Tweets -; If anything, today was even quieter than last week. We're definitely in the Summer Doldrums. I'm afraid we've got 1-3 more slow weeks before post-breeding dispersal and early migration should bring some activity back to the park. We had dark overcast, some breeze, and 60 degree temps today. Very few birds in the skies.

Highlights:
a.. Spotted Sandpiper -; adult and two young at weir
b.. Great Blue Heron -; most (but not all) nests empty, juveniles everywhere
c.. Barn Owl -; Matt and I had a nice 10-second look, East Meadow, just before 5am
d.. CHIPPING SPARROW -; adult in Snag Row along south edge Fields 7-8-9; likely the same out-of-season bird we had 2 weeks ago
e.. Yellow-rumped Warbler -; one probable hatch-year Audubon's-type near Park Office might be a sign of local breeding. We've had at least 1 singing male most weeks this summer
f.. Lazuli Bunting -; numbers down, but still 2-3 singing males. Try looking/listening for them from the Viewing Mound
A late scan of the lake turned up two PIED-BILLED GREBE, first since April.

Besides two active PURPLE MARTIN nest gourds at the Lake Platform, the only other swallow we had was a single BARN SWALLOW over Fields 7-8-9.

Misses today (birds we have seen at on least half of the surveys for Week 28, but not today) included Hooded Merganser, Band-tailed Pigeon, Green Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Bullock's Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, and Black-headed Grosbeak. It wasn't for lack of trying; we doggedly searched.

For the day, just 53 species again (same as last week). But around 20 of those species were represented by only 1-2 individuals!

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