Subject: [Tweeters] Kent Valley - 212th and Boeing Ponds, Oct 3
Date: Oct 4 07:32:15 2009
From: Lynn & Carol Schulz - linusq at worldnet.att.net


Hi Tweeters:
I dropped down to the Kent Valley in the early afternoon on Sat, Oct 3. I was in
north Kent in the S 212th St area. My first stop was at the 212th St Pond in the
mitigated area just east of where Orillia Rd drops down the hill and becomes S 212th
St. In addit. to the usual Mallards, there were N. Shovelers in eclipse plumage,
Gadwalls, 2 brown No. Pintails, and some Green-winged Teal. Looking across 212th St
to the north toward the 204th St fields was interesting. The farmers are harvesting
pumpkins and plowing, and birds were flying in the distance. A bright juv Northern
Harrier was flying over the field. The weather was cool and windy w/ some sun
breaks. We had had a recent rain of less than 1/2 inch.
I turned off of S 212th St onto 59th Pl, and headed north about 1/2 mile to Boeing
Ponds. At the big pond there were Amer. Coots, PB Grebes, Ring-necked Ducks in
breed. plumage, Amer. Wigeons, and some gorgeous Gadwall in breeding plumage. 14
GREATER WHT-FRONTED GEESE flew in. A friend told me that he and his wife had seen
this group along Frager Rd near the Segale llama farm a little before they flew to
where I was at Boe Ponds. There are big empty fields along that section of Frager Rd
by the llamas that geese love in the fall. It was easy for me to spot the Gr
Wht-fronts when they flew in because you can see their ORANGE BILLS, and they have a
high whiny call.
On the north side of Boeing Ponds, I walked around back on blocked-off 62nd Ave
fairly quickly, because the dogs people were arriving to train their dogs in the big
middle pond. They have traditionally done this for years, and it doesn't seem to
disturb the waterfowl much. But the Gr Wht-fronts flew. Walking around the trail I
saw 2 Yel-rumped Warblers, one of which was an Audubon's. There was one Cedar
Waxwing, and a few Barn Swallows flying.
There was one bright
OR-CROWNED WARBLER. The warblers were in the willows along the gravel road part of
the
trail. As I walked back along S 59th Pl, I walked north next a big hydro-seeded
field and around back to a wonderful weedy field.
It was about 1:40PM. Cool w/ sun breaks. No construction work was being done, maybe
because of the weekend. (Or maybe because of the threat of a massive flood this
winter by the Green River? The Boeing Ponds are very close to the Green River.) The
weedy field had sparrows. 6 Savannah, one LINCOLN'S, and one Golden-crnd. Sparrow.
There is a big gravel fleld w/ small puddles. An adult male NORTHERN HARRIER was
flying over that area, and over the weedy field, and occasionally perched out on the
gravel. It had bright lemon-yellow eyes, and very-white underparts.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines, WA
linusq at att.net