Tweets - we had a really nice day at Marymoor today. We didn't add any
species to the Marymoor year list, and we only had 52 species of bird (which
is kind of a ho-hum total for us). But it was still a really nice day.
Mostly sunny with a bit of very thin clouds and some wispy morning ground
fog here and there but mostly not where we were trying to bird. Cold to
start, but gradually warming.

Highlights:

Matt, Scott, and I had a SHORT-EARED OWL at the south end of the East Meadow
at about 6:30.

I had a PILEATED WOODPECKER fly past the Odd Snag hawk nest as I hurried to
catch up with the rest of the party (after an emergency trip home because
I'd forgotten my binoculars).


We puzzled for a long time over a cricket-like chirping sound below the
weir. Remarkably, this quiet noise was being made by a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
who would occasionally shift to the usual Okaleee call.

We had three WILSON'S SNIPE leapfrogging each other up the slough ahead of
us as we approached the weir.

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were singing all over the park. We also heard robin,
junco, towhee, Bewick's and Marsh Wrens, and House Finches singing.

There were bunches of COMMON GOLDNEYE - probably 10 in the slough and 10 at
the lake. Couldn't find a Barrow's amongst them, unfortunately.

Across from the first dog swim area we heard some very strange calls that
turned out to be a vocalizing NORTHERN SHRIKE. There was also a RACCOON on
the far slough edge there.

We searched the compost piles thoroughly, but it wasn't until we got to the
east end of Snag Row before we found the AMERICAN TREE SPARROW (week 6).
After it gave us good looks, it flew back to the compost piles, to the exact
spot we'd spent the most time searching for it before.

There were hundreds of AMERICAN ROBINS all over the grass soccer fields and
the lawns around the mansion. Right next to the mansion, Matt spotted a
VARIED THRUSH amongst them.

The cedars next to the windmill again held a BARN OWL, seemingly on the same
branch as last week. The nest box that was used by owls last year appears
to be a squirrel nest this year, though.

The Rowing Club featured about ten YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and the day's only
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (and - Oh Joy - HOUSE SPARROW).

We had ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS at several locations around the park - at least 4
birds.

And we had the very first INDIAN PLUM blossoms of the year (aka Oso Berry).

As I said, 52 species for the day, still at 79 for the year.

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