On a small, dead-topped elderberry in the Dog Meadow were a male AMERICAN
GOLDFINCH, a male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, and a male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.

A GREAT BLUE HERON spent more than 10 minutes (at which point I dragged the
group off to continue our walk) trying to eat an absolutely enormous fish -
maybe a bullhead. The fish must have been a foot long, and looked clearly
too big around for a heron to swallow. I've got a couple of bad photos of
it on my blog at www.marymoor.org.

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES were seen bringing food to, and taking a fecal sac
away from a nest hole in one of the easternmost trees in Snag Row.

Baby BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS were seen being fed by a male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
and a SONG SPARROW.

A female COMMON MERGANSER sat atop some of the chopped snags in Snag Row,
which is comical to see.

I had one BLACK SWIFT that challenged my identification skills as it was
flying in a straight line flapping continuously.

There were an abundance of both RUFOUS and ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, often with
intra- and inter-species chases. While we saw them in several places, the
highest concentrations were at the south end of the Dog Meadow and in the
Pea Patch.

We had a juvenile PURPLE FINCH, which is the first I ever remember at
Marymoor. Previously, summer sightings of PUFI have been pretty sparse -
this year, we've seen them each week. Several other PUFI were singing.

At the Rowing Club, I found a WARBLING VIREO singing from a nest. Viewing
was VERY OBSCURED, though most of the group (amazingly) managed to see the
nest eventually.

At the lake, on the new dock, was a single BONAPARTE'S GULL.

Brandon found our first RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH since January, in some Doug
Firs east of the mansion.

Babies abounded: American Robin, European Starling, Dark-eyed Junco,
Black-capped Chickadee, Red-tailed Hawk, Brown-headed Cowbird, Tree Swallow,
Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, Mallard, Black-headed Grosbeak, Anna's
Hummingbird, Purple Finch, Warbling Vireo, Bushtit, Canada Goose, Wood Duck,
House Finch, White-crowned Sparrow, and Downy Woodpecker. Probably other
species too, but some of the Song Sparrows, for instance, are getting a bit
hard to tell from adults.

For the day, 61 species.

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