Hi Evan, Tweets,

I too was out at the Union Bay Natural Area (aka UBNA or Montlake Fill) from 8:00-10:15ish. I can confirm most everything that Evan spotted this morning, although I missed the snipes this morning - I did see the Northern Harrier (NOHA) all over the place though. Yesterday I was just starting my count of waterfowl on the Central Pond when a NOHA flew over and scared up all of the wigeons and other ducks. About 15 minutes later when I got over by the lone pine tree up above Shovelers Pond, I accidentally scared the NOHA up off the ground, and an American Coot that it had been on staggered pitifully into the water and hid near a bush in the center. This morning, I was watching the NOHA woth some other folks, and it was being harassed by a pair of crows. It made a couple of circles over the marsh on the east side of the UBNA, and wasn't paying proper attention. The NOHA almost ran into a Great Blue Heron on a log along the edge, and the heron let out a loud SQUAWK!! and the
NOHA had to jump to avoid the heron, and the crows both! We all started laughing out loud, it was quite comical to watch.

Anyway, although I did not see the Pileated Woodpecker myself, I definitely heard the bird this morning, even pointing it out to some other folks. Glad you actually saw it to confirm it.

I can confirm Tree Swallow, as at one point it flew over chattering the distinctive Tree Swallow calls. I was looking extra hard this morning after Charlie Wright reported swallows down in Kent yesterday. The clear day rewarded me, and a number of others as well.

There were also 2 male Ring-neck Pheasants. So cool to see these beautiful fellows sneaking around through the grass!

Possible to see Cinnamon Teal in winter, but I haven't seen any this year yet, and I am at the UBNA at least every other day (today was my 31st time in 2007 - I am working on my Senior Thesis for the UW). This doesn't mean it wasn't a Cinnamon Teal; I'll keep an eye out over the next few days and see if I can find one. I hope, I hope!

At one point at the end of the morning, I pointed out a singing Western Meadowlark perched in top of a bush along the west side of UBNA. I found two Pine Siskins amongst a roving flock of American Goldfinch, Bushtit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-capped Chickadee. There were even some Golden-crowned Sparrows in the underbrush. This was out at the road entrance that leads from the pavement to the E-5 parking lot (there is a little restoration spot there, and lots of birds).

I'm not sure if you were one of the folks I talked to out there this morning or not Evan. I'm the guy with the long hair and beard who was walking around in a black hoodie this morning. If you see me out there, hit me up, we'll compare notes! Sounds like you are seeing some great stuff yourself!

Brett A. Wolfe
Seattle, WA
m_lincolnii at yahoo.com


Evan Houston <evanghouston at yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi,
For my first post to Tweeters, I have decided to share the highlights of my birdwatching trip to the Montlake Fill this morning. There was nothing extraordinarily unusual, but there were a few notable sightings for me, and this trip was a high-species-number-count for me (I?m an eager ?advanced beginner? who started early last year and takes most of my trips to the Fill, as it?s a manageable size with different habitats, and it?s within biking distance for me!).

Summary: ~50 species seen from 7:45-10:45 am.
Highlights (somewhat, but not completely, in taxonomic order):
Greater White-Fronted Goose ? presumably the six that have been there all winter
Common Goldeneye ? a male/female pair; first-time-seen-at-the-Fill
Common Merganser ? 2-3 males and 1 female
Ring-Billed and Mew Gulls ? flock of 15+ Mews and 1 Ring-Billed in rec. field W of slough
Northern Harrier ? an immature (buffy wash on underparts) glided and swooped through the Fill, landing amongst the reeds several times (I never saw if his stops were successful); first-time-seen-at-the-Fill
Bald Eagle ? 1 adult
Wilson?s Snipe ? 5-6 flushed by the harrier
Pileated Woodpecker ? a male (red malar) hammered his way up a tree in a brief stop by the Fill; first-time-seen-at-the-Fill
Lincoln?s Sparrow ? 1 seen near where the trail to the CUH diverges from the loop trail; several sightings of 1 of this species in the past few months leads me to believe this fellow is overwintering at the Fill
White-Crowned Sparrow ? group of 5-6 foraging on the ground near the Lincoln?s; first-of-the-year
Dark-Eyed Junco ? 1; first-time-seen-at-the-Fill!!
Swallow ? first-of-the-year; presumably a Tree Swallow
Ring-Necked Pheasant ? nice posing male; first-of-the-year
Great Blue Heron ? group of 6+ were congregating on an island visible from the left side of the UW crew launch area; I wonder what they were doing hanging out so closely?
Unidentified Duck ? visible resting on the largest island in the inlet that the slough empties into (just SW of the ?Dime Lot?). He was with a female, and his head was turned away from me, with his bill tucked under his feathers. The part of his body I saw (back/top of head, breast, and sides near the breast) appeared to be a relatively uniform rufous, and the head was an even richer cinnamony color. I am wondering if he was a Cinnamon Teal, because I can?t think of what else fits the description of what I saw. But it seems like it might be too early to expect to see this species here. So please don?t set out just to see this guy, as the combination of distance/angle of view/inexperience leave me unsure of the ID.

Good birdwatching,
Evan Houston
Seattle, WA
evanghouston at yahoo.com


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