Tweets - Our first December outing was chilly, but manageable. We were
under the fog early on, and it burned off in only a few hours, leaving us
under glorious sunshine. The only odd thing was the paucity of birds. What
we were mainly missing were passerines. What we did have today, that we've
been mostly missing this winter, were ducks.

Highlights:

There was one SNOW GOOSE with a hundred or so CACKLING GEESE in the
grass/gravel parking lot north of the grass soccer fields. We had many huge
flocks of mainly Cacklers, but some CANADAs, flying overhead most of the
morning. Three goose day.

For ducks, we had two male WOOD DUCKS, which are not at all common in
December at Marymoor. We had a pair of AMERICAN WIGEON at the north end of
the lake, and later in the slough. Quite a few MALLARDS, of course. A
single male RING-NECKED DUCK at the Rowing Club pond, lots of BUFFLEHEAD
everywhere, and a lone female COMMON GOLDENEYE near the windmill, three
female HOODED MERGANSERS also at the Rowing Club pond, and a flyby male
COMMON MERGANSER. Eight species, though the total number of ducks was only
about 50 individuals.

The Rowing Club was really the place to be, with a GREEN HERON and quite a
few WILSON'S SNIPE.

Matt and Scott had a BARN OWL early over the East Meadow, and later we had
two HAIRY WOODPECKERS at the north end of the meadow. The NORTHERN SHRIKE
was seen there, as well as near the first dog swim area *and* north of
fields 7-8-9. It was very active today.

Three RIVER OTTERS were seen a few times in the slough.

For the day, 51 species.

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