Subject: [Tweeters] Magnuson Park, 24 April 2015
Date: Apr 24 18:48:10 2015
From: Scott Ramos - lsr at ramoslink.info


Still feeling chilled from this morning?s blustery weather. With temps in the mid-40s, the 20+ mph winds made it feel a lot colder. When a few rain cells passed through, the wind picked up even more. Yet, with all the wet and wind, the birds were still pretty cooperative. The pulse of butter butts is still making its way through and a few winter ducks linger. But, several year birds showed up today.

Ring-necked Duck - down to 3 birds
Lesser Scaup - just 5, all in Pontiac Bay (hiding from the wind); no Greaters
Common Goldeneye - 1 female with the scaup
Common Merganser - 4, also hiding from the wind
Common Loon - off the NOAA point
Osprey - flushed from the lake shore but I couldn?t see any prey
Cooper?s Hawk - 1 on their Prom Pt nest; another bird in the north end being attacked by a RWBL
Bald Eagle - 2 adults, one being attacked by an AMCR
American Coot - just 1
Killdeer - several, a pair guarding a nest with 3 eggs
Spotted Sandpiper - flying along shore by Arena Sports
Wilson?s Snipe - called from West Meadow
Bonaparte?s Gull - on swim platform; different than last week?s birds as its head was not fully black
California Gull - sharing the platform with the BOGU and a 2nd year Glaucous-winged
Barn Owl - 2 young in the box across from tennis center, hissing constantly until a little after 6:00, should be branching soon; 2 young in the community center box, hissing quietly, an adult made a food drop
Vaux?s Swift - 2, first of year
Anna?s Hummingbird - several, one female on nest
Hammond?s Flycatcher - 1 on Promontory Point, FOY
Violet-green Swallow - counted well over 400; there was a huge swarm of small bugs that stretched along the shore from the swim beach to the dog beach and the bug-hunting was frantic; a few Trees and Barns joined in
Cliff Swallow - at least 1, Pontiac Bay, FOY
HOUSE WREN - may be a park first, also my county first. Walking along the fence line on the south side of Promontory Point, I heard a song that at first I did not recognize as it was out of context. After an aural double-take, I thought ?House Wren; no way!?. After a couple more full bubbly songs, the bird appeared at eye level on the top of the shrubs. OMG, it IS a House Wren. It was moving along the fence line in a some what agitated fashion, too quick to allow for a photo. FOY
Orange-crowned Warbler - at least 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler - at least 7 Myrtle, and well over 40 Audubon?s; there was a flock of over 20 birds in one end of Promontory Pond
Black-throated Gray Warbler - 1 with one of the smaller flocks of butter butts; FOY
House Sparrow - unusual in the park; FOY

For the day, 65 species; with the 6 FOY, now have 103 species in the park this year.
Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23033035 <http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23033035>
Scott Ramos
Seattle