Tweets -; The day really could not have been nicer. Warm enough, sunny, windless, birdy, with a good crew of birders. It's the kind of day that reminds me (if I ever need reminding) exactly why I keep going back to Marymoor week after week after week, year after year after year.

Highlights:
a.. Green-winged Teal -; at least two below the weir. First of Fall (FOF)
b.. SURF SCOTER -; as previously noted on Tweeters, four far down the lake, but still visible from Marymoor. Our only other SUSC was a lone male in April, 2000. MY first for Marymoor
c.. Red-necked Grebe -; three from Lake Platform, confirmed on late scan of lake (when I saw the Surf Scoters)
d.. Northern Harrier -; the First for 2020 for the survey, though others have seen them at the park this year
e.. Sharp-shinned Hawk -; glimpsed a couple of times on the far side of the slough, south of the Dog Area
f.. Cooper's Hawk -; one seen twice, or two
g.. Barn Owl -; glimpses, pre-dawn, from Viewing Mound
h.. SHORT-EARED OWL -; FOF, seen from Viewing Mound. Perched for a long time in a shrub in the model airplane field after 7:00 a.m.
i.. Hairy Woodpecker -; at least one at Dog Central
j.. Pileated Woodpecker -; one close flyby, for a 4 woodpecker day (incl. several Downies, many Flickers)
k.. Merlin -; quick flyby, seen from Pea Patch. They have been seen almost 50 % of all years during this week; best week of the year for them
l.. CALIFORNIA SCRUB-JAY -; one flew over grass soccer fields and landed north of Fields 7-8-9. 2nd sighting of the year for 2020, FOF
m.. BARN SWALLOW -; 3-4 seen from Lake Viewing Platform. Only 5 or 6 later sightings in the year, ever.
n.. American Pipit -; 6th straight week; 2-3 overhead, but didn't see them on the ground
o.. Savannah Sparrow -; at least 3; these should peter out over the next several weeks, though we have records in every month of the year
p.. Western Meadowlark -; one in East Meadow, calling a lot
q.. Orange-crowned Warbler -; one seen briefly along edge of Fields 7-8-9. This is another species we've seen every month of the year, but sparsely from Oct-April
This was just our 11th record for CALIFORNIA SCRUB-JAY. With so little data, it's not clear what seasonality we've got, except to say that 8 of 11 sightings have been between August-October

Brian had a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE on his way out when he left early. Alan had the RING-NECKED PHEASANT at the model airplane field, also on his way out when he left early. These (plus the Surf Scoters) brought the day's list to 69 species.

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