[Tweeters] Marymoor Park Report (Redmond, King Co.) 2023-12-07

[birdmarymoor]

Tweets - This didn't seem to get through yesterday.

Long ago I learned not to be frightened off by weather forecasts.  Rarely is the morning as bad as it looks on the hourly forecast the day before.  Yesterday was absolutely no exception.  We had no rain before dawn, and from 7:45-11:45 we had more minutes without rain whatsoever than with, and only maybe 20 minutes of steady rain.  It wasn't even that dark and dreary for most of the morning, and the wind only puffed up a few times.  Now, the park is flooded, with high water in the slough and even water over the boardwalk.  The central part of the Dog Meadow also has standing water in more than just the ditches.  That changes what we see somewhat, but it doesn't make for bad birding.

Highlights:
    Cackling Goose - Way down from recent weeks - probably fewer than 50 birds in flyover flocks
    Canada Goose - Three birds late in the morning were our only Canadas!
    Wood Duck - Flyby pair
    American Wigeon - Pair below the weir
    Common Goldeneye - Two males below the weir, First of Fall (FOF)
    Barn Owl - One working the East Meadow predawn
    Short-eared Owl - One mobbed by crows above the East Meadow and model airplane field about 7:40 a.m.
    Pileated Woodpecker - One across the slough from the Big Cottonwood Forest
    Northern Shrike - Nice adult, just east of the East Meadow
    Western Meadowlark - Six in wetland triangle just north of Fields 7-8-9

Notably few finches seen, sparrow numbers lower (or probably they were just under the blackberries), and American Robin numbers much lower than recent.

Misses yesterday included: Green-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, Anna's Hummingbird, Virginia Rail, and Purple Finch.

For the day, 54 species.

= Michael Hobbs