Marymoor Bird Blog

Friends of Marymoor Park

Recent Bird Sightings

Report for September 26, 2024 Birding at Marymoor

Things started a bit cold, but warmed quickly. Our first survey after the Fall equinox was decidedly tilted away from summer birds, but many winter species have yet to arrive. So things were pretty quiet for much of the walk.

Highlights:

Greater White-fronted Goose - Like in many places in King County, yesterday's skies were filled with flocks of GWFG. We had several, totalling a couple of dozen birds. Some landed in the park
Cackling Goose - We also had flocks of Cacklers, with about 100 landing in the park, First of Fall (FOF)
Hutton's Vireo - One was calling, and I was able to track it down near the windmill. I think this counts as (FOF), since there seems to be seasonality of HUVI at the park
Violet-green Swallow - Maybe 50 today, our first VGSW since July! Does that make this (FOF)??? Probably Last of Fall too.
Barn Swallow - A few mixed in with the VGSW, also possibly Last of Fall
Red-winged Blackbird - Three or four, after a four week absence (FOF?)
Orange-crowned Warbler - One in the Dog Meadow
Common Yellowthroat - Numbers way down, maybe 3 detected. Both OCWA and COYE will likely be mostly disappearing in the next week
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Several scattered birds (FOF). All those seen well were Myrtle-type

A late scan of the lake confirmed CALIFORNIA GULL, and added our only OSPREY and BELTED KINGFISHER.

Misses included Hooded Merganser, Rock Pigeon, American Coot, Green Heron, Cooper's Hawk, Bald Eagle, Cedar Waxwing, and American Pipit.

For Week 38 (last week), we've had a cumulative 132 species over the last 30 years. For Week 40 (next week), we've had a cumulative 123 species. The current Week 39 has had only 116 species, so it's not much of a surprise that we managed only 51 species.

= Michael Hobbs

Report for September 19, 2024 Birding at Marymoor

Today's regularly scheduled survey at Marymoor Park was apparently moved to Graymore Park. It was so foggy and gray this morning that it would have been almost impossible to see any birds, if there had been birds. Luckily, the fog was somewhat cleared by the time we got to the Lake Platform and it was actually sunny by the time we were going around the mansion.

This week, historically, has the largest cumulative number of species seen of any week after mid-May, but this is a bit illusory. We are at the seam when summering birds depart and winter birds arrive, and year-to-year different birds have lingered longer or arrived earlier. There have been about a dozen rarities observed during Week 38, but we've gotten a rarity in only about half of the years. So the number of species you might find on any given day is still moderate, even though the number of possible species is large. Today's was not large, and the day's list grew SLOWLY.

Highlights:

Greater White-fronted Goose - Two adults and two juveniles on Fields 7-8-9. First of Fall (FOF)
American Wigeon - Four on the lake (FOF), seen during a late scan of the lake
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - One along west edge of the Dog Meadow (FOF)
American Pipit - Eric had eleven on the Grass Soccer Fields when he left early (FOF)
Fox Sparrow - About 7, including some singing (FOF)
White-crowned Sparrow - Heard a few fractured Pugetensis songs, and a few fractured Gambelii songs (fof for that subspecies)
Golden-crowned Sparrow - Maybe a dozen, including some singing (FOF)
Western Meadowlark - Four north of Fields 7-8-9 (FOF)

Misses today included Hooded Merganser, Vaux's Swift, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Barn Swallow, Bushtit, Red-winged Blackbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

No species have lingered unseasonably late this year, few have arrived unseasonably early, and today we lacked any unusual-but-possible species.

We did see some salmon making their way up the slough just below the weir.

For the day, 54 species.

= Michael Hobbs

Report for September 12, 2024 Birding at Marymoor

We had cool overcast today, a little dark for great viewing. It was birdy, then it wasn't, then it was, then it wasn't, then it was. One of those days.

Highlights:

Green-winged Teal - Two females in the slough; still unexpected this time of the year
Double-crested Cormorant - One flew north up the slough - First of Fall (FOF), and rather early
Cooper's Hawk - Two juveniles seen together
Western Screech-Owl - One heard pre-dawn - First of Year (FOY)
American Kestrel - Adult male near NE ballfields, probably the same individual as last week
Warbling Vireo - One in a nice migrant flock near the first Dog Swim Beach. Getting late for vireos
CHIPPING SPARROW - One just SW of the Pea Patch (FOY)
Orange-crowned Warblers - Several to Quite a Few; a little hard to get an accurate count with multiple birds seen simultaneously. Maybe 7 total?
Black-throated Gray Warblers - Two in that nice mixed flock with the vireo and 2+ of the Orange-crowned Warblers
Western Tanager - One heard, later an adult male at the Rowing Club

After dipping on them last week, today there were about 8 SAVANNAH SPARROWS at the north end of the East Meadow. These appeared to be larger, more colorful, and more contrasty than the nesting birds; it is typical for us to get birds with this appearance at Marymoor just after the last of "our" Savannah's clear out.

The East Meadow was also really good for LINCOLN'S SPARROW today, with perhaps 7 birds noted.

Misses today included Band-tailed Pigeon, Vaux's Swift, Virginia Rail, Green Heron, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Willow Flycatcher, Marsh Wren, American Pipit, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, and Yellow Warbler.

Despite that long list of "misses", we managed 56 species (which includes one non-GWGU larus)

= Michael Hobbs

Report for September 5, 2024 Birding at Marymoor

American Kestrel - Gorgeous male in the East Meadow. First of Year (FOY)
Merlin - Jordan saw one streak across the slough heading east
Lincoln's Sparrow - One from Viewing Mound, seen by many more of us than last week's
Orange-crowned Warbler - One, west edge of Dog Meadow. Making brief songs
Black-throated Gray Warbler - One, west edge of Dog Meadow, to get to a whopping three warbler species (along with Common Yellowthroat)
Western Tanager - One heard at Rowing Club
Coyote - nice looking dog seen from the Viewing Mound

Misses today included Vaux's Swift, American Coot, Green Heron, Cooper's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Warbling Vireo, Barn Swallow, Bushtit, Savannah Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow Warbler, and Black-headed Grosbeak. My fingers are tired.

Our best sighting of the day was Margaret Snell, who has been elsewhere for months. Good to see her again.

Total for the day: 45 species, lowest total of 2024 so far!

= Michael Hobbs

Just when I thought The Doldrums were over... Today was cool and FOGGY to begin with, turning fairly hot and sunny/hazy by the end. It was super-quiet, both in terms of vocalizations, and in general bird activity. Highlights will be brief, even if I stretch the definition:
Spiders were everywhere. Photo by Michael Hobbs	Juvenile Osprey. Photo by Michael Hobbs

Report for August 29, 2024 Birding at Marymoor

I was sick with something starting yesterday, and since I was possibly exposed to COVID on Sunday, I decided I should not join the rest of the crew for today's survey. It was ably handled by Mason, Jordan, Eric, et. al. Instead, I slept in, and then did the walk solo starting at 9:00 a.m. Made for an interesting comparison between the two lists.

The day was perfectly sunny, windless, and not too hot. Birds were active, but didn't make many calls or songs. However, if you saw even a single leaf twitch in a tree, you knew there was a bird there. I spent a LOT of time staring at each tree, waiting. I then had only about a 60% chance of identifying the bird that made the leaf move, and most of the time it would turn out to be a chickadee or nuthatch. But there were birds in those trees, that's for sure.

Highlights:

Western Grebe - I had one from the Lake Platform. First of Fall (FOF) and the 2nd earliest fall sighting for WEGR ever
Wilson's Snipe - I had one below the weir (FOF), and tied for 2nd earliest fall sighting
Cooper's Hawk - The main survey group had a group of three juveniles; I had one or two
Five Woodpecker Day for the main survey group. I missed Pileated
Willow Flycatcher - I had notably many (7?) plus a few more brief sightings of empid spp. that were probably Willow
Western Flycatcher - I had one just past the boardwalk
Pine Siskin - The main survey group had two (FOF, if that can apply to finches)
Lincoln's Sparrow - The main survey group had one near the Viewing Mound (FOF)
MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER - I had one in the willows below the weir (FOF and almost certainly Last Of Fall too; not really expected in fall)
Orange-crowned Warbler - One for them, one for me, 1-1
Yellow Warbler - 3-1
Black-throated Gray Warbler - 3-1 (maybe 3-2)
Wilson's Warbler - 1-2 (FOF)
Common Yellowthroats - 10-7, made for a 6 warbler day
Western Tanager - One for the main survey

Misses on the combined checklist: Vaux's Swift, Green Heron, Barn Owl, Warbling Vireo, Red-winged Blackbird, and Black-headed Grosbeak.

For the day, 53 species for the main survey, 51 for me, for a combined 60 species. We had 63 species last week, but seven First of Fall species this week, so several species seen last week were not present today. Birds are moving.

= Michael Hobbs

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