Tweets - what a nice morning to be out! It was 37 degrees at 7:30, which
seemed cold in comparison to how warm it's been. It warmed up pretty nicely
during the morning as the sun danced through the clouds. The wind didn't
pick up until we were through. And IT'S SPRING, according to the wrens,
chickadees, sparrows, Indian Plum, and some willows. Singing constantly
filled the air.

Highlights:

Greater White-fronted Goose At least 1 with flyover Canadas
Green Heron Same spot at Rowing Club pond
Barn Owl Scott had one early along road
Belted Kingfisher Eating salamander at Rowing Club
Red-breasted Sapsucker Next to park office in Sequoia
Hairy Woodpecker Working elm(?) west of mansion
Northern Shrike North of grass fields 7-8-9
Cedar Waxwing More than a dozen in East Meadow
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 at Rowing Club

Singing birds included BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, BEWICK'S WREN, MARSH WREN,
SONG SPARROW, and HOUSE FINCH. It's amazing "how many more Bewick's Wrens
there are" once they begin singing. Almost certainly just a sampling
artifact - they go from quiet skulkers to active yodelers.

We had a nice mixed flock of about a dozen PINE SISKINS mixed with a similar
number of AMERICAN GOLDFINCH that gave us good looks.

Some GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS got thoroughly ticked off when I played my iPod
at them for about 30 seconds. They gave a great show of their crowns.

At least a couple of Indian Plums were blooming, as were some willows. The
non-native hazelnuts are already dropping catkins. Alders are in bloom, if
you can call it that. Ain't it great?

For the day, 56 species. Nothing new for the year, though.

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