Date: 4/11/24 1:13 pm From: Michael Hobbs via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2024-04-11
Tweets - We had dark overcast for most of the morning today. There was lots of singing, but bird sightings were in short supply. About 8 species were heard-only, with another two seen pre-dawn only, and two more seen only on a late scan of the lake.
Highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose - The two hung out with Canadas near the Viewing Mound Cackling Goose - Two flocks of ~75 each, flying north Mourning Dove - Tony photographed one before sunrise, First of Year (FOY) Great Blue Heron - A low chorus of "grum grum grum", indicating multiple young in the nests Osprey - They're Back - Probably at least 4 birds (FOY). Canada Geese continue to occupy the nests, though Cooper's Hawk - One flyby, first in a month Purple Martin - Male and female, each in a gourd (FOY), and the 3rd-earliest we've had them in spring Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Perhaps four, seen from the Lake Platform (FOY) Barn Swallow - Two, one at the lake, one at the Pea Patch (FOY) Yellow-rumped Warbler - Quite numerous, and the only warbler seen. Heard about 7 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and 1 ORANGE-CROWNED
The only sightings of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE later in the spring than today's are three times that large flocks were seen flying overhead. Dates of these late flyovers were 4/17/2014, 4/24/2023, and 5/2/2010. So today's were the latest seen on the ground at the park.
Excluding Song Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco, sparrow numbers were notably low. We had fewer than 5 each of FOX, WHITE-CROWNED, and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, and of SPOTTED TOWHEE. SAVANNAH SPARROWS might have been fewer than 10. We did not find the White-throated Sparrow that has been with the flock of Golden-crowned Sparrows that we also did not find.
A late scan of the lake turned up the only VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW and PIED-BILLED GREBES.
Mammals seen today included two COYOTE near the model airplane field just before sunrise.
Misses today included Common Goldeneye, Virginia Rail, Glaucous-winged Gull, Red-tailed Hawk, American Goldfinch, and Lincoln's Sparrow.
For the day, 62 species. Adding 5 species, we're at 96 species for the year.
= Michael Hobbs = <BirdMarymoor...> = www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
