After last night?s soaker, it was nice to be out in drier weather, though it was still blowing near the open areas. Glad to have had multiple layers! Got an early enough start to observe Barn Owls in the two active nesting boxes: in the Doug Firs near Santos Place and in the roof corner box on the Community Center. More good birds were to come:

Among the smattering of Canada Geese was a solitary Cackling Goose (minima), near the NOAA shore. At least one family of Canadas were escorting around their new brood. And 2 families of Mallards were doing the same. In the Entrance Pond was an intergrade Green-winged Teal: no vertical stripe and a faint white horizontal stripe. A couple of female Greater and Lesser Scaup were still around.

A Merlin was seen being escorted out of the park by a small pack of crows, and an Osprey was seen riding a thermal with a Red-tailed Hawk. Two Cooper?s Hawks were seen: a large immature bird calling and irritating the smaller birds on Promontory Point and another small adult cruising over the meadows. Also in the meadows, early, was a calling Wilson?s Snipe.

No unusual gulls on the platform today: over 100 Mew, a couple of Ring-billed, 4 California in crisp adult plumage, and a couple of Glaucous-winged Gulls.

The pair of Belted Kingfisher continue in Kingfisher Basin, likely using the same nest hole as last year. Also on the point were fly-overs of a Band-tailed Pigeon and 3 Eurasian Collared-Dove.

Lots of singing Common Yellowthroat, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, both Audubon?s and Myrtle. A singing FOY Black-throated Gray Warbler was with one of the Yellow-rumped flocks.

Dozens of Savannah Sparrows, everywhere; in one small flock at the south end, another sparrow flew into the scrub flashing its white outer tail feathers: a VESPER SPARROW (first in the park for me). In the Pea Patch, a Gambel?s White-crowned Sparrow was singing right next to a Puget Sound variety and a Golden-crowned Sparrow. Nice contrasting views of all three. Finally, at least half a dozen Brown-headed Cowbird and a lingering Fox Sparrow.

Met Penny Bolton on the trails who mentioned having seen American Pipit on the ball fields.

For the day, 63 species; with OSPR, EUCD, CLSW, BTYW, and VESP new, 98 species for the year.
Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S17947431
Scott Ramos
Seattle