Subject: [Tweeters] Magnuson Park, 3 January 2012
Date: Jan 3 21:46:58 2013
From: Scott Ramos - lsr at ramoslink.info


One plus of sub-freezing temperatures--the morning started out at 26
F--is that instead of slogging through muddy fields, you can walk on top
of the mud. With no wind and clear skies, it was a beautiful day to be
out. Mostly the usual suspects, though the numbers were considerably
down compared to past weeks. All of the ponds except the main Promontory
Pond were frozen over.

A couple of Red-tailed Hawks were playing leap-frog, from tree to light
pole to tree, for several minutes, completely unharassed by the dozens
of crows. There were two adult Cooper's Hawks, one male and one female,
and a female immature. And a Bald Eagle that seemed to be satisfied just
keeping the gulls and ducks in the air--it flew up the shoreline and
perched for a while, then down to the south end and perched again. It
did this twice in the 30 minute span I could observe. Interestingly, the
only gulls that did not bolt from the swim platform were a half-dozen
Mew Gulls.

One of the Northern Flickers had red-shafted wings but yellow-shafted
tail feathers. Cedar Waxwings were finding plenty of Hawthorn berries;
could not make any of them into Bohemians. Even the Golden-crowned
Sparrows were eating berries, softened by the frosty air. But, today was
the day of Fox Sparrows. Literally, several dozen, in every part of the
park.

At morning's end, a dozen Trumpeter Swans emerged in Pontiac Bay.
For the day, 52 species.
Scott Ramos
Seattle