After a few milder days, this morning started out quite chilly. Ironically, I was in Chicago last week and, except for the effects of the perpetual wind, it was warmer there than here! And they have had no snow since December. Still, our Spring is moving along well and the changes in the cast of birds surely reflects the trend. Lots of singing and flirtatious behavior.

Sarah Peden joined me early and neither of us could turn up an owl. Otherwise, there was plenty to see.

Cackling Goose - a couple of Taverner?s were with the flock of Canadas
Eurasian Wigeon - male continues with the flock at the beach
Scaup - still over 100 Greaters, a dozen or so Lesser
Hooded Merganser - a couple of females in the Dead-end Pond
Pied-billed Grebe - getting territorial?each one was in a different pond
Bald Eagle - an immature flew down the shoreline and nobody moved; strange
Red-tailed Hawk - a nice buffy-colored adult was perched at the edge of the wetlands all morning
Virginia Rail - called early
Killdeer - most at the north end; one was at the bark berm where they nested last year
Wilson?s Snipe - calling early from the meadows
Thayer?s Gull - clean-looking adult on swim platform, with 4 other species of gull
Pigeon - a single pigeon today: Band-tailed, at south end fence line
Anna?s Hummingbird - several, a couple females gathering nesting material
Tree Swallow - a few; one pair investigating hole in snag (Dead-end Pond) they used for nesting last year
Violet-green Swallow - dozens, over Kite Hill, high over Promontory Point
Bushtit - about a dozen, a couple with yellow, pollen-covered heads
Yellow-rumped Warbler - many, most were Audubon?s but plenty of Myrtles mixed in

For the day, 58 species; with BTPI and TRES new, 77 species for the year.
Scott Ramos
Seattle