[Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, WA) 2023-05-11

[birdmarymoor]

Tweets - Gorgeous weather today.  With sunrise at 5:38 a.m., I followed my usual guidelines which meant a 5:30 start.  It definitely felt like we started too early though; the birds were slow to wake up.  And at that, the activity levels never rose very high.  It was strangely quiet.

Highlights:
    CINNAMON TEAL - Mason picked one out of a flyby flock of teal from the Lake Platform at 5:15 a.m.  First of Year (FOY)
    Green-winged Teal - We've rarely had GWTE as late as this in the spring, so that flock was doubly notable
    Osprey - Very active, very numerous.  They continue to build a new nest in the NE, and have retaken the nest platform near the mansion
    Pileated Woodpecker - Heard 5+ times, each in a different direction.  Never did see one.
    OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER - One at the Rowing Club just inside the gate.  Silent.  (FOY)
    CALIFORNIA SCRUB-JAY - Two flew high past the mansion.  Our first May sighting ever, and (FOY) for the survey
    Swainson's Thrush - Still not singing, but we did have good looks at one just past the first footbridge
    Black-throated Gray Warbler - One singing next to the Olive-sided Flycatcher.  (FOY)
    Black-headed Grosbeak - Numerous, singing, active
    Lazuli Bunting - One near Viewing Mound.  (FOY) for us.

YELLOW and WILSON'S WARBLERS were singing but allowed very few looks.  We didn't get good looks at WESTERN TANAGER until the Rowing Club.  A few ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were singing but invisible during the walk.  A possible Nashville Warbler was glimpsed only by one birder, at the south end of the East Meadow.

The OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was our only flycatcher.  We are still awaiting our first Empidonax sp. 

We had two MUSKRAT off the Rowing Club dock; no sightings of them last year.  We also heard credible reports of BLACK BEAR at the Rowing Club and BOBCAT in the off-leash area.  

SAD NEWS is that LONESOME GEORGE II was reportedly run-over and killed yesterday.  Our only Ring-necked Pheasant had been at the park since November 2018. 

Misses today included Killdeer, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Cliff Swallow, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch, Pine Siskin, and Bullock's Oriole.

RED-TAILED HAWK and BARN SWALLOW would also have been on the list of Misses, but I found them when trying unsuccessfully to confirm the possible Nashville Warbler after the walk.

Today's total was a surprisingly low 61 species. 

= Michael Hobbs