Tweets,

Nancy and I watched this kingbird actively foraging from the big leafless willows at the north end of the main pond at the "fill" between 1:20 and 1:45 PM today. It was silent the whole time so Couch's Kingbird can't be entirely ruled out. However it was almost certainly a Tropical Kingbird as it had a notably long bill, rather contrasty pale scapular and wing covert margins, had a short primary projection, and otherwise seemed to match Sibley's Tropical much more closely than his Couch's illustration. I suspect it was an adult as the tail feathers and primaries were a bit frazzled and worn. Greenish back contrasting with gray crown, white throat, somewhat dusky eye patch, lemon yellow belly and under tail, somewhat duskier yellow across the chest, dark brown tail, slightly double rounded, without white margins. The outermost primary was noticeably shorter than the next two, giving the wing a short, rounded look. Folded, the 7th and 8th primary tips could be seen beyond the tertials, with the 9th just peeking out past the 8th (I think that's what I was seeing). It was very actively flycatching, once devourring what appeared to be a hornet. When last seen it had flown to one of the leafy willows on the east edge of the main pond.

Be aware that the Husky game is in progress and the traffic will be impossible as the game ends.

Gene Hunn
18476 47th Pl. NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
enhunn323 at comcast.net