Yesterday (1/8/08) I birded mostly in the Kent Valley. Dipped at first light on the Red-shouldered Hawk at Kent Ponds, but from the grassy knoll, I enjoyed 10 TRUMPETER SWANS. Nothing much at the Boeing Ponds on 59th, or on 204th St. I decided to change gears and visit Lake Fenwick. While there, a PILEATED WOODPECKER flew to within 8 feet of me and began chiselling. This bird was not drilling for food. It was working on expanding an older hole. After about 15 minutes and many photos, I moved on as the woodpecker continued to hammer. Just after leaving the park, I spotted a male Taiga Merlin perched atop a tree on Lake Fenwick Road. The falcon was eating a small bird and the body feathers swirling around the tree top looked like snow. I continued to watch until the Merlin ate the last bite, which included leg and toes.

At about 2:30, I visited the boathouse at the mouth of the Cedar River. The gulls were coming in to bathe. There was a nice assortment, including Mew, Ring-billed, Herring, Western, Thayer's and Glaucous-winged. But try as I might, there was no Slaty-backed or Glaucous to be found. I counted 27 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE across the way, towards Gene Coulon Park.

It was a good day.

A note on the Magnuson Park BOHEMIAN WAXWING. When I arrived at the park on Monday afternoon, the bird had just left the small flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS it had been with. Several people had been watching it until 2 minutes before I arrived. Every twitcher's fear! It took me about 30 minutes to find it. When I did, this BOHEMIAN WAXWING was alone atop a poplar. There wasn't one other bird in the same tree or in any other tree nearby. This was near the tennis courts as have been other reports. So if you look for this bird, and do not find CEDAR WAXWINGS or AMERICAN ROBINS, just remember, birds are where you find them! Good luck.


Marv Breece
Seattle, WA
mbreece at earthlink.net