On Friday, May 1, a group consisting of Sharon, Jeanelle, Evan, Carl, Jordan and myself participated in our 4th annual big day of birding Seattle?s big parks with travel via (mostly) public transit. Some of us met early at Magnuson for some early owling, then all of us met up at Discovery Park to start the day. We spent a long morning at Discovery Park, then left to cross the locks for a satisfying burger (Red Mill!) before taking #44 to near Husky Stadium. We then ambled through the lower campus and Union Bay Natural Area, then took #75 to Magnuson Park to round out the day.

With fantastic weather and the influx of more and more migrants, we were treated to 112 species, our group?s record (see list below). No great surprises in birds seen (or heard) but it was satisfying nevertheless to observe so many of new arrivals. Some noteworthy sitings:

Wood Duck - a pair that Sharon spotted flying from Montlake Cut; we thought we might not see this species, but then they landed not 20 feet from our path ahead!
Cinnamon Teal - 3 pair, different places near the shell house, one pair hauled out on the bank
Scaup - several Lesser in the cove at the Fill; with work, we all agreed that one male was a Greater
Common Loon - several, but what was fun was seeing a couple of them flying while we were still in the south meadow at Discovery
Sharp-shinned and Cooper?s Hawks - each was seen soaring, an hour apart, several hundred feet above Discovery and the Locks
Virginia Rail and Sora - calling from the wetlands at Magnuson
Shorebirds - these were seen on the south side of west point early in the morning
Caspian Tern - many, some calling from on high
Barn Owl - as expected, at least 2 young in each of the two active boxes at Magnuson; at one box, a food drop was made, then the other adult flew in and both circled around the area for a minute, calling
Barred Owl - although we looked at places recommended by others, we had no luck; then, while walking down the road toward west point, a complaining Robin made us spend a little time looking why and Carl then noticed the owl sitting on a broken limb in plain view (once we knew it was there!)
Hairy Woodpecker - this time, a recommendation paid off: a young bird sticking its head out of a nest hole
Merlin - a fast flight across the south meadow at Discovery
Peregrine Falcon - making a cruising flight near the Laurelhurst neighborhood
Pacific-slope Flycatcher - calling all over Discovery
Hermit Thrush - at least one, giving its ?waaaay? call
American Pipit - a calling fly-over at Discovery
Black-throated Gray and Townsend?s Warbler - many, many of the former, and, eventually, we could hear the similar, but distinguishable call of the latter, and eventually saw it to confirm
Orange-crowned and Wilson?s Warbler - many singing birds
Lincoln?s Sparrow - one or two, very late
Western Tanager - Jordan spotted a male that we were all able to see; it flew off to a cottonwood and when it landed, I spotted a female fly off
Black-headed Grosbeak - a couple of male birds perched up nicely for us
Red Crossbill (type 3) - several small flocks around, many places
Evening Grosbeak - at least a couple, calling, one in plain view

Scott Ramos
Seattle, WA


eBird Report
Date range: May 1, 2015 Total # of Species: 112
Total # of Checklists: 5
Location(s): Ballard Locks; Discovery Park; Magnuson Park; Union Bay Natural Area (Montlake Fill)

Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Brandt's Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Virginia Rail
Sora
American Coot
Killdeer
Sanderling
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Caspian Tern
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Barn Owl
Barred Owl
Vaux's Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Hammond's Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Steller's Jay
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Pacific Wren
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow