Tweeters,



Six of us enjoyed a nice field trip to Lake Sammamish State Park yesterday. At the Park and Ride off of exit 9 on 405 we observed on Red-tailed hawk on the nest. We then carpooled to the swimming beaches. Plenty of Rufous hummers doing display dives as well as singing Orange-crowned warblers were seen near the playground which of course means that we saw several Brown-headed Cowbirds as well. A breeding plummage Common Loon gave us great close up views just off shore. Walking to the bigger swimming beach (Sunset beach?) we observed a Green heron with interesting coloration. The bird appeared to be an adult with pure white primaries. I know white coloration is common in herons and egrets, but I have not observed this bird there before. Has anyone else? Just after spotting the heron a group member picked out a Townsend's Solitaire flycatching in the planted restoration area next to the beach. This bird gave us great close up and prolonged viewing. It was a drab-winged adult. While watching the Great-blue Heron rookery we saw a Harrier soaring just above the tree line. Back across Issaquah creek we heard Pileated Woodpeckers, and saw a very vocal pair of Red-breasted Sapsuckers in the Cottonwood trees.



For the last part of our trip we drove to the Microsoft campus and heard Virginia Rails in the small marshes bordering the parking lots. We then walked down to Issaquah creek and heard Golden-crowned sparrows. A second bright-winged Townsend's Solitaire was also flycatching here. There was birght white on the outer tail and the buffy wing patter was very bright and noticible in flight and upon perching. A Northern Rough-winged Swallow was also seen at the creek.Just as we were wrapping up our day and Osprey soared right over us and circled a few times. Great way to end a trip and 53 speices counted.



Full trip list is below in no particular order:



Red-tailed Hawk (on nest)

Robin

Dark-eyed Junco

Yellow-rumped Warbler (all Audubon's)

Purple Finch (many)

Downy Woodpecker

American Goldfinch

Common Yellowthroat

Red-winged Blackbird

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Bewick's Wren

Song Sparrow

Northern Flicker

Black-capped Chickadee

Orange-crowned Warbler (3)

Bushtit

Rufous Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird

European Starling

Common Merganser

Green-winged Teal

Glaucous-winged Gull

Bald Eagle (one 3rd year and one adult)

Tree swallow

Canada Goose

Pied-billed Grebe

American Coot

Mallard

Green Heron (white primaries noted)

Great-blue Heron (nests all active)

Bufflehead

Townsend's Solitaire (2)

Pine Siskin (heard flying over)

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Western Grebe (large raft of ~100 far off shore)

Brown-headed Cowbird

White-crowned Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Spotted Towhee

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Pileated Woodpecker (heard)

Northern Harrier

House Finch

Violet-green Swallow

Marsh Wren

Virginia Rail (heard)

Rough-winged Swallow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Killdeer (heard)

Osprey



Amy Schillinger

Renton, WA

schillingera at hotmail.com







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