Hi Tweets -
Just back from Michael Hobbs' & my 6th annual King County Big Day for
Seattle Audubon's Birdathon. We had a very fun day, with some good
birds mixed in. Overall, it was a tough day for birding despite the
good weather -- from the first stop onwards the birds were quieter
than usual -- over the course of the day we accumulated birds, but it
was not a quick process. In the end, we came up with 114 species --
well short of the King Co record of 126 in a day.

Some highlights:
Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland & Marymoor Park in Redmond were good for
racking up the early species, but didn't produce much in the way of
highlights -- we enjoyed heard-only Virginia Rail at Juanita, a
cooperative Red-breasted Sapsucker, Cedar Waxwing & Black-headed
Grosbeaks & a Cooper's Hawk that must be nesting nearby. At Marymoor
we added things like Orange-crowned & Yellow Warbler, Barn Owlets in
the nest box, & Western Tanagers in snag row. I think our best birds
at Marymoor were a couple Blue-winged Teal at the weir - both
males.-- About 65 species by the end of those two stops.

Next up was Snoqualmie Valley. We started in Duvall at McCormack
Park, where Sora responded immediately to a tape, coming out for some
people to view. At Moss Lake, we were greeted mostly by silence, but
eventually picked up Pacific-slope Flycatcher. We went up to Stoessel
Creek and added Hammond's Flycatcher.

Down at Stillwater, we saw several Bullock's Orioles, Bank Swallows
in the bank, and heard a Spotted Sandpiper [never did see one]. Down
the path to the south[ish], we lucked upon an American Bittern in the
grass trying to hide. A stop at Tokul Creek gave us our Dipper for
the day, and a stop at Snoqalmie Falls produced fuzzy Peregrine
Falcon babies, but no adults.

Next, we zoomed down to the Kent Valley, where we picked up a lot of
new birds. First up was Emerald Downs, where around the corner on M
street there are still Greater White-fronted Geese hanging out. In
front of them was a Solitary Sandpiper. In the big pond, we added
Long-billed Dowitcher & Western Sandpiper, and eventually Least
Sandpiper , Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveller & [finally] Cliff
Swallow. Over at the 285th St. pullout [off W.Valley Hwy], we picked
up Cinammon Teal, a Dunlin, and another Solitary Sandpiper. We
picked up American Coot at Toysmith Ponds, and Western Scrub-jay just
south of the Grassy Knoll at Kent Ponds. At Lake Fenwick Park, we
brought in Barred Owl, had a silent flyover of Pileated Woodpecker,
and great looks at Black-throated Gray Warbler. From the mitigation
ponds on 212th, we saw Cackling Geese mixed in with Canadas across
the road, and another Dunlin. Up on 204th Street, we added Western
Kingbird & American Pipit to the day's total.

Next, we headed to West Seattle to end the day. At Herring House Park
[near T-107 Park], we saw Purple Martins. At Jack Block, we picked up
our only Belted Kingfisher of the day. Moving around the edge of West
Seattle, we were a bit late in the day [7:30 - 9:00] and it was hard
to add any of the saltwater birds -- Surf Scoter, Western Grebe,
Pigeon Guillemot, Brant, Harlequin Ducks, a fleeting Rhino Auklet,
and a pair of Common Loons were about all we could pick up before
light gave out.

For a final bird, we added Western Screech-Owl at dusk at
Me-Kwa-Mooks. One WESO came in for great looks before another one
called it back into the woods.

This was later than we'd ever done a big day before -- i think we
missed out on a few ducks/grebes because of that. We were lucky to
have 6 shorebird species, probably because shorebirds have been late
this year. Otherwise we may have had an even lower total.

Overall, though, quite a fun day birding around the county, talking
over possible future Big Day options and enjoying spring migration.

A good day ,indeed,

Matt Bartels
Seattle, WA