Subject: [Tweeters] Bicycle-birding the Smammamish Valley and Burke Gilman
Date: Apr 2 09:17:51 2008
From: W WM WOODS - wwwbike at comcast.net
We regularly bicycle the trails between Marymoor Park and Lake Forest Park to see and listen to all the birds along the way. Around 40 species is the usual number we see, give or take a few.
Winter (It still seemed like winter, as it was 33 degrees F and foggy from Marymoor to Woodinville at 7:30 a.m., April 1), the better to see and hear the birds, right? It was too foggy to see all the ducks at the little lake just one mile north of Redmond City Hall, but the Shovelers, Green-winged Teal and Killdeers were close by. We stopped in sunshine on the way back, and saw Green-winged Teal, Mallard, American Wigeon, Sholvelers, Canada Geese, and again the Killdeer. We also heard a Ring-necked Pheasant calling in the area. Marsh Wrens were singing from many locations along the trail, always in full view, while the Berwick's Wrens were hunkered down and had to be identified by hearing their songs. Song sparrows were in full view, almost underfoot all along the trail.
At Log Boom Park, we walked out to the end of the pier to set up the spotting scope to observe the ducks at the northern end of Lake Washington. There were not as many ducks as during the winter, but the variety was still quite diverse. Mallard, American Wigeon, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, and three grebe species, including about a dozen Western Grebes, a few Pied-billed Grebes, and at least two beautiful Eared Grebes in full breeding plumage; their golden feathers on their heads gleaming in the sunlight ; and yes, their necks were all shiny black, We really enjoyed seeing these fellows.
Sitting high in a tree by the base of the pier, a large, mature Bald Eagle overlooked the scene, while Coots completed the species count swimming in the lake. Double-crested Cormorants occupied the old pilings at the end of the pier, arguing about who should be where, but they did not keep the Tree- and Violet-green Swallows from investigating the nest-gourds hanging from steel poles at the end of the pier. We actually observed the Tree Swallows entering and leaving the gourd holes-- what will the Purple Martins think of this when they return from the south? The metal stem support for one pair of gourds was bent almost double, placing the gourds almost down to the water. Hope it can be repaired before the martins return.
Other birds seen or heard along the trail included Golden-crowned Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows (heard only), Spotted Towhee, American Robin (singing everywhere), Northern Flicker, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, House Sparrow, Belted Kingfisher, Rock Pigeon, Steller's Jay, Great Blue Heron, Glaucous-winged Gull, and of course many Starlings and American Crows. Before we returned to Marymoor Park, the sun was out in all its glory, bringing warmth and beauty along the trails in the Sammamish River Valley, a fitting end to a great 30-mile birding bicycle ride.
Erin and Bill Woods
Woods tree Farm
Redmond, Washington