Tweets ? Cloudy with rain threatening? Bwahaha. We never had more than a brief bit of mizzle. Instead, we had birds. Lots of activity, lots of species, lots of surprises.

Highlights?

SWANS 2 adults, probably Trumpeters, flew overhead, silent
Hooded Merganser After a 5 week hiatus, 6 at Rowing Club
Common Loon 1 well out on lake
Western Grebe 2 well out on lake
DUNLIN Matt & I heard one at the Lake Platform
Band-tailed Pigeon 1 over Dog Meadow. Getting late for Marymoor
Barn Owl Several pre-dawn sightings
SHORT-EARED OWL 1. Great looks from Viewing Mound, before sunrise
N. SAW-WHET OWL Matt heard from boardwalk, long before sunrise
Pileated Woodpecker Near East end of boardwalk
MERLIN South end of East Meadow, and SE of there
PEREGRINE FALCON Flew across northern part of park at 7:05 a.m
Northern Shrike Juvenile east of East Meadow
WILSON?S WARBLER Male in Pea Patch with flock of juncos

The last BARN OWL was about 6:30 a.m. The SHORT-EARED OWL flew around, on and off, from 6:40 to 6:52, giving us really nice looks. Where did it go then? According to Matt, it flew to Duncan Rodents for an Apple Critter.

This is VERY LATE for WILSON?S WARBLER. We?ve only had four sightings ever in October, and today?s is notably later than the previous record late date of 27-Oct-04. Any sighting after mid-September is late.

After the walk, I scoped the lake one more time. There were 15 GREATER SCAUP that would have been easily visible from the Lake Platform. Amongst them was a first-year male GOLDENEYE, though I couldn?t determine the species. Both are First of Fall sightings.

For the day, 63 species, with DUNLIN being new for the year list.

== Michael Hobbs
== www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
== BirdMarymoor at frontier.com