Thanks to Kathy for another neat spot! After dipping on the phalarope at Thomas ponds, I decided to check out this nearby spot. As I approached the cottonwood grove I found the Least Flycatcher in a pair of smaller Red Cedars at the near corner. For the next hour, from noon to one, I had great views of the bird, alternating between the cedars, the nearby cottonwoods and even the top of blackberry bushes. Most of the views were within 20-40 feet away. Continous calling by the flycatcher made him pretty easy to find. At first it didn't seem very birdy, but standing in one spot for an hour I saw the following birds (NOT promising to be in exact taxonomical order);

Great Blue Heron

Vaux's Swift

Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Rufous Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher (pair)

Osprey (carrying prey or nesting material towards cell tower at 277th)

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Western Wood-pewee

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Bushtit

Bewick's Wren

Brown Creeper

Robin

Cedar Waxwing

Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Bullock's Oriole (2 pairs)

American Goldfinch



Behind the Thomas ponds area, on Avenue D (about 1/4 mile north of 44th) is a neat area that has a series of 4-5 small marshy areas. I SAW 5 Virginia rails and a Bittern. After checking this area I circled around to the Thomas ponds, but still could not find the phalarope. For the record, per Kathy, the directions are accurate. It is about a 100 yard walk to the grove once you cross the river.



Jeff Cohen

Gig Harbor










> Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:41:30 -0700
> From: chukarbird at yahoo.com
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: [Tweeters] Kent Least Flycatcher!!, Wilson's Phalarope
>
>
> Hi Tweeters,
>
> I was just out for a walk not looking for anything in particular and ran into a Least Flycatcher. Very very vocal, I could hear it over the Green River and fortunately there is access to where it is and I got good looks too. The one in Snoqualmie I saw last weekend had a bit of yellow wash to it's breast I thought, this one is completely white underneath.
>
> >From Highway 167 coming from the south exit on Willis (516) and take your first right onto 74th Ave S. Coming from the north off th Willis exit you will need to go left and under the freeway then right onto 74th Ave S. In about 1/2 mile 74th turns into S 259th by Foster Park, turn right into the gravel lot for Foster Park next to the RR tracks. Take interurban trail south over Green River then go right on the gravel path on the south side of the river to a small wooded area, mostly cottonwoods, this is where the Least Flycatcher was calling and flycatching in the understory. It is a much more restricted area so being able to see the bird is much easier than the Snoqualmie bird. This little spot was surprisingly birdy in addition to the star of the show.
>
> The Wilson's Phalarope a beautiful female was at the new Thomas ponds off of the 277th exit from 167 on the east side of the freeway next to the U-Hual center where Toysmith used to be.
>
> Kathy
> Roosting in Kent, near Lake Meridian
> (chukarbird at yahoo dot com)
> Any driving directions contained within this message are given as a courtesy, beware, author is directionally challenged and will not vouch for them.
>
>
>
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> Tweeters mailing list
> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
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