Date: 6/26/25 11:49 am From: Michael Hobbs via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2025-06-26
Tweets - A morning with a solid overcast, but no precipitation and seldom any wind. Late June often starts the "doldrums" that usually continue through July. These are characterized by a paucity of surprises, coupled with the tailing off of bird songs and the departure of some of our breeding birds; it can sometimes get quite dull. But apparently that hasn't started yet. Today had several unexpected species, and we still had songs from pretty much all of the expected birds.
Highlights: BLUE-WINGED TEAL - Female in slough. Luckily we had several looks to be sure of the ID Gadwall - Still two around; they tend to get scarce starting in late-June MOURNING DOVE - One flying around the south end of the East Meadow. First of Year (FOY) for us Spotted Sandpiper - Adult at the weir Caspian Tern - One high flyby, calling, (FOY) for us Green Heron - One on the beaver lodge across from Dog Central MERLIN - One streaked towards the lake; Tree Swallow calls alerted us to its passage Western Flycatcher - One heard at the Rowing Club, only our 2nd of the year and first since May Lazuli Bunting - I had one when I first arrived in the park, and again on my way out, in the NW corner of the park where we don't usually bird. Our only Laz of the day
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, MOURNING DOVE, and MERLIN were all species that we've only had once each in the last 30 years of visits for Week 26.
The heronry is substantially emptier. The dead tree that has several nests had just 5 juveniles on nests today, where we had 20 two weeks ago. At the weir, however, in a very small area we found at least 15 juveniles standing in the water, waiting for fish to jump into their mouths. Another juvenile was low in a cottonwood, looking up, since up is where fish have always appeared...
For the day, 58 species. Adding MODO and Caspian Tern, I believe we're at 121 species for the year.
As an aside, Eastside Audubon has put out a video highlighting the Marymoor Bird Loop. I was interviewed for the video, and it's very obvious from my appearance that the interview was filmed at 5:30 a.m., with me having rushed over early before last week's survey. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-hdUIf8GLk&ab_channel=EastsideAudubonSociety
= Michael Hobbs = <BirdMarymoor...> = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
