Friends of Marymoor Park

Recent Bird Sightings

Report for June 4, 2026                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

It was okay this morning; temps in the high '50's, but overcast and rather breezy.  Still, it wasn't too bad out there.  Nothing new for the year, but some pretty good sightings anyway Highlights: Canada Goose - OUR first goslings of the year, though we seem to have had fully fledged young from elsewhere already Wood Duck - A couple of small clutches of ducklings Blue-winged Teal - Male seen from the Lake Platform - 3rd straight week Mallard - Many clutches, of many ages Common Merganser - Female with 14 babies, one of which was clearly larger than the rest Band-tailed Pigeon - Notably many, seen several times.  Possibly as many as 20 Green Heron - Two flushed from below the weir at the start of our walk Cooper's Hawk - Two seen Cedar Waxwing - Many.  Too many to count well, but certainly a couple of dozen plus Dark-eyed Junco - Fledged young about Western Tanager - Nice male singing north of the heronry Lazuli Bunting - At least 5 males in/around the East Meadow Misses today included Red-tailed Hawk, Cliff Swallow, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Bullock's Oriole No new species for the year, but 58 species today = Michael Hobbs
Female with babies just south of the Dog Area	There was a second group on the same log
Mamma leading the ducklings into the slough.  Photos by Michael Hobbs	A few of the Band-tailed Pigeons.  Photo by Michael Hobbs

Report for May 28, 2026                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

A gorgeous day at the park today.  Again, actual sightings of birds were sometimes hard to come by, but we had a very good time, and had some very good birds. Highlights: Blue-winged Teal - Two males and a female across from the Lake Platform; 2nd week in a row for this species Gadwall - Only one male, seen late, after weeks of 5+ pairs. Perhaps females are finally on nests Mallard - Many clutches of ducklings Ring-necked Duck - Pair at the lake Spotted Sandpiper - Two seen flying down the slough - First of Year (FOY) Pied-billed Grebe - One seen and heard "singing" across from the Lake Platform.  Our first since mid-April Red-breasted Sapsucker - Notably many sightings Five Woodpecker Day - Though Downy and Hairy were heard-only Bullock's Oriole - One female seen AMERICAN REDSTART - First-year male seen singing just east of the NW end of the boardwalk (FOY) Today's sighting of RING-NECKED DUCKS ties for the latest spring sighting ever noted at Marymoor.  I can find no June records; we'll see if we can notch one next week The AMERICAN REDSTART seemed pretty attached to the small trees just a bit east of the start of the boardwalk.  It was occasionally singing it's song, which sounds like the start of a Northern Yellow Warbler song.  First-year males are quite drab, but the patches of yellow were easy enough to see on our glimpses of this very active bird.  This is he 6th record for Marymoor Park, and the first for the month of May. Other sightings have been in very late June through mid-September. One more good sighting were two LONG-TAILED WEASELS south of the Pea Patch in the Dog Meadow, our first weasels since 2024. Misses today included Glaucous-winged Gull, Green Heron, Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Cliff Swallow, Wilson's Warbler, and Western Tanager. For the day, 62 species.  The two new birds for the year push our 2026 survey total to 112 species. = Michael Hobbs

Elusive American Redstart, near the start of the boardwalk.  Photo by Aldrin Leung

American Redstart, first year male.  Photo by Aldrin Leung

Report for May 21, 2026                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

We finally had really nice weather for our survey today.  It was also fairly birdy, though...though...though...  For some reason, many of the birds remained stubbornly invisible.  I heard probably close to a dozen Black-headed Grosbeaks singing today, and I didn't manage to see a single one.  That was not the only species with cloaking on. Highlights: Blue-winged Teal - Two males made a quick flyby heading north down the slough, and moments later, swiftly passed back.  First of Year (FOY) Ring-necked Duck - Lone male seen from Lake Platform - Our first since mid-March!  Also, the 2nd-latest spring sighting ever Virginia Rail - Kathy spotted two out in the open (and remaining so for minutes), below the weir.  Our first *sighting* of rail this year, I believe Green Heron - One pre-dawn in the stormwater pond near the velodrome parking lot Turkey Vulture - One seen from the Rowing Club (FOY) Cooper's Hawk - Juvenile being harassed by crows near the Compost Piles Five Woodpecker Day - With Red-breasted Sapsucker the most numerous Willow Flycatcher - Still just one, SE corner of the East Meadow Swainson's Thrush - Several singing during the day.  Most of us didn't see any though MacGillivray's Warbler - One singing for quite a while near Dog Central (FOY).  Partially glimpsed by only 1 or 2 of us, otherwise unseen Birds that were (at least nearly) heard only included Western Wood-Pewee, Western Warbling Vireo, Swainson's Thrush, Purple Finch, MacGillivray's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager, and Lazuli Bunting.  Yikes! Misses included Rock Pigeon, Spotted Sandpiper, Cliff Swallow, and Bullock's Oriole. For the day, a year's best 66 species.  Adding Blue-winged Teal, Turkey Vulture, and MacGillivray's Warbler, the survey is at 110 species for 2026. = Michael Hobbs

Two Virginia Rails out in the open, below the weir.  Photo by Michael Hobbs

Report for May 14, 2026                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

Today we had a beautiful May day at Marymoor. This is traditionally one of the weeks with the highest number to species recorded at Marymoor over the years, so we were open to anything showing up. We didn’t record a particularly high total species count in the end, but there were some nice surprises for the 4 of us who joined in for the walk. Highlights: Great Egret - one flew over our heads while at the weir. Then later it returned and perched near the heron rookery for quite a while for nice views. This in only our 3rd or 4th Marymoor record, and the first since 2020.  First of Year (FOY) Great Blue Heron - many young on the nests, and one or two fledged and in the slough, looking awkward as they learn to fish. Western Wood-Pewee - heard a few and saw one (FOY) Willow Flycatcher - one heard only, around dawn (FOY) empid sp. - one that got away along the slough that looked enticing Swainson’s Thrush - many calling and some in full song, before dawn. Once the sun rose, only heard one or two calling during the walk Bullock’s Oriole - one (FOY) Wilson’s Warbler - particularly numerous today  - we seemed to be able to hear one singing at almost any point in the walk. Black-headed Grosbeak - competed with Wilson’s Warbler for one of the most numerous singers today. Lazuli Bunting - a couple around, but not particularly cooperative ducklings - several clutches of Mallards swimming around Misses today were numerous, including most ducks, Green Heron, Downy & Hairy Woodpecker For the day, about 57 species - with 4 FOY birds, I think that brings us to 107 for the walk year list Matt Bartels

The Great Egret landed at the edge of the heronry.  Photo by Michael Hobbs

Great Egret. Photo by Michael Hobbs

Report for May 7, 2026                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

Report for April 30, 2026                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor