Friends of Marymoor Park

Bird Sightings Week 44
October 29 - November 4*

Rarities for Week 44:

Bonaparte's Gull	03-Nov-04	Flying north from grass soccer fields with a MEGU.
Bonaparte's Gull	01-Nov-05	Small flock In the ball fields at the east end
...Bonaparte's Gull	02-Nov-05	Ballfields at east end, with Mew Gulls
Franklin's Gull	30-Oct-14	1st winter bird. First reported 26-Oct-14
Franklin's Gull	03-Nov-16	With large Mew Gull flock
Iceland Gull (L. g. thayeri)	03-Nov-16	Grace & Ollie Oliver
Glaucous Gull	30-Oct-14	1st winter
Horned Lark	01-Nov-06
Horned Lark	03-Nov-09	Repored by John Tubbs
Mountain Chickadee	31-Oct-04	Reported by Neil Zimmerman
Common Redpoll	31-Oct-96	Near Community Gardens.
Snow Bunting	31-Oct-02	Lot G, at sunrise, sitting on the ground with frost on its back
American Tree Sparrow	29-Oct-09	Compost Piles
...American Tree Sparrow	30-Oct-09	Reported by Kraig Kemper
...American Tree Sparrow	31-Oct-09	Reported by Rick Hibpshman
...American Tree Sparrow	01-Nov-09	Reported by Ollie Oliver
American Tree Sparrow	03-Nov-12	Reported by Lillian Reis
Swamp Sparrow	02-Nov-05	Rowing Club - in hidden natural "pond" area behind new boathouse
Swamp Sparrow	31-Oct-13	Below weir
Bobcat	03-Nov-13	In Barbara Dickson's yard, directly across WLSP from the Rowing Club

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 November 2, 2023 Birding at Marymoor

The weather was pretty crappy today; dark and rainy until we got to the East Meadow when it cleared up a little but it became quite windy. Mostly, the morning was an exercise in futility. But at least it wasn't cold.

Highlights:

Cackling Goose - 1500-2000, with many of them landing in the park
Wood Duck - Seven in close to the Lake Platform; our only other duck species besides Mallard and Hoodie
Merlin - One flew over the East Meadow in the brief moment between the rain and the wind
Only 1 Finch - A single House Finch at the Pea Patch !
Lincoln's Sparrow - One at the Pea Patch. We hadn't had one since early September
WESTERN MEADOWLARK - Two north of the road, north of the Viewing Mound. First of Fall (FOF)

Yesterday afternoon, I went chasing the LESSER GOLDFINCH and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW that John Puschock had in the Pea Patch. No luck for me yesterday, but I did have NORTHERN SHRIKE northeast of the Viewing Mound (FOF) and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW at the SW corner of the Pea Patch (FOF). No luck on any of those birds today.

Species notably missed both days include Gadwall, Bufflehead, Western Grebe, Short-billed Gull, Downy Woodpecker, Bushtit, Cedar Waxwing, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, and Red-winged Blackbird.

For the day, 46 species.

= Michael Hobbs

Lincoln's Sparrow. Photo by Tony Ernst

Report for November 3, 2022 Birding at Marymoor

Perhaps the last nice day for a long while, who knows. Temps were in the low 40's, with only a few wisps of fog, no wind, and no precipitation. And it was birdy.

Highlights:

Trumpeter Swan - Flock of 16 flying west, calling. First of year (FOY)
American Wigeon - A few on the lake
Green-winged Teal - One at Rowing Club, First of Fall (FOF)
Common Merganser - Male at weir (FOF)
Western Screech-Owl - One heard pre-dawn
Great Horned Owl - Matt heard one near the concert venue pre-dawn
Northern Saw-whet Owl - Matt heard two predawn (FOY)
Varied Thrush - One near mansion (FOF)
American Pipit - Several flyovers, but we've yet to see one on the ground this fall
White-throated Sparrow - Brian had one, East Meadow

We saw a large flock of birds well out on the lake, and I was able to scope them after the walk. Turned out to be a couple of hundred(!) BUFFLEHEAD (FOF), a handful of LESSER SCAUP (FOF), at least 4 WESTERN GREBE (FOY), and a few wigeon. There were also a couple of HORNED GREBE and a CALIFORNIA GULL.

If you're counting, that's 3 FOY plus 5 FOF!

We had a NINE SPARROW DAY, which is all of the likely species.

Besides the fairly small numbers I've noted for various dabbling ducks, we also had an abundance of flocks of unidentified ducks overhead all morning. Our guesses were many more Mallard, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, and maybe some Gadwall.

Misses today included Short-billed Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Northern Shrike, Bushtit, Brown Creeper, Pine Siskin, and Western Meadowlark.

For the day, an amazing 66 species!

= Michael Hobbs

The distant flock of black-and-white birds WAY OUT THERE turned out to be
about 200 Buffleheads. Photo by Michael Hobbs

Just across the slough from the Lake Platform, it appears we have
a new Bald Eagle nest! Photo by Michael Hobbs

Report for November 4, 2021 Birding at Marymoor

Geez – You’d think people would have the sense to check the weather forecast, for they would surely have known to stay home if they had! There were NINE of us for three hours of very wet and dark birding with occasional bonus breezes. The timing couldn’t have been worse, as it was nice pre-dawn and nice again starting at 11:00. Birds were terribly hard to come by, and only an owl kept it from being a waste of a morning. Smile

Highlights:

Bufflehead – about twenty at the lake – First of Fall (FOF)
Greater Scaup – three females out from the Viewing Mound – we’ve decided these are almost certainly Greater
Hooded Merganser – at least 7 at the Rowing Club – First Flock of Fall (FFOF)
SHORT-EARED OWL – hounded out of the East Meadow by crows a bit before 10:00 a.m.
Merlin – quick flyby

Matt and Eric had the SHORT-EARED OWL before sunrise in the East Meadow and had noted that it might have settled down in the grass there. Two hours later, as we made are way north up the East Meadow, we spotted AMERICAN CROWS harassing something in the grass about where the owl might be. Sure enough, long before we ever got close enough to effect the outcome, the crows drove the owl into the air. For at least a minute we watched as the owl circled higher and higher over the meadow with crows keeping pace. I finally lost it in the gray. We were very lucky on the timing of that one, as the crows could have found the owl just 5 minutes earlier and we would have missed it.

On a quick drive-through after the Rowing Club I spotted ROCK PIGEON and a NORTHERN SHRIKE.

Misses today included Gadwall, Western Grebe, Virginia Rail, Cooper’s Hawk, Downy Woodpecker, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Marsh Wren, Cedar Waxwing, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

For the morning, just 48 species, our first sub-50 total of 2021. Hopefully our last.

= Michael Hobbs

Wilson's Snipe, taken 2021-10-31 when the weather was better.
Photo by Bob Asanoma

Report for November 1, 2018 Birding at Marymoor

Today was most notable for being dark, unsurprising as we are approximately at the cross-quarter (Samhain), and entering the darkest quarter of the year. Abandon all hope... There were short drizzle squalls, and bits of mist and mizzle, but it really wasn’t too rainy. With temps right around 60 degrees, even the occasional gusty winds merely meant our optics needed to be dried occasionally; it’s not like it was uncomfortable. But it WAS dark, and fairly quiet, except for the huge number of American Robins.

Highlights:

SNOW GOOSE – flyby of flock of nearly 40
Cackling Goose – flock size increasing; maybe nearly 100 today
American Wigeon – flyby flock of 4
Northern Pintail – flyby flock of about 6
Green-winged Teal – just 2 below the weir
Ring-necked Duck – two near the cabana again
Wilson’s Snipe – at least two flushed as we walked the boardwalk
Mew Gull – First of Fall; flock of maybe 50
Green Heron – one again at Rowing Club pond
Barn Owl – Matt saw one early
Western Screech-Owl – Matt heard one early near boardwalk; first in 7 weeks
Red-breasted Sapsucker – One; only woodpecker besides Northern Flicker
MERLIN – one flew past the Pea Patch
Cedar Waxwing – still a few good-sized flocks
Dark-eyed Junco – Our most numerous sparrow, and at least one “SLATE-COLORED” type
Western Meadowlark – at least 1 with huge flock of starlings
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Three

One juvenile SNOW GOOSE was seen this weekend, which was the First of Fall for Marymoor; today’s flock was the First of Fall for the survey.

Misses were notable today: Gadwall, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser (possibly glimpsed in flight), Western Grebe, Virginia Rail, Ring-billed Gull, California Gull (though we failed to ID several gulls), Sharp-shinned Hawk, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Shrike, Bewick’s Wren, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, and Lincoln’s Sparrow have all been seen on at least 12 years of the last 24 for this week of the year, but not today!

For the day, 52 species.

== Michael Hobbs

Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Hugh Jennings

Golden-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Michael Hyman

American Coots. Photo by Hugh Jennings

Male Wood Duck being followed by American Coots. Photo by Michael Hyman

Report for November 2, 2017 Birding at Marymoor

The dismal weather report was, as usual, not to be trusted. Yes, the weather was not as nice as most recent days, but it was merely breezy, and we mostly didn’t have rain. We had periodic drizzle at most, and for much of the morning there were blue skies and even rainbows. It felt like the birds were a little timid with the changeable weather, and often stayed hidden and silent, but we managed some sightings. Highlights: Lesser(?) Scaup – one female with Buffleheads at lake. More scaup were in the air. FOF for scaup spp. -Seven species of duck total- Hooded Merganser – female in slough from RC dock – first since August Herring Gull – one on grass fields, with Mew, Ring-billed, California, Glaucous-winged, and many muddled “Olympic Gulls” – FOF Sharp-shinned Hawk – great looks at a juvenile eating a bird on the boardwalk railing about 30 feet away Barn Owl – brief look, East Meadow, maybe 7:00 a.m. Short-eared Owl – better looks, East Meadow, just after 7:30 a.m. Northern Shrike – juvenile in East Meadow hawthorns Varied Thrush – one at the south end of the Dog Meadow in a large Oregon Ash Townsend’s Warbler – at least two in the American Chestnut near the mansion White-throated Sparrow – with Golden-crowns and juncos near the 2nd/3rd Dog Swim beaches The day was notable for misses – No Western Grebe, any woodpeckers except Northern Flicker, Steller’s Jay, Brown Creeper, Cedar Waxwing, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, or Western Meadowlark. We had terrible looks at two groups of Pigeon sp. that were probably Rock Pigeon. One or two distant Pine Siskins were the only finches besides ~20 House Finch. And no really good rarity to share with y’all. For the day, 55 species, plus a COYOTE that crossed the model airplane field. == Michael Hobbs	Golden-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Hugh Jennings White-crowned Sparrow. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Bald-faced Hornet nest along boardwalk. Photo by Hugh Jennings	Sharp-shinned Hawk having a snack near Lake Platform. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Juvenile Northern Shrike. Photo by Bob Asanoma	Rainbow. Photo by Hugh Jennings
American Crows. Photo by Bob Asanoma	American Crow. Photo by Hugh Jennings

Report for November 3, 2016 Birding at Marymoor

While today was a gorgeous fall day, we were beset with thick fog from pre-dawn owling until we got to the lake platform. I’m sure we missed many birds, between the lack of visibility, and the constant noise as the wet air conducted distant sounds. Still, we had a very good day. Highlights: Ruddy Duck Female still hanging out near Lake Platform Common Loon WAY out on lake Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 near first dog swim beach American Coot Around 400 on lake! FRANKLIN’S GULL Briefly seen on grass soccer fields at 8:00 Barn Owl Heard, but unseen, East Meadow, 6:00 a.m. W. SCREECH OWL Two near south slough end of boardwalk, one seen well Pileated Woodpecker 1 just south of Dog Meadow Northern Shrike Gorgeous adult continues, East Meadow Cedar Waxwing Couple of sightings – still a few around Or.-crowned Warbler Maybe 3 total Y.-rumped Warbler Maybe 3-6 total Townsend’s Warbler One with Orange-crowns SW of mansion Western Meadowlark 10+ near model airplane field In the pre-dawn fog, we saw a COOPER’S HAWK atop one of the bird houses near the mowed trail. Suddenly, it took flight, chasing a small sparrow or wren that flew between our legs. Matt literally had to dive out of the way to avoid being hit by the hawk. The FRANKLIN’S GULL was found in a large flock that was primarily MEW GULLS, but also had a few RING-BILLED, CALIFORNIA, and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS on the grass soccer fields right where we park. The dark bill, faced washed with slaty darkness, dark mantle, small size, and eye crescents were easily seen in the scope. But before everyone could view it, a bunch of gulls including the FRGU took off and flew north. For the day, 65 species! == Michael Hobbs	California Gull with smaller Mew Gull (both adults), in the fog. Photo by Ollie Oliver Adult Glaucous-winged Gull, in the fog. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Adult Ring-billed Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver	First-winter Ring-billed Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Fog-shrouded, but also very gray, Orange-crowned Warbler. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Calling Brown Creeper. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Hairy Woodpecker. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Male Hairy Woodpecker. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Ruddy Duck female (Pied-billed grebe in the background). Photo by Ollie Oliver	Ruddy Duck female. Close crop to show stiff tail. You may also be able to see a hint of the facial stripes. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Five of seven Hooded Mergansers at the Rowing Club. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Mushrooms. Photo by Ollie Oliver

Report for October 29, 2015 Birding at Marymoor

Despite looking awfully threatening, especially between 7 and 9, the rain held off until we were getting into our cars at the Rowing Club (and even then, it was just a sprinkle). The birds seemed subdued by the weather, however. It was really quiet. Paving work continues on the eastern portion of the trail, so we had to backtrack extensively today, but we were able to cover most of the territory. By next week, I suspect we’ll at least be able to get to the grass Meadow Loop Trail and bypass the remainder of any construction. Highlights: Green-winged Teal 2 females near weir Ring-necked Duck 1 at lake, First of Fall Cooper’s Hawk Several sightings, at least 2 individuals Wilson’s Snipe Observed despite excellent camouflage, below weir Barn Owl One at the south end of East Meadow pre-dawn SHORT-EARED OWL Great looks both at dawn and later Northern Flicker Our ONLY woodpecker species Northern Shrike Juvenile at Viewing Mound Western Meadowlark A few people saw one, East Meadow Red Crossbill Flock heard over Dog Meadow Pine Siskin Good sized flock at Rowing Club The SHORT-EARED OWL was really the only highlight of the day, but it gave us wonderful looks. This is the best time of year to find them at Marymoor, though the change in the weather due tomorrow may send them south. For mammals, Matt saw a deer, and I saw a Long-tailed Weasel at the Rowing Club. Besides those, just E.G. Squirrels. For the day, 53 species. == Michael Hobbs	Female Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Ollie Oliver Brown Creeper. Photo by Ollie Oliver
American Coots at the lake. Photo by Ollie Oliver	American Crow mobbing a Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Short-eared Owl. Photo by Bob Asanoma	Short-eared Owl. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Short-eared Owl. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Short-eared Owl. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Lincoln's Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Lincoln's Sparrow. Photo by Jordan Roderick
Red-breasted x Red-naped Sapsucker hybrid, 2015-10-27. Photos by Spencer Hildie	Note the black band below the red on the breast, and the black extending up the nape of the neck to behind the eye. Both of these areas would be red in a pure Red-breasted Sapsucker

Report for October 30, 2014 Birding at Marymoor

The weather was blah, though not horrible. Warm an muggy, with the dark blanketed sky spitting drips and drops on an irregular basis, and a bit of a breeze for the first hour or two. The darkness made birding difficult. There was also a LOT of tree damage from the weekend windstorm. Many large trees lost huge branches or fell entirely, including probably the largest, tallest cottonwood in the Cottonwood Forest; the tree with the never-used Bald Eagle nest seems to have disappeared. There was also damage to the new Bald Eagle nest tree area in the SE of the park as well. There wasn’t much in the way of birding, but as usual, we ended up finding some VERY NOTABLE birds. Highlights: SWANS 8 who gave up thoughts of landing, just a couple of single-notes heard Bufflehead Four flying at the N end of the lake. First of Fall Great Blue Heron At least four sitting on nests in the heronry FRANKLIN’S GULL 1st winter bird on grass fields, with Mew Gulls GLAUCOUS GULL 1st winter bird; color of VERY milky tea, bicolored bill, huge bird American Pipit A few heard overhead, glimpsed in flight C. YELLOWTHROAT Young male at Compost Piles after the walk. Latest fall sighting ever This is just the 3rd GLAUCOUS GULL sighting for Marymoor, and the first fall record. It was seen on several of the grass soccer fields, and at the model airplane field. It’s darker toned than many juvenile GLGUs, and slightly orangey. The bill looked cleanly bicolored, with a flesh colored base. The wingtips and tail were the whitest part of the bird. It was notably larger than all other gulls present. The FRANKLIN’S GULL was a 1st winter bird, and I’d gotten a report that it was present last Friday as well. Just 53 species for the day, and that’s overstating things, as many of those were seen before, after, or by only a very few people. Pretty crappy day for species total, but pretty good for gulls. == Michael Hobbs	Dark-eyed Junco. Photo by Ollie Oliver Great Blue Heron, perhaps claiming ownership of the nest. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Eight Swans. Call made us think Tundra;not heard well enough to be sure. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Proportions might point to Trumpeter, but facial pattern could match Tundra. Dang. Have to list them as Swan sp. Photo by Ollie Oliver
First-winter Glaucous Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver	First-winter Glaucous Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver
First-winter Glaucous Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver	First-winter Glaucous Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver
First-winter Franklin's Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver	First-winter Franklin's Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Fall color. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Fall color. Photo by Ollie Oliver
	I believe this to be Coprinus Comatus (aka. Inky cap, shaggy ink cap, lawyer's wig, or shaggy mane) - See more at: http://www.survivallandusa.com/Shaggy-Mane-Mushrooms.html Photo by Ollie Oliver

Report for October 31, 2013 Birding at Marymoor

Our Halloween was a good one at Marymoor. Despite the lack of fog, we had no owls pre-dawn, but we had some pretty good birds all day long, in between gaps of nothingness. The predicted rain consisted of occasional mist, mizzle, and a few minutes of drizzle, and the temperature started at 50 and probably didn’t change. So it wasn’t a bad day at all. Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose Juvenile in with Cacklers and Canadas SNOW GOOSE One flyover with Canadas pre-sunrise Gadwall Pair at Rowing Club. Only 4th since May Wilson’s Snipe Good looks below weir, and RC pond Pileated Woodpecker On snag near start of boardwalk Northern Shrike A couple of sightings, probably 1 bird Cedar Waxwing About 75 at Rowing Club -No warblers- Savannah Sparrow At least 1 still around Compost Piles SWAMP SPARROW Good looks as it made its way downstream from the weir, about 8:30 a.m. Western Meadowlark Two, East Meadow Matt heard the call chip of the SWAMP SPARROW while the rest of us were noisily gawking at Cedar Waxwings. Amazingly, we were able to follow the chip call as the bird worked north, and we all got anywhere from a couple of glimpses to some good long looks at the very active bird. We last had a SWSP in 2011. For the day, about 55 species. == Michael Hobbs	Swamp Sparrow below the weir Ollie Oliver got these photos despite the early morning gloom and a distance of about 20 yards
Female Pileated Woodpecker near start of boardwalk Photo by Ollie Oliver	Cackling Geese, including two with neck bands. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Matt stands on the trail, enjoying the Western Meadowlarks. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Western Meadowlark, East Meadow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Second-winter Ring-billed Gull. Note lack of white in wingtips, grayish legs, and black on the bill virtually to the tip.	Conversely, the adult Ring-billed Gull has white spots on the black wingtips, yellow legs, and a yellow bill with a black ring. Two photos by Ollie Oliver
Wilson's Snipe, almost invisible along shore of RC pond. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Female House Finch, 2013-10-29. Photo by Ollie Oliver
White-throated Sparrow, with Golden-crowned Sparrows, 2013-10-29...	...Two photos by Ollie Oliver
Unusual to see a buck Black-tailed Deer (Mule Deer) at Marymoor, especially with such big antlers, 2013-10-29. Photo by Ollie Oliver	And something even more unusual, a Moose! And is that a Pronghorn or something even more devilish. Halloween photo by Hugh Jennings

Report for November 1, 2012 Birding at Marymoor

It was distinctly damp this morning, especially for the first three hours. The rain was fairly steady, and definitely counted as rain, not just drizzle. By about 10, though, it eased off a bit, and the day became fairly nice, albeit with overcast and occasional drops. It was also warm – 51 degrees at 7:00 a.m. It never felt terribly birdy, and we missed several “common” species, but had a pretty good species list by the end. Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose 1 flyby with Cacklers Cackling Goose Several large flocks, minima subspecies American Wigeon A dozen+ flew towards the lake Bufflehead First of Fall, 4 females Common Merganser Male on lake COMMON LOON Far out on lake, confirmed later Cooper’s Hawk Many sightings, 3+ individuals MERLIN 6th time in last 8 weeks Virginia Rail One heard from bend in boardwalk Mew Gull First large flocks of fall Barn Owl Great looks as late as 7:40 a.m., 3+ Northern Shrike Two birds, calling White-throated Sparrow With many sparrows near weir Red Crossbill A couple of flyovers We had no woodpeckers except NORTHERN FLICKER. and no Belted Kingfisher, Brown Creeper, or Marsh Wren. There was a RIVER OTTER out on the lake. For the day, 60 species! == Michael Hobbs	"Sooty" Fox Sparrow. Photo by Hugh Jennings Savannah Sparrow. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Killdeer. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Adult Red-tailed Hawk stretching its wings. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Pine Siskins, 2012-10-28. Photo by Lillian Reis	Accipiter, probably a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2012-10-28. Photo by Lillian Reis
Maybe the reason we had no woodpeckers except Northern Flicker on Thursday was that Ollie used up all the good looks on Sunday. Male Downy Woodpecker, 2012-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Red-breasted Sapsucker, 2012-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Female Pileated Woodpecker, 2012-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Female Pileated Woodpecker, 2012-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Part of a large flock of Snow Geese, 2012-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Part of a large flock of Snow Geese, 2012-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Meadowlark, 2012-10-26. Photo by Lillian Reis	Mourning Dove, 2012-10-26. Photo by Lillian Reis

Report for November 3, 2011 Birding at Marymoor

We were stunned and amazed to have gorgeous weather this morning. It was clear at 7:00 a.m. and still pretty much clear when we finished after noon. It was really birdy, too, with lots of great looks at common birds. Not too many surprises, but a good day. Highlights: Cackling Goose Pure flock of ~200 minimas Gadwall Pair in slough - First of Fall Merlin? Quick look at a falcon Northern Shrike Between Piles and airplane field American Pipit One flew off from Compost Piles Yellow-rumped Warbler Missed the last 2 weeks Townsend's Warbler One near windmill White-throated Sparrow Tan-stripe near 2nd dog beach American Robins and Dark-eyed Juncos were everywhere. We had particularly nice looks at Fox Sparrows, Bewick's Wren, both Kinglets. Had all of the usual suspects except Bushtit. For the day, 59 species. Yesterday, Marc Hoffmann photographed a TUNDRA SWAN at the north end of the lake, as well as a WESTERN GREBE. Ollie Oliver had some COMMON MERGANSERS, and on 11/1 a WOOD DUCK. On Halloween, Lillian Reis had BUSHTIT and a SNOW GOOSE. So the week total is at least 65 species. == Michael Hobbs	White-throated Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver White-throated Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bald Eagle. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Anna's Hummingbird. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Male Hairy Woodpecker. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Fox Sparrow, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Fox Sparrow, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Spotted Towhee, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Steller's Jay, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver	From the lake platform, 2011-11-02. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Snow Goose, 2011-10-30. Photo by Lillian Reis	Western Grebe, 2011-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2011-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2011-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Belted Kingfisher, 2011-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Belted Kingfisher displaying, 2011-10-28. Photo by Ollie Oliver

Report for November 4, 2010 Birding at Marymoor

It was as pretty a fall day as possible, with a crescent moon, a few wisps of early fog, trees covered in yellow and orange, deep blue skies, and a few high white clouds. There was a nip in the air early, but with the sun shining bright, it warmed up quickly. Birding was pretty slow, and the total number of birds was fairly low. We ended up with a fairly good species count, but several of those were heard-only and/or were represented by only a single individual. The big surprise was a WESTERN TANAGER in the large cottonwoods south of Dog Central. This is fully 5 weeks later than our previous latest sighting. While it was up near the tops of the large trees, we got pretty good looks. Highlights: Lesser Scaup 1 male at lake - new for 2010 Green Heron 1 at Rowing Club pond MERLIN 1 in cottonwoods near Dog Central Northern Shrike 1 heard pre-dawn near Compost Piles WESTERN TANAGER See above Evening Grosbeak 1 seen, maybe a few more heard For the day, 57 species. == Michael	7:09 a.m.
Female Downy Woodpecker. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Brown Creeper. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Anna's Hummingbird in the Community Gardens	Juvenile Cooper's Hawk at the Compost Piles. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Hooded Merganser at the Rowing Club	Juvenile Northern Shrike, seen in the afternoon. Photo by Lillian Reis
Fungi photo by Hugh Jennings	Okay, that's a male Mallard and a what??? Up in a tree??? Decoyed again.
Fall color	Golden-crowned Sparrow, 2010-10-29. Photo by Lillian Reis
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2010-10-31. Photo by Lillian Reis	Fox Sparrow, 2010-11-03. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Anna's Hummingbird, 2010-11-03. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Killdeer, 2010-11-03. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Western Yellowjacket, 2010-11-03. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Honey Bee, 2010-11-03. Photo by Ollie Oliver

Report for October 29, 2009

Even when it rains, it pours. Eleven of us slogged through some soaking rain at times this morning while making our way around the park. It wasn't terribly pleasant, I must say. Nor were there a lot of birds to see. However, there were some good highlights, and our species count was excellent. Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose 10 in the grass/gravel parking lot C Cackling Goose 2 large flocks overhead + 3 in lot C Northern Pintail Flock of 20+, pintail, and some wigeon??? Greater Scaup 1 at lake, First Of Fall Bufflehead 2 males at lake, FOF Ring-necked Pheasant Male at Compost Piles Green Heron One at Rowing Club Sharp-shinned Hawk One at Rowing Club, going after siskins Cooper's Hawk One in Oregon Ash along slough MERLIN 3rd week in a row; one seen (3 times) Barn Owl Brian had one early Short-eared Owl One in East Meadow about 7:40 Hairy Woodpecker One west of mansion Northern Shrike 1, East Meadow and north of soccer fields Winter Wren 1 heard near east end of boardwalk, FOF American Pipit Heard some over grass soccer fields AMERICAN TREE SPARROW One at Compost Piles Pine Siskin First large flocks of fall Rain makes birding difficult, what with wet optics and cold hands. We were a bit reluctant to bring binocs up to the eyes, especially if looking upwards. Using them often didn't do much good anyway, due to water droplets and fog. So the flock of ducks flying by might not have gotten the best scrutiny possible. One of the ducks was clearly a drake pintail. The others went unidentified. In my experience, Northern Pintail and American Wigeon will often fly together and are hard to tell apart in flight, so it could well have been a mixed flock, though only pintail made the list. The AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was hanging out with White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows at the Compost Piles (east of Lot G). This is the same location where we had one for six weeks back in Jan/Feb. For the day, 64 species!!! Admittedly, the owls were before the start of the walk, and six were heard-only, but still... We also had a couple of deer, and a dead Opossum at the Pea Patch. == Michael	Ten Greater White-fronted Geese with three Cackling Geese Rock Pigeons
Adult and immature Ring-billed Gulls	Horrible photo of the American Tree Sparrow
One of two Mule Deers	Ollie Oliver's photo of the Northern Shrike
Ollie's photo of the Green Heron at the Rowing Club	Ollie's photo of the Sharp-shinned Hawk that chased off the Pine Siskins
Ollie's photo from 2009-10-28, of a male Hooded Merganser at the Rowing Club	Same photographer, same bird, same location
Ollie's photo from 2009-10-28 of a Wilson's Snipe at the Rowing Club	Ollie's photo from 2009-10-28 of a first-winter Pied-billed Grebe

Report for October 30, 2008

It seemed pretty quiet today. Early on there was fog, but it lifted early on, such that it didn't effect much except owling. It remained overcast all morning, though, and we had about 16 drops of rain as we passed the windmill. No wind, a touch cold, but fine. It just didn't feel very birdy.

Highlights:

Cackling Goose                 Large flock (125?) almost pure Branta minima minima
Wood Duck                    3-4. We have few sightings of them this late
Western Grebe                 Several on lake
Barn Owl                          Matt had 2 early, including 1 *in* the windmill
Red-breasted Sapsucker   One near the start of the boardwalk
Brown Creeper                 Almost didn't see it - it was too close!
Fox Sparrow                     Several especially nice looks
"Slate-colored" Junco        Near the first bench. Everyone saw it but me.

After the walk, I went to the 187th St viewpoint off East Lake Samm. Parkway, and had a couple of good birds:

Common Loon One quite close to the lake platform
Common Merganser Three in the northeast corner

Despite the feeling that there wasn't that much to see, 59 species for the day. So maybe I'm just jaded...

== Michael

Red-breasted Sapsucker near the start of the boardwalk

Ollie Oliver's photo of Killdeer on the grass soccer fields

Great Blue Heron on the Pea Patch fence

Fungi in the Pea Patch

Report for November 1, 2007

I wasn't expecting such nice weather. It was very pleasant - 41 degrees and windless when we began, and warming. It got a bit breezy once we got past the lake platform, but really not too bad. Lots of puffy clouds, but no threat of precipitation, and quite a bit of sun. It was birdy too, though no surprises. There were about a dozen birders all told. Highlights: Cackling Goose 250, maybe, mixed with Canadas, on grass fields Bufflehead First of Fall - pair at lake, male at RC pond Northern Harrier East Meadow, early Cooper's Hawk Adult in Dog Meadow, juvie at East Meadow Red-tailed Hawk Adult caught prey north of fields 7-8-9 Bald Eagle Pair at "new nest" in deep cottonwood forest Mew Gull 1000+ on soccer fields Barn Owl East Meadow, around 7:25 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 near first benches Yellow-rumped Warbler More than a dozen Townsend's Warbler 1 NE of mansion Purple Finch GREAT looks, edges of Dog Meadow Pine Siskin Flock of 25 on west side of slough The BALD EAGLES were calling together, and generally seemed to be in and about the "new nest", which was built starting about this time last year. We'd thought we'd have front row seats for breeding season, as this nest is very visible when the trees are leafless. With leaves on the trees, however, this nest is next-to-invisible. We never saw anything indicating nesting there this year, but visibility limited our ability to know. The nest is only just now becoming visible again, as the leaves fall off the trees. The CANADA and CACKLING geese were mixed together, though in flight the Cacklers were often in their own flocks. On the fields, it was a great comparison of size and proportion, as the birds were so close. For the day, 56 species. == Michael	A few of the 1000 Mew Gulls on the grass soccer fields Bald Eagle, barely visible at 9 o'clock. The nest is just below center at the fork in the tree. The other adult is inside the nest, and not visible.
Adult Cooper's Hawk flies east from the middle of the south Dog Meadow area. Center photo by Ollie Oliver.	Male Purple Finch along west edge of Dog Meadow
Black-capped Chickadee in Oregon Ash	Red-tailed Hawk, with prey animal and grass in talons over grass soccer fields
Canada Geese dwarfing Cackling Geese, probably of the minima race	Male Bufflehead at the Rowing Club pond