Subject: [Tweeters] Nashville comes to Seattle
Date: Apr 27 13:45:03 2008
From: Jim Flynn - merlinmania at comcast.net


Hi again Tweets,

An hour's walk through Schmitz Park this morning yielded a nice selection of Warblers.
Marissa Benavente and I hiked from the Stevens St access towards the trail outlet near
53rd and Orleans St.

The birds were present in good numbers but fairly quiet, only the BLACK-THROATED
GRAY WARBLERS doing much singing (other than the resident singers). I would estimate
there were at least 50 warblers in just a small area of Red Alder and Big-leaf Maple near
the upper end of the park. Most, of course, were YELLOW-RUMPS, including a couple of
MYRTLES, but we also saw at least 5-10 ORANGE-CROWNED and 3-5 BLACK-THROATED
GRAY WARBLERS. The most unusual bird was a NASHVILLE WARBLER first picked out
by the whitish area on the lowest belly. The birds were all neck-breakingly high in the canopy
but with persistence we got a good look at the NASHVILLE'S gray head, and white eye ring.
Also high overhead were the "cuck-oo" calls (though in a throaty, owl-like voice) of BAND-
TAILED PIGEONS.

Not all of the action was in the canopy. There was a very pale VARIED THRUSH and 1-2 HERMIT
THRUSHES near the trails. All in all, it was very birdy in the park, despite the overcast skies.

good birding,

--
Jim Flynn
merlinmania at comcast.net
Seattle, WA