[Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2025-02-06

[Michael Hobbs via Tweeters]

Tweets - The morning was covered in snow, though not very deep.  It varied
from 0.5" to a max of about 2", but it was clinging to everything in the 32
degree weather.  It cleared very soon after sunrise, and we had a very
pleasant day with no wind and a few moments of sunshine.  Birdwise, it was
varied, with long stretches of not much at all, but occasional good stuff.

Highlights:
     Greater White-fronted Goose - Six below the weir, with Canadas
     Wood Duck - Two drakes seen from the Lake Platform
     Cooper's Hawk - Adult, probably a male by size, seen from near the
start of the boardwalk
     Red-breasted Sapsucker - One at the Rowing Club (FOY)
     Pileated Woodpecker - One heard distantly, then seen perhaps even more
distantly.  First of Year (FOY)
     Five Woodpecker Day - With all of them seen
     Merlin - One came and went as we finished the main loop
     HUTTON'S VIREO - One at the Rowing Club (FOY)
     Varied Thrush - One near the windmill
     Purple Finch - One singing, unseen, near the first Dog Swim Beach

I saw a RIVER OTTER, far out from the Lake Platform.  And Jordan and I saw
a COYOTE walking towards us on the grass trail around the East Meadow.
Both animals First of Year.

A late scan of the lake turned up our only RING-NECKED DUCKS and confirmed
HORNED GREBE.  The surprise was 5 TRUMPETER SWANS just off the Lake
Platform (FOY)

The HUTTON'S VIREO was just our 5th sighting ever for February.  We have
one December record, and no sightings at all for January.  But Hutton's
isn't common at Marymoor, with fewer than 50 records over the last 30 years.

Near Dog Central, we faced a problem I've never had to deal with before.
There was a whole flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS foraging from the
ground, all the way up the trunks to the crown of large Cottonwoods.  They
were everywhere.  And a BROWN CREEPER was singing.  I've never been faced
with trying to find the Creeper amongst the numerous Golden-crowned
Sparrows that were probing the moss on the trunks and branches!

Misses today were notable, including Green-winged Teal (after 45+ each of
the last 2 weeks), Virginia Rail, Short-billed Gull, Ring-billed Gull,
Bushtit (still none for us in 2025).  We also had no Cackling Geese, owls,
Northern Shrike, or Pine Siskin.

For the day, though, we had 57 species, with 4 new for the year, putting us
at 72 species in 2025.

= Michael Hobbs
= BirdMarymoor at gmail.com
= www.marymoor.org.birding.htm
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