Subject: [Tweeters] Magnuson Park, 12 July 2013
Date: Jul 12 22:07:37 2013
From: Scott Ramos - lsr at ramoslink.info


Another dry July day, though a little cool in the early morning--low 50s--and cloudy. Very little singing as breeding is largely over, and the swallows were notable for their absence. Mostly the regular, with one remarkable appearance.

Barn Owl - 4; two young hissing in the tower early, one very darkly colored bird hunting near the cross-park trail and a fourth seen flying into the conifer owl box at dawn.
Cooper's Hawk - soaring above the wetlands, occasionally harassed by House Finch
Belted Kingfisher - just the female; no more action near the nest hole so maybe the young have fledged.
Common Yellowthroat - many young birds in the wetlands
Vaux's Swift - many, starting just after dawn
Willow Flycatcher - many, and the only flycatcher species of the day
Glaucous-winged, California and Ring-billed Gulls - its been many weeks since any sightings of the last 2
Caspian Tern - early fly-over
Spotted Sandpiper - 1 still in the Crescent Pond area

Finally, as I was leaving the park, what I thought at first was yet another fly-over Mallard turned out to be a Green Heron! My FOP (first of park) for this species. It came from the west and landed half way up a tall cottonwood near the uplands. With no place to park I had to turn around to get a better look but could not spot it. But, then it flew again, into the Entrance Pond. When I could finally approach the likely area on foot, it could not be seen, not surprisingly. But, it did give a couple of diagnostic croaks.

45 species for the day; with the Green Heron new, 127 species for the year.
Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14628090
Scott Ramos
Seattle