Hi Tweets,

It feels as if summer has finally arrived--if only for a day
(6-12-10). A minus tide brought chairs, plastic shovels and
frisbees to Edmonds beaches this morning. There was very little bird
activity on the Sound besides two Pigeon Guillemots and two
Rhinoceros Auklets. I have been hearing about the return of Purple
Martins this week from several sources so took my scope to the Public
Pier to see them myself. There were five birds around the nest
gourds and I actually saw several of them enter two gourds. That
answered my question about whether the starling-resistant holes on
these gourds would actually accommodate martins. Nevertheless, I
think I will attach the platforms to the new gourds that I hope to
hang later in the summer after any nesting activity has ended. Since
I had the scope with me, I watched the Great Blue Heron nest on the
marina outer breakwater and got good looks at the four youngsters
that are in it. There was a report yesterday of Green Heron, Merlin,
and Willow Flycatcher at the Marsh. We saw none of these great birds
this morning. We did, however, watch the Red-breasted Sapsucker
parents going to their nest cavity in a snag near the Willow Creek
Hatchery. We also watched a male Anna's Hummingbird make a number of
courtship-type dives. We did not see a female in the vicinity.

Public Pier

Great Blue Heron (2 ad.; 4 nestlings)
Glaucous-winged Gull
Pigeon Guillemot (2)
Rhinoceros Auklet (2)
Crow
Purple Martin

Marsh

Gadwall
Mallard
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper (2)
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon
Anna's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher (1 f.)
Crow
Purple Martin
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bushtit
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch

Point Edwards

Gadwall
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Crow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Robin
Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

Good birding,

Carol Riddell
Edmonds