Thank you to all who responded to my question re:
Green Herons and Purple Martins both at Tweeters
and Offline directly. General consensus on Green
Herons was that some have been seen, irregularly,
less often and less reliably than last year but
that they are or have been around. The story on
Purple Martins was quite different. Ranging from
"They have not been seen here (fill in the blank)
this year to I saw them here (same place) this
year - but generally again not as often or as
regularly as last year or still early. Today I
conducted a brief expedition checking out a few
local (to Seattle Eastside) spots. Success at two
places (two birds each) and a strike out at another.

At Marymoor Park where I had them last year and
where some saw them this year and some did not, I
saw no PM's. At the gourds there was clearly
nesting activity as I could hear young birds
inside at least one gourd. Either the babies are
not PM's or a Tree Swallow (seen entering twice)
is raising them. Other birds seen along the loop
included Black Headed Grosbeaks, Ospreys, Willow
Flycatchers, a Kingfisher, a Female Wood Duck,
Bald Eagle, many swallows, Vaux Swifts, Cassin's
Vireo and MAYBE a Red Eyed Vireo. The latter was
seen only for a split second and heard singing
what sounded to my very poor ears as a Red Eyed
but not going to count it.

My next stop was along East Sammamish Parkway and
187th per Brian Bell's post. Not great access but
yes the lake could be viewed from next to the
"Honeybucket" and 15 minutes of diligent scanning
picked up two very large dark swallows flying
North over the lake. A good view as they swooped
back confirmed that they were Martins. There are
a number of potential nesting boxes out there, but
I did not see anyone stop by.

The last stop was Juanita Bay Park. Lots of Black
Headed Grosbeaks and a couple of very photogenic
Red Breasted Sapsuckers (including one on the
nothern trail/roadway) on a tree with the telltale
sapsucker rows of holes. AND again a pair of
Purple Martins skying over the north end of the lake.

I stayed at the Marymoor gourds for perhaps 20
minutes without success but a longer stay may
indeed have found them there as well.

AND lots of Herons as well ... sadly all BLUE
which I am too since not finding GREEN which I
also am - as in GREEN with envy for those who have
seen them this year.

--
Blair Bernson
Seattle