Hi Tweets:
It was very dark and cold this morning in Tukwila along the Green River. I kept telling myself that that was a good thing, because the birds stay active longer into the day. I hadn't heard the Stephen Hawkings story to boost my mood.
I started birding at the Tukwila Community Ctr located at 42nd Ave S and S 124th St at 10am. The birds didn't care that it was darkish, cool, and breezy. The trail around the community center can get warblers in May as they migrate along the north-south Green River. Today there were a number of Yellow-rumped Warblers, all Audubon's in the community ctr. park. In the willows next to the river there were more butter butts, and 3 Or-crowned Warblers. One showed its orange crown. Both the Yellow-rumps and the Or-crowns were singing a little. These Or-crowns are all pretty dull, not the bright yellow that you sometimes see. As I went around the left-turn corner of the trail down at "birder's corner", there is a huge Big-leaf maple w/ catkins near the fence. I always look in those for warblers, and this morning there was a female WESTERN TANAGER rapidly foraging up near the top.
Then I I drove east 1/2 mile or so on S 124th St, and took the easy right at the end onto 50th Pl S. I drove another 0.1 mile to Codiga Park. It's on the Green River, across from BECU's big bldg. The two Ospreys were on the platform nest eating fish. This park used to be Codiga Farms Dairy during the last century. Now it has been restored for wildlife. A channel with water in it was cut into the park that allows fish smolt to swim out of swift water. Native plantings are everywhere and there are big tall cottonwoods. Today, a good-size group of People for Puget Sound were removing invasives, and planting natives.
This is a pretty urban area, but I immediately started hearing a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE calling its syncopated squawks and singing. They are back! It was a bright male, calling a lot, and flying about. No females could be seen yet. The orioles nest here, so the female should return soon. I don't know if more than one pair nest here. Amer. Goldfinches were singing and perching everywhere in the park.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines
carol.schulz50 at gmail