Hi Tweets:
Sorry. I sent the wrong direction for viewing the big pond at S 204th. I was looking SOUTH to the big pond, not north. I was looking back toward S 212th and the new mitigated pond.
On S 204th, the smaller ponds to the north had water in them, but I did not see unusual birds there.
Here is a link to two maps of the area which in the north part of Kent in the Green River Valley.
http://www.rainieraudubon.org/kentponds.htm
Yours, Carol Schulz
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From: Carol & Lynn Schulz
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 8:06 PM
To: Tweeters
Subject: Des Moines & Kent Valley


Hi Tweeters:
Here is Des Moines we still have lots of Purple Finches singing on my street, 15th Ave S, and on the street up above where there are no houses and there is a field and mixed woods under the airport flightpath. Des Moines still has singing Audubon's Yellow-rumps, and singing Or-crnd. Warblers. A few Or-crowns stay into summer singing, and then a few remain all year. A few Evening Grosbeaks have been around for a week, and Blk-headed Grosbeaks have arrived. I haven't heard them sing, but have heard their "shpik" calls. There are lots of singing Amer. Goldfinches.

Down in the Kent Valley today, the male Amer. Kestrel was visible from the south viewing tower for about 15 minutes. As I stood in the tower, 4 Western Tanagers flew by, and landed for about 10 seconds in a maple tree, before continuing to fly to the north. A lot of Cliff Swallows were flying over the lagoon. The usual swallows were also in the area, but I didn't see any N. Rough-wings there today. Goldfinches and Common Yellowthroats are singing everywhere.

Over at the pond on S 212th, I viewed to the north across the pumpkin field. It was about 12:10pm. Weather was cool, 47 degrees, and breezy. Brrr. A large brown juv. Peregrine Falcon was perched on the north part of the pumpkin field. In the field there were the usual ducks and Canada Geese, and about 20 Least Sandpipers.

I drove over to the ponds at 204th St. The ponds have quite a bit of water in them again. It started to rain. In the large pond to the north [that should be SOUTH] and on the mud there were about 70 Least Sandpipers, less than 10 Western Sandpipers, a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER just barely going into breeding plumage, 4 Greater Yellowlegs, and 1 Lesser Yellowlegs. There were some Amer. Pipits on the mud and a flew were flying about. A male Cinnamon Teal is in the pond. Cliff Swallows and Wht-crnd. Sparrows were out on the mud. Killdeers could be heard. A Wood Duck flew by.

It was a cold day that felt like a day in early March, but it was good for birding, like a day in May.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines
carol.schulz50 at gmail.com