Subject: [Tweeters] Magnuson Park, 26 December 2013
Date: Dec 26 14:40:27 2013
From: Scott Ramos - lsr at ramoslink.info


Although it was in the mid-30s, the fog and humidity made it feel much colder. With no wind, it was hard to to tell when the water stopped and the sky began. The morning started out great with a Barn Owl and 3 raptors (Coop, Red-tail, Eagle), all before dawn, then activity slowed down. Although it seemed slow, in the end the tally was not bad. Interesting sightings included:

Barn Owl - good looks, early, from West Meadow
Canvasback - 3, with Scaup flock, a roughly even mixture of Greater and Lesser
Red-breasted Merganser - pair at south end, another male in Pontiac Bay
California Quail - flushed from brush near swim beach parking
Common Loon - Pontiac Bay
Virginia Rail - giving squeak call, near Promontory Pond
Spotted Sandpiper - flew from NOAA area into Sail Lagoon, calling
Herring Gull - on swim platform, with 4 other gull species
Cedar Waxwing - with a small group of American Robin; they flew in together, then away together as well
Yellow-rumped Warbler - a couple of each subspecies
Lincoln?s Sparrow - 6, a somewhat unusual high number
House Sparrow - at south fence; interestingly, quite rare in the park

For the day, 61 species.
Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16080880
Scott Ramos
Seattle