Date: 10/29/26 4:40 pm From: Michael Hobbs via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2026-10-29
Tweets - It was actually a pretty nice day at the park, reasonably warm with virtually no precipitation and even with a bit of sun. Fairly birdy too.
Highlights: Canada Goose - Remarkably, almost none - probably fewer than 5 American Wigeon - Pair from the Lake Platform. Our 2nd sighting of fall, and first in 4 weeks Ring-necked Duck - Male in the slough - First of Fall (FOF) Bufflehead - 10 females and 2 males from the Lake Platform. (FOF) for the survey, though I had one 9 days ago Mourning Dove - One near the Viewing Mound drew attention from a juvenile Cooper's Hawk American Coot - Two !!! Short-billed Gull - About 3 (FOF) Merlin - Close flyby of a very dark "Black"-type Northern Shrike - Brief look at a very tan juvenile. (FOF) for the survey, though I had probably the same bird 9 days ago Varied Thrush - Two or three, including one sharp male White-crowned Sparrow - One singing the pugetensis song; more singing gambelii White-throated Sparrow - Two, again, in the blackberries immediately north of the heronry along the slough trail, with other Zonos Western Meadowlark - A few in the East Meadow
American Coots almost completely abandoned Marymoor in April of 2024. We haven't had more than 5 on any survey since, with most days just 1-3. In 2023, we had several hundred several times. Back in the early 2000's, we sometimes had more than 1000. I blame the rise in Bald Eagle populations, and/or the scourge of Brazilian Elodea, an invasive non-native water plant.
Misses today included Hooded Merganser, Anna's Hummingbird, Ring-billed Gull (though we had some distant gulls too far away to ID), Western Grebe, Red-tailed Hawk, Purple Finch, Lincoln's Sparrow, and Yellow-rumped Warbler (though we might have heard them a couple of times).
For the day, 55 species.
= Michael Hobbs = <BirdMarymoor...> = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
