The recent rains have filled all of the ponds in the wetlands but not many ducks are visiting, mostly just the PB Grebes. Did the extended dry period in the summer change the flora enough that the dabblers don?t find the food they prefer? Or, is just early still? Anyway, the morning was calm, cloudy and relatively mild, and what passerine activity we (Jan and I) did encounter was limited in space and time. Still, a few very active spots. On the water, a couple of new arrivals.

Cackling Goose - a single bird was flying south with a small group of Am Wigeon
Greater Scaup - two pair, first of fall; off swim beach
Common Goldeneye - four pair, first of fall; ditto
Pied-billed Grebe - everywhere! following successful breeding of multiple families
Western Grebe - several dozen; one pair was exchanging a caught fish: when the second bird resurfaced, the first dropped the fish, then they both dove after; they then resurfaced again but dove almost as quickly as an Eagle flew right over them; game over!
Cooper?s Hawk - calling from Kingfisher Basin; scouting?
Red-tailed Hawk - a couple; one juvenile was flying south, harassed by a several Crows and ended up flying right over a tree holding at least 30 more crows; of course, the noise level increased considerably at that point
Virginia Rail - a couple; one very vocal bird in Frog Pond
American Coot - typical large flock off the sail marina shore
Wilson?s Snipe - several calling and flying about in the meadows early
Belted Kingfisher - north end
Hutton?s Vireo - with a large flock of smaller passerines, Promontory Point; same area where a pair stayed all last winter
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - several dozen, everywhere
Varied Thrush - one called from near the Education Pavilion
Orange-crowned Warbler - after hearing chip notes for a couple of minutes, we were relieved when the bird finally emerged and we could make an ID
Lincoln?s Sparrow - just one

Mammals included a Beaver swimming along the lake shore.

For the day, 59 species.
Checklists: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32489159 <http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32489159>
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32489407 <http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32489407>
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32489583 <http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32489583>
Scott Ramos
Seattle