Here follows a summary of birds detected (seen/heard) during 23 generally
fast-paced / no 'dilly-dally' walks through the ~3.5 mile long Lake Hills
Greenbelt (LHG) loop in southeast Bellevue between Phantom Lake and Larsen
Lake, between 156th & 148th Avenues SE and ~SE 20th Place to Main Street
during the month of January 2013. The number following each species
represents the number of walks on which a species was detected. Route and routine
always the same with emphasis #1, the walk & exercise.

total days & walks -- 23
cumulative walk time -- 43.5 hrs
average walk time -- 1.9 hrs
cumulative species 'units' -- 887
average species / walk -- 38.6 (high: 45 on 31Jan, low: 21 on a very
foggy 17Jan)

total species = 74 (cumulatively 98 species [95 walks] since Oct 1,
2012). Only those recorded in January are listed below.

Greater White-fronted Goose -- 2
Canada Goose -- 8
Cackling Goose -- 2
Trumpeter Swan -- 1
Tundra Swan -- 1
Gadwall -- 3
American Wigeon -- 20
EURASIAN WIGEON -- 2 (continuing male, Larsen Lake as of 31Jan)
Mallard -- 23
Northern Shoveler -- 3
Green-winged Teal -- 2
Bufflehead -- 23
Ring-necked Duck -- 23
Greater Scaup -- 23
Hooded Merganser -- 1
Common Merganser -- 22
Ruddy Duck -- 22
Pied-billed Grebe -- 22
Double-crested Cormorant -- 23
Great Blue Heron -- 11
Bald Eagle -- 4
Northern Harrier -- 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk -- 5
Cooper's Hawk -- 6
Red-tailed Hawk -- 20
Merlin -- 1
Virginia Rail -- 5
American Coot -- 23
Killdeer -- 22 (traditional & annual wintering flock up to 17 in NE
corner field,156th SE & SE 16th)
Wilson's Snipe -- 1
Bonaparte's Gull -- 1
Mew Gull -- 2
Ring-billed Gull -- 1
Herring Gull -- 1
Glaucous-winged Gull -- 22
Rock Pigeon -- 13
Band-tailed Pigeon -- 3
Barred Owl -- 1
Anna's Hummingbird -- 12 (at least two males firmly on 'territory' now
since ~23Jan)
Belted Kingfisher -- 10
Red-breasted Sapsucker -- 3
Downy Woodpecker -- 2
Northern Flicker -- 23
Pileated Woodpecker -- 5
Hutton's Vireo -- 2
Steller's Jay -- 23
American Crow -- 23
Common Raven -- 1
Black-capped Chickadee -- 22
Chestnut-backed Chickadee -- 15
Bushtit -- 8
Red-breasted Nuthatch -- 17
Brown Creeper -- 1
Bewick's Wren -- 23
Pacific Wren -- 12
Marsh Wren -- 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet -- 10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- 21
American Robin -- 22
Varied Thrush -- 12
European Starling -- 15
Townsend's Warbler -- 3
Spotted Towhee -- 23
Fox Sparrow -- 21
Song Sparrow -- 23
Golden-crowned Sparrow -- 20
Dark-eyed Junco -- 22
Red-winged Blackbird -- 22
Purple Finch -- 10
House Finch -- 23
Red Crossbill -- 21
Pine Siskin -- 23 (see comments below)
American Goldfinch -- 3
House Sparrow -- 12

Comments:
Additional species seen by Hugh Jennings and/or MaryAnn Ruthruff but not
by me during same days (often same time) as my independent walks while I was
elsewhere on the loop: none known.

Pine Siskins have been recorded on ALL 95 walks since October 1, but the
immense mega-flocks (some days, 1500 up to 2500 during December!) have
diminished to ~300 on the best days, but on the past couple days nearly missed
with just ten or less. Still, no redpolls(!), and an increasingly anxious
disappointment. Maybe February? Otherwise, the most surprising 'miss'
during January was White-crowned Sparrow. Milestone walk #100, 350 miles
coming soon. It would be nice to celebrate that with my 100th species too
since this crazy focused campaign began (Oct 1), but I'm not counting on it.

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