Friends of Marymoor Park

Bird Sightings Week 47
November 19-25*

Rarities for Week 47:

Brant	20-Nov-14	One bird
Brant	23-Nov-16	eBird Mason Flint
Barrow's Goldeneye	19-Nov-03	Two birds
Franklin's Gull	24-Nov-10	Flying
Red-naped Sapsucker	25-Nov-11	Reported by Darrel DeNune
Palm Warbler...	25-Nov-18	Hank Heiberg eBird report with photo! Pea Patch.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	22-Nov-23	With Golden-crowned Sparrows in the southern part of the Dog Meadow

Report for November 21, 2024 Birding at Marymoor

It was a very unusual day - the weather was quite nice with temps in the 40s, no wind, no precipitation, and pretty good light, and we did the bird survey as always. But we spent at least as much attention on the devastation that the bomb cyclone brought to the park; dozens of huge snags and mature trees either snapped off or uprooted, large branches down everywhere; downed twigs covering all of the ground.

Highlights:

Trumpeter Swan - THIRTEEN in three groups flying south, silent. They did look very long necked
Northern Shoveler - Two with a small flock of Mallards flying north - First of Fall (FOF)
Gadwall - A long line of ducks seen from the Lake Platform turned out to be 53 Gadwall, ~10 American Wigeon, and 2 Green-winged Teal. A High Count for Gadwall for the survey
Cooper's Hawk - Nice adult flew across the slough, calling, then perched for us to admire
Four Woodpecker Day - Missing sapsucker. Except for Northern Flicker and one glimpse of a Downy, all woodpeckers were heard-only
Merlin - Seen on the long dock during my late scan of the lake
Northern Shrike - Juvenile seen a couple of times on the far side of the slough; unusual spot for shrike
Golden-crowned Kinglet - Continue to be especially numerous and widespread and visible; Ruby-crowns also common, but 1/3 as many?
Varied Thrush - Mason saw one near the mansion
Pine Siskin - somewhere between 75 and 500, but probably 100 is a rough estimate
Townsend's Warbler - One NE of the mansion

Pre-dawn, it was strange to look out at Lake Sammamish and see virtually no lights anywhere. A couple of houses had generators, but the whole lake seemed to be without power.

Two of the large trees supporting the heronry have blown down. A few GREAT BLUE HERONS were sitting (claiming?) nests in other trees, and one was in the next-nearest best tree where I expect nests to be built in spring.

Pretty much every tall snag on the far side of the slough has come down, including the ones that Purple Martins nested in for the last couple of years. The Big Cottonwood Forest lost many mature trees. Both the Douglas Fir grove NE of the mansion and the Aspen grove across Pea Patch Rd. had several downed trees. Clean up will take weeks.

Misses today included American Coot, Killdeer, Bushtit, and American Goldfinch.

For the day, 59 species, including a Barn/Short-eared Owl seen by Eric pre-dawn over at the model airplane field.

= Michael Hobbs

Lake Sammamish with a massive power outage. I presume the few houses with lights have generators. Photo by Michael Hobbs

The large trees lost from the heronry had many nests. Photo by Michael Hobbs

Report for November 22, 2023 Birding at Marymoor

We had a fabulous day at Marymoor today. The weather was as good as it gets in late November, maybe better. No wind or precipitation, a very little fog that formed late and cleared early, and temps in the high 40’s! Only downer was that we did have to deal with flocks of falling leaves... Highlights: Northern Shoveler – Five flew down the slough – First for 2023 (FOY) American Wigeon – Two flew down the slough. We usually only see them when the park is flooded, which it is not right now Western Grebe – Three seen well from the Lake Platform Short-billed Gull – One on the grass fields with other gulls. First of Fall (FOF) Sharp-shinned Hawk – One near the weir (FOF) Northern Saw-whet Owl – One replied to calls around 6:10 a.m. (FOF) White-throated Sparrow – Drab individual near 3rd Dog Swim Beach ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK – Female/juvenile just north of the pea gravel path that cuts across the south end of the Dog Meadow. Marymoor First ! The ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was in the trees at the corner of that pea gravel path and the bark path along the west side of the Dog Meadow, in amongst a couple of dozen Golden-crowned Sparrows. It seemed only slightly larger than the GCSPs. It called a few times, which is what drew me over to that tree. It flew around a little bit to other bushes to the north, but was last seen flying east from the original tree. This is the 244th species of bird for Marymoor Park, and the first new species for the park list since the Harris’s Sparrow last year. Misses today included Common Merganser, Brown Creeper, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, and Red-winged Blackbird. For the day, 54 species. = Michael Hobbs
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Photo by Jordan Roderick	Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Photo by Tony Ernst
Female Gadwall. Photo by Tony Ernst	Lincoln's Sparrow. Photo by Tony Ernst

Report for November 23, 2022 Birding at Marymoor

Beautiful day, not too cold, not too windy, no rain, some sun. Seemed like it should have been birdier, but by the end we'd discovered that it wasn't that there were few birds, only that there were almost no surprises at all. We've been used to getting rare birds recently, and to "only" get the expected birds, with a few minor exceptions, felt lacking. We've become, dare I say it, jaded.

Highlights:

Cackling Goose - only one!
Short-billed Gull - First of Fall (FOF) for the survey group! Finally got some gulls on the grass soccer fields at dawn
Ring-billed Gull - (FOF). See above
Sharp-shinned Hawk - large adult from boardwalk
Cooper's Hawk - probably two
Pileated Woodpecker - One seen distantly, also one heard, but kind of presume it's the same one
Northern Shrike - Brian and I each had a sighting, independently. Presumably the same bird
Western Meadowlark - One near the Viewing Mound
Townsend's Warbler - Bird of the day, two near the windmill (FOF).

The TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS were really fun since Mason predicted we'd find one there when we started the walk around the mansion. Ten minutes later, after we'd passed the cedars without noticing them, he turned around and spotted them high in the far cedar. Willed into existence, I'd say.

We also had a COYOTE posing for us across from the 2nd Dog Swim Beach. Two RIVER OTTERS were briefly visible from the Lake Platform.

Misses included just Common Merganser, Bushtit, and Pine Siskin.

For the day, an 57 species.

= Michael Hobbs

Actively feeding Wilson's Snipe below the weir. Photo by Michael Hobbs

Coyote on the other side of the slough. Photo by Michael Hobbs

Report for November 24, 2021 Birding at Marymoor

It was a very nice morning, though a nippy 32 degrees at the start. Not too dark, no wind, no precipitation; it should have been a fabulous day. But for large stretches, there were also no birds. We did have some good looks, though.

Highlights:

Cackling Goose – 1500, conservatively. Most landed in the park. More than just minima subspecies
American Wigeon? – Flock of about 20 ducks that looked like wigeon flew by
Common Goldeneye – At least three on the east edge of the lake, seen by Brian and I on a late scan of the lake
Wilson’s Snipe – Some nice looks at 3-4 at the weir
MOURNING DOVE – One flying around over the meadows
Western Screech-Owl – Two sightings of single birds during the pre-dawn owling
Hairy Woodpecker – One just south of the East Meadow. First since September
Northern Shrike – Good looks in the East Meadow
American Robin – More ubiquitous than usual
Cedar Waxwing – A few scattered, plus a flock of ~10 east of the East Meadow
Fox Sparrow – Notably numerous
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER – Bright beauty in the Pea Patch (thanks Mark). We’ve had just a dozen sightings total during the months of Nov-Jan

Misses today included Ring-Necked Duck, Common Merganser, Downy Woodpecker, Marsh Wren, Purple Finch, American Goldfinch, and Lincoln’s Sparrow. And while they don’t quite reach the criteria for my “Missing” list, we also had no Green-winged Teal nor Anna’s Hummingbird. And only finding them on my way out of the park kept us from missing Rock Pigeon and European Starling!

With Matt having to work (it’s Wednesday), and other top birders such as Jordan and Mason not present, I’m not surprised we came up with a somewhat small total of 54 species today (counting wigeon(?) and scaup sp.)

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

= Michael Hobbs

"Sooty" Fox Sparrow. Photo by Bob Asanoma

Song Sparrow. Photo by Bob Asanoma

Report for November 21, 2018 Birding at Marymoor

At Thanksgiving, the survey is run a day early. Today featured a rumpled overcast the occasionally dripped on us, but it was in the high 40’s, and the total accumulation was just a trace. Birds didn’t seem to want to fly much today, and there were long quiet stretches. Not that many birders (i.e. Matt had to work), and but a pretty good show of birds. Highlights: Cackling Goose – around 2000 flew around, then landed on the grass soccer fields, where they spent the morning. Quite a sight! American Wigeon – lone female at the weir Green-winged Teal – below weir and at Rowing Club, 4 or more. RING-NECKED PHEASANT – male flew to Pea Patch from the west. First since 2011. Likely not of wild origin. Green Heron – one remains at Rowing Club pond – All 5 standard Woodpeckers – including an apparently pure Red-breasted Sapsucker this week Northern Shrike – adult north of Viewing Mound RIVER OTTER – 4 or 5 on lake, 1+ in slough, 1 at Rowing Club pond Few misses to report today; just Hooded Merganser, accipiters, Pine Siskin, and Lincoln’s Sparrow. In my short pre-dawn search, I had no owls. Last week’s might have been the final Cedar Waxwings for the year. We’d had no diving ducks at all, but a late lake view turned up 4 Ring-necked Ducks, 2 Bufflehead, and 2 Common Merganser. With those three ducks, that made 57 species for the day. Back to Thursday next week :) == Michael Hobbs	Part of the flock of Cackling Geese. Photo by Bob Asanoma Part of the flock of Cackling Geese. Photo by Bob Asanoma
Pileated Woodpecker. Photo by Bob Asanoma	"Sooty" Fox Sparrow. Photo by Jordan Roderick
Ring-necked Pheasant in the Pea Patch. Photo by Jordan Roderick	Ring-necked Pheasant in the Pea Patch. Photo by Michael Hobbs
Male Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Bob Asanoma	River Otter in the Rowing Club pond. Photo by Bob Asanoma

Report for November 22, 2017 Birding at Marymoor

There was a nice break in the rain this morning, with only occasional showers before sunrise, and then nothing at all until 10:30. The birds seemed to be taking advantage of the break and were active and about. We didn’t find much that was unexpected, but we had a nice morning looking through LOTS of birds trying to find any of the rarities that are showing up elsewhere. Alas, no Mountain Chickadees, Common Redpolls, Harris’s Sparrows, Bohemian Waxwings, Snowy Owls, Painted Buntings, etc.

We did have a few TRUMPETER SWANS fly overhead, and then saw one on the water from the Lake Platform.

We had several sightings of SHARP-SHINNED HAWK comprising at least 2 individuals. One of the Sharpies was on a mowed bit of pathway making barely audible mewing noises, and looking into the taller grass as if it were trying to pish birds or critters out. This went on for at least a full minute, while I stood no more that 15 feet away! Sharon may also have seen a Cooper’s Hawk.

At about 7:01 a.m., Sharon and I watched a SHORT-EARED OWL and a BARN OWL simultaneously cruising the East Meadow, for a great comparison. The Short-eared re-emerged at 7:10 for a final cameo.

We had several DOWNY WOODPECKERS and one PILEATED WOODPECKER.

CEDAR WAXWING flocks were seen several times; maybe they like the paucity of sub-freezing weather, for there seem to be more November Cedars than usual.

We had 3 PURPLE FINCH, only our second sighting in the last 7 weeks. These were in a small Oregon Ash at the 2nd Dog Swim Beach, a favorite location for Purples.

Quite a few fairly uncooperative flocks of PINE SISKIN were seen.

We had our first RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS in the last 4 weeks, but they comprised about 25 birds in many places, apparently all males.

Finally, we had two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS on light poles to the NE. Distant views and an unlikely habitat.

Misses for the day included Cackling Goose, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Rock Pigeon, Northern Shrike, Bushtit, Marsh Wren, American Goldfinch, and Lincoln’s Sparrow.

Still, we managed and even 50 species for the day.

== Michael Hobbs

Photo by Bob Asanoma

Photo by Bob Asanoma

Male Purple Finch. Photo by Bob Asanoma

Male Purple Finch eating Oregon Ash seeds. Photo by Bob Asanoma

Photo by Bob Asanoma

Townsend's Mole found dead near the Viewing Mound. Photo by Bob Asanoma

Report for November 23, 2016 Birding at Marymoor

Today was our annual Wednesday walk that precedes Thanksgiving. The weather was chilly early, and there was a breeze up the East Meadow, but otherwise there was mostly just a thin overcast. The only rain we got was while we drove to the Rowing Club. It was very birdy early, followed by a long stretch without much of anything. Things got more interesting near the park office again. Highlights: Trumpeter Swan ? Two distant, silent swans with VERY long necks Northern Pintail Large flying flock contained at least 1 Pintail. - rest of flock - “Am. Wigeon/N. Pintail” and some “duck spp.” Green Heron One on beaver lodge caught a fish Cooper’s Hawk Adult on same branch of same tree as last week Barn Owl Early birders had 1 at windmill, 1 at East Meadow W. Screech-Owl Early birders heard 2 near west end of boardwalk N. Saw-whet Owl E. B.’s heard 2 (glimpsed 1), east end of boardwalk Hairy Woodpecker 1 a little north of weir Pileated Woodpecker 1 flying north, far side of slough, north of weir Merlin 1 near weir. Possible 2nd before walk, East Meadow Northern Shrike 1 harassing Red-tail, n. of Fields 7-8-9 at 7:30 a.m. Townsend’s Warbler 1 between Park Office and Clise Mansion We had a GYNANDROMORPHIC MALLARD below the weir. Her bill was the orange with dark blotches of a female, and she was hanging out with a male Mallard as if they were paired. But her plumage looked like female plumage dusted over with male coloration. The head was greenish, especially on the crown, but with a hint of green all over. There was a whitish neck collar at the bottom of the greenish head. The breast was faintly but distinctly washed with chestnut. The back was frosted with pale gray. The tail feathers were curled like a male’s. The “Odd Snag” is the tallest object anywhere around Marymoor. It is an enormous broken-off Doug Fir that sticks up above the forest, west of West Lake Sammamish Parkway, across from the windmill. We call it the “odd snag” because there is a spike of wood that sticks up from the top like a giant toothpick. Red-tailed Hawks have nested at the base of the toothpick for many years. Today, a BELTED KINGFISHER perched at the very top of the toothpick, which seemed a very odd (and very high) place for a kingfisher. For the day, 63 species. == Michael Hobbs	Gynandromorphic Mallard. Photos by Ollie Oliver Her bill has normal coloration for a female, as does her lower face, her upper back, and her flanks. You can see a tiny amount of the blue-and-white speculum on her folded wing, indicating her wings are fairly typical for a female. But the top of her head is tinged with dark green from the top of the bill all the way over and down the nape. Her breast is chestnut, and she shows a white collar at the top of her breast like a male. The tertials are like a male's, and she has a male's curly tail feathers.
Red-winged Blackbirds in a London Plane tree. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Adult Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Green Heron eating a fish. Photo series by Ollie Oliver
Pied-billed Grebe, also eating a fish. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Muskrat and male Gadwall. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Hooded Merganser displaying. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Two males displaying while a female looks on. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Juvenile Ring-billed Gull, 2016-11-18. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Townsend's Warbler, 2016-11-18. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2016-11-18. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Displaying Hooded Mergansers, 2016-11-18. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Wood Duck pair, 2016-11-19. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Northern Shrike, 2016-11-19. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Bald Eagle, 2016-11-19. Photo by Ollie Oliver

Report for November 25, 2015 Birding at Marymoor

We did the Marymoor survey today, so we could be with family and friends for Thanksgiving. It was a magical morning, bitterly cold at the start (25 degrees at 6:00 a.m. when Sharon and I went owling), but calm, sunny, and delightful. The full moon setting, Mars and Jupiter bright in the sky, and then a nice sunrise and Mt. Rainier visible to the south, and birds and animals, and... Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose At least 7 with Cacklers Cackling Goose 1000 on NW ball fields, maybe 1500 total SWANS 7 flew NE at 7:40, 1 on lake Barn Owl At least 1 from Viewing Mound SHORT-EARED OWL 1 from Viewing Mound after 7:00 a.m. Northern Saw-whet Owl Sharon & I saw one near E. end of boardwalk 6:20 a.m. Northern Shrike East of Parking Lot B Common Raven One at Rowing Club Yellow-rumped Warbler 1-2 WESTERN MEADOWLARK 5 at Viewing Mound Mammals were a big highlight of the day. Sharon & I had an AMERICAN BEAVER slapping its tail in the moonlight at the Lake Platform. Later, the whole group saw 3 RIVER OTTER from the Lake Platform, a COYOTE near the shrike near Lot B, and a BLACK-TAILED DEER at the Rowing Club parking lot. Oh, and Eastern Gray Squirrels... For the day, 52 species of birds. == Michael Hobbs	Short-eared Owl just before sunrise. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Seven swans and three geese, probably Trumpeter and Canada respectively. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Eighth swan on the lake. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Four of the five Western Meadowlarks. Photos by Ollie Oliver
Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Bob Asanoma	Steller's Jay. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, and Mallards, 2015-11-21. Photo by Ollie Oliver.	Lincoln's Sparrow, 2015-11-21. Photo by Ollie Oliver
"Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler, 2015-11-21. Photo by Ollie Oliver	"Audubon's" Yellow-rumped Warbler, 2015-11-21. Photo by Ollie Oliver
	Cackling Geese, 2015-11-21. Photo by Ollie Oliver

Report for November 19, 2015 Birding at Marymoor

A really pleasant morning, with clear skies early, and a bit of overcast later, but no wind or rain. Surprises throughout the morning kept things interesting. The trail continues to be flooded, requiring tall rubber boots. There’s about 8” of water in places, both approaching and over the boardwalk. While the lake and river are high, interior areas of the park are not particularly flooded; this storm mostly dumped rain uphill from Marymoor. Highlights: Western Grebe 4 seen on lake late in the morning Green Heron Juvenile at Rowing Club pond Virginia Rail Called from well inland of usual sites BONAPARTE’S GULL Five on grass fields at 7:30 Northern Saw-whet Owl Heard around 6:00 a.m. near boardwalk Pileated Woodpecker 1 flew south past weir Merlin East Meadow & mansion area – 2 birds. Taiga type? Northern Shrike Juvenile east of East Meadow today Varied Thrush Only 1 heard-only Yellow-rumped Warbler At least 2 “Audubon’s”-type WILSON’S WARBLER Probably same male as 2 weeks ago – LATE We’ve not had very many fall records of BONAPARTE’S GULL at Marymoor, and this record is a couple of weeks later than any other. I thought 5 might be a new high count, but we’ve had 5 before, and I completely forgot the 2005-11-01 record of 16 birds! The WILSON’S WARBLER was near the Dog Area portapotties, and looked very much like the one from 2 weeks ago. He was already notably late 2 weeks ago. Today’s is a month later than any late bird from previous years. I drove through the park on the way out, and got the only CANADA GEESE of the day. Pre-sunrise, we had a few large flocks of presumed CACKLING GEESE; during the walk we saw a few more Cacklers. But we’ve yet to have a large flock (100+) land in the park this fall. In previous recent years, we’ve had flocks of hundreds to thousands starting in early October. For the day, 58 species. == Michael Hobbs	Juvenile Bonaparte's Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver Bonaparte's Gulls, juvenile on the right. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile (left) and adult Bonaparte's Gulls. Photo by Ollie Oliver	All five Bonaparte's Gulls. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Wilson's Warbler, male. Very late. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Wilson's Warbler, male. Very late. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Mallards on the path. Photo by Ollie Oliver	We displaced the Mallards. Photo by Bob Asanoma
Merlin, probably a male Taiga-type. Photo by Bob Asanoma	Looks like a female or immature "Taiga" Merlin. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Green Heron at the Rowing Club pond. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Great Blue Heron, 2015-11-15. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Herring Gull, 2015-11-15. Photo by Ollie OIiver	Juvenile Herring Gull, 2015-11-15. Photo by Ollie OIiver

Report for November 20, 2014 Birding at Marymoor

The weather was way better than seasonal. Mid-40’s, and only mostly overcast. There were a few sprinkles long before the walk, and a few drops afterwards. No wind. It was birdy and quiet in waves, and it was not a day without surprises. Highlights: Gr. White-fronted Goose One adult with Cacklers BRANT One with Cacklers, also seen Saturday Cackling Goose 750 or so, grass fields in NE part of park Wood Duck Cooperative flying male made a circle so all could see Common Merganser 1-2 males, seen flying past 3-4 times. First since Sept. Pied-billed Grebe 35+ on lake Cooper’s Hawk Cooperative juvenile at Pea Patch Herring Gull Adult with Mew Gulls on grass fields BARN OWL Two flying around until 7:00ish SHORT-EARED OWL Flying and calling until 7:30, East Meadow Peregrine Falcon Sharon saw one, heading NE Northern Shrike Immature seen twice C. YELLOWTHROAT Immature male, Compost Piles. VERY LATE !!! This is the third fall where a single BRANT goose has joined a flock of Cackling Geese. One was seen twice in Nov/Dec 2008, and one was seen three times in Dec 2009. We’ve had probably this same immature male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT on October 16, October 30, and now today: our first-ever November sighting for the species. This is BY FAR the latest date we’ve ever had a yellowthroat. For the day, 57 species. For the year, I believe we’re up to 159 species. == Michael Hobbs	Female Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Ollie Oliver Female Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Wilson's Snipe on far side of slough. Photo by Ollie Oliver	American Coot and male Gadwall. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Killdeer. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Brant, with Cackling Geese. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Brant, with Cackling Geese. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Brant, with Cackling Geese. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Partially leucistic Cackling Goose. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Same pale Cackler, 2014-11-21. Photo by Ollie Oliver
A different kind of partial leucism on a Cackling Goose, 2014-11-21...	...two photos by Ollie Oliver

Report for November 21, 2013 Birding at Marymoor

Okay – 23 degrees is cold and frosty, and even by 11:00, it had only gotten up to 36, with frost still on the ground in every patch of shade. But it was windless and sunny and gorgeous. It wasn’t tremendously birdy, however, and some of what we did see was birds flying over the park, possibly looking for a less frozen spot. Apparently one such spot was the Rowing Club; we picked up six additional species there, including five species of duck. Highlights: Northern Shoveler Five at Rowing Club pond Green-winged Teal One drake at RC pond Common Goldeneye 4-6, including flybys Common Merganser 3 in NE corner of lake, late Horned Grebe 3 on lake, late Shooper’s / Carpies Two difficult-to-ID accipiters, possibly both Sharpies Virginia Rail Matt heard one from boardwalk early Short-eared Owl??? Ollie had a dark, not-a-Barn-Owl early, from the Viewing Mound Hairy Woodpecker Pair near Dog Central Pileated Woodpecker Presumed pair glimpsed twice Northern Shrike East Meadow, adult Brown Creeper One near Dog Central Varied Thrush One with American Robins, Dog Central Yellow-rumped Warbler 1-2 glimpsed, barely heard No notable misses for the day, except that we could only identify gulls down to “Glaucous-winged” and “black wing-tipped”, since we only had early morning and/or distant flyby views. For the day, 57 species. == Michael Hobbs	Adult Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid taking a bath. Photo by Ollie Oliver Adult Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid taking a bath. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Bewick's Wren. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz	Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Male Gadwall (left) with Northern Shovlers. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Male Northern Shoveler. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Male Bufflehead coming in for a landing. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz	Wilson's Snipe. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Male Belted Kingfisher. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz	American Crow. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Golden-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz	Golden-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz
Northern Shrike chasing prey, 2013-11-15. Photos by Dasha Gudalewicz	I can't tell what kind of bird the shrike is chasing. Maybe a sparrow?
Note that throughout the twisty chase, the shrike's head always remains level.	The early bird gets the worm. Ring-billed Gull, 2013-11-15. Photo by Dasha Gudalewicz

Report for November 21, 2012 Birding at Marymoor

We went out on Wednesday this week because of Thanksgiving. The weather report was inauspicious, but things could have been worse. In fact, we didn’t get rain until 9:30, and had only about 1 hour of hard rain during the 5 hours I was there. But it was blowy (10-15 mph gusts at times). Thankfully, temps were in the low 40’s, so we didn’t freeze. Because of the weather, I dawdled on my way to the park, figuring owling was a lost cause. I didn’t arrive at the East Meadow parking lot until right at 7:00 a.m., and it was pretty bright out by then, and windy. I was kind of shocked (but delighted) to see two BARN OWLS flying around actively hunting, giving me good looks. I never even bothered to get out of my car, but instead just watched from there for about five minutes. Then I decided to drive over to the model airplane field, where I immediately spotted a SHORT-EARED OWL that came really close to my car, giving outstanding looks. As I drove back towards the west side of the park at 7:11 a.m., I could see the Short-eared had swung over to the East Meadow, where there was still at least 1 Barn Owl flying around. I expect both settled down for the day before 7:15. That was by far the best highlight of the day for me; it was a good day for ducks and gulls, but really quiet for passerines, with many expected species missing from our lists, or else just barely seen. We didn’t get a BEWICK’S WREN until just before noon as we approached our cars at the Rowing Club! The recent rains have flooded a good portion of the grass/gravel parking lot just north of the grass soccer fields. All day long it was filled with MALLARDS and CANADA GEESE, as well as a few gulls, plus two AMERICAN WIGEON, at least two GADWALL, some KILLDEER, and a few CACKLING GEESE. I could easily imagine other ducks showing up in this “pond”. We also had some huge flocks of ducks high over the park (very unusual), that appeared to be mixed flocks of dabblers. We did pick out NORTHERN SHOVELER and NORTHERN PINTAIL among what were probably mostly Mallards and Wigeon. Other highlights: Sharp-shinned Hawk Over weir, having trouble with the wind Western Gull Sharon had one near the duck puddle California Gull Scott had one near the duck puddle Lincoln’s Sparrow One at the Compost/Dirt Piles “SLATE-COLORED” Junco Really nice looks at the Compost/Dirt Piles The Rowing Club had a pretty nice collection of birds, including a RING-NECKED DUCK, three HOODED MERGANSERS, a BELTED KINGFISHER, and a WILSON’S SNIPE. Things we missed for the day included Cooper’s Hawk, Merlin (which has been quite regular recently), Northern Shrike, Steller’s Jay, Varied Thrush, White-crowned Sparrow, and Purple Finch. But still, we managed 55 species. == Michael Hobbs	The morning was unexpectedly pretty, though windy Great Blue Heron. Photo by Hugh Jennings
We were dressed for the weather, and the flooding. Photo by Hugh Jennings	Female American Wigeon in the parking-lot ponds. Photo by Ollie Oliver
More parking-lot ducks. Mostly Mallards, but American Wigeon male in lower left, and Gadwall male, rear view, near the top right. Photo by OllieOliver	Mew Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Ring-billed Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Ring-billed Gull. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2012-11-20. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Great Blue Heron, 2012-11-20. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Downy Woodpecker, 2012-11-20. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Fox Sparrow, 2012-11-20. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Spotted Towhee, 2012-11-20. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Bewick's Wren, 2012-11-20. Photo by Ollie Oliver
First-winter Pied-billed Grebe, 2012-11-20. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Eastern Gray Squirrel, 2012-11-20. Photo by Ollie Oliver

Report for November 23, 2011 Birding at Marymoor

Rain, rain, rain... It was dark and rainy and sometimes breezy, but I'm thankful it wasn't cold as well. We were a small group today, visiting Marymoor on a Wednesday because of Thanksgiving, and we definitely missed our friends for their eyes and ears as well as their presence. There wasn't much out - More than 10 species were recorded with just a single bird each, and 3 were heard-only. It was that kind of day. Highlights: Gadwall Six in a flooded gravel parking lot American Wigeon With Gadwall early Western Grebe One on the lake, seen late Cooper's Hawk Wet adult Virginia Rail First of fall, one heard from boardwalk Barn Owl Brian had one early near Gadwall Common Raven 1 seen twice, I believe American Robin Hundreds - many more than recently Purple Finch A dozen seen well at last dog beach For the day, just 48 species. == Michael Hobbs	Birding in the rain. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Male Bufflehead. Photo by Hugh Jennings	Great Blue Heron from the lake platform. Photo by Hugh Jennings
Cooper's Hawk. Photo by Hugh Jennings	Marsh Wren, 2011-11-20. Photo by Lillian Reis
Male Ring-necked Pheasant, 2011-11-20. Photo by Lillian Reis	Male Ring-necked Pheasant, 2011-11-20. Photo by Lillian Reis

Report for November 24, 2010 Birding at Marymoor

Today was cold (19F at the start) and with snow on the ground at Marymoor. Michael was in New Mexico, so I substituted for him. Three others made it out for the day. We had some notable birds today: Greater White-fronted Goose 2 at weir Snow Goose 1 with about 400 Cackling Geese Trumpeter Swan Immature on the river between the mouth of the lake and the rowing club American Wigeon About 20 - first of season Gadwall About 30 - first of season Common Goldeneye 1 female on river - first of season Northern Shrike 1 adult (in the dog area near Dog Central) 1 immature (in the East Meadow). Hermit Thrush 2 in Mansion area Varied Thrush 2 (first of season) Wilson's Snipe 1 along river (everything else was frozen up) FRANKLIN'S GULL Early flyby, but good enough to identify. Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 near old maintenance barn Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 (near 1st dog access point) 9 species of duck - the unfrozen water at the lake and river provided the only good place for them This is just the 2nd Marymoor record of Franklin's Gull. The previous sighting was in late May, 2002. We wound up with 55 species for the day, not bad for a cold and snowy day. Good Birding, Brian H. Bell Woodinville, WA	Sunrise. Photo by Ollie Oliver Killdeer in the snow. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Fox Sparrow. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Adult Northern Shrike. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Juvenile Trumpeter Swan in the slough. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Juvenile Trumpeter Swan in the slough. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Cackling Geese. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Juvenile Snow Goose with Cackling Geese. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Varied Thrush. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Hermit Thrush. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Male Gadwall. Photo by Ollie Oliver	Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, and a Mallard. Photo by Ollie Oliver
Swans, 2010-11-21. Photo by Lillian Reis	Golden-crowned Sparrow, 2010-11-23. Photo by Lillian Reis

Report for November 25, 2009

A glorious day today. Almost sunny, after the fog burned off. Fairly warm. No wind. We had lots of great looks at birds, and a few surprises to make for an even better day. Water levels are high. The boardwalk is partly flooded, as is the approach along the slough. We discussed whether Eastside Audubon should extend the boardwalk further, but as there is just as much water over the old parts of the boardwalk, so it hardly seems worth the effort. Highlights: Green Heron 1 hard-to-see at the Rowing Club Mourning Dove 1 along the slough trail R.-breasted Sapsucker Fabulous looks near mansion Northern Shrike One at Compost Piles etc. Winter Wren Unusually common, strange locations MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD East Meadow, like 2 weeks ago, 1 male Cedar Waxwing Good sized flock (35+) Additionally, we had really excellent, close views of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, BROWN CREEPER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, and many other of the common birds. Scott Ramos left early and had a large flock of CACKLING GEESE, and some TRUMPETER SWANS to the northeast. Counting Scott's birds, that made for an even 60 species today, MUCH better than last Thursday's rainy result. == Michael	Golden-crowned Sparrows
Male Mountain Bluebird	The sign is right - there are blue birds along the Audubon Birdloop Main Trail
Male Anna's Hummingbird in the Pea Patch	Red-breasted Sapsucker near the mansion
Male Dark-eyed "Oregon" Junco	Great Blue Heron across from the rowing Club dock
At the lake was a kind of algae we've never seen there before	It was a very strange color - very much a blue-green
	Fungus in the grass at the south end of the East Meadow

Report for November 19, 2009

Ugggh - it was wet. Dark and wet and not terribly warm and wet and fairly birdless and wet. Ten of us started out, with a few dripping by the wayside after the main loop. There wasn't much to see, though we did have a good little flock near the mansion, and a few birds at the Rowing Club. Water levels are pretty high, especially for mid-November. We were grateful for the new boardwalk extension, as there must have been at least 8" of water under it that we'd otherwise have had to slog through. Highlights: Common Goldeneye Male at the lake, first of the winter Barn Owl Matt & Scott had 2 sightings early Varied Thrush Nice male singing at the Rowing Club Townsend's Warbler Female in the firs NE of the mansion Purple Finch One made the briefest visit to its usual tree See, I told you there weren't many highlights. The group total for the day was a whopping 49 species. == Michael	Even more thankful for the boardwalk extension.
The remaining photos are from previous days, as the weather Thursday was not conducive to photography
Lillian Reis photographed the male Mountain Bluebird on 2009-11-13	She also had some unidentified swans fly overhead
Ollie Oliver's photo of an adult Northern Shrike in the East Meadow, 2009-11-17	Ollie's photo of a Pied-billed Grebe and a Gadwall at the Rowing Club, 2009-11-17
Male Varied Thrush at the south end of the East Meadow,...	...2009-11-14
A few of the hundreds of Cackling Geese land inside the northeast baseball fields...	...then all of them fly out, 2009-11-14

Report for November 20, 2008

After a truly amazing sunrise and about an hour of good birding, we got completely hammered by the weather. First were puffs of really warm wind - maybe 60-65 degrees, with sudden darkening of the skies. You could tell the weather was about to flip. At 8:30, it began to drizzle for a few minutes, and then the wind and the rain hit, and the temperature plummeted. It was not a real squall - it was not that sudden, nor were the winds that high, nor was it over quickly.

After a couple of days of nice weather, this must have felt to the birds like something they could ride out. The birds simply disappeared. We continued walking around for two more hours, completing our loop in record time. There were NO BIRDS TO SEE or hear. I think we went an hour without a single bird in flight - no crow, no robin (okay, maybe a gull). We ended up skipping the loop around the mansion and went straight to the Rowing Club, which was duckless (except for Mallard), but seemed a bit more sheltered, perhaps, and did provide a few birds to end the morning with.

Highlights:

Brian Bell reported a GREAT HORNED OWL crossing West Lake Sammamish Parkway, I believe just south of SR-520.

Matt and Scott had BARN OWLS near and in the windmill, and WILSON'S SNIPE calling all over the East Meadow at dawn.

We had many RED-TAILED HAWK sightings - I'd seen four (at least 3 different
ones) in 10 minutes right before we began. The day ended with a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK scaring the wits out of some Mallards at the Rowing Club with a low strafing pass.

There were large flocks of gulls, some of which landed on the grass soccer fields. We had MEW, RING-BILLED, GLAUCOUS-WINGED, and WESTERN, but could not find California nor any rarity.

Good looks at PINE SISKINS.

And that was about it.

For the morning, counting a single Rock Pigeon I saw on my way out, 40 species.

== Michael

Sunrise photos by Scott Ramos

Great Blue Heron in the drizzle and dark.
Photo by Ollie Oliver, right before he put his camera away for the day.

Report for November 21, 2007

It was foggy and frosty this morning, but a dawn wind slowly cleared the fog, and we had an amazing, sunny wintery day that was very enjoyable. It was strange being there without Matt Bartels, but he's off to Wyoming for Thanksgiving. Many of the other regulars were there, though - I think we were eight people total. The first highlight is that the juvenile swan continues at Marymoor. Several "dog" people came up to ask or comment about the swan. And I must relate that after last week's trip, I pondered the identity of the swan further. I had to turn to swan experts Martha Jordan and Dennis Pauson who kindly reminded me that Trumpeter Swan juveniles at this time of year are a dark, battleship gray, whereas this bird, a TUNDRA SWAN, is nearly white. So that's bird #201 for Marymoor. BTW - several of the dog people mentioned that the swan has been seen most/all days since last Thursday. It will be interesting to see if it sticks around. It was a great day for seeing Anserinae species - besides the TUNDRA SWAN, there were about 200 CANADA GOOSE, about 300 CACKLING GOOSE, at least 2 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, and a juvenile SNOW GOOSE (the latter at the northeast corner of the park). Other highlights: Wood Duck 3 drakes at the Rowing Club pond Sharp-shinned Hawk Small adult at the Compost Piles Besides the swan and geese, though, the biggest highlight were the regular ordinary birds in beautiful winter sunlight with a winter blue sky behind them and yellow leaves on the trees! Notables included some close views of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET at several locations; WILSON'S SNIPE at the Rowing Club; DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS looking glossy and fine with their bright orange bills; a particularly stunning DARK-EYED JUNCO at the Pea Patch; the sootiest FOX SPARROW ever at the Compost Piles, singing; a flock of COMMON GOLDENEYE flying past; and at least three LINCOLN'S SPARROW. Oh, and some great looks at flocks of PINE SISKIN and BUSHTITS. Siskins are gorgeous in flight when well-lit. So it was a good day. A few misses left us at "just" 52 species. Snow Goose was new for the year. == Michael	The same juvenile Tundra Swan from last week, with a Common Merganser, in the slough, though the fog.. Golden-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow	Pair of adult Bald Eagles
Just taking off...	...Sharp-shinned Hawk in flight
Juvenile Snow Goose and adult Greater White-fronted Goose with Cackling Geese	Double-crested Cormorant