Tweets -; Samhain is less than a week away, and the switch-over to winter birds has definitely begun. Marymoor is a great place to bird at all seasons, and just when we feel the weekly species list is getting short and predictable, the seasons and the birds change over, and we've got new excitement. Today's rain came on in fits and starts, with long clear periods, before the rain started to increase in earnest around 11:30. For most of the morning, it was really quite nice, and with temps in the 50's-60's and no wind, we didn't mind getting damp much.

Highlights:
a.. Northern Shoveler -; 37+ birds; high count of 40 probably beat today, but not sure. First of 2018
b.. Wilson's Snipe -; some heard pre-dawn, one seen well below weir. FOF *sighting*
c.. First good fall gull flock, with Ring-billed, California, Glaucous-winged
d.. COMMON LOON -; juvenile eating fish on lake
e.. Green Heron -; one at Rowing Club pond
f.. Sharp-shinned Hawk -; one predawn
g.. Cooper's Hawk -; several sightings; could have been one bird
h.. Barn Owl -; seen from Viewing Mound after 7am
i.. Pileated Woodpecker -; two views
j.. MERLIN -; two views
k.. Northern Shrike -; juvenile, with prey, calling, east of East Meadow -; First for 2018
l.. Cedar Waxwing -; still several around
m.. Lincoln's Sparrow -; one
n.. Western Meadowlark -; nine north of Fields 7-8-9
o.. Yellow-rumped Warbler -; our only warbler
While this was our first NORTHERN SHRIKE of the year, there was a report from a couple of weeks ago. Today's bird was quite drab and brownish, and easy to overlook if it hadn't been calling.

For the day, 58 species. With two new birds for the year (Northern Shoveler, Northern Shrike), I think we're now at 151 or 152 for the year.

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