Hi Tweets:
My friend Cathea and I have been trying to confirm that COMMON RAVENS breed in Des Moines Creek Park. We have 2 or 3 ravens in our area off and on at most times of the year, and have been hearing and seeing them into the summers for the past 3 years. Yesterday, Mon, July 11, I walked the Des Moines Creek Park trail, and took off to the west into the bike trails near the north end of the park, by the parking lot on S 200th St. There is an area w/ mature fir trees, that are probably over 100 feet tall. I was walking one of the bike trails near the trees, and heard a real commotion of ravens and crows up near the top of the fir trees. There were two ravens calling, and they sounded quite different to me. Sounded like a variation of their call. Like grraw, going down in pitch. There were also kek, kek calls. And some wuck, wuck, wuck calls, each call higher than the other, like the monkey call of a Barred Owl. I could see at least two ravens flopping and flapping around in the trees, and probably a third one too, up above in the highest branches. Because of the clumsy flopping about, I thought there were probably two juveniles flying. It was hard to see up there into the shaded, thick trees. Occasionally the crows would fly away, mobbing after something, but always some crows remained. It was about 10:00am. I watched the action for at least 10 minutes.
I called Cathea today. She lives in SeaTac, near S 200th St next to the northwest part of a primitive area west of the park. It's owned by the Port of Seattle, and its under the airport flight path. It is very wooded, like Des Moines Creek. She throws out scraps and the ravens come for them. She confirmed that she is seeing two adults and one juvenile w/ a fuzzy head. She thought the juv had been there for just a few days. I told her to watch for the juv to beg from the adults. She says even while the juv is there, an adult flies away w/ scraps in its mouth. Wow!
I know that ravens are common in other areas. They are not common here in the Puget Sound lowlands. They may get chased off by the numerous crows in the cities and suburbs. So this sighting is pretty special.
My walk yesterday was good for birds, even though they are becoming much more quiet. I walked up from Des Moines Beach on the Des Moines Creek Park trail to S 200th St near the airport. My viewing and listening started at the beach, and I started onto the trailhead at 8:30. Got back down to the beach at noon. I was hoping to see a Barred Owl near the trail, but was unsuccessful.
Bird highlights included HUTTON'S VIREO - 1 seen singing. WARBLING VIREO - 1 heard singing in cottonwood trees. OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, 1 loudly singing quick 3 beers at about 11am just above the water treatment plant. (Its usual spot in the woods.) WW PEWEE - 6 singing. WILLOW FLYCATCHER - 3 calling wheet, and doing two short songs of fitz bew. OR-CROWNED WARBLER - 3 singing up in fields w/ blackberries by the bike trails. BLK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER - 4 singing zeedle, zeedle, zeet in mixed woods. WILSON'S WARBLER - 2 singing. There were also about 10 Blk-headed Grosbeaks, and their young, singing and calling, and Purple Finches singing. The Blk-headed Grosbeaks are singing some odd songs, including one that sounds a bit like the repetitive song of Hutton's Vireo, and one song like the question and answer bird, the Cassin's Vireo. Unfortunately, I didn't hear Cassin's Vireos here this year.
The birding was good yesterday. Birding by ear came in very handy.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines
carol.schulz50 at gmail