Hi Tweeters:
Sorry for this late report. We did a monthly census at Green River Natural Resources Area (GRNRA), known to birders as Kent Ponds, on Sun, May 23, '10, from 8am to approx. Noon. Cool, cloudy, and breezy. Temps from 45 degrees to approx. 50 degrees. A nice large group of volunteers showed up who live in S King County, Seattle, and the Eastside of Lake WA. Here are some highlights. I don't know the totals for some of these species.
Cinnamon Teal - 1, Great Blue Herons - several, Osprey - 2 close to each other, Bald Eagle - 1 ad. Red-tailed Hawk - 2, American Kestrel - 1 male. Greater Yellowlegs - 1 at least. WW Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, WESTERN KINGBIRD - 1 foraging in West Meadow. CASSIN'S VIREO - 1 which was seen and heard singing! All 5 common swallows including N Rough-wing. No Bank Swallows as they are very uncommon at Kent Ponds. Cedar Waxwings, Warblers including Yellow-rump - 1, Yellow Warbler - 15, Orange-crnd - 4, Wilson's Warb - 5, Common Yellowthroat - numerous. Brown-headed Cowbirds - many. BULLOCK'S ORIOLE - 1. Amer. Goldfinch - numerous singing and calling and doing display flights.

(On Friday morning about 7am, May 21 2 days before the census, Roger Orness and I saw 3 AMERICAN BITTERNS from the south viewing tower at Kent Ponds. One was calling its oo ga loonk from the edge of the water by the south tower. Then it flew over to join 2 others that were flying about near the middle viewing tower.)

After the census, 3 of us including Roger Orness the hawk guru went over to Boeing Ponds at 1:30. We saw the dark-brown juv PEALE'S PEREGRINE FALCON again. She was perched up on top of the tall Boeing Bldg that is on the west side of the tall Boeing bldgs., and next to Boeing ponds. But we also see her perched in the groove that runs around this bldg, about 6 feet down from the roof. Large dark decorative lines run up to the groove, and she perches right above one of those lines, blending into the dark area. We have been seeing this falcon for a number of months. She is quite thin, but had a huge crop on Sunday, so she is learning to catch prey. There were also 2 more Ospreys by the pond, perched together on a pond snag.
Carol Schulz
Des Moines