Lake Hills Greenbelt (LHG), Bellevue this morning. The fun never stops
and always some new and/or interesting twist to events.

notes from the field:

"19Aug -- (0630-0900) -- The birding started off pretty well at Phantom
Lake with Virginia Rails (2 grunt calling unprovoked), Belted Kingfisher (2
flying around together), Wood Duck (5), a female Black-throated Gray
Warbler, and an Osprey snagged a fish from the lake and flew off to the south
clutching the 'catch of the day' in it's talons. North of there, things went
very dead very quickly with virtually nothing at all through the entire
central section between SE 16th & LH Blvd both north and southbound. At Larsen
Lake and the "elbow", activity was up a wee bit over yesterday but nothing
dramatic. It seems the small hawklet bird-eaters (Cooper's,
Sharp-shinned, and Merlin) have found this spot now thus seemingly keeping everything on
it's toes, or..., at least nervous. The most interesting and main
highlight of the day really was the Cooper's Hawk, calling, perching, and
tree-hopping through the taller SE lake-shore conifers when I first arrived on the
scene which upon taking an exiting flight was immediately mobbed by no
less than 8 HUMMINGBIRDS(!!) which stayed right on it like a swarm of 'killer
bees' until the evil raptor was driven from the park. EIGHT!?!, scheesch!
... maybe tiny, but mighty in determination and ferocity in minding the
shop. Most of the waxwing-robin-house finch action along with juncos,
White-crowned sparrows, chickadees, Willow Flycatcher, and Orange-crowned
Warbler, but House Finches in particular, shifted today to the blueberries on the
south and SE side of Larsen Lake where one could probably spend hours and
hours just combing through those if so inclined. A Merlin swept through
the south side again capturing something small (waxwing, house finch?) and
clutching it in it's talons, took off with it to the north. A nice noisy and
conspicuous little flock of 9-10 Evening Grosbeaks dropped in for a couple
minutes atop the tallest SE shore-side conifer (the 'red-tailed hawk
tree') before flying off to the SW. Only one silent Western Tanager was seen
in the area along with a couple Black-headed Grosbeaks, one of which burst
into song briefly. One Green Heron was first heard then inadvertently
flushed from the log upon which it was perched along the south shore and flew a
short distance to another conspicuous spot a bit further along. 2.5hrs, 40
species."

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA