Steve Pink and I did a bit of birding today in the Kent Valley.

At 204th St in Kent we saw several GREATER YELLOWLEGS and LEAST SANDPIPERS. The latter were everywhere we went today. Also at 204th was a female Taiga MERLIN as well as the young TRUMPETER SWAN.

>From the new pond on 212th we looked back toward 204th St. From there we saw more LEAST SANDPIPERS, a WESTERN SANDPIPER and a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER. In many years of birding, this is my first April record of this specie in Washington.

Along 285th St was a flock of 95 Cackling Geese. They all looked minima to me as they relaxed on the ground.

Not much shorebird activity at M St near Emerald Downs in Auburn. Perhaps a dozen WESTERN SANDPIPERS and an equal number of LEAST SANDPIPERS. Also, 2 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS.

We saw the BARRED OWL pair at Lake Fenwick and heard BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS and a PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER.

It was a good day.


Marv Breece
Seattle, WA
mbreece at earthlink.net