October 2013 report summary for Lake Hills Greenbelt (LHG), Bellevue.
This is an easy flat 3.5 mile loop walk, between Phantom Lake (PL) and Larsen
Lake (LL), 156th & 148th Avenues SE and SE 24th to Main Streets, an
interesting 'island' of mediocrity in the residential 'mediocrity' of southeast
Bellevue. The number following the species are the number of times
(days/walks) that the listed species was observed. Notable species specifically for
the LHG are listed in ALL CAPS.

I last wrote that September would be my last monthly LHG report summary.
Okay, so I lied and there was apparently more interest by some 'tweets'
than I thought. And besides, it was October, fall migration, and an
interesting month too hard to just blow off. So, call this one an "encore" report
and maybe more to follow. At least I've scaled back with walk frequency.
The past 12 months I was aiming for 24 walks per month, sometimes did more,
sometimes less. Scaling back this month and hence forward, 16-18 per month
seems a good enough target number and reasonable. There ARE other places
to go and things to do than just my contracted wee little birding world
which has been largely confined to the Lake Hills Greenbelt during the past
12, now 13 months. But who knows; I like it there and it's a cheap thrill
:-))

total days & walks -- 18



cumulative walk time -- 38.5 hrs
average walk time -- 2.1 hrs
cumulative species 'units' -- 675
average species / walk -- 37.5 (high: 47 on 10/06, low: 28 on 10/22)

total species = 83 (+1 known miss)

Greater White-fronted Goose -- 6 (06-14Oct, 16 in NE corner farm field at
156th SE & SE 16th)
Snow Goose -- 2 (FOF 13Oct, flyover flock of 75; more flyovers ~120 on
17Oct)
Canada Goose -- 14
Cackling Goose -- 4 (FOF 06Oct, several small flyover flocks totaling
~200)
Wood Duck -- 3
Gadwall -- 3
American Wigeon -- 18
Mallard -- 18
Northern Shoveler -- 1
Northern Pintail -- 1
Green-winged Teal -- 3
Bufflehead -- 8 (FOF 18Oct, & daily thereafter, mostly PL)
Ring-necked Duck -- 18
Greater Scaup -- 18
Lesser Scaup -- 2
SURF SCOTER -- 3 (06-09Oct, PL, a 2nd bird this fall & 2nd LHG record)
Common Goldeneye -- (FOF 26Oct, one adult male on PL)
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE -- 1 (adult male 21Oct, PL, 2nd or 3rd LHG record in 25
years)
Hooded Merganser -- 1
Ruddy Duck -- 5 (FOF 06Oct, PL)
Pied-billed Grebe -- 18
HORNED GREBE -- 1 (3 on PL, 13Oct. Rare in LHG)
Double-crested Cormorant -- 8
Great Blue Heron -- 9
[Northern Harrier] -- (personal miss, 17Oct at LL by Grace & Ollie
Oliver)
Sharp-shinned Hawk -- 6
Cooper's Hawk -- 3
Red-tailed Hawk -- 10
AMERICAN KESTREL -- (adult male LL, 08Oct. Rare in LHG, 3rd record)
Virginia Rail -- 6
American Coot -- 18
Killdeer -- 17
Spotted Sandpiper -- 4 (09, 14, 15, & 17Oct, PL south shore docks)
Wilson's Snipe -- 11 (FOF 01Oct)
CALIFORNIA GULL -- 1 (one flyover at PL on 06Oct & personal 'first' for
me in the LHG)
Glaucous-winged Gull -- 6
Rock Pigeon -- 13
Band-tailed Pigeon -- 3
Anna's Hummingbird -- 10
Belted Kingfisher -- 6
Red-breasted Sapsucker -- 3
Downy Woodpecker -- 4
Hairy Woodpecker -- 1
Northern (R-s) Flicker -- 18
Pileated Woodpecker -- 9
Hutton's Vireo -- 2
Steller's Jay -- 18
American Crow -- 18
Violet-green Swallow -- 1 (01Oct, PL and last of season in the LHG)
CLIFF SWALLOW -- 1 (01Oct, one bird at PL & very late! Record late date
for WA?)
Barn Swallow -- 1 (01Oct, PL and last of season in the LHG)
Black-capped Chickadee -- 18
Chestnut-backed Chickadee -- 8
Bushtit -- 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch -- 6
Brown Creeper -- 1
Bewick's Wren -- 17
Pacific Wren -- 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet -- 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- 14
Hermit Thrush -- 3
American Robin -- 18
Varied Thrush -- 2 (FOF 10Oct)
European Starling -- 7
Cedar Waxwing -- 8
Orange-crowned Warbler -- 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler -- 14
Townsend's Warbler -- 4
Spotted Towhee -- 18
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW -- 2 (one bird 16-17Oct, Larsen Lake blueberry
areas, 1st LHG record)
Savannah Sparrow -- 11
Fox Sparrow -- 14
Song Sparrow -- 18
Lincoln's Sparrow -- 3
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW -- 1 (FOF 10Oct, one 'tan-stripe' along 156th Ave
SE 'sparrow walk')
White-crowned Sparrow -- 9
Golden-crowned Sparrow -- 16
Dark-eyed Junco -- 16
Red-winged Blackbird -- 18
Purple Finch -- 11
House Finch -- 18
Pine Siskin -- 1 (FOF 23Oct, two birds with American Goldfinches; first
since 07July!)
American Goldfinch -- 17
Evening Grosbeak -- 4
[House Sparrow] -- ZERO (only 2 LHG sightings & singles only in the
past 3 months!)


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