Tweets,

Under sullen skies, Evan Houston and I birded Magnuson Park this
morning; rain only started as we were leaving. Although numbers were not
high except for scaup, diversity was good, and we were rewarded with
some surprises.

Scaup - well over 500, with a ratio of about 2:1, Greater to Lesser
Other Aythyas: 1 male Redhead (mixed with scaup), 1 male Canvasback (in
Pontiac Bay)
Mergansers - 3 species: Common, around 30; Red-breasted, at least 7;
Hooded, a pair in Pontiac Bay
Grebes - about 40 Western, 1 or 2 Red-necked, at least 6 Pied-billed
- plus, a possible Clark's, or Clark's hybrid; Evan will post more
on this bird
Trumpter Swan - 6 flying S near the lake's edge
White-winged Scoter (female) - mixed with scaup; white patches on head
consistent with WWSC; eventually showed us a sliver of white on the wing
Green-winged Teal - several birds, one male with vertical white stripe
almost absent, but no horizontal stripe either; probable Amercan X Common?
Spotted Sandpiper - at Pontiac Bay
Sparrows included the regulars with a few Fox and Lincoln's, only a
couple of immature White-crowns, and a sharp-looking White-throated in
the Pea Patch.
Red-tailed Hawk - 2, perched on adjacent light standards above the
playfields
Cooper's Hawk - probably the same bird was sighted at 3 disparate
locations in the park
Bald Eagle (adult) - made a half-hearted strafing run at the scaup
Pine Siskin - large flock on Promontory Point
Western Meadowlark - 9 feeding at the old ball field backstop
Yellow-rumped Warblers - several, at least one Myrtle
Varied Thrush - heard calling at a few places

For the day, 65 species.

Scott Ramos
Seattle