Date: 5/1/25 3:36 pm From: Michael Hobbs via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2025-05-01
Tweets - Fabulous today at Marymoor, as expected. This week, Week 18, has by far the highest cumulative species count for any week of the year, and we expect to find ~70 species on our Week 18 survey. With today's perfect weather, we were not disappointed. The odd thing about Week 18 is that, while you're pretty sure it's going to be awesome, exactly what birds you'll find is always a surprise.
Highlights: Blue-winged Teal - Four landed just out from the Lake Platform, First of Year (FOY). This is the 3rd-earliest we've ever had them Northern Shoveler - Large flyover flock that was at least mostly shovelers, then a pair at the lake for good looks (FOY) Green-winged Teal - Still 2-4 lingering. We seldom get them later Ring-necked Duck - Four seen from the Lake Platform, but large numbers were on the lake. Seldom do we get these in May Virginia Rail - One *seen* several times just below the weir SOLITARY SANDPIPER - Below the weir, only our 10th ever (FOY) Greater Yellowlegs - Below the weir (FOY) Least Sandpiper - Around 4 below the weir (FOY). Week 18 has, BY FAR, the most LESA records for any week at Marymoor Osprey - Seemed to have reclaimed two nests from the Canada Geese that were sitting on them the last several weeks Western Flycatcher - One near the Dog Area portapotties (FOY) Warbling Vireo - Two along the west edge of Dog Meadow (FOY) Purple Martin - Back at both pairs of gourds. Appear to have evicted the Tree Swallows that had been using the gourds Hermit Thrush - One along the west edge of Dog Meadow, first since January. ID confirmed by calls American Pipit - Flock(s), with one flock of ~25 seen fairly well in the grass/gravel parking lot (FOY) Yellow Warbler - Male singing from SE corner of the East Meadow (FOY). On the early side for this species Wilson's Warbler - One heard singing incessantly from near the East Footbridge (south of the East Meadow) (FOY) Black-headed Grosbeak - Matt heard a few singing loudly pre-dawn, but none were noted during the main walk (FOY)
The WILSON'S WARBLER was truly annoying. For about 5 minutes, nine of us strained for a view while it sang every 10 seconds from no more than 20 yards away. Nobody even got a flash of yellow, but the song was unmistakable.
A late scan of the lake turned up one PIED-BILLED GREBE and one unexpected HORNED GREBE in breeding plumage. One seen 06-May-2021 is our only other May HOGR. As I left the park, I stopped at the model airplane field, and near the East Maintenance facility I picked up NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS.
Misses today included Hooded Merganser, Band-tailed Pigeon, Vaux's Swift, American Coot, Cliff Swallow, Lincoln's Sparrow, and Western Tanager. Despite those misses, we had 72 species (counting 2 gull sp. that were almost certainly GWGU or Olympics, but so far away as to be hard to get to gull).
Blue-winged Teal was new for Week 18, bringing the cumulative total for this week to 154 species. Next closest is Week 17 at 142 species. No other week has even 140 species.
Adding ELEVEN new birds for the year, we're at 107 species for the survey for 2025.
= Michael Hobbs = <BirdMarymoor...> = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
