Subject: [Tweeters] Magnuson Park, 8 July 2016
Date: Jul 8 17:44:34 2016
From: Scott Ramos - lsr at ramoslink.info


After a long absence from the park, this morning seemed eerily quiet. After all, it is the period of post-breeding activities, but the gentle drizzle in the hours before the park crew started their work kept the noise down?the only avian sounds came from the dozens of swallows overhead. Eventually, the rain subsided (and returned and subsided twice more) and the passerines began to move about. Lots of babies still and lots of begging and cooperating parents. In the latter part of the morning, Jan Bragg came to help out.

Pied-billed Grebe - at least 3 families: adult on nest in the Dead-end Pond, nearly grown immatures in the Shore Lagoon, and a new brood following their parents around in Promontory Pond: https://youtu.be/TyxofWm_ALU
Osprey - at least 2; one was seen carrying a short, thick stick?for what purpose?
Red-tailed Hawk - a very ratty-looking adult was being harassed by a group of Crows
Virginia Rail - calling, but not visible today; recently, downy chicks have been seen
California Gull - about 30, mostly on the swim platform; included a couple of first year birds
Caspian Tern - calling, early
Band-tailed Pigeon - one on the SW end of Promontory Point
Swifts - one Black and several Vaux?s; nice to see the contrast in size and shape
Belted Kingfisher - did not breed here this year so nice to have them back
Swallows - LOTS! esp. Violet-green
BC Chickadee, Bushtit, Bewick?s Wren, Euro Starling, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, House Finch and American Goldfinch were all seen feeding their babies
Western Tanager - a single male flew in to the conifers by the Fins sculpture; already southward bound?

For the day, 52 species.
Checklists: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S30602943 <http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S30602943>
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S30602914 <http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S30602914>
Scott Ramos
Seattle
Magnuson Park Geography <https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zXRxfq3LHS_o.kvemGrlPu-NM&usp=sharing>