Friends of Marymoor Park

Recent Bird Sightings

Report for March 21, 2024                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

Our equinox survey started with sleepy birders and sleepy birds under dark grey skies, but the day became quite pleasant and birdy by 8 or 8:30.

Highlights:
  • Northern Shoveler - Flyby of 5 birds - First of Year (FOY)
  • Gadwall - Perhaps 30, a pretty high count for Marymoor
  • Northern Pintail - One flock flying north, followed by a seemingly larger (~35) flying south (FOY)
  •           Twelve species of duck total!
  • Rufous Hummingbird - Three males, including one doing a J-display (FOY)
  • Great Blue Heron - At least one eggshell under the heronry
  • Great Horned Owl - One calling pre-dawn from the SE (FOY)
  • Pileated Woodpecker - Excavating a hole in a snag in the Big Cottonwood Forest, right next to the trail
  • Merlin - A rather pale individual ENE of the mansion
  • Hutton's Vireo - Finally saw one.  Like our other two reports this year, it was singing southwest of the windmill
  • Violet-green Swallow - Probably well over 100 (FOY)
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Ubiquitous.  Really.  Somewhere between 30 and 50
  • Varied Thrush - Probably at least 3, including good looks at the south end of the Dog Area
  • Purple Finch - At least two heard, in full song.  First in a month
  • White-throated Sparrow - Continues near 2nd/3rd Dog Swim Beach, with Golden-crowned Sparrows
    
I was also at the park yesterday and had 5 species that we didn't have today: BAND-TAILED PIGEON, RING-BILLED GULL, HAIRY WOODPECKER, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (one male, singing below the weir) amazingly (FOY), and SAVANNAH SPARROW (about a dozen, most at the Model Airplane Field (FOY).

Missed both today and yesterday:  Short-billed Gull, Cooper's Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Shrike, and Pacific Wren.

I had 55 species yesterday, we had 62 species today, with a combined total of 67 species.   With 7 new species this week, we're at 85 species for the year.

= Michael Hobbs

   

Male Rufous Hummingbird. Photo by Tony Ernst



Brown Creeper. Photo by Tony Ernst

   

Flock of 30 Northern Pintail. Photo by Tony Ernst

   

Male Pileated Woodpecker excavating a hole. Photo by Tony Ernst



Heavily-cropped view of a Merlin. Photo by Milt Vine

Report for March 14, 2024                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

First off, NOBODY brought us pie on Pi Day.  Other than that, though, we had a really good morning at the park.  It was sunny, windless, and while it was a frosty 32 degrees at the start, it reached 50 degrees by the end.  LOTS of singing and other signs of the ramping up of the breeding season.

Highlights:
  • Greater White-fronted Goose - Today, the two were seen from the Lake Platform
  • American Wigeon - Three amongst the large flock of Mallards on Fields 7-8-9 at sunrise
  • Band-tailed Pigeon - One near the east end of the boardwalk.  First of Year (FOY)
  • Five Woodpecker Day - With lots of calling and drumming.  Looks at all but Hairy, which called near the windmill
  • Shrike sp. - One about 7:15 north of Fields 7-8-9
  • Tree Swallow - Somewhere around 6 or 8, seen checking nest boxes both at the Pea Patch and East Meadow (FOY)
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Everywhere, with lots of singing, calling, and flashing of ruby crowns
  • Varied Thrush - Perhaps 2 heard near the south end of the Dog Area, and one seen near the mansion
  • Western Meadowlark - Five in and around the East Meadow, some singing
  • coyote - Tracy and I saw one predawn at the Model Airplane Field  (foy)
I was not able to get close enough to the shrike to rule out Loggerhead; we've seen Loggerhead Shrike 3 years previously during this week of the year, accounting for 15% of shrike sightings during Week 11.  That's a high enough ratio that I won't just assume this was a Northern Shrike.  That said, most of our LOSH sightings (in fact, all our other sightings) have been in April.

The Great Blue Heronry is getting very active, with herons sitting down in many of the nests, lots of nest building observed, and one copulation observed as well.

Misses today included Hooded Merganser, Short-billed Gull, Violet-green Swallow, Purple Finch, and American Goldfinch.

For the day, 62 species.  We're up to 78 species for the year.

= Michael Hobbs


Male Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Photo by Tony Ernst


Juvenile Cooper's Hawk. Photo by Tony Ernst


"Myrtle"-type Yellow-rumped Warbler. Photo by Tony Ernst


Tree Swallow. Photo by Tony Ernst

Report for March 7, 2024                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

It started out frosty this morning, but it was sunny and the day warmed up nicely, with no wind and dry air.  It was birdy too.

Highlights:
  • Greater White-fronted Goose - Today the two birds were below the slough for close looks
  • Cackling Goose - About a dozen this week.  Last week was the first time since mid-September that we had missed them
  • Hooded Merganser - One from Lake Platform, after 3 week absence
  • Common Merganser - Many flying north, perhaps 32 total
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk - Small adult, presumably a male based on size, at Rowing Club.  First of Year (FOY)
  • Red-tailed Hawk - One near our parked cars, mobbed by crows, with a dying LONG-TAILED WEASEL (FOY) in its talons
  • Barn Owl - One, very active, East Meadow and Model Airplane Field, before sunrise
  • Five woodpecker day - Though PILEATED was heard-only.  Lots of drumming today
  • HUTTON'S VIREO - Singing bird just SW of the windmill, unseen again
  • Varied Thrush - One near the windmill, our first since January
  • Western Meadowlark - One north of Fields 7-8-9
We had just two (unidentified) gulls today, flying over at 6:30 a.m.

At the Rowing Club, we tracked down a drumming RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER.  While we tried to be surreptitious in getting looks, a second sapsucker landed on the fence rail within eight feet of us, and the two birds remained still for at least a minute.  We got cell-phone photos!

Misses today included Rock Pigeon, Short-billed Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Shrike, Tree Swallow (seen 17 of last 28 years), Bushtit, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin.

Despite that long list of misses, we did have 55 species plus the unidentified gulls.  Our 2024 list is at 76 species.

Possible arrivals expected or semi-expected in the next two weeks include Rufous Hummingbird, Say's Phoebe, Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Mountain Bluebird, and Savannah Sparrow.  

= Michael Hobbs


Barn Owl, East Meadow before sunrise. Photo by Tony Ernst


One of two Greater White-fronted Geese below the weir. Photo by Tony Ernst


Great Blue Heron looking very sharp. Photo by Tony Ernst


American Coot. Photo by Tony Ernst


Long-tailed Weasel in the talons of a Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Tony Ernst


This Red-breasted Sapsucker landed very near Matt (that's his elbow).
Cellphone photo by Michael Hobbs

Report for February 29, 2024                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

Today was just our 2nd Leap Day Marymoor Survey.  The last one was 28 years ago, when the survey was still a baby, and I did that one solo (Brian Bell had only just started coming out with me, and was on an every-other-week schedule then).  I had a mere 35 species.  My notes indicate it was frosty, but sunny and without much wind. 

Well, it wasn't actually frosty this morning, nor was it sunny, nor windless.  Assurances that the overnight wind would end before morning were, shall I say, over blown.  It was dark, wet, windy, and rather chilly, but I will say that the birding got better later in the morning.

Highlights:
  • Greater White-fronted Goose - Probably the same two as last week, with Canadas, Fields 7-8-9
  • Cackling Goose - NONE - First survey without them since mid-September
  • HERRING GULL - Almost certainly the same bird as last week, grass soccer fields
  • Bald Eagle - Lots of activity, including two taking turns eating what looked like a coot on the far shore below the weir
  • Barn Owl - One at the model airplane field being harassed by a couple of crows at about 6:35 a.m.
  • American Robin - Notably abundant and widespread
  • White-throated Sparrow - Same bird in the same place as other recent sightings
Last week, misses were limited to just Hooded Merganser and Killdeer.  We saw a couple of Killdeer today, but again no Hoodies.  Other misses today were Cooper's Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Shrike, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, and Western Meadowlark.

Tree Swallows are likely to show up next week or the week after!

For the day, 54 species.  Nothing new for the year, but the park's Leap Day list is now at 57 species.  :)

= Michael Hobbs

Report for February 22, 2024                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

For a change, the nicest weather of the week arrived on a Thursday.  Yay.  Sunny, temps quickly heading to the high 40s, and no wind - delightful.  And it was birdy!  So much singing!

Highlights:
  • Greater White-fronted Goose - Two swimming in the slough just below the weir
  • HERRING GULL - One on Fields 7-8-9 with other gulls.  First of Year (FOY) and first in just over a year
  • Great Blue Herons - Nearly 70 at the nests, with some nest building observed
  • Pileated Woodpecker - Low flyover in near Dog Swim Beach #2
  • Northern Shrike - Excellent looks, East Meadow.  Also saw it north of Fields 7-8-9 at 7:00 a.m.
  • COMMON RAVEN - Two flying north over the Pea Patch, calling.  First for the survey since 2021 (FOY)
  • White-throated Sparrow - Seen again, though briefly.  This bird has been near Dog Swim Beaches #2-#3
  • Western Meadowlark - Two between Viewing Mound and model airplane field, singing (FOY)
Singing birds included Anna's Hummingbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Pacific Wren, American Robin, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Western Meadowlark, and Red-winged Blackbird.

Misses today were limited to just Hooded Merganser and Killdeer.

For the day, a year's best, 61 species.  For the year, we're at 75 species.

= Michael Hobbs

One of the Red-tailed Hawks banded and wing-tagged at SeaTac airport.
The airport catches and relocates birds away from the airfield to try to
prevent collisons between airplanes and birds.

Photo by Jordan Roderick


Northern Shrike. Photo by Jordan Roderick


Adult Herring Gull. Photo by Jordan Roderick

Report for February 15, 2024                                                                                                                   Birding at Marymoor

The weather wasn't very pleasant this morning; yesterday's weather would have been much better.  Cold, breezy, biting, dark, and sometimes wet.  But it was quite a good day of birding.  Go figure.

Highlights:
  • Wood Duck - Two males with a female in the slough near the start of the boardwalk
  • American Wigeon - One female with about 70 Mallards on the grass soccer fields
  • Red-breasted Sapsucker - One near the mansion area restrooms - First of Year (FOY) and first since August
  • Merlin - One caught and killed an American Robin at the very start of our walk.  Flew off with it to eat
  • HUTTON'S VIREO - One singing and calling, but not seen, west of the mansion (FOY) - our first since 2021!
  • Purple Finch - One near the last Dog Swim Beach (FOY) - our first in two months
  • White-throated Sparrow - One with Golden-crowned Sparrows next to the Dog Area portapotties
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler - A few "Myrtle"-type birds near the Lake Platform
  • Townsend's Warbler - West of the mansion in a great mixed flock (FOY) - our first since October
Misses today included Hooded Merganser, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, and House Finch.

For the day, a year's best 56 species. For the year, we're at 72 species.

= Michael Hobbs


The Merlin had just caught this American Robin. Photo by Tony Ernst


Merlin just about to take off with dead American Robin. Photo by Tony Ernst


White-throated Sparrow. Photo by Tony Ernst


Male Wood Duck in the slough. Photo by Tony Ernst


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