While searching for shorebirds in the 90-degree Kent Valley today, I found an early female-type Ring-necked Duck on the Boeing Ponds, among the resident Mallards and Gadwall. That dropped my internal temperature a good ten degrees just thinking about it… Also there, in the rocky, fenced pondlets in the southeast corner, a first-year Cinnamon/Blue-winged Teal. Even tho Cinnamon seems to be breeding at nearby 212th St. Ponds, I suspect Blue-winged from the harsher, gray-brown tones and bill shape. Shorebirds, except for Killdeer and Spotties, were in short supply, but there were ten LB Dowitchers and a Greater Yellowlegs at Boeing Ponds, and another GRYE at 200th St. bridge, along with a fishing Green Heron.

Jeff Bryant
Seattle
bryant_68 AT yahoo