Subject: [Tweeters] continuing COMMON REDPOLLS, LHG-Bellevue
Date: Feb 9 15:26:05 2013
From: Pterodroma at aol.com - Pterodroma at aol.com


copy/paste from today's Bellevue, Lake Hills Greenbelt (LHG) walk & notes:


>>09Feb (1145-1345) ? Generally passerine quiet throughout, few ducks too
on Phantom Lake (40 Ruddy?s continue) and the hybrid male Eurasian x
American Wigeon continues on Larsen Lake in the company of 15 American Wigeon.
Hands down highlight were the Common Redpolls again, minimum of 13, maybe
as many as 20, just redpolls, NO siskins except one token representative
(the only Pine Siskin today!), and in the exact same white-barked birch that I
?ve been seeing the redpolls off and on this week. That birch is located
NE of Larsen Lake, north of the path east of the observation deck, north of
the blueberries, north of the canal in the narrow restoration strip,
tallest and only white-barked birch in that area between the two larger 20-25?
high tree snags on either side. The Redpolls were totally silent
throughout the good 10-minute viewing at 1300hrs in the lower half of the tree where
viewing conditions were quite good. Several males among the females and
possibly a paler one, maybe a Hoary but can?t say for sure but didn?t look
100% right for that species. Satisfied, I just walked away leaving them
all there undisturbed to contently continue their business. White-crowned
Sparrow (immature) was new for the month and year. 2.0hrs, 38 species.<<
I might also add, quickest easiest access if you're going just for a shot
at the Redpolls, enter from SE 4th St where it dead-ends at the NE entrance
gate, 5 blocks west of 156th Ave SE. Walk west for about 50 feet and
just past the 5-paneled wire mesh fence on both sides of the path, you will see
that one lone tallest white-barked birch 50 feet off to the right (north).
There are some shorter alders there too, but the Redpolls seem to favor
the birch while the Pine Siskins when present favor the alders. The
Redpolls are awfully quiet and have been every single time, so can be easily
overlooked if they are there. There are lots of birches scattered throughout
the entire length of the Lake Hills Greenbelt, so there's is lots of
potential for feeding if it is the birches that the Redpolls favor over the alders
and thus don't seem much to associate with Pine Siskins at all, at least
so far.

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA
Pterodroma AT aol.com