Tweets ? a new year adds a bit of excitement, as we eagerly await a new set of birds for the year. I rushed down to Marymoor, eager, and found it to be COLD. A frigid 26 degrees pre-dawn, and an impenetrable layer of fog rolled in by 7:15, obliterating hopes for more owls. Before then, though, we did have some fairly good looks at a SHORT-EARED OWL, Bird #1 for the Marymoor Park 2013 list. However, even after the sun rose, the cold and the fog lingered for quite a while, and many of the birds may just have flown up to the surrounding hills or something, because it wasn?t very birdy today. It did eventually become sunny, gorgeous, and moderately warm (maybe getting to 40 degrees), but it never got birdy.

Highlights:

California Quail One heard, but never seen, Compost Piles
Western Grebe A few out on the lake
Virginia Rail 1-2 heard east of East Meadow
R.-breasted Sapsucker Near park office
Hairy Woodpecker Near south end of Dog Meadow
Northern Shrike North of fields 7-8-9
Purple Finch Some nice looks, incl. well-marked male
Red Crossbill Continue to hang out around mansion

We also had probably the same COYOTE I saw on the 31st, this time on the far side of the slough just above the weir (great looks), and Josh heard BEAVER(s?) in the pre-dawn.

For the day, 53 species. Ollie had a Pacific Wren yesterday to bring the 2013 list up to 54 species.

== Michael Hobbs
== www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
== BirdMarymoor at frontier.com