Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park Report (Redmond, King Co., WA) 2011-02-17
Date: Feb 17 14:18:18 2011
From: Michael Hobbs - BirdMarymoor at frontier.com
Tweets - the sleet stopped just before our 7:30 start time, and we really
had quite a nice morning. No real precipitation, and the wind didn't kick
up until we were past the East Meadow. Compared with last week, it was
quite birdy.
Highlights:
Lots of ducks - 10 species, including a NORTHERN PINTAIL that landed briefly
at the weir. Almost all of the NOPI sightings we've had at Marymoor have
been flyovers.
Lots of accipiter sightings. Matt saw a COOPER'S HAWK adult early on.
During the walk, we had many sightings of immature birds, and we're
confident that we had both Cooper's Hawk and SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, though
there were many sightings that had us confused. We sure scrutinized some
well-worn tails, and peered at breast streaking hoping for enlightenment.
One gave a great, speedy pursuit of a NORTHERN FLICKER; we concluded that
one was a Coop.
Matt had a couple of BARN OWLS early at the model airplane field. He also
had a noisy GREAT HORNED OWL in the conifers near the mansion. We're not
sure of that's the same bird that we saw in the ivy-covered tree in the Big
Cottonwood Forest near the big nest. Seeing a GHOW there again today makes
it seem much more likely that they are, indeed, nesting in the eagle-built
nest.
A NORTHERN SHRIKE was atop a tall willow far off to the east of the East
Meadow.
There were an extraordinary number of GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, but we were
unable to find anything different in with them. We had nary a White-crowned
Sparrow anywhere in the park for the 4th straight week.
Singing birds included BEWICK'S WREN, AMERICAN ROBIN, SONG SPARROW,
DARK-EYED JUNCO, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, and HOUSE FINCH. An ANNA'S
HUMMINGBIRD was displaying.
For the day, 56 species.
== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland, WA
== http://www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
== http://www.marymoor.org/BirdBlog.htm
== birdmarymoor at frontier.com