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Friends of Marymoor Park
Recent Bird Sightings
Report for November 7, 2024 Birding at Marymoor
It was a frosty 32 degrees when we started, with bright sunshine, but also fog. Most of the morning, we couldn't really look to the South at all because of the very bright sun-illuminated fog. But when facing the other way, it was gorgeous. The fog kept the day cold for quite a while, but it finally warmed to 50 degrees!
Highlights:
- Trumpeter Swan - Eight flying SW, calling. Absolutely stunning in the morning sun as they flew past the fall color trees
- Northern Saw-whet Owl - The early morning crew heard two, and saw an owl that might have been Saw-whet but seemed to look more like Western Screech
- Red-breasted Sapsucker - One at the Rowing Club for the 2nd straight week
- Merlin - One hunting near the Dog Area portapotties
- Northern Shrike - Seen just east of the Viewing Mound, and later, north of Fields 7-8-9. First of Fall (FOF)
- California Scrub-Jay - Two (FOF)
- Varied Thrush - Heard a few times near the mansion just after 7:00 (FOF)
- Townsend's Warbler - Three seen
The trees were often filled with mixed birds; KINGLETS were especially numerous and widespread today, especially GOLDEN-CROWNED.
Following a tip from Eric Crockett, we ventured near the East Entrance and found two CALIFORNIA SCRUB-JAYS in the large oak trees there. He has seen them at that location multiple times in the last month.
A late scan of the lake, once the fog had cleared, showed 10 BUFFLEHEAD that flew past the Lake Platform (FOF), and 15+ WESTERN GREBE well out on the lake.
Along the slough, and at the lake, we watched four RIVER OTTERS, our first since March.
Misses today included Common Merganser, American Coot, Killdeer, California Gull, Red-tailed Hawk, and American Goldfinch. All of those were seen last week and were therefore real surprise misses.
For the day, 60 species.
= Michael Hobbs |
Report for October 31, 2024 Birding at Marymoor
The Halloween/Samhain edition of the survey definitely showed things moving more into winter mode, though we are still waiting for our winter diving ducks. The temps were in the 40's, and felt colder for the first couple of hours, but things cleared to a really nice morning. It was birdy most of the time.
Highlights:
- Greater White-fronted Goose - Eight
- Cackling Goose - At least 2000
- Trumpeter Swan - A flyby of 7, with a flyby of 4 later, both heading towards the lake. First of Fall (FOF). One or two swans looked smaller ?!?
- Red-breasted Sapsucker - One at the Rowing Club; first in 6 weeks, and only our 4th since July
- Cedar Waxwing - Good-sized flock(s)
- Pine Siskin - Good-sized flocks
- White-throated Sparrow - One near the Dog Area portapotties with WCSPs and GCSPs for the 2nd straight week
- Western Meadowlark - At least one on the grass & gravel lot in the NE
We had some duck flybys early on, when the light was terrible; we may have had Northern Shoveler. Possibly there were Northern Pintail or Green-winged Teal from the Lake Platform, and there was also a very distant line of birds that may have been diving ducks. But none of these could be confirmed.
Misses today included Bufflehead, Northern Shrike, Bushtit, and Red-winged Blackbird.
For the day, 61 species.
= Michael Hobbs |
Report for October 24, 2024 Birding at Marymoor
A bit chilly to start today, with dense fog pre-dawn. It took a while, but the weather eventually cleared, leaving us under beautiful sunny skies. A really nice morning to be out.
Highlights:
- Cackling Goose - 1500-2000, I'd guess. Huge flock gathered on the grass soccer fields, with many scattered flocks flying at dawn
- Virginia Rail - A few of us actually got glimpses of one, while hearing another, both on the far side of the slough
- Ring-billed Gull - 2+ in a mixed flock of gulls at sunrise, First of Fall (FOF)
- Four Woodpecker Day - No sapsuckers, but saw the other four common woodpeckers
- Merlin - One flying to the NE
- White-throated Sparrow - Well marked bird with other Zonos near the Dog Area portapotties (FOF)
- Western Meadowlark - One heard
A late scan of the lake turned up about 10 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 2 LESSER SCAUP (FOF), and 20 WESTERN GREBE that were probably birds we'd seen from the Lake Platform but which we'd been unable to identify.
Misses today included American Coot, Short-billed Gull, Northern Shrike (seen 15 of the last 30 years this week), and Lincoln's Sparrow.
For the day, 60 species.
= Michael Hobbs |
Report for October 17, 2024 Birding at Marymoor
The day was better than we expected, with the forecast rain holding off until we were on our ways home; just a sprinkling at the Rowing Club was all we faced. We even had sunshine for part of the morning, and it was rather warm and windless. And birdy!
Highlights:
- Snow Goose - One bird, spent most of the day with a flock of Cacklers. First of Year (FOY)
- Cackling Geese - 1000+, with many flocks overhead at sunrise and a large flock on the grass later
- Ring-necked Duck - One in the slough from the Rowing Club. First of Fall (FOF)
- Short-billed Gull - One in our first mixed flock of gulls at sunrise this fall (FOF)
- Northern Harrier - One being escorted off-site by crows, just like last week
- Cooper's Hawk - Both an adult and a juvenile, separately
- Northern Saw-whet Owl - Matt heard two pre-dawn (FOY)
- Merlin - Two sightings
- Hermit Thrush - One at the "Mysterious Thicket" south of the East Meadow (FOF)
- American Robin - Constantly super-abundant. No way to put a number on them, though it was in the hundreds
- HOUSE SPARROW - The first for the Survey since 2021-03-11 (!) Male at the Compost Piles (FOY)
- American Pipit - Around a dozen on the grass/gravel field in the NE, only our 2nd sighting this fall
- Pine Siskin - Fifteen or more today; our first actual flocks of the fall
- Townsend's Warbler - Beautiful male near the mansion
A late scan of the lake turned up over a dozen WESTERN GREBE and a couple of AMERICAN COOT. There was also a very large raft of ducks too far out to ID, but they were at least mostly Aythya spp. So perhaps way more than 1 Ring-necked Duck for the day. An earlier flyby of ducks also appeared to contain a female Aythya duck, possibly a scaup. So here's hoping we'll have some diving ducks more visible next week.
Misses today included Hooded Merganser, Ring-billed Gull, Brown Creeper (may have heard), and Purple Finch.
For the day, 63 species.
= Michael Hobbs |
Report for October 10, 2024 Birding at Marymoor
Compared to last week, today was almost 10 degrees warmer to start, but two degrees cooler at the end. Mostly cloudy, with enough breeze that many leaves were falling. The birding felt more like winter birding, though we are still missing many of the "winter" birds.
Highlights:
- Greater White-fronted Goose - One noted with Canadas on our way heading to the Rowing Club
- Cackling Goose - While Matt thought he heard a large flock pre-dawn, we "merely" had a near constant overflight of small (3-30 birds) flocks
- American Wigeon - Lone female in the slough and again at the lake (or, I suppose, a 2nd bird)
- Green-winged Teal - Two from the Lake Platform, eight in a fly-by during a late scan of the lake
- Western Grebe - Five seen from the Lake Platform
- Anna's Hummingbird - Notably, only one! - at the Pea Patch
- Northern Harrier - Being harassed by crows - First of Year (FOY)
- Sharp-shinned Hawk - Over mansion - First of Fall (FOF)
- Cooper's Hawk - Harassing crows over the weir
- Bald Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk - Made for a 5 raptor day!
- Western Meadowlark - A dozen near the NE ball fields
- Townsend's Warbler - One near the mansion
A late scan of the lake confirmed CALIFORNIA GULLS. From the Lake Platform earlier, we had also seen a distant flock of unidentifiable birds (though I think we could have ID'd them if anyone had brought a scope). The late scan turned up a very similar flock that comprised six RUDDY DUCKS (FOF) and a HORNED GREBE (FOY).
Not a surprise to have the WESTERN GREBE this week. We've now had them 24 of 31 years during this week of the year. The next three weeks have 15, 18, and 16 / 30 respectively, and they are the next most likely weeks.
Misses today included Hooded Merganser, American Coot, Ring-billed Gull, Barn Owl, Downy Woodpecker, Bushtit, and Pacific Wren.
For today, 57 species.
= Michael Hobbs |
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