Tweets - the number of birders present today was a far cry from last week.
Only six of us showed up. We did get rained on some (though not too badly)
and we did get blown around, especially at the lake platform. But it wasn't
too cold, and there were long periods of calm. Birding was spotty, but it
was definitely NOT a dud week.

Highlights:

SWANS 5 - silent - flying south west of the slough
Wilson's Snipe 1-2 East Meadow
Sharp-shinned Hawk One near mansion
MERLIN One over the old cricket pitch
Barn Owl Matt had 1 at 6:50 over the East Meadow
R.-breasted Sapsucker Rowing Club parking lot
Northern Shrike 1 along the north edge of grass soccer fields
Yellow-rumped Wblr Still hundreds around
Nashville Warbler Matt & I glimpsed one west of mansion
Townsend's Warbler 1 or more at Rowing Club parking lot
Western Meadowlark 15 on the old cricket pitch

At about 7:20, two geese flew north over the Dog Meadow. It was perfect.
The lead goose was a CACKLING (probably minima subspecies) and the trailing
goose was a CANADA. Amazing flight comparison, with a huge size difference
between the birds, and the very short bill and neck of the Cackling evident.

We had an Aythya duck at the lake that caused a lot of discussion. Wind
conditions precluded getting a definitive ID, but it was probably a Lesser
Scaup. It just looked *wrong* for scaup to me somehow, but I was in the
minority there. I was thinking Ring-necked Duck (despite a dark face and
lack of white on the bill), or Ring-necked x Scaup. Tufted female even came
to mind...

For the day, 57 species. Not bad at all considering the weather.

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