[Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2023-03-23

[birdmarymoor]

Tweets - Our hopes of a real spring-time feel to the day were dashed by the weather.  Forty-five degrees feels rather cold when it's combined with a strong, damp breeze.  Thick, unsettled clouds don't help.  The robins didn't seem to care, being very active and overly vocal.  The rest of the birds seemed subdued.  Oh, except for Ruby-crowned Kinglets who seem to be longing for spring as much as we are; they sang and sang, pining for snow-free foothills.

Highlights:
     Cackling Goose - One small flock (65+) on Fields 7-8-9
     American Wigeon - Flock of 5 amongst the Cacklers
     Rufous Hummingbird - One heard near the "Mysterious Thicket" south of the East Meadow.  I thought I heard one there yesterday too. First of Spring (FOS)
     Accipiter Sp. - One driven from the top of a tree by crows.  Flew like a Sharpie to me, but can't be sure.  I did have a Cooper's yesterday
     Pileated Woodpecker - One from the Rowing Club dock.  Might also have heard a Hairy, which would have gotten us to a 5 woodpecker day
     Small falcon - Two glimpses; I thought Merlin, but I had and American Kestrel yesterday
     Violet-green Swallow - By late morning, scores over the slough, with Tree Swallows.  (FOS)

Six species were heard-only today, and eight others were represented by lone birds.  Counts for many species were lower than yesterday and for last week. The weather is probably to blame for most of that.
     
Misses today included Rock Pigeon, Short and Ring-billed Gulls, Northern Shrike, Pine Siskin, and Western Meadowlark (seen 21 or 29 previous years).  We also had no Say's Phoebe nor Mountain Bluebird, though this week has historically been the most likely time for seeing these species at Marymoor.  But both species are quite possible in the following several weeks, so there's still a good chance we'll still see them this spring.

For the day, counting the accipiter, the falcon, and our resident tame Ring-necked Pheasant, we had an even 60 species.

= Michael Hobbs