Crash & burn in the Larsen Lake 'hot zone' today! If anything, borderline
frigid; not a single Cedar Waxwing(!) - first time in 3 months up
there(!), and robin-house finch numbers down by 80-90% from recent days. Even the
blueberries seemed fewer than just yesterday! No hawks, no green herons,
no warblers-vireos-flycatchers and others missing too, but did find a few
more Western Tanagers though (8-10), plus, 6 Vaux's Swifts, and a
Red-breasted Sapsucker. Otherwise, pretty much nothing but bushtits, bushtits,
bushtits, and more bushtits. The weed-wackers from Bellevue park maintenance
were out early and in force, so that didn't help! Can't somebody invent one
of those horrible things that doesn't make any noise??!! ALL of the
warbler-vireo-flycatcher-thrush action, light as it usually is, was down at the
south end, south of the central hemlock/cedar grove to Phantom Lake where
the highlight of the day was the Spotted Sandpiper on long gray south shore
dock just east of the first big lawn. I did finally manage to spot 5
day-and-streak-saving Cedar Waxwings right at the very end - phew, that was
close! 2.5hr, 38 species.

Duty calls and I'm on a 5-day hiatus and mercifully out of Internet-email
range beginning tomorrow.

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA