Highlights:

• Cackling Goose – still had several hundred fly by right around sunrise. Getting late for them
• Common Goldeneye – at least 5; they should be heading out soon
• Great Blue Heron – maybe it was just the weather, but adults seemed to be sitting in the nests today for the first time this year. Eggs?
• OSPREY - 2 at the velodrome nest, 1 at the Bellefield nest, but could have been one of the velodrome birds.  First of the year for us.
• Five woodpecker day – Again
• MERLIN – one flyby heading towards the mansion area
• NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW – at least one seen from the Lake Platform amongst hundreds of Violet-greens – New for 2019
• Bushtit – we now know of two nests
• MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD – female in southern part of the East Meadow – probably the same bird reported on 4/9 and 4/10 – New for our 2019 list
• AMERICAN PIPIT – probably at least a couple of birds, in flight. New for our 2019 list, though one was photographed back in February in the park
• Western Meadowlark – five in East Meadow
• ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER – at least a couple, singing. New for our 2019 list
• Common Yellowthroat – back in numbers now, though still waiting to see a female

In the afternoon, I needed to return to the park for a meeting about future surveys of Marymoor West. Highlight for me was hearing at least one CALIFORNIA QUAIL near the Rowing Club parking lot.

Lots of singing today – 21 species heard.

The only real miss today was Rock Pigeon, but while we had 68 species today (counting my afternoon quail), Week 15 has the 3rd-best cumulative species list for any week of the year. Only Week 16 and Week 18 have higher. So we had 68 out of the 133 ever seen for this week. Our highest total of the year, but our 3rd lowest percentage. :)

We’re up to 98 species for the year. A few additional species have been reported by others on eBird.

== Michael Hobbs

Bewick's Wren.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Male Rufous Hummingbird.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Female Mountain Bluebird.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Golden-crowned Sparrow.  Photo by Bob Asanoma

Highlights:

• Cackling Goose – maybe 500 flew by just before 7 am
• Great Blue Heron – a great number of sticks and twigs being brought in to heronry
• Green Heron – seen twice (or 2)
• Red-tailed Hawk – pair copulating, seen from Rowing Club
• Wilson’s Snipe – still at least 1 below weir
• GREATER YELLOWLEGS – one heard flying south past the Viewing Mound just before 7 – First of Year
• Western Screech-Owl – seen well again around 6 am
• Five woodpecker day – with Flicker and Downy excavating holes, and Pileated seen near nest
• Hermit Thrush – one just south of Dog Area
• Bushtit – nest found in hawthorn in Dog Meadow
• Brown-headed Cowbird – at least 2 – First of the year for us
• COMMON YELLOWTHROAT – our first of the year – two

Towards the end of the day, I realized that today marked the beginning of the 26th year of my Marymoor surveys. I had been to Marymoor previously, dating back to 1990, but starting March 31, 1994, I’ve been almost every Thursday since then (except for the years we met on Wednesdays).

For the day, 63 species, and abundant evidence that there’s no reason to stop after 25 years!

== Michael Hobbs

Male Common Merganser.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Great Blue Herons seem to prefer alder branches for building up their nests.
Photo by Bob Asanoma

Male Hairy Woodpecker.  Photo by Hugh Jennings

Hairy Woodpecker hops a few inches up the trunk and finds a grub.
Photo by Bob Asanoma

Adult White-crowned Sparrow.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Bushtit nest in a hawthorn.  Photo by Bob Asanoma

White-crowned Sparrow.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Highlights:

• American Wigeon – one below weir with Gadwall
• Ring-necked Pheasant – calling, skulking, in Pea Patch
• Horned Grebe – one WELL out on lake
• Rufous Hummingbird – At least 2 females, plus displaying males – first seen for the year last Friday
• Great Blue Heron – two juvenile eagles caused consternation at the heronry
• Red-tailed Hawk – seen copulating near Rowing Club
• Bald Eagle – there are now TWO Bald Eagle nests (four adults) in the SE portion of the park!
• Western Screech-Owl – seen as late as 6:20 a.m.
• Five woodpecker day – Pileated seen excavating nest hole in snag in Big Cottonwood Forest
• Savannah Sparrow – First sightings for Thursday survey of the year, incl. one quietly singing in East Meadow

Every passerine species we saw today sang (except those passerines that don’t have a real song).

We saw a beaver near the lodge across from Dog Central. Some of the group saw a LONG-TAILED WEASEL go into a lidded bin in the Pea Patch. A rat tried to escape, screaming, and was pulled back into the bin! Also, the first garter snakes of the year, and the first Salmonberry blooms. Willows, Indian Plum, and some decorative fruit trees were also blooming. Various shrubs are leafing out.

For the day, 58 species.

== Michael Hobbs

Green-winged Teal drake.  Photo by Hugh Jennings

Juvenile Bald Eagle in the heronry.  Photo by Hugh Jennings

Fox Sparrow.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Golden-crowned Sparrow.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Hairy Woodpecker.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Male Pileated Woodpecker.  Photo by Bob Asanoma

Red-tailed Hawk.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Tree Swallows.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Highlights:

• Cackling Goose – at least 1000 streamed by just before sunrise in many string flocks
• Wood Duck – flock of 7 seen from the Lake Platform; pair at Rowing Club
• Great Blue Heron - 75+ birds, with something like 65 at/near the heronry
• Green Heron – at Rowing Club, on our way out
• Cooper’s Hawk – adult with full crop flew south down the East Meadow
• Red-tailed Hawk – AT LEAST four adults and a juvenile
• Bald Eagle – birds in the air all morning; AT LEAST six adults and a juvenile
• Western Screech-Owl – Matt came face-to-face with one near the boardwalk predawn
• LONG-EARED OWL – flushed from along boardwalk as we passed by; perched about 15 yards off the boardwalk for good looks for all. First at Marymoor since 2013
• Five Woodpecker Day – with a female Hairy showing up at the Rowing Club to complete the pentafecta
• SAY’S PHOEBE – one at the model airplane field
• Northern Shrike – adult in breeding splendor in East Meadow; checked carefully to rule out Loggerhead
• Violet-green Swallow – First of Spring for us
• HERMIT THRUSH – one just south of the Dog Area along slough trail

 Bob & I enjoyed Venus and our Super Worm Moon shadows predawn at the Viewing Mound, while Matt was seeing the screech...

Misses included Ring-necked Duck, Rock Pigeon, Rufous Hummingbird, Virginia Rail, Savannah Sparrow, and Western Meadowlark.

For the day, though 62 species. We’re up to 90 species on the year. It was a good day.

== Michael Hobbs

Predawn Western Screech-Owl.  Photo by Kazuto Shibata

Predawn Western Screech-Owl.  Photo by Kazuto Shibata

Highlights:

• Cackling Goose – maybe 1000 in large strings of birds flying southeast
• American Wigeon – at least 1 well out on lake; pair yesterday
• Mallard – pair copulating at Rowing Club; also intersex bird below weir
• Ring-necked Pheasant – doing crow and flutter in Pea Patch
• Great Blue Heron – pairs sitting on nests, maybe 45 birds total!
• Green Heron – one near Rowing Club dock, skulking
• Killdeer – pair copulating below weir
• Wilson’s Snipe – three on far side of slough below weir
• Western Screech-Owl – Matt had one before 6 at east end of boardwalk
• Red-breasted Sapsucker – three sightings
• Northern Shrike – one just before 7:30 a.m., north of Fields 7,8,9
• Tree Swallow – seen over many parts of the park – low numbers though – maybe 8. First of Spring last Monday.
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet – many singing
• Varied Thrush – at least 2 heard east of the slough
• Lincoln Sparrow – 1 near West Kiosk
• Western Meadowlark - 5+, East Meadow

59 species today, plus 3 more earlier this week. Not bad, but still waiting on Rufous Hummingbird, Say’s Phoebe, Mountain Bluebird, Osprey, Savannah Sparrow, etc.

Great Spring Birds NEXT WEEK.

== Michael Hobbs

Male Mallard.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Great Blue Herons at the heronry.  More than 50 birds.  Photo by Bob Asanoma

Killdeer copulation.  Photo by Jordan Roderick
Or maybe they're practicing to join Cirque du Soleil

Killdeer copulation Photo by Bob Asanoma

Male Belted Kingfisher.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Male Ring-necked Pheasant.  Photo by Jordan Roderick

Male Ring-necked Pheasant.  Photo by Bob Asanoma

American Goldfinch.  Photo by Hugh Jennings

The birding was fairly typical of this time of year, with no signs of early spring.

Highlights

• Cackling Goose – several smallish flocks, some seemingly including larger subspecies
• Wood Duck – pair seen looking south from Rowing Club dock
• Northern Pintail – male in slough below weir
• Western Screech-Owl – Matt found one perched near east end of boardwalk. I watched it fly a short distance south a little after 6 a.m.
• Pileated Woodpecker – one or two heard west of slough
• Northern Shrike – adult along East Meadow edge
• American Goldfinch - 3+ in London Plane trees in Lot D
• Lincoln’s Sparrow – on fence below weir

Singing birds included Anna’s Hummingbird, American Robin, Pacific Wren, Marsh Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Spotted Towhee, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Fark-eyed Junco, and Red-winged Blackbird.

Misses today included Ring-necked Duck, Virginia Rail, Mew Gull, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Tree Swallow (seen 13 of past 22 years during Week 10), Bushtit, and HOUSE FINCH.

For the day, 54 species. Nothing new for 2019 (maybe next week).

== Michael Hobbs

Western Screech-Owl, right side of the trunk.  Photo by Matt Bartels
Walking in the snow.  Photo by Bob Asanoma
 

Cackling Geese.  Photo by Bob Asanoma

Male Common Goldeneye.  Photo by Bob Asanoma

Northern Shrike.  Photo by Bob Asanoma

Yellow-rumped Warbler.  Photo by Bob Asanoma