Hi Tweets,

I went to the park's boat launch predawn this morning for owling, and did see one BARN OWL in the SE lake meadows. The absolute coolest sighting was a BOBCAT!! As I was getting into my car to drive over to join the birding group at the main entrance, it was sauntering calmly along the edge of boat launch area where the boats are launched and the docks are. I watched the cat for 5 minutes, and last saw it walking down the connecting trail leading from the launch area to the beaches. Whoop!

Following is my eBird report.

Sharon Aagaard
Bellevue WA
scormieraa001 at hotmail.com


Lake Sammamish State Park, King, Washington, US
Dec 16, 2015 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.8 mile(s)
Comments: Sharon Aagaard and Stan Wood birded with 18 others at Eastside Audubon's monthly bird walk at Lake Sammamish State Park on December 16, 2015, from about 6:40 am to 7:40 am at the boat lanuch; and 8:00 am to 12:00 pm at the main entrance. Brief drizzle at the start, turning to partially sunny, 40-44F, 0-1 mph. HIGHLIGHTS: 1 BARN OWL in the meadows SE of the lake's boat launch. Also at the boat launch worth mentioning: COMMON MERGANSER, COMMON GOLDENEYE, GREATER SCAUP. One first-year SNOW GOOSE was feeding with a small flock of CANADA GEESE at Tibbett's Beach. Fewer wintering water birds and gulls were in the lake and at the edges: AMERICAN WIGEON, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, MALLARD, BUFFLEHEAD, HOODED MERGANSER, PIED-BILLED & WESTERN GREBES, MEW, RING-BILLED, HERRING AND GLAUCUOUS-WINGED GULLS. In addition to RED-TAILED HAWK (just one today seen walking & standing on one of the east grassy sports fields for 10+ minutes, likely had recently finished a meal and hadn't flown up yet to a perch; it finally did, but landed in some low blackberry bushes, spread its tail and wings as if to dry off) & BALD EAGLE, we also saw a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. Similar to our November walk, we again enjoyed two sightings of ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS feeding from sapwells made by nearby RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS. We had two sightings of male VARIED THRUSHES. The group had a great opportunity to compare field marks of a Sooty FOX SPARROW while it double scratched in the leaf litter alongside two SONG SPARROWS and a SPOTTED TOWHEE. 44 species for the day, 136 for the year. Critters: Eastern Gray Squirrels. The next bird walk is JANUARY 26 2016. No pre-registration, just show up depending on your mood or the weather. Since this is a state park, a Discover Pass is necessary to park ($10 daily, $30 annual). Just inside the main park entrance (NOT the boat launch entrance off of Eastlake Sammamish Parkway), we meet in the large parking lot to the left, and park in the middle of the first and second rows. Submitted from BirdLog NA for Android v1.9.6.
44 species (+1 other taxa)


View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S26332352

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)