Brett and Tweeters,



About 10am a 1st summer swan flew into Juanita Bay. It finally swam close
enough to get a really a good look and it was a TUNDRA SWAN. I have a
couple of photos, and would be happy to send them along. Most probably the
same bird.



Not too many birds venturing out in the snowy/rainy weather. There's still
at least one HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, and 2 different WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS.
Yesterday, Ryan Merrill saw the first BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER of the
season.



MaryFrances Mathis

Kirkland

mf.mathis at verizon.net

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From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Brett Wolfe
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 4:31 PM
To: Tweeters
Subject: [Tweeters] Probable Trumpeter Swan at Montlake Fill - 4/20/08



Well it was actually out on Lake Union, but I saw it from the Fill (aka
Union Bay Natural Area or UBNA). I had gotten out there fairly early to try
and see some of the wonderful stuff that Connie Sidles had reported
yesterday.



Unfortunately, I struck out on all the good things Connie reported yesterday
except the Orange-crowned Warblers. Couldn't miss their singing in the
little glade east of the Center for Urban Horticulture.



The swan however, was a very unusal sighting any time at UBNA. Yes they are
seen there at times, but it is rare and usually seems weather related. Last
three times I have seen a swan it was either very foggy out, or snowing,
like it was early this morning when the bird was on the water.



Now, I have 10x50 Eagle Optics and I'm a pretty good birder. The bird I saw
looks like the drawing on page 72 in my Sibley's guide, a "1st Summer
(Oct-Jul) Juvenile" Trumpeter Swan. It was too far away to see any color on
the bill, but it certainly seemed to have the more 'Roman' nose than what
the Tundra's usually represent - and all I could see was black. I couldn't
discern a 'gap' that might have been yellow coloration or anything that you
try to pick out at distance. The body color was mostly white with gray on
the back as in that picture in Sibley's (which I had available at home - I
had my Kaufmann's while in the field, but it was really wet with that
snow/rain/sleet stuff that was coming down around 7:30ish). I felt pretty
solid on Trumpeter this morning, and my additional study at home has me
feeling very strongly that it was a Trumpeter Swan I saw this morning. Alas,
is was not there when Connie and others showed up out there! I think after
the weather let up that it flew on north..



Shut out on shorebirds except Killdeer. I did get 6 sparrows again:
Savannah, Song, White-crowned, Golden-crowned, Lincoln's and House. I have
thoroughly struck out on the Swamp Sparrow that is there, five separate days
with at least 7 sessions of 15-25 minutes of standing trying to see this one
bird. I pretty much give up. Anyway, back to what I did see. There was a
nice group of 8 Northern Pintails on the Central Pond early, and I saw them
flying a couple of times as well - such beautiful, sleek ducks! When on the
ground they always seem like elite athletes with that curl of color up their
neck. Let's see...Black-capped Chickadee working on its nest hole on a snag;
Bushtits nest-building; Northern Flickers and Downy Woodpeckers both
drumming and displaying; Cedar Waxwings flying around exhorting me to "see,
see" and I was doing my best to see everything! Virginia Rail high-stepping
along a tussock to get out of the open and away from prying eyes and foul
weather. Both Myrtles and Audubons sub-species of Yellow-rumped Warbler were
present and accounted for. Common Yellowthroats were seemingly everywhere,
singing their circular sounding "whichety-whichety-whichety" songs, and I
was pleased with my first good views of the year of a female Yellowthroat,
and her coloration was so splendid and bright! Also nice to share the view
with my friend Andrea Wuenschel who showed up!



We got a good chuckle watching the Violet-green and Barn Swallows flying
around this morning. It looked like they were all holding their breath as
they were zipping about. All these fat looking little "tank swallows"
soaring here and there...it was really quite humorous. Our guess was that
they were so cold flying around that they had their feathers all puffed,
even in flight, which seems quite interesting. I am used to seeing birds
puffed out when perched, but not while in flight. Still, these birds looked
twice the girth of the normal swallows one sees zinging around.



All told, 53 species out there, plus a couple additions on the walk home
through Ravenna and Cowen Parks. I was soo darn cold, I called ahead and had
the Blue Onion Bistro get a plate of country-fried steak and eggs ready for
me when I walked up. After that I passed out, thus the late post. Hope
everyone else had good birding days too - no matter the weather, the birds
are there. You just have to step out of the house and go find 'em!



Brett A. Wolfe

Seattle, WA

m_lincolnii at yahoo.com



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