Tweets -; I've decided weather reports are worse than useless. Last night's report called for rain, but this morning's report predicted very little precipitation which was totally spurious. Some people believed the morning report and were sorry. Temps might have been right around 40-41 all morning, but they FELT LIKE 33; a damp breeze was responsible there. And the weather report didn't even hint that we bring floodlights to illuminate our way through the gloom. Bah.

Mist, mizzle, drizzle, deep-sinking cold, and bleak darkness was what we got. But we made the most of it. It turned out to be a pretty good day by the end.

Highlights:
a.. Cackling Goose -; two big flocks on the ground probably totaled 3000-3500!
b.. Pied-billed Grebe -; a single scan count from the Lake Platform hit 50!
c.. Barn Owl -; Matt had one early; first since September!
d.. Northern Shrike -; one *heard only* somewhere to the east of our meeting place at 8:00
e.. American Robins -; everywhere, once again. Easily a couple of hundred
f.. Cedar Waxwing -; at least 2, with American Robins, East Meadow
g.. COMMON REDPOLL -; Flock of 8 just south of the Dog Area along the slough, in Alders. The 7th record for the park, first for the year (FOY)
h.. Pine Siskin -; at least 100, though none with the Redpolls
i.. White-throated Sparrow -; one at the north edge of the Dog Area with other Zonos.
j.. Western Meadowlark -; one in the East Meadow
k.. WILSON'S WARBLER -; In cottonwoods at the Dog Meadow edge near Dog Central -; small, very yellow warbler with big black eye and a face/head pattern like a 1st year and/or female
The COMMON REDPOLL landed in a tree across the slough from us, where we noted pink on some of the breasts, but definite white wing bars (so not House/Purple Finch). We could barely make out more, but we had decided they truly were redpoll just before they flew over TO OUR SIDE and eventually gave us decent looks. Nice.

This was our first ever WILSON'S WARBLER for December, and we've only ever had two sightings in November.

We had three RIVER OTTERS next to the beaver lodge visible from the Lake Platform.

Misses today included Common Merganser, Cooper's Hawk, Purple Finch, and American Goldfinch. A late scan of the lake turned up two RING-NECKED DUCKS, and as I drove out of the park I found some EUROPEAN STARLINGS and three ROCK PIGEONS; otherwise those three would also have been on the Misses list.

For the day, 56 species.

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