Subject: [Tweeters] Edmonds: Common Yellowthroat and More
Date: May 3 11:37:08 2010
From: Carol Riddell - cariddell at earthlink.net


Hi Tweets,

For reasons none of us who bird around Edmonds understand, the Common
Yellowthroat is not a common marsh denizen. One probably comes
through every year, but regular birders estimate seeing one only
every other year at best. This species has not been known to breed
at the marsh, at least in recent times. We had a male this morning
in an unexpected spot, in a red twig dogwood bush just below the
public path at Point Edwards. This was a first-of-year bird for us,
although we understand that Steve Pink saw one in the marsh a couple
of weeks ago.

The marsh itself was having a quiet migration morning. There was not
much exposed mud. We saw one Killdeer, one Least Sandpiper, and one
Western Sandpiper. The Least and Western were feeding right next to
each other with the Killdeer just in front of them. So it made a
nice scope observation for comparing and contrasting the two
sandpipers. The yellowish hue of the Least seemed to enhance the red
in the Western and vice versa.

Yost Park was so quiet this morning as to constitute Deadsville other
than its usual residents. I had to run an errand in Woodway after I
was through birding and was compensated for my effort with a Varied
Thrush and a Golden-crowned Kinglet. Most of my time was at the
hatchery and the Point Edwards path so I'll only list those species
seen.

Hatchery/Point Edwards

Canada Goose
Gadwall
Mallard (hen + 3 rapidly growing chicks)
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rufous Hummingbird (1 male)
Red-breasted Sapsucker (1)
Cassin's Vireo (1)
Crow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow (1)
Black-capped Chickadee
Bushtit
Robin
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat (1 male)
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch

Good birding,

Carol Riddell
Edmonds