Hi Tweeters,

It was a wonderful morning of weather and migratory birds at the Fill this morning. My best sightings of the day were the subject line birds.

The Chipping Sparrow, an exciting Fill first for me, posed for a few documentation photos and showed off its chestnut crown (link to photos below) on bushtops in the field that lies to the west and north of the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH) buildings. The best place to check out these bushtops is to stand on or by the gravel Wahkiakum Lane segment between the loop trail and the CUH buildings (link to site map below), and scan this field to the north of the trail.

As Connie Sidles and I were looking again, unsuccessfully, for the Chipping Sparrow, we simultaneously laid eyes on a Swainson's Thrush that popped up in the small glade on the SW edge of this field. This was another Fill first for me, and some quick research shows this to be a very early sighting of this species, so for those interested, I have a few more details on the sighting below.

The other highlights for me were some first of the year migrants: 2 Orange-crowned Warblers, 1 singing male Common Yellowthroat, 1 singing Brown-headed Cowbird in flight, and small numbers of Barn Swallows. Also nice were a Cinnamon Teal pair on the SW pond, many singing showy Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a few Pine Siskin.

Chipping Sparrow photos:
http://tinyurl.com/cnbbyf

Link to Montlake Fill site map:
http://tinyurl.com/5mb3em

Swainson's Thrush details:
Connie and I both saw the spotted thrush pop up in decent light on a small treetop, and after a moment's hesitation, we both called out Swainson's Thrush. I knew that Swainson's Thrush (SwTh) is a relatively late migrant, so I first tried to make the bird a Hermit Thrush (HeTh). However, what stuck out to me during the viewing time was the small light brownish spots on the breast, which definitely did not contrast as being darker than the rest of the bird. I never got a full unobstructed view of the tail, but I saw flashes of parts of the uppertail as the bird flew away, and it did not have a rufous tone, instead it appeared to be the same shade as the back. In consulting with my field guide after the sighting, I see that buffy wash on the breast and the head also support a SwTh ID. I did not know to look for this at the time of the sighting, however I do remember seeing some buffy markings on the bird's head. Connie, who is a much more experienced
field observer than me, immediately remarked on buffy markings supporting SwTh. I am sure she would be happy to provide more details about the location of those markings, as well as other details, upon request.
Some quick searches show this to be a very early, but not record early, SwTh for the Puget Sound region. The bird did not pose long enough for photos, and flew off to brush to the north of the field, where it was not relocated. I don't imagine it will stick around long, if it's even still there.

Good birding,
Evan Houston
Seattle, WA