Subject: [Tweeters] Snohomish Lazuli Bunting ect.
Date: Jul 28 21:47:10 2010
From: jeff gibson - gibsondesign at msn.com



Stopped off briefly at Fields Riffle Park near Snohomish today in the afternoon and was lucky enough to see a bright beautifull male Lazuli Bunting. What a bird ! It's been a coons age since I've seen one (an old coon) , since in the last decade I havent been too far from my usual Everett habitat.

Pretty quiet on a sort of hot afternoon. A few Goldfinches, Barn Swallows ect. around. Pewees calling from atop the big Cottonwoods, and a pair of Bald Eagles calling across the river. In the entrance to the unique 'freshwater tidal' basin there (Norwegian Bay) were two Spotted Sandpipers.

Earlier in the season the hayfields on the entry road here are swarming with Savannah Sparrows. Then one day in July the sparrows must be shocked to find their field cut and bundled into those big plastic bags - looking like giant rolls of toilet paper. But the cutting happens after they get at least one brood out, or they would'nt keep coming back.

On the Everett waterfront at the river mouth there's been a flotilla of about 25 Common Mergansers (all in non-breeding plumage) for about a week, about the same time as last year. I imagine them just floating downstream from upriver nesting areas to catch some annual fish/critter run - it seems to be an annual event.

The 12th st. NE ponds on Smith Island have been dry most of this year, save the last pond which has just a trace of mud left. Last week saw 50 Killdeer there and a half dozen peeps which I couldnt quite identify with binocs.


Jeff Gibson, Everett Wa.


P.S Fields Riffle is an undeveloped Snohomish Co. park. For some reason it's been 'unlisted' on the county park website. The park is north of the Lowell -Snohomish River Rd. just a mile or less from Snohomish. The entry road is an overwide straight gravel road with a wood fence blocking the entrance. On the river side of the road. If you pass Riverside Topsoil (big soil/gravel/rock place) you,ve gone too far. From the everett end, after passing Riverside the park entry is in the last field before the road hugs the river into Snohomish. It/s a great little spot that I've never seen any other bird watcher at. Dont park in a way that blocks the farm field access.