Subject: [Tweeters] Magnuson Park, 14 September 2018
Date: Fri Sep 14 18:05:05 PDT 2018
From: Scott Ramos - lsr at ramoslink.info

Well, the forecast suggested rain of any significance would not start until mid-morning. Wrong! After only 15 minutes of unsuccessful owling early, the skies opened up and for the next two hours either rained or rained hard. By mid-morning Bruce and I were drenched and were finding little to see. And, then, the weather started to improve, slowly, the rest of the morning, becoming actually pleasant by mid-day. And our patience was rewarded (or, maybe it was that Jan joined us then). Several notable species in our reports.

Graylag x Canada hybrid - continues; today, off the north beach
Horned Grebe - a pair, first of fall
Red-necked Grebe - first of fall
Green Heron - the 2 immature birds were both present today. We first heard some creaking noises that sounded like a cross between a Crow and a Rail. Then, one of the herons was chased out of scrub nearby, at the shore of Promontory Pond, by a Cooper's Hawk. The heron landed on the branches adjacent the beaver lodge while the Coop flew into a small tree on the other side of the pond (30 m away). Another heron appeared from within the shrubbery and landed on the same branch as the first. The Coop then made a half-hearted pass at the herons, pulling up to land just above them. The three stayed like this until we left 10 min later.
Cooper's Hawk - at least 3, maybe 4. The one that chased the herons was an adult female. We also saw an unbanded immature, another immature with a purple band and had another very distant sighting of an immature that may have also had a band. At one point, 2, or 3, of the immatures were being chased, and sometimes chasing, a group of crows all around the sports fields.
Short-eared Owl - this was a real surprise! While in the north end, not far from the dog run, a medium-brown owl flew right over us, heading west into the trees near the North Lagoon. We had good looks as it flew away, with GISS strongly suggesting Short-eared.
Red-breasted Sapsucker - first since January
Willow Flycatcher - still one around; first saw it on ground on warning track of softball field, then it flew up into willows
Swainson's Thrush - a couple were whitting in the north end
Hermit Thrush - good looks at a silent bird, foraging on Promontory Point with the Fox Sparrows; first since April
Fox Sparrow - a couple, foraging on Promontory Point; first since April
White-throated Sparrow (maybe) - in a large flock of Zonotrichias, on the aforementioned softball field. It appeared to have a more prominent white throat triangle, with colors otherwise of an immature bird. Not 100% sure as the flock contained immature White-crowns in several permutations of colors grading to adult plumage
Lincoln's Sparrow - at least 3, very sharp looking birds
Warblers - Orange-crowned (several), Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Gray (at least 3, one each with black, gray and white throats),Yellow, and Wilson's; plus a heard-only Yellow-rumped

For the day, 53 species. With RNGR and SEOW new, 124 species for the year.
Scott Ramos
Seattle
Magnuson Park hotspots: http://tinyurl.com/mvftzl6 <http://tinyurl.com/mvftzl6>

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