Tweets ? I didn?t get this email out before I sped off on a whirlwind tour of Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan Counties (next email). But we had a wonderful day at Marymoor on a gorgeous sunny day, Thursday. It was nippy to start, but balmy by the time we left. And there were some birds.

Highlights:

Virginia Rail Doing their kik-kadik song pre-dawn
Barn Owl Matt saw one near the windmill
Pileated Woodpecker One seen, maybe another heard, west of slough
PEREGRINE FALCON Quick flyby near the weir
Tree Swallow 4-6 ? First of Year *
Violet-green Swallow 1 ? First of Year, early
Western Meadowlark 13 or 14, north of fields 7-8-9 like last week

ALL the GREAT BLUE HERONS were at the new nesting trees ? the old heronry was completely empty. More nests are being built at the new site (100 yards north of the old heronry). Curious.

We have NOT been having BARN OWLS flying around the meadows; our morning vigils at the Viewing Mound have been owl-less. But at least there are still Barn Owls in the park. The windmill birds probably feed mostly west of the slough.

For the day, we had 59 species ? quite good for February.

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