• The goldfinch are rioting in the meadow above the Black River slough.  I birded there Tuesday morning, and the trees were lousy with them--the pussywillows were like buttered popcorn, only I'm not sure which was the butter and which was the popcorn.  The birds were both very buttery and popping all over the place, chasing each other, nibbling, bouncing through the air; and the morning was glorious with their songs, it was like listening to sunshine. 
• The tree swallows are very interested in their nest boxes, too...I guess.  They sat on them a lot.  It's hard to gauge what they are thinking with those dark eyes.  
• The birding was invigorating, with all the happy finches and warblers and swallows singing; it almost makes up for the trees coming into leaf and the ducks and sparrows hunkering down into their nests.  
• The herons are still quite visible and very impressive--some are still building their nests, late romancers, unlike those ducks at the sewage ponds across the street who have somehow already managed to produce ducklings. 
• My favorite part of the day, though, happened nearly on the street, over by the sewage ponds at Monster Road and Oakesdale:  two white-crowned sparrows singing their little hearts out from the tops of small trees, across the street from each other, dump trucks and semis trundling by.  A South Seattle moment. 
  

• The day got off to a great start with an EURASIAN WIGEON in a flock of AMERICAN WIGEON on the pond just across from the parking lot. There were also several KILLDEER in the area and the first SAVANNAH SPARROW of the year in the bush at the start of the trail to McAllister Creek. 
• On the way out to McAllister Creek there were several COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and MARSH WRENS. 
• At McAllister Creek there were 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 3 pair of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, and BARROWS GOLDENEYE. 
• On the way back to the parking lot I had a good view of an AMERICAN BITTERN.
• There were a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS on the pond behind the visitor's center, and COMMON MERGANSERS were present on the Nisqually River, as were COMMON GOLDENEYE. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS abounded along the Nisqually River trail and there were several pair of WOOD DUCKS in the slough on that side of the refuge.
•  YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS seemed to be everywhere in the trees and TREE SWALLOWS and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS were checking out every hole in every tree I could see. There appeared to be some dispute over who was going to nest in which hole.
•  Raptor numbers were good, with RED-TAILED HAWKS and NORTHERN HARRIERS leading the way. I also had a BALD EAGLE fly by, spooking every thing into the air off the ponds near the parking lot, as well as a PEREGRINE FALCON and a COOPER'S HAWK near the Nisqually River.
•  Animals sighted were 4 deer, a harbor seal in the Nisqually River and 2 river otters trotting down the Nisqually River Trail.

• 1 cliff swallow
• 1 common yellowthroat
• 1 american pipt
• 2 cinnamon teal - male, female
• 12 yellow-rumped warblers

• 72 common mergansers
• 4 hooded mergansers

• I counted 62 herons on the heronry in Lake Sammamish State Park today. 
• I also photographed a gorgeous "Slate-colored" Junco in the park.  But while I was able to study it at close range, I had difficulty obtaining a decent  photo.  The best is here: http://www.pluggablelogic.com/aves/SlateColoredJunco.htm
• Lastly, Houston Flores had a Northern Shrike in the back end about a week ago.

• 12+ Wilson's Snipe along Wenzel Slough Rd.
• 6 Turkey Vulture along Wenzel Slough Rd.; 10 along Brady Loop Rd.
• 1 Osprey pair at a nestsite observed along Wenzel Slough Rd.
• 25 Band-tailed Pigeon along Wenzel Slough Rd. 
• 1 lingering Rough-legged Hawk along the western portion of Brady Loop Rd.
• 3 Am.Kestrel along Brady Loop Rd.
• 1 Sora heard calling along Wenzel Slough Rd.
• 2 Greater Yellowlegsalong Brady Loop Rd.
• 2 Western Scrub Jay along Brady Loop Rd.
• 4 Common Yellowthroat along Wenzel Slough Rd.
• 2 Common Yellowthroat along Foster Rd. (Brady Loop Rd.)
  
• 1 Osprey along Hwy.12 at Montesano
  

• 3 Turkey Vulture along S.R.109 near Bowerman Basin
• 1 Turkey Vulture along S.R.109 at Burrows Rd. just north of the Humptulips River
• 7 Turkey Vulture observed flying over Bowerman Basin
• 2 Turkey Vulture at Hoquiam
• 3 Turkey Vulture along Hwy.12 east of Aberdeen

• 12 Least Sandpiper at the Oyhut Wildlife Area (Ocean Shores)
• 4 Bonaparte's Gull at the Oyhut Wildlife Area
• 4 Dunlin at the Oyhut Wildlife Area (including 1 alternate-plumaged bird)
• 2 Dunlin at Bill's Spit
• 20 Dunlin at the Ocean Shores Jetty
• 130+ Black-legged Kittiwake off the Ocean Shores Jetty
• 4 Marbled Murrelet off the Ocean Shores Jetty

• 1 Cooper's hawk
• 1 dunlin - flying around the central pond
• 1 belted kingfisher
• 2 downy woodpeckers, 3 northern flickers
• 4 yellow-rumped warblers
• 1 northern rough-winged swallow, 1 barn swallow, 4 tree swallows, 2 violet-green swallows
• 3 killdeer
• 3 great blue herons
• 1 ruddy duck

• 100+ common mergansers, 4+ hooded mergansers
• 1 female common goldeneye, 2 female canvasbacks
• Several greater scaup; lots of lesser scaup, buffleheads, ring-necked ducks, etc.

• LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE - Right where reported by others, on a fence post next to the road, 1.2 mi east of the intersection w/ Keyes Rd.
• 9 TURKEY VULTURE perched in the trees right at the same spot. I kept turning to another tree and finding a couple more.
• 3 WILSON'S SNIPE  winnowing and flying around
• COMMON YELLOWTHROAT - several singing
• ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER -
• 1 WESTERN SCRUB JAY  near airport
• 2 OSPREY - One sitting next to nest, visible from the LOSH stop, aways to the north. The other flew from that general area across the road and to the river.

• PINK-FOOTED GOOSE - Still there, today w/ 2 GWF GEESE and many Canadas
• 1 SORA in plain view at bottom of hill on Foster Rd.
• 2 AMERICAN KESTREL along north end of the loop.

• MARBLED GODWIT - at high tide the whole gang was on the beach and docks .
• WILLET - 4 [segregated from the MAGOs this time]
• LONG BILLED DOWITCHER - one with the MAGOs
• WHIMBREL -  One with the MAGOs.
• PACIFIC LOON 1 off fishing dock
• COMMON LOON - 2 or 3 off fishing dock
• HARLEQUIN DUCK - 1 male a bit south of the marina
• BRANT - 20-30? out a ways on the water.
• TURKEY VULTURE - One soaring overhead as a I arrived at ~1:00

• 30+ CASPIAN TERN were present, back from their travels and loud as ever.
• 11 LONG-BILLED CURLEW
• ~20 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER  in every plumage variety.
• DUNLIN - Both here and at marina, also in transitional plumages.
• GREATER YELLOWLEGS - 2 back at the beach/marsh area accessed near the casino.

• 3 Red-necked Grebe, 101 Western Grebe
• 1 Double-crested Cormorant, 1 Pelagic Cormorant
• 1 Pigeon Guillemot, 4 Rhinoceros Auklet
• 23 Surf Scoter, 1 Black Scoter
• 89 Brant
• 2 Gadwall, 4 American Wigeon, 18 Mallard
• 3 Bufflehead, 5 Common Goldeneye
• 7 Great Blue Heron
• 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Cooper's Hawk
• 22 Sanderling
• 36 Mew Gull , 26 Glaucous-winged Gull
• 5 California Quail, 4 Rock Pigeon, 2 Band-tailed Pigeon
• 1 Barred Owl
• 10 Anna's Hummingbird, 7 Rufous Hummingbird 7
• 3 Belted Kingfisher
• 2 Downy Woodpecker, 2 Hairy Woodpecker, 30 Northern Flicker [Red-shafted] 30
• 6 Hutton's Vireo
• 4 Steller's Jay, 115 American Crow
• 2 Violet-green Swallow
• 31 Black-capped Chickadee, 24 Chestnut-backed Chickadee, 9 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 15 Brown Creeper, 2 Bewick's Wren, 11 Winter Wren, 39 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 14 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• 133 American Robin, 1 Varied Thrush, 18 European Starling
• 3 Orange-crowned Warbler, 1 Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler, 19 Spotted Towhee
• 19 Savannah Sparrow, 1 Fox Sparrow, 59 Song Sparrow, 40 White-crowned Sparrow, 22 Golden-crowned Sparrow
• 5 Red-winged Blackbird
• 7 Dark-eyed Junco, 25 House Finch, 39 Pine Siskin, 11 American Goldfinch, 12 House Sparrow

• Bewicks Wrens are singing everywhere.
• Common Loons were easy to find on ay open water--maybe 12 at Blaine Harbor, 10 at Point Roberts.
• Red-necked Grebes were also plentiful--10 at Rosario Beach.
• 2 Horned Grebe at Ebey's landing.
• Snow Geese  --  thousands remain in the fields on Westham Island and at times afford extremely close views.
• Harlequin Ducks small flocks on most open water--for example 10 at Point Roberts.
• 350 Dunlin seen at Roberts Bank (I think that is the name--also called Deltaport).  No other small shorebirds seen on the trip.
• 21 Greater Yellowlegs at Reifel.
• Rhinoceros Auklets--2 at Point Roberts, 6 at Rosario Beach, 1 at Ebey's Landing.
• Rufous Hummingbird--1 at Birch Bay ST Park, 1 at Rosario Beach.
• 6 Orange-crowned Warblers heard at Ebey's Landing--we were running very late and had to get back to Walla Walla, so we did not hunt these guys down.
• 3 Common Yellowthroat heard at Birch Bay State Park.
• 6 Fox, 8 Golden-Crowned Sparows at Reifel.
• 25 Savannah Sparrows along the Boundary Bay dike south of Delta, BC.

• Noteworthy birds included 5 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS off Lighthouse Marine Park (uncommon at Point Roberts) and 2 singing COMMON YELLOWTHROATS (probably arrived within the last few days).
• For the second visit in a row, HARBOR PORPOISES (about 6) were seen just off Lighthouse Marine Park.
• Other mammals observed were one HARBOR SEAL and one EASTERN COTTONTAIL, and at least 8 PACIFIC TREE-FROGS were heard croaking.

• 20 Pacific Loon, 30 Common Loon
• 15 Horned Grebe, 3 Red-necked Grebe 
• 3 Double-crested Cormorant, 30 Pelagic Cormorant
• 3 Great Blue Heron
• 6 Brant  [flying past Lighthouse Marine Park]
• 4 Gadwall, 12 Mallard, 2 Green-Winged Teal, 15 Greater Scaup, 40 Harlequin Duck 
• 120 Surf Scoter, 30 Black Scoter  [with Surf Scoters off Lily Point]
• 3 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Bufflehead, 20 Common Goldeneye, 6 Barrow's Goldeneye  [off Lily Point], 10 Red-breasted Merganser
• 2 Bald Eagle  [1 on nest along Simundson Dr., 1 flying along shore] , 2 Red-tailed Hawk
• 1 American Coot
• 1 Killdeer, 35 Sanderling  [on shore at Lighthouse Marine Park]
• 10 Mew Gull, 60 Glaucous-winged Gull
• 6 Common Murre,  1 Pigeon Guillemot, 4 Marbled Murrelet, and 5 Rhinoceros Auklet  [Lighthouse Marine Park]
• 7 Rock Dove 
• 3 Rufous Hummingbird
• 1 Hutton's Vireo
• 25 Northwestern Crow 
• 2 Tree Swallow, 1 Violet-green Swallow
• 8 Black-capped Chickadee, 2 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
• 3 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 Bewick's Wren, 5 Winter Wren, 3 Marsh Wren [singing in wet area west of foot of Tyee Dr]
• 12 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• 30 American Robin, 25 European Starling
• 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 2 Common Yellowthroat  [singing in wet area west of foot of Tyee Dr]
• 6 Spotted Towhee
• 2 Savannah Sparrow, 3 Fox Sparrow, 5 Song Sparrow, 10 White-crowned Sparrow
• 20 Red-winged Blackbird, 10 Brewer's Blackbird
• 3 Brown-headed Cowbird
• 1 Purple Finch, 15 House Finch, 4 Pine Siskin, 3 American Goldfinch, 8 House Sparrow 

• The usual peeps were hopping around down through meadow and the forested trail to the water, Savannah, White Crowned, and Song Sparrows were singing. Many Spotted Towhees, Kinglets, and Northern Flickers were hammering away.
• On the very tip of the point west of the lighthouse there were flocks of 50-60 Sanderlings and 20-30 Dunlin feeding on the tide flats.  Occasionally the Brant would come up with beaks full of bright green Ulva.  The waders seem to feed in concert, running and feeding south along the beach and then flying in spectacular formation back to the point.  On the point they sometimes rested, but segregated themselves into distinct groupings of their own species.
• Also on the point was a flock of 30 Brant swimming offshore or resting on the beach. 
  
• On the northern fresh water pond there were Northern Shovelers, Gadwall, American Wigeons, Mallards and Bufflehead.  Violet Green Swallows were feeding over the pond.  
• Out on the water a flock of several hundred Western Grebes were floating about two hundred meters offshore.  There were 20 –30 Red-necked Grebes mixed with the larger flock.  White-winged Scoters, several Double-crested Cormorants and Hooded Mergansers were observed.
• On the near shore a flock of 50 Mew Gulls were feeding with a few Glaucous-winged Gulls.  Crows were picking up what looked like some type of mollusk, flying up and dropping them on the rocks below and then feeding on the remains in the broken shells.

• Green Heron              2, with lots of sightings of them
• Wood Duck                3 males, 2 females on RC ponds
• Osprey                       Pair at nest
• Cooper's Hawk          1 immature, probably female
• Wilson's Snipe           7 a bit below the weir
• Band-tailed Pigeon   1 bird perched until flushed by Cooper's
• Great Horned Owl     Pair at the nest, calling.  Male had a rabbit.
• Red-br. Sapsucker     2 in snag row near Pea Patch
• Hairy Woodpecker    1 male near entrance bridge
• SAY'S PHOEBE         1 about 2:30 at north end of East Meadow
• Brown Creeper         1 seen, 2+ more heard
• Orange-cr. Warbler   1-2 south of East Meadow
• Bl.-throated Gray W. 1 male near first dog swim area (flew west)
• Lincoln's Sparrow     2
• Brewer's Blackbird    Pair near velodrome restrooms late

• We saw the off-white-backed American Robin near the entrance bridge.
• There was a flock of 6 GREAT BLUE HERONS that flew in from the east high up, then circled down and dispersed along the slough.
• There were lots of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (both Audubon's and Myrtle's) and several male COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, making for a 4 warbler day.

• This was our earliest spring sighting of Band-tailed Pigeon, beating out April 9, 2003.
• My Friday sighting of Northern Shrike (4/2) is one day later than our previous latest spring sighting, April 1, 1999.
• This was only our 3rd spring sighting of Black-throated Gray Warbler, the other dates being April 27, 2001, and May 14, 2003.
• This was only our 2nd spring sighting of Brewer's Blackbird, the other being on April 8, 2002.

• For the second visit in a row, HARBOR PORPOISES (about 6) were seen just off Lighthouse Marine Park.
• Other mammals observed were one HARBOR SEAL and one EASTERN COTTONTAIL, and at least 8 PACIFIC TREE-FROGS were heard croaking.

• 20 Pacific Loon, 30 Common Loon 
• 15 Horned Grebe, 3 Red-necked Grebe 
• 3 Double-crested Cormorant, 30 Pelagic Cormorant 
• 3 Great Blue Heron  
• 6 Brant   [ flying past Lighthouse Marine Park]
• 4 Gadwall, 12 Mallard, 15 Greater Scaup, 40 Harlequin Duck  
• 120 Surf Scoter, 30 Black Scoter [with Surf Scoters off Lily Point]
• 3 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Bufflehead  
• 20 Common Goldeneye, 6 Barrow's Goldeneye [4m and 2f together, off Lily Point]
• 10 Red-breasted Merganser 
• 2 Bald Eagle  [1 on nest along Simundson Dr., 1 flying along shore]
• 35 Sanderling  [on shore at Lighthouse Marine Park]
• 10 Mew Gull, 60 Glaucous-winged Gull
• 6 Common Murre  [Lighthouse Marine Park]
• 4 Marbled Murrelet  [Lighthouse Marine Park]
• 5 Rhinoceros Auklet  [Lighthouse Marine Park,  quite close to shore]
• 7 Rock Dove   
• 3 Rufous Hummingbird 
• 25 Northwestern Crow  
• 8 Black-capped Chickadee, 3 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 5 Winter Wren
• 3 Marsh Wren [singing in wet area west of foot of Tyee Dr]
• 12 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• 30 American Robin, 25 European Starling, 6 Spotted Towhee
• 3 Fox Sparrow, 5 Song Sparrow, 10 White-crowned Sparrow
• 20 Red-winged Blackbird, 10 Brewer's Blackbird 
• 3 Brown-headed Cowbird 
• 15 House Finch, 4 Pine Siskin, 3 American Goldfinch
• 8House Sparrow   

• Loons, shorebirds, and waterfowl were especially conspicuous during the week. 
• Several thousand ducks are now gathering in the Coquille Valley. 
• Seventy two GREAT EGRETS are also in the valley. 
• On April 4, 50 GREATER YELLOWLEGS were at the Killin Wetlands near Banks.
• Good numbers of EVENING GROSBEAKS are now arriving in Western Oregon.
• On April 7 two BLACK-NECKED STILTS were at Fern Ridge Reservoir.

• 2 Osprey’s at Marymoor (Saw them from the 520)
• 2 Osprey’s on the Boeing Field Cell phone tower (From the I-405) Just before Renton..
• Carnation Marsh Osprey’s have still not arrived….. these are the ones I like to record (low noise)
• 2 Common Yellowthroats (State Park, Issaquah)
• 57 G.B Heron on the Heronry (State Park. Issaquah)
• 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler (State Park, Issaquah)
• My first Townsend’s Warbler this year (State Park, Issaquah)

• 50+ White Pelicans
• Several hundred Canada Geese, 6 Snow Geese
• 8 Cinnamon Teal, 12 Green-winged Teal, several Gadwall and Mallards, 6 Redhead, 3 Northern Pintail, 4 Bufflehead, 6 Northern Shoveler
• 4 Great Blue Heron
• 10 Double-crested Cormorants
• 2 American Kestrel, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 2 Northern Harriers
• 12 Song Sparrows, 4 White-crowned Sparrows
• 6 Avocets,10+ Black-necked Stilts, 3 Greater Yellowlegs, 100+ Dunlin
• 10 Coot
• 2 crows, 2 Robins, 2 Magpie
• 10 Yellow-headed Blackbirds, 15 Red-winged Blackbirds
• 2 Bank Swallows, 2 Western Meadowlarks, 2 Killdeer
• 1 Coyote

Sunny's Note: The Mosebar Pond property connects to the south boundary of the Satus Wildlife Area.  It is composed of a large oxbow slough wetland complex, riparian shrub, riparian forest and upland grass habitat types.   Satus Wildlife Area is located at the confluence of Satus Creek and the Yakima River.

• On the way over we saw 2 OSPREY at the nest at the Cle Elum exit and 1 at a nest close to Ellensburg. 
• Our first stop was at the wetland on Ringer Loop Road. There were a couple of male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS as well as RED-WINGED and KILLDEER. A VIRGINIA RAIL responded to a recording. It was within 10-12 feet and eventually made an appearance. There was one yellow-bellied marmot there as well. 
• Next we went to the Umtanum Creek trail beyond the suspension bridge. We watched two PRAIRIE FALCON flying back and forth and to a nest in the cliffs. We also saw COMMON RAVEN, one NORTHERN HARRIER, one TURKEY VULTURE, an AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and a SAY'S PHOEBE. 
• After lunch we headed back up Canyon Road and saw 10-12 big horn sheep, mule deer and a few elk. 
• We drove back to Ellensburg and then took Umptanum Road (does anyone know why it is Umtanum Creek, but Umpta! num Road) to the bluebird box area. We got great looks at a number of gorgeous MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS and also saw a few WESTERN BLUEBIRD. 
• At the top of the road we walked to the draw and had two GREAT HORNED OWLS fly out with seconds of each other. I played a number of recordings with no response, but we did see a SAGE THRASHER that chose not to vocalize. We heard WESTERN MEADOWLARK and saw MOURNING DOVES  as well. 
• We ended up back on Thorp Road to hwy 10 and stopped at an area of cliffs on the north side of the road. An AMERICAN KESTREL was perched in a snag. After playing a recording, a CANYON WREN showed up on the rocks right near the rode for great looks. 
• A stop at the Teanaway bridge resulted in two AMERICAN DIPPERS. It was a great trip on a perfect day, warm but not hot, and I believe two boys acquired a real interest in birds.
  

• 6 Turkey Vulture along Wenzel Slough Rd. near Satsop
• 1 Osprey pair observed at a nestsite along Wenzel Slough Rd.
• 125+ Band-tailed Pigeon (increasing numbers) noted along Keys Rd. and nearby Wenzel Slough Rd.
• 3 Greater Yellowlegs, 35 Wilson's Snipe
• 3 Purple Finch, 6 Northern Rough-winged Swallow

• 25 Greater Yellowlegs, 8 Wilson's Snipe

• 1 Lesser Yellowlegs amongst a flock of 8 Greater Yellowlegs
• 38 Long-billed Dowitchers
• 2 pair Cinnamon Teal, 1 Eurasian Wigeon
• 8 Greater Yellowlegs
• 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 4 Purple Finch
• 1 River Otter

• A short walk south of the end of Midway Beach Rd. produced a pair of Snowy Plovers, 4 "Streaked" Horned Larks, and 48 Am. Pipits.
• Midway Beach Rd.  - 9 Least Sandpiper, 1 Wilson's Snipe 

• Highlight was our first Short-billed Dowitchers of the season in relatively good numbers along with several other shorebird species including up to 7 Long-billed Curlews observed from the south end of Graveyard Spit. As tide conditions decreased shorebirds began to forage closer to shore, especially noted at the Tokeland Marina with our highest shorebird densities observed and it appears that shorebird migration is underway in addition to several species being in near to full breeding plumage.
• Away from shorebirds we noted good numbers of waterbirds species viewable from the Tokeland Marina within Willapa Bay consisting of Horned Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Red-breasted Mergansers, and several other species in lesser numbers.
• 1 Pacific Loon (with good numbers of Common Loons)
• 5 Red-necked Grebe
• 1 Eurasian Wigeon
• 2 Turkey Vulture
• 88 Black-bellied Plover, 4 Greater Yellowlegs, 7 Willet, 11 Whimbrel, 540+ Marbled Godwit ,
  6+ Western Sandpiper, 125+ Short-billed Dowitcher, 875+ Dunlin
• 1 Black-legged Kittiwake
• 48+ Caspian Tern
• 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• good numbers of Harbor Seals
  

• 34 Black-bellied Plover
• 1 Orange-crowned Warbler
• 1 singing "Sooty" Fox Sparrow
  
• 1 Sora at Ocosta Third Street
• 4 calling Virginia Rails and 3 Wilson's Snipe along Ocosta Third Street

• 5 Turkey Vulture
• 4 Am. Kestrel within the Brady Loop Rd. complex
• 3 calling Virginia Rails along the western portion of Brady Loop Rd.
• 9  Black-bellied Plover along Foster Rd. (Brady Loop Rd. complex)
• 3 Western Scrub Jay

• 1 Osprey along Hwy.12
• 2 Turkey Vulture along Hwy.12 west of Montesano
  

• 1 Turkey Vulture
• 1 Osprey  (Vance Creek Co.Park)
  

• We started at the General Store near Lyall Harbour where a Pacific-slope Flycatcher was calling, the first I had encountered this year.  
• At the park at Winter Cove, we found masses of blue-eyed mary, white fawn lilies, a Red-breasted Sapsucker and a few singing Townsend's Warblers.  
• By the time we had finished there, it was lunch time, so we headed over the mountain ridge to the bistro at the Saturna Island Vineyard.  It was really hard to tear ourselves away from there - great view, nice wines and a few raptors keeping us company overhead.  A painted lady flew by at close range.

• However, there were quite a few Turkey Vultures and Bald Eagles soaring along the ridge, and a migrant Northern Harrier.  
• Got some great views of Red Crossbills too. 
• Trying to see a hooting male Blue Grouse turned out to be futile.  Four of us managed to narrow down its location down to three trees, but we could not find it even though it never stopping hooting!  
• We encountered three more painted ladies up there - maybe it will be a big flight year.  I rarely see this species before the end of April.  
• Also up on the ridge were at least 6 propertius duskywings.

• Guy Monty had reported a mass of Bonaparte's Gulls there the previous day, and sure enough there they were.  We tallied 7,000 of the beauties, milling around in the tide tips.  
• Five or more Bald Eagles were in the flock as well, low over the water.  I couldn't tell if they were after the gulls or fish.

• The (primitive) campground is a great unpaved drive through all this mixed rainforest swampy stuff and regular rainforest and of course the majestic and impressive Quinault River, with mergansers and a pileated woodpecker and golden crowned and white crowned sparrows, and golden crowned and ruby crowned kinglets, and winter wrens all over. 
• I finally figured out that the drumming I heard was a ruffed grouse.  Very slowly crossing the road (not drumming, unfortunately).  
• And the grassy Eastern Washington-like meadow, with the stream and all those birds I just couldn't quite figure out, that little grey flycatcher and the warbler that kept flitting off before I could get a good look to match the voice with the bird.  This field.  It was the elk field I'd passed the evening before; I thought I'd seen a grouse fly up as I passed, and I couldn't wait to bird it the next morning, and it was everything I had hoped it would be.  
• The rest of my list for that area, including the drive in:
• No eagles.  I saw 30 there the last time, and I heard that ringing-school-bell sound that I associate with them, constantly, but I never saw them.
• Rufous hummingbird
• Downy woodpecker
• Tree swallow
• American crow
• Chestnut-backed chickadee, Black-capped chickadee, Red-breasted nuthatch, Brown creeper
• American robin, Varied thrush
• Song sparrow, Dark eyed juncos (slate-colored), Pine siskin
• American goldfinch

• common loon, pacific loon in breeding plumage - maybe
• western grebe
• pelagic cormorant, and I saw the white breeding patch. 
• all three scoters (so that's why they call them surf scoters!)
• bald eagle
• surfbird
• glaucous winged gulls, western gulls, herring gulls
• crows
• winter wrens

• A blue grouse was vwhumping high up in a spruce, in between bites of whatever was up there.  It didn't look as yellow or as orange as either the 'Pacific' or the 'Tiaga' picture, though; very copper. 

• There were amazing numbers of Yellow-rumpeds throughout the Nisqually interior boardwalk area this morning.  I noticed that most of the Y/Rumpeds are now 'Myrtles" vs. the last few weeks of 'Audubon's'.  
• Saw one HERMIT THRUSH and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW in the small woodlot south of the parking lot.  
• We saw three B/TAILED PIGEONS and 6 EVENING GROSBEAKS fly over the parking area.  
• Scattered CINNAMON TEAL in the main ponds by the Twin Barns (though these ponds won't be around much longer unless we get some rain) and CLIFF SWALLOWS now joined the flocks of Trees and V/Greens here. 
• O/C Warblers and Purple Finches were singing in various spots.  
• The Brown Creeper pair continues to build onto their now-giant nest in a flaking bark tree along the interior boardwalk.  
• Single GREATER YELLOWLEGS scattered in the various interior ponds by the Twin Barns.

• A nice string of 14 PACIFIC LOONS on the water and a few single R/T LOONS.  
• Common Loons were also seen in both plumages.  
• Dunlin and Greater Yellowlegs were seen near the Reach.  
• At least 10 PURPLE MARTINS were present at the nest boxes.  
• 3 or 4 COMMON MURRES were way out on the water, probably Pierce County.  
• The BRANT were feeding up on shore at the Reach.  
• EARED and Horned Grebes were still around too.

• 9 Canada Goose (not counting the pair+6 goslings seen earlier near the cafeteria at this Boeing site)
• 4 Gadwall, Mallard, 4 Bufflehead, 3 Common Merganser
• 6 Double-crested Cormorant
• 2 Great Blue Heron, 2 Osprey
• Red-tailed Hawk (taking a lazy swing over Turning Basin #3)
• 5 Glaucous-winged Gull
• 9 Rock Pigeon
• 3 American Crow, 2 European Starling
• 2 Song Sparrow, 3 Red-winged Blackbird, 2 House Finch

• 1 Common Loon in breeding plumage that attempted a half-hearted yodel
• ~10 Wood Duck
• Osprey - common along the Columbia R., with 12-15 seen during the day
• 3 White-tailed Kite, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine
• 2-3 Virginia Rail (heard or possibly saw)
• 8 American Pipit

• Shorebirds were sparse apart from Killdeer and Greater Yellowlegs, with only 3 Dunlin and 2 Wilson's Snipe seen as well. 
• Except for Common Yellowthroats, which were common throughout the refuge, the only other warbler recorded was a single Orange-crowned Warbler heard singing at County Line Park. 

• Pigeon Guillemots off Mukilteo as well as a couple of Marbled Murrelets (the only ones of the day). 
• The Mew Gulls were gathering along the shore near Whidbey, there must have been close to 300 on the water or flying in from the south. Mixed in were a scattering of Bonaparte's Gulls in nice breeding plumage with black heads and a nice Caspian Tern flew by. 
• Glaucous-winged Gulls were generally visible and a California Gull flew over the ferry. 
• Closer to Clinton we had Western Grebe, Horned Grebe in breeding plumage, Surf Scoter, Common Goldeneye, a Brandt's Cormorant flyby, a Pelagic Cormorant and a couple of Double-crested Cormorants. Rhinoceros Auklets were flying by occasionally.
  

• In the marsh we had Canada Goose, Gadwall, American Wigeon in the grass feeding, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck
• Just as we were getting disappointed at not seeing Cinnamon Teal (this is a great spot for them) in flew a pair.  
• A Pied-billed Grebe was visible.  Many of these birds, while somewhat distant, gave us excellent scope views. 
• In the wet "upland" areas to the west of the marsh proper we spotted 3 Wilson's Snipe, and then with some more inspection we found at least 20 more feeding like crazy. 
• A Greater Yellowlegs was in the same area, and another was located a little further south at the edge of the marsh. 
• Several Killdeer were also present. 
• The Red-winged Blackbirds were very vocal and obvious flying from perch to perch. 
• One on the highlights was the calling Sora, there were probably at least 4 that we definitely heard repeatedly and there may have been more, and one Virginia Rail called a single time. 
• The swallows are back in force - we had great looks at perched and flying Violet-green, Tree, Northern Rough-winged and Cliff. 
• An immature Bald Eagle perched in a tree across the marsh. 
• House Finches were singing and flying all around, White-crowned Sparrows were constantly singing, a couple of Dark-eyed Juncos flitted west of the road, and a female/immature Red Crossbill was in a probably fruit tree with lichens on the trunk and new growth just the yellow-green color of the bird. Some European Starlings made their appearance, and a Downy Woodpecker was briefly seen. Also seen were Northern Harrier, Rock Pigeon and a Rufous Hummingbird.

• Distant views of Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Surf Scoter, and Pigeon Guillemot. 
• Two adult Bald Eagles were perched on the ridge behind us, and two immatures came cruising past. 
• A Bonaparte's Gull landed near the point. 
• Song Sparrows, a White-crowned Sparrow and a Bewick's Wren were all singing from the thickets. 
• On the way out, at the bend in the road where the marsh is nicely visible were saw many more ducks adding Northern Shoveler, Common Yellowthroat (perching closely and singing), copulating Song Sparrows and singing Marsh Wrens.

• Pigeon Guillemots and Red-breasted Mergansers feeding in the north flowing current as well a Rhinoceros Auklets, and a Common Loon. 
• A little ways further off shore was a group of at least 10-12 Harbor Porpoise - one of the larger groups I have seen, and closer in a Harbor Seal. 
• A Belted Kingfisher flew by.

• Distant ducks (same species as already seen) as well as several breeding plumage Black-bellied Plover, a number of Dunlin some of them showing black bellies and a few Western Sandpipers. 
• The Savannah Sparrows were singing up a storm in the grassland along the edge of the lake. 
• About 8 Great Blue Heron were working the west end of the lake over.

• Light morph Red-tailed Hawk soaring overhead, a Rufous Hummingbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, a probable Orange-crowned Warbler (heard and briefly seen), Spotted Towhee and American Goldfinch. 
• Out at the bluff we had additional views of Rhinoceros Auklet, Pigeon Guillemot, Red-necked Grebe, and Pelagic Cormorant.

• Both Common and Barrow's Goldeneye, Surf Scoter and Common Loon. 
• At San de Fuca we had better looks at Surf Scoter but no other scoter species, nor any rocky shorebirds. 
• At Partridge Point we had a pair of feeding Harlequin Duck at the surfline, and four Black Oystercatchers a short distance away.
  

• 3 dunlin, 2 Wilson's snipe
• 4 killdeer
• 24 hooded mergansers - on the central pond, 170++ common mergansers - out in Union Bay
• 1 green heron - flying NE over the area
• 1 male redhead - out in Union Bay
• 1 bald eagle
• scores of tree swallows, several yellow-rumped warblers

• A couple of the best birds were Swainson's Thrushes along the interpretive trail - the first of the year.
• One of the Ospreys was on the nest tower.
• We had several Common Merganser flyovers and four on the river by the weir.
• We must have had at least 8  Rufous Hummingbirds, including 3 either female/juveniles.
• We had four swallow species today, with Barn and Cliff out over the lake joining the Tree and Violet-green.
• We had at least three Bald Eagles, one adult and two immatures.
• At the west end of the boardwalk we had a female Downy Woodpecker fly out of the nest hole that the male has been building. She perched on a nearby limb, and was joined by the male and copulation took place.
• Near the east end of the boardwalk a bright male Purple Finch was singing from the top of an ash tree.
• The Common Yellowthroats and Savannah Sparrow were singing everywhere.
• A Sharp-shinned Hawk made an unsuccesful pass at a House Finch along the entrance road.
• Finally, one of the Great Horned Owls was perched near the nest, and at first glance it did not look like there was any activity at the nest. A little patience revealed at least one downy white head poking up from time to time - nice to know that owlets will be visible soon. By the way, the area around the nest tree has been cordoned off with caution tape - please don't enter the area and only observe from the perimeter.

• The ponds near the Visitor Center had a great selection of waterfowl and shorebirds. The best bird of the day was seen on the pond across from the parking lot, a BLUE-WINGED TEAL. On the other pond was a small flock of DUNLIN, some LEAST SANDPIPERS, and GREATER YELLOWLEGS.
• CINNAMON TEAL were on both ponds at the start of the McAllister Creek Trail and behind the Twin Barns. I've seen more CINNAMON TEAL in the last two weeks than I've seen in the last ten years at Nisqually. I guess there is something to doing this every week......
• All five swallows also were seen and a SHORT-EARED OWL was sitting in a bush between the trail to McAllister Creek and the freeway out beyond the ponds.
• The RING-NECKED PHEASANT was heard in the field beyond the Twin Barns near the Nisqually River side.
• YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS seemed to be everywhere as were COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen in the trees near the Twin Barns in with the GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. SAVANNAH SPARROWS also were plentiful.
• Mammals seen included a MINK near the slough just before McAllister Creek, a yearling deer with coat mange inside the boardwalk between the Twin Barns and the Nisqually River Trail, and 6 RIVER OTTERS on the far bank of the Nisqually River near the start of the Ring Dike Trail.

• Leaving the park around 6 pm yesterday the sky above the Nature Center was filled with Vaux Swifts. Plus a juvie Bald Eagle soaring above them.
• This evening two male Rufous Hummingbirds treated me to stereo displays, one on the left, one on the right. I was standing on the first wooden footbridge you come to when you enter the forest from the top parking lot. There used to be a shallow lake there, say 75 years ago. It's now a wetland, having naturally filled in over the years. It's one of the best places in the park to view hummingbirds and warblers.
• Barn and Violet-green Swallows over Andrews' Bay today, too.

• A flock of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS spent most of the day at Mud Bay at Maude Roxby in Kelowna.  Also at the Maude Roxby Marsh was a SANDHILL CRANE.

• The Bald Range area off Bear Creek Road on the Westside was busy with plenty of CASSIN'S FINCHES, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and other species typical of the pine forest. Highlights include a close range view of a displaying male BLUE GROUSE and a pair of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS.

• A flock of 400 SANDHILL CRANES was seen circling over White Lake and 4 male EURASIAN WIGEON continue on Munson's Pond, Kelowna.

• One nest is south of a tall red and white pole about 1/4 mile south of the West Seattle bridge where they are often seen eating fish on the bridge lamp-posts.  
• I don't know if the Peregrine nest site under the West Seattle Bridge is active this year (I know the Washington Mutual tower nest is).  
• There is also one Eagle nest in a cottonwood on the Hill roughly due west of the Osprey nest behind the new Parks Department "Westbridge Building" on Westlake Av.  (There, the Parks department tree crew under the management of Mark Mead has been systematically cutting down many of the large Cottonwoods on Parks land, and I believe it has broken federal law when it cut trees within 200 feet of that one , and maybe other, Eagle's nests.)  
• Another Eagle's nest is in a cottonwood about a mile north of that at the edge of the greenbelt just south of Salty's restaurant.

• Last night I heard the clamoring of baby Great Blue Heron's in the large nest at Medina Park.  After I went around to the parking lot side to get my scope, one of the parents helpfully returned to the nest for a parental exchange.  I was just able to see some downy fluff move around through the loose sticks in the nest.  The large nest is the third one down from the top of the tree.  The nest right above it should be due soon.  The top nest got a later start.  This is the most fabulous place to see nesting herons up close and personal.  
• The Green Heron still makes appearances and loves to forage around the pond with the GBH nest tree, it puts up with dogs chasing after it and people getting too close as well. 
• Yellow Rumped Warblers are singing all over the place and a Red Breasted Nuthatch is working on one of the Doug Fir stumps for a nest hole.
• Also last night an Osprey cruised over the ponds twice seeing what it could find to eat (nothing big enough to be worth it's while I'm afraid).  Nice close up views of it hovering and scoping out the ponds below.

• Discovery Park now has seven purple martins gourds in the field near the Utah Avenue wetland, and an additional seven gourds are above the pond within the sewage treatment plant above the north beach. Some swallows were checking out the gourds this afternoon, a good sign that they'll soon be inhabited; the sun was in my eyes, but I suspect they were tree swallows. Park outreach specialist Penny Rose has told me she's seen martins feeding in both areas in past summers, martins that probably nested about a mile north in Ballard. The new gourds near the north beach are within sight of the Ballard colony.
• The Port of Seattle's Jack Block Park on lower Elliott Bay has seven new gourds, and I hope to install more shortly. All of the gourds from previous years were removed in the course of the superfund clean up, and the Port has been extremely accomodating in allowing me to maintain the colony. The new gourds are all on shore, on wooden posts installed by the Port just for this project. The posts are on metal brackets that allow me to swing the posts down after simply removing a single bolt. Evicting house sparrows will be much easier, now that a boat and a daytime high tide are unecessary.
• Last year a pair of martins bred in a gourd on a piling in the waterway just east of piers 90/91, north of Myrtle Edwards Park, and so just recently I added two more gourds on pilings about a 100 yards to the north. At low tide the pilings are accessible with a ladder.

• Our shorebird highlight began with a Solitary Sandpiper at the Nisqually NWR, which foraged alone in the flooded area north of the McAllister Creek trail from the main parking lot with a single Lesser Yellowlegs and up to 7 Greater Yellowlegs observed nearby.  
  Also saw:
• 1 Wood Duck, 1 Blue-winged Teal, 3 Cinnamon Teal
• 6 Western Sandpiper, 47+ Least Sandpiper, 28 Dunlin
• 3 Lincoln's Sparrow, 14 Golden-crowned Sparrow
  

• 4 Turkey Vulture along Hwy.8 east of Elma
• 1 Osprey nesting pair along Wenzel Slough Rd. near Satsop
• 3 Osprey along Wenzel Slough Rd. at Vance Creek Co. Park
• 210+ Band-tailed Pigeon along the western portion of Wenzel Slough Rd. (in addition to nearby Keys Rd.)
• 4 Golden-crowned Sparrow along Wenzel Slough Rd

• 2 Turkey Vulture along Hwy.12 west of Montesano (west of the Wynoochee River bridge)
• 1 Osprey along Hwy.12 at Montesano

• We had great viewing of shorebirds at this location with locating 1 Red Knot almost immediately upon arriving to the open mudflats and as tide conditions decreased the shorebirds gathered closer to shore allowing even greater views of them.
• Our main highlight of the day was up to 6 Red Knots at Bottle Beach (which were all in alternate plumage) amongst large numbers of Short-billed Dowitchers and other shorebird species
• Good numbers of Common Loons and Red-breasted Mergansers were noted offshore along with several other species of waterbirds.
  Also saw:
• 23 Greater White-fronted Geese observed flying over 
• 28 "Black" Brant off the beach
• 1 Merlin
• 108 Black-bellied Plover, 5 Semipalmated Plover, 10 Greater Yellowlegs, 13 Sanderling,
  740+ Short-billed Dowitcher, 228+ Western Sandpiper, 38 Least Sandpiper, 2280+ Dunlin
• 6 Caspian Tern
• 2 Orange-crowned Warbler, 2 Golden-crowned Sparrow, 2 Purple Finch
• 3 Greater Yellowlegs and 5 Wilson's Snipealong Ocosta Third Street
  
• 1 pair Northern Rough-winged Swallow along Ocosta Third Street
• 2 Turkey Vulture along S.R.105 at Bottle Beach

• 8 Wood Duck, 10 Cinnamon Teal
• 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
• 1 Black-bellied Plover, 14 Greater Yellowlegs, 4 Western Sandpiper, 35 Least Sandpiper,
  28 Dunlin, 38 Short-billed Dowitcher, 13 Long-billed Dowitcher, 22 Wilson's Snipe
• 4 Purple Finch

• 42 Dunlin at Westhaven S.P.
• 50+ Black-legged Kittiwakes
• 15 Caspian Tern

• 1 Black-bellied Plover, 1 Willet, 12 Whimbrel, 540+ Marbled Godwit, 11 Western Sandpiper,
  120+ Dunlin, 115+ Short-billed Dowitcher
• 47 Bonaparte's Gull
• 68+ Black-legged Kittiwakes
• 87+ Caspian Tern
• 2 Orange-crowned Warbler
• 20 Black-legged Kittiwakes along S.R.105 at North Cove
  

• Continuing along Foster Rd. we located the Pink-footed Goose and 1 Greater White-fronted Goose flying over then landing in an extensive wetland south of Foster Rd.
• 3 Am.Kestrel
• 12 Greater Yellowlegs along Foster Rd.

• We were treated to great (long) looks at a soaring sub-adult EAGLE, RED BREASTED SAPSUCKERS and a small flock of BONAPARTE'S GULLS in full, "black headed" breeding plumage, but the real treat was a VERY co-operative PACIFIC SLOPE FLYCATCHER that stayed put until the whole group got good long looks, and the gang had plenty of time to pull out the field guides and debate the ID to everyone's satisfaction!   
• In terms of numbers, there were tons of TREE and VIOLET GREEN SWALLOWS, more DOWNY WOODPECKERS than we are used to seeing, and high numbers of GREAT BLUE HERONS.  
• There were also plenty of RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS to delight the eye. 
• All that plus a 4 warbler day tells us that the migration is on!

• In Blaine, Washington, on the mudflats next to Marine Drive, were 100 BONAPARTE’S GULLS.

• 1500 to 2000 BRANT were between the 2 jetties.

• The first CASPIAN TERNS of the year were seen at Iona Island, Richmond, and at the Tsawwassen ferry jetty, Delta
• 11 CINNAMON TEAL were at Serpentine Fen in Surrey.

• Pitt Meadows had 2 SANDHILL CRANES, 3 nesting pairs of OSPREYS, and NORTHERN

• There I saw a HERMIT THRUSH being harassed by a robin. I see hermit thrushes at the Fill only once or twice a year, so that was a real treat. 
• GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWs were pecking on the verge and singing, so I knew it wouldn't be long before they speed north.
• I checked the trees for warblers and found one very active tree - why birds do this, focusing so heavily on one tree day after day when so many other trees look perfectly good, is a mystery. Anyway, in this tree were hordes of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (both varieties) in glorious breeding plumage.
  
• After that, I hiked down the gravel road to the dime parking lot and birded that for an hour. Just a riot of birds, of which the best were some BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS, not very common at the Fill.
• I strolled around the loop trail to the main pond, where the shorebirds have finally arrived. I saw good numbers of LEAST  and WESTERN SANDPIPERS.

• 3 American Dipper  (Grays River Salmon Hatchery - Pacific Co.)
• 1 American Kestrel  (west end of Longview - Cowlitz Co.)
• Black Throated Gray Warbler (on the road to the salmon hatchery - Wahkiakum Co.)
• 1 Scrub Jay  (Chehalis - Lewis Co.)

• 4 Band Tailed Pigeon  (also had 15 at the covered bridge historic site)
• 2 Blue Winged Teal, 2 Cinnamon Teal, 6 Wood Duck
• 1 Common Loon
• 20+ Caspian Tern
• 2 Osprey   (also had many along Hwy 4 in Cowlitz Co.)
• 2 White Tailed Kite, 6 Turkey Vulture
• 1 Northern Rough winged Swallow, 6 Barn Swallow
• 1 Orange Crowned Warbler,4 Yellow Rumped Warbler
• 3 Wilson's Snipe, 1 Dunlin, 1 Greater Yellowlegs, 10 Western Sandpiper, 25 Least Sandpiper
• 6 Killdeer  (2 parents defending their 4 babies)

• 3 elk, 4 Columbian White Tailed Deer, 2 Black Tailed Deer (in route)
• 1 River Otter, 6 Nutria

• Our main highlight of the day was 4 Northern Bobwhites, of which 1 pair spotted by my mother were then well observed briefly at close range and two additional birds heard nearby at separate locations. It was enjoyable to see the pair of Northern Bobwhites briefly before they walked into thick cover along a brushy hillside bordering Military Rd. There may still be a stable population of Northern Bobwhite within the entire Weir Prairie, but some recent disturbances may have caused some of the birds to wander/and or be much more cautious and a portion of the Weir Prairie being notably fenced off to the public. 

• Relatively good numbers of Chipping Sparrows, Purple Finches, White-crowned Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats and Orange-crowned Warblers were most abundant in appropriate habitat. 
• We also observed our first House Wrens of the season at this location with up to 15 birds encountered singing on territory, etc and up to 4 Vesper Sparrows observed in relatively open areas of the lower prairie.
• 3 Turkey Vultures, 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
• 1 Blue Grouse (heard only), 3 Band-tailed Pigeons
• 1 Hairy Woodpecker
• 1 Hermit Thrush
• 3 Western Bluebirds
• 8 Evening Grosbeaks
• 2 Golden-crowned Sparrows, 2 Lincoln's Sparrows
• 5 Western Meadowlarks
• 14 Red Crossbills
• 2 Coyotes
  

• 4 Turkey Vultures
• 9 Greater Yellowlegs, 34 Least Sandpipers, 2 Dunlin, 8 Wilson's Snipe
• 2 Roosevelt Elk along Big Hanaford Rd. south of the Centralia Steam Plant
  

• 1 Am.Bittern
• 4 "Cackling" Canada Geese
• 6 Blue-winged Teal, 24 Cinnamon Teal, 1 male Ruddy Duck (still in winter plumage)
• 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
• 1 Virginia Rail (heard only), 1 Sora (heard only)
• 7 Greater Yellowlegs, 10 Least Sandpipers, 14 Dunlin
• 2 Band-tailed Pigeons
• 5 Am. Pipits

• There were 3 Least Sandpipers hanging out together in the northwest section of the lake today.  These are the first ones we've seen since last fall.
• The Greater Yellowlegs continued to be seen running laps around the lake.
• Snipes have been quite conspicous lately...I've gotten so used to them hiding in the grass, it's weird to see them walking around out in the open.
• There were ~15 American Pipits on both Friday and Sunday.  These are the first ones we have seen at Llama Lake.  Today they were in the retention ponds, just north of the lake.  These ponds filled up maybe a quarter of the way over the winter, and now they are really muddy, but they will probably dry out within the next month.
• On both Friday and today, there were a lot of Yellow-rumped Warblers of both types (Audubon, Myrtle). 
• Canada Goose w/ goslings
• Cooper's Hawk
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow

• My target was Sandhill Cranes and a nice flock of 100 settled in a field just south of Hwy 26 around MP 9 in the early evening, filling my desire to see ruby red crowns after a tantalizing day of mellow gray forms and black wing tips in distant skies.
• The county line ponds on the way out provided the richest birding of the day, including a Greater White-fronted Goose, a pair of Cinnamon Teal, 45 BN Stilt, 7 Avocet, and a half-dozen Dunlin. 

• Cassin's Vireo, Chipping Sparrow, Pileated Woodpecker, and Barred Owl at Scatter Creek Wildlife Area, south of Olympia.  
• A Peregrine Falcon was sunning itself on the cliffs of Rattlesnake Mountain, as seen from Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area, off I-90.  
• The Osprey have returned to the cell tower behind the Safeway at the intersection of Avondale Rd. and the Woodinville/Duvall Road.  
• Also, a Killdeer family is in the grass area next to the Ski/sports shop on the Woodinville/Duvall Road. 

• A small flock of 6 PURPLE MARTINS at the Maplewood Flats Conservation Area in North Vancouver were the arrival birds of the spring.
• The female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was at Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta.

• A female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was at the Centennial Beach area of Boundary Bay Regional Park, Delta. It was east of the gravel parking lot, along the ring nature trail. Also here were 5 MARBLED GODWITS at the pump house at the foot of 12th Avenue.
• In Blaine, Washington, on the mudflats next to Marine Drive, were 100 BONAPARTE’S GULLS, while off the fishing pier at the end of Marine  Drive at the entrance to Drayton Harbour was one EARED GREBE.

• Two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were on the Tsawwassen Jetty, Delta, along with a CASPIAN TERN.
• 1500 to 2000 BRANT were between the 2 jetties.
  

• 100's of BONAPARTE'S GULLS on the water line and beach in Golden Gardens Park in Ballard, Seattle. 100's more out in the sound. 
• Also 70-80 Brantsmixed in. It was quite a sight.
  

• Hoquiam STP:  Greater Scaup, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, 4 Swallow species (Tree, Violet-green, Cliff, and Barn)
• Hwy 109 near Grass Creek:  Osprey
• Ocean Shores golf course:  Marbled Godwit (estimated 400 godwits during our afternoon visit), Short-billed Dowitcher, Whimbrel, Dunlin
• Jetty (very windy): Pelagic Comorant
• Sewage Treatment plant:  Lesser and Greater Scaup, Killdeer
• Game Range (accessed from behind STP):  Red-breasted Merganser, Black-bellied Plover, Lincoln's Sparrow, Cooper's Hawk
• Perkins Pond:  Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Bald Eagle, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch
• Damon Point (viewed from restroom area):  Horned Grebe, Common Loon, Surf Scoter, Caspian Tern
• North Bay (viewed from private land north of Bill's Spit):  Brant, Semipalmated Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Dunlin, Western Sandpiper
• Driftwood Ave. beach access:  Dunlin, Semipalmated Plover, Western Sandpiper, Sanderling, Merlin (landed on top of a house nearby for great views)
• Cyber Lake: Greater Yellowlegs (at least 75 birds resting on the floating bridge)
• Burrows Rd:  Western Grebe

• One of the strangest things I saw was during my pre-walk drive-through.  On the grass soccer fields, with a couple of Mallards, was a pair of WOOD DUCK eating grass!
• Speaking of MALLARD, there was a female with 4 young at the extreme north end of the lake.
• We could see two young GREAT HORNED OWLS on the nest, and an adult nearby.
• We had many sightings of RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER:  1 or 2 at the start of the walk, 1 near the Rowing Club dock (seen from the west shore), 1-2 near the start of the boardwalk, including one which was drumming repeatedly, a pair exchanging at a nest hole opposite the windmill, and one at the Rowing Club. I think there were 4 total birds; certainly 3-6.
• We also saw a pair of  DOWNY WOODPECKER exchanging at a nest hole near the start of the boardwalk, and a pair of NORTHERN FLICKER excavating a hole near the mansion.
• We watched a male AMERICAN ROBIN feed 3 young at the nest.  We also saw a SONG SPARROW bringing food.
• YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were ALL OVER, both Audubon's and Myrtle's types, mostly males.  I would guess we saw/heard 50, but that's a bit of an arbitrary number.
• AMERICAN GOLDFINCH were also very much in evidence, with lots of singing, some pair interactions, and many gorgeous males posing.

• We had a good mammal day, with a MUSKRAT and a RACCOON on the far shore of the slough, in addition to the usual cottontail rabbit and eastern gray squirrel.  After the regular walk, I went over the the viewpoint from East Lake Samm Pkwy, where one can observe the Purple Martin boxes (no martins seen), and I saw a RIVER OTTER.  There were many Red-eared Slider and Painted Turtles at the Rowing Club Ponds, and 2 Garter Snakes [strangely, both dead], and my first slugs of the year.  Also, MOSQUITOES.
  

• Our main highlight of the day occurred at the Ocean Shores golf course while we were watching a large flock of shorebirds that consisted of mainly Marbled Godwit and Short-billed Dowitcher with a few Dunlin and Whimbrel mixed in.  A immature Peregrine Falcon came swooping into the area and immediately dived down onto a Marbled Godwit.  The falcon had the godwit pinned down on the grass when a mob of crows surrounded it.  The crows were quite ferocious in their attack on the falcon and it didn't take long for the godwit to make its escape and for the falcon to leave the area.  The godwit didn't appear to be very good health because it was flying very slow.  What a sight to see!

• Hoquiam STP:  Greater Scaup, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, 4 Swallow species (Tree, Violet-green, Cliff, and Barn)
• Hwy 109 near Grass Creek:  Osprey
• Ocean Shores golf course:  Marbled Godwit (estimated 400 godwits during our afternoon visit), Short-billed Dowitcher, Whimbrel, Dunlin
• Jetty (very windy): Pelagic Comorant
• Sewage Treatment plant:  Lesser and Greater Scaup, Killdeer
• Game Range (accessed from behind STP):  Red-breasted Merganser, Black-bellied Plover, Lincoln's Sparrow, Cooper's Hawk
• Perkins Pond:  Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Bald Eagle, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch
• Damon Point (viewed from restroom area):  Horned Grebe, Common Loon, Surf Scoter, Caspian Tern
• North Bay (viewed from private land north of Bill's Spit):  Brant, Semipalmated Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Dunlin, Western Sandpiper
• Driftwood Ave. beach access:  Dunlin, Semipalmated Plover, Western Sandpiper, Sanderling, Merlin (landed on top of a house nearby for great
• views)
• Cyber Lake: Greater Yellowlegs (at least 75 birds resting on the floating bridge)
• Burrows Rd:  Western Grebe

• Two families of Canada geese, one with 8 goslings, the other with 7, cruised by on the west shore, with 8 other adult geese in the vicinity. At one point, all but two goslings were in one fleet, which had both sets of parents in what I took to be an aggressive posture (necks stretched low on the water, beaks open). Eventually, the goslings separated during swim-time, and walked up with their respective parents toward the goose-exclusion area. By the way, the exclusion devices appear to be still working.
  

• Canada Goose (12 adults; 15 goslings)
• 2 Gadwall, 6 Bufflehead (3 of each sex), Common Merganser
• 16 Double-crested Cormorant
• Great Blue Heron, 2 Osprey
• 12 Glaucous-winged Gull
• 14 Rock Pigeon
• 7 American Crow
• Bewick's Wren
• 8 European Starling
• Song Sparrow, 2 Red-winged Blackbird, 2 House Finch

• Here were masses of Yellow-Rumped Warblers (a good mix of both subspecies) and one singing BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER (our first of the spring) which was quickly sent packing by a rambunctious Y/Rumped.  
• Also here were the two C/B Chickadees which seem to breed there every year (they can be hard to get on the refuge after the winter birds disperse).  
• Common Yellowthroats were...common. 
• Heard the now-very-vocal SORA over by the willow patch in the first pond off McAllister Creek Trail and also heard a VIRGINIA RAIL "kidick-ing" along the boardwalk (near the R/B Sapsucker nest tree).  
• Shorebird numbers were surprisingly good (though the very high tide probably helped) in the ponds off the Twin Barns overlook.  
• Decent numbers of G. YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN, WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS foraging in the pond/mud puddles.  
• All three teal species were present in this pond too.  
• The weird TREE SWALLOW is still present at the nest box mounted to the end of the barn closest to the boardwalk.
  

• 13 least sandpipers, 4 killdeer
• 6 cinnamon teal (3 male, 3 female), 24 hooded mergansers - on the central pond
• 2 bald eagles, 1 red-tailed hawk
• 6-10 yellow-rumped warblers

• Only 2 broods of Canada geese so far - 6 and 4. Still it's better than nothing.
•  Yesterday: at least 50 ring-necked ducks on the central pond - as many as I can ever recall.

• Three Black Oystercatchers flew past the jetty (Martin Muller),
• a small flock (I believe someone said 6) of Brown Pelicans flew over the game range high in the air
• there was a feeding flock of about 500 Sanderlings and 50 Semipalmated Plovers on the ocean beach at the end of Marine View Drive. 
• Farther north there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of razor clam diggers, the most people I have ever seen on the beach there. 
• One distant northbound flock of Canada and/or Greater White-fronted Geese contained a Snow Goose.
  

• a moderate northbound flight of loons, mostly Red-throated but also a few Pacific; we saw perhaps 150 birds in an hour. 
• Very few other birds: few northbound Surf Scoters, few each of Double-crested and Pelagic cormorants, Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Marbled Murrelets, and Rhinoceros Auklets. 
• One subadult California Gull but surprisingly few gulls (resident ones must be going to breeding colonies, lots of immatures around). 

• 30 Black-bellied Plover, 4 Semipalmated Plover
• 1 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, probably female, mostly still in nonbreeding plumage; watched for some time at Graveyard Spit, then approached and flushed it and heard characteristic 'queedle' call
• 1 male Pacific Golden-Plover  at Graveyard Spit with black-bellies, not at same time and place as American but in full plumage
• 1 Willet  flew over marina with flock of dowitchers
• 100 Whimbrel
• 300 Marbled Godwit; majority in nonbreeding plumage, interestingly
• 2 Black Turnstone at marina
• 6 Red Knot  (two birds together seen numerous times, decided they all couldn't have been the same birds)
• 1 Sanderling - no trace of breeding plumage seen in any Sanderlings
• 50 Western Sandpiper, 3 Least Sandpiper - not feeding with other birds but flew over us
• 100 Dunlin - many still in partially molted plumage
• 1000 Short-billed Dowitcher - far and away the most common species, coming in constantly to the marina as we left there; much calling and singing

• American Bittern (1): flyover at Wenzel Slough.
• 3 Turkey Vulture, 1 Cooper's Hawk
• 12 Whimbrel (flyover)
• 15 Least Sandpiper, 6 Wilson's Snipe (winnowing, sitting on posts)
• 80 Band-tailed Pigeon, 1 Mourning Dove (flyover)
• 6 American Pipit, 20 Orange-crowned Warbler

• 1 Cinnamon Teal (m.)
• 1 Turkey Vulture, 2 Osprey - on nest.
• 1 Winter Wren, 2 Orange-crowned Warbler

• 75 Canada Goose (Cackling)
• 1 Ring-necked Pheasant -sans the tail.
• 3 Northern Harrier - 1 male giving intense display flight.
• 12 Band-tailed Pigeon
• 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
• 12 Orange-crowned Warbler, 10 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 2 Black-throated Grey Warbler
• 2 Lincoln's Sparrow

• 15 Brant
• 2 Greater Scaup, 3 Red-breasted Merganser (Graveyard Spit)
• 25 Common Loon
• 4 Horned Grebe, 15 Western Grebe
• 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
• 12 Whimbrel, 3 Long-billed Curlew (Graveyard Spit), 300 Marbled Godwit (foraging out on Willapa Bay), 30 Short-billed Dowitcher
• 6 Bonaparte's Gull, 10 Mew Gull
• 20 Caspian Tern
• 1 Anna's Hummingbird (f.)
• 15 Orange-crowned Warbler, 10 Black-throated Grey Warbler (good looks, after hearing many), 3 Wilson's Warbler (first of season)

• 40 Brant
• 1 Harlequin Duck (m.)
• 12 Surf Scoter
• 10 Red-throated Loon, 30 Pacific Loon
• 1 Red-necked Grebe
• 2 Brandt's Cormorant
• 1 Rufous Hummingbird

• 1 Merlin (columbarius-type)
• 70 Black-bellied Plover, 20 Semipalmated Plover, 25 Red Knot)
• Large numbers of Western Sandpiper, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher

• 6 Green-winged Teal
• 1 Semipalmated Plover, 10 Greater Yellowlegs, 6 Long-billed Dowitcher

• 1 Western Grebe (McAllister Creek)
• 3 "Cackling"Canada Geese
• 11 Wood Ducks, 5 Blue-winged Teal, 22 Cinnamon Teal, 1 male Eurasian Wigeon (observed from the Nisqually Delta overlook platform)
• 1 Turkey Vulture, 6 Northern Harriers, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 adult Peregrine Falcon
• 32 Greater Yellowlegs, 7 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, 328+ Western Sandpipers, 145+ Least Sandpipers, 72 Dunlin, 5 Long-billed Dowitchers, 5 Wilson's Snipe
• 85+ Bonaparte's Gulls
• 27 Caspian Terns
• 1 Pileated Woodpecker
• 5 Northern Rough-winged Swallows
• 2 Common Ravens
• 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 10 Am.Pipits, 16 Orange-crowned Warblers, 1 Yellow Warbler, 14 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 17 Golden-crowned Sparrows, 5 Purple Finches

• Our first stop at Vance Creek County Park was quite a spectacle. It was first day of fishing on the lake and the lake and shores were covered by fishermen. Needless to say we didn't stay long. There was one fir tree that must have had over 100 BAND-TAILED PIGEONS. Large flocks continually flew in and out of the tree.
• Brady Loop gave us long looks at a beautiful ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK that forgot to go north with the res! t. We also saw an AMERICAN KESTREL in the same area. SAVANNAH SPARROWS were everywhere.

• At the Hoquiam Ponds there was a BLUE-WINGED TEAL among a number of NORTHERN SHOVELER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, GREATER & LESSER SCAUP, GADWALL and  NORTHERN PINTAIL.  
• We also saw a few GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE in the field north of the parking area at the airport. 
• For the day our raptor total was 5 BALD EAGLE, 4 NORTHERN HARRIER, 2 OSPREY & 3 RED-TAILED HAWKS in addition to those mentioned previously. 
• We saw two TURKEY VULTURES, one east of Ocean Shores in the morning and one west of Hoquiam Ponds in the afternoon.

• 14 least sandpipers, 2 western sandpipers
• 3-4 american pipits - flying north
• 1 northern rough-winged swallow, 1 male common yellowthroat singing
• 2 Cooper's hawks - 1 male, 1 female, 1 bald eagle

• 66+ ring-necked ducks, 21+ hood mergansers, 4 cinnamon teal, 2 ruddy ducks

• 24 RED CROSSBILLS were seen at Maplewood Conservation Area, North Vancouver, along with 1 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER.
• The Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta had 7 GREATER WHITE- FRONTED GEESE, 5 SANDHILL CRANES and 1 HUTTON’S VIREO.

• There were 1,000 BRANT off Roberts Bank Jetty in Delta, and Blackie Spit in Surrey had 2 PURPLE MARTINS and a LESSER YELLOWLE

• WARBLING VIREO    One seen singing near east footbridge
• AMERICAN PIPIT      At least 49 on grass fields near velodrome - some still there as of 10:30 a.m.
• Orange-cr. Warbler      Several seen, more heard
• NASHVILLE Wblr       4+ singing males @ s. end of dog area
• Black-th. Gray Wblr     1 in with Nashvilles
• WILSON'S Wblr          1 heard singing @ e. end of boardwalk

• 1 Ring-necked Pheasant
• 3 Turkey Vulture, 1 Osprey, 1 Cooper's Hawk (migrating), 4 Red-tailed Hawk
• 1 SWAINSON'S HAWK: decent look at an adult bird about 1.5 miles west of South Prairie in the late morning, seen for 5 minutes or more near a pair of Red-tails down lower, until it finally soared extremely high and moved on, last seen heading due north along Prairie Ridge.
• 1 Spotted Sandpiper (on river, breeding plumage), 1 Least Sandpiper
• 3 Mourning Dove
• 2 Vaux's Swift over lake.
• 5 Red-breasted Sapsucker, 3 Downy Woodpecker, 2 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker
• 6 Pacific-slope Flycatcher (males on territory now, late arrival date)
• 2 Cassin's Vireo (singing males)
• 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 Winter Wren, 1 Marsh Wren
• 3 American Dipper (one in Carbon River; pair in South Prairie Ck.)
• 1 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE (singing up on hillside), 30 American Robin (including a pair w/2 fledglings), 10 Cedar Waxwing
• 5 Orange-crowned Warbler, 1 NASHVILLE WARBLER (singing just north of Carbon Rvr crossing), 1 Yellow Warbler, 15 Yellow-rumped Warbler (11-Audubon's; 4-Myrtle), 6 Black-throated Grey Warbler (all singing males), 3 Wilson's Warbler
• 1 Lincoln's Sparrow (singing migrant), 4 Golden-crowned Sparrow
• 12 Brown-headed Cowbird
• 4 Red Crossbill, 5 Evening Grosbeak

• 1 Anise Swallowtail, 2 Margined White. 5 Cabbage White, 9 Spring Azure, 12 Mylitta Crescent, 1 California Tortoiseshell, 5 Painted Lady, 1 Red Admiral, 2 Ochre Ringlet

• 3 Canada Goose
• 2 Gadwall, 3 Mallard (plus what might be the same dozen ducklings seen yesterday)
• 3 Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, 3 Common Merganser
• 2 Osprey
• Peregrine Falcon
• 4 Least Sandpiper
• 2 Glaucous-winged Gull
• 6 Rock Pigeon)
• 5 American Crow
• 2 Violet-green Swallow, Bewick's Wren
• 3 European Starling
• Song Sparrow
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• 2 House Finch

• Aerobatic OSPREY displays were taking place above the river during this scan. I verified that the female was on the nest when I first went outside, but heard, from above me, an Osprey calling. Two Ospreys were in the air, quite high up, and one put on an exceptional display of aerobatics before going into a steep dive to join its mate at the nest. Later, when the "intruding" Osprey came back upstream and circled Turning Basin #3, it was quickly joined in what I'd call a "shadow" flight by the local male: everywhere the intruder flew, the local bird followed, generally at a higher elevation.  Eventually, the intruder left and the local male flew back to the nest platform. If all goes well, the first Osprey hatching at the Hamm Creek site should occur about the first week of June.
  

• LEAST SANDPIPERS appear to be moving through. At 6:10am, when I first got to work, four LESA were working the mudflat near the goose-exclusion area. During my noontime scan, 9 LESA were on the mudflat to the south, but they left and went downriver when the two CASPIAN TERNS (oh, did I fail to mention that 2 terns were loafing on that same shoreline?) took off, heading north downstream. In less than 10 minutes, 16 more LESA were working the area near the same mudflat. They were spooked a couple of times by crows, but were still in about the same area when I had to get back to work.

• The refuge was simply teeming with birds, I believe my single highest day total for there so far. Superb shorebird habitat can be scanned from the McAllister Creek trail right now; I recommend anyone interested go out now before the water levels change again. There were hundreds of peeps in every patch of suitable habitat. In the willows along the dike and the boardwalk we had a few waves of several warbler species.

• Brant (6)-Nisqually delta.
• Wood Duck (5)
• American Wigeon (200)
• Blue-winged Teal (4): one pair, two seperate males.
• Cinnamon Teal (10m.)
• Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal hybrid (1): Nice male, in pond along McAllister
• Ck w/pure CITE male; resembled CITE but paler in overall color, large white facial crescent, polka dotted scapulars.
• Northern Pintail (12)
• Greater Scaup (2)-Nisqually delta.
• Red-breasted Merganser (7)-Nisqually delta.
• Horned Grebe (5)-alternate plumage.
• American Bittern (3): All pumping along McAllister Ck trail mid-day.
• Osprey (2)-Nisqually River and delta.
• Northern Harrier (6: 4m., 2f.)
• American Kestrel (1m.)
• Peregrine Falcon (1): Morning pass of the seasonal ponds got the peeps up.
• Virginia Rail (1)-heard only.
• Sora (7)-heard only.
• Greater Yellowlegs (16)
• Lesser Yellowlegs (9)
• Solitary Sandpiper (2-3): One heard near Visitors Center; two in ponds along
• McAllister Ck seen very well.
• Spotted Sandpiper  (1)
• Western Sandpiper (250): Large flock in saltmarsh in northeast corner; very large flock all along McAllister Creek trail ponds.
• Least Sandpiper (120): Scattered in with most of the Western flocks, also a few large flocks consisting mainly of these.
• Dunlin (60)-chiefly in alternate plumage.
• Short-billed Dowitcher (8)-foraging in ponds along McAllister Creek.
• Long-billed Dowitcher (2)
• Wilson's Snipe (4)
• Bonaparte's Gull (22): About half in alternate plumage.
• Caspian Tern (15)
• Pacific-slope Flycatcher (1)-calling along Nisqually River trail.
• Warbling Vireo (4)-my first of the year in Washington, singing.
• Purple Martin (12)-flying around Luhr Beach and over estuary.
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1)
• Hermit Thrush (1)
• American Pipit (70): Mixed with peeps on saltmarsh and ponds areas.
• Cedar Waxwing (12)
• Orange-crowned Warbler (40): Some very conspicuous flocks moving around along the outer dike, a couple flocks of a dozen or more.
• Yellow Warbler (20)-singing everywhere.
• Yellow-rumped Warbler (25): 100% Myrtle.
• Black-throated Grey Warbler (1)-across McAllister Ck.
• MacGillivray's Warbler (1m.)-Brown Farm Dike, E of viewing platform.
• Wilson's Warbler (12)
• Lincoln's Sparrow (5)

• Anise Swallowtail (10)
• Cabbage White (6)
• Margined White (4)
• Spring Azure (1)
• Satyr Anglewing (1)
• Lorquin's Admiral (6)

• Green-winged Teal (44)
• Sharp-shinned Hawk (1)
• Greater Yellowlegs (3)
• Western Sandpiper (12)
• Least Sandpiper (25)
• Dunlin (10)
• Wilson's Snipe (3)
• American Pipit (60)

• Cinnamon Teal (1m.)
• Greater Yellowlegs (1)
• Lesser Yellowlegs (1)

• Barred Owl (3)
• Black-throated Grey Warbler (1)
• Wilson's Warbler (1)

• We started by quickly checking the woods near the visitor's ctr near the entry road. Then we walked out on the trail/road toward McAllister Creek between the north (on the right) and south ponds.  There we heard Soras, and a Virginia Rail, and saw many ducks including Cinnamon and Blue-winged Teals, and some shore birds.  About a block beyond that was where we heard two American Bitterns.
• Then take the Twin Barns Loop, take the left side of the loop as you go out.  You might go past the Nisqually River Overlook a short way. Charlie had quite a few Wilson's Warblers on the boardwalk going to the barns.  There were also numerous Yellow Warblers and Orange-crowned Warblers in various areas. 
• Then head back to the road to McAllister Creek.  Walk the 3/4 mile out to the creek, turn right (North) and go almost to the Photo Blind trail.  You will be impressed with the shorebirds (as long as the fields stay wet).  It looks like they have plowed some of the areas to expose the mud and get rid of a lot of the vegetation.  The viewing was great yesterday in the afternoon, but of course it had just rained the day before and yesterday it was sunny.  We saw the Solitary Sandpiper very near the trail, about 60 feet from us across the nearest ditch on the right of the trail.  We were about 1 1/2 blocks before reaching the photo blind trail.  There was a lone fir tree just beyond us on the left next to McAllister Creek.  We were looking down and to the right to see the Solitary, the snipe, and more shorebirds.
  

• Green Heron                           2 nice looks, above weir early, below weir late.
• Cooper's Hawk?                      Large accipiter flew across dog meadow
• R.-breasted Sapsucker            2nd nest hole found, near RC dock
• Vaux's Swift                            At least 2
• Warbling Vireo                        At least 6, singing
• American Pipit                        One landed on grass soccer fields near snag row
• Orange-crowned Warbler       Quite a few, with some good looks.  Many singing.
• Townsend's Warbler               Female SE of Mansion

• Tuesday morning, I got a call from Mike Crandell,  King County Parks Resource Coordinator.  A baby GHOW was found on the ground, about 500 feet south of the nest.  It was near the kid's play area and restrooms - not a great place for a baby owl to spend the day!  They called in a wildlife veterinarian, who found the chick to be healthy and unhurt.  However, it is about 2 weeks from fledging.  Parks staff moved the chick to the base of the nest tree where it remained Tuesday.
• Mike asked me to monitor the chick Tuesday night to see if it was being fed by the parents.  So I headed down at 10:00 p.m. Tuesday night.  It took me a long time to find any activity.  The nest appeared empty, there were no chicks on the ground in the nest tree area, and no adults.
• After fruitlessly searching for about a half-hour, I heard some screeches to the south that sounded reminiscent of Barn Owl.  Thinking these might be calls from a young GHOW, I went to look.  (After all, the worst that could happen was that I could find a Barn Owl instead).  I heard these raspy screetches from at least two locations simultaneously, but I couldn't find anything.  Hearing a noise further south, I started walking down the path, only to be scared witless by an extremely close, extremely loud hiss.  I was about 10 feet from a chick, and the chick was puffed out hugely.  My first thought was actually that I had come too close to an angry Raccoon!  But then I recognized it as a GHOW chick.  It was bravely clicking it's bill at me.
• I walked on for about 100 yards, and stopped where I could watch the youngster.  Very soon after, I saw an owl fly towards me and land in a tree. I put my flashlight and binos on it, and the adult GHOW and I warily observed each other for a few seconds before I turned off the light and hid in the picnic shelter.
• I could see the young owl, and even better it's shadow on a fence.  I waited perhaps 15 minutes.  Finally, I caught sight of the adult owl flying low towards the baby.  The adult did not land next to the baby, but disappeared into a nearby tree.
• Having decided that the adults were attending the youngster, I decided to head home (it was almost midnight).  I did make a brief stop at the windmill, where my pathetic attempt to imitate a BARN OWL illicited "Hsssk Hsssk Hsssk" calls from within the windmill.
• Wednesday morning, Parks personnel found not one, but two juvenile owls on the ground, well away from the nest site.  A decision was made that the young owls would not be safe spending their days on the ground in the busy mansion area, so both were captured and turned over to the Exotic Pet and Bird Clinic in Kirkland to be fed and cared for.  The intention is to release the owls back into the wild, and an expert at GHOW rehab is being consulted.

• I think the most impressive spectacle I have been witnessing up here in the Skagit is the absolute over-abundance of yellow-rumped warblers (about equal myrtles and audubons).  I see them virtually everywhere in the valley.  Dowtown Mt. Vernon; any wooded park; out of my office window.  The Skagit game range is choked with them.  And it is never one at a time, but more like large widespread groups.  I do know that this species can be quite irruptive, but I personally haven't witnessed this many for such a stretch of time.  
• Not many other unusual obs, but I did actually find a Pacific-slope flycatcher about two weeks ago at Deception Pass SP.  I figured this was a little early, but it sounds like it still isn't being regularly seen.  
• Another fairly spectacular sight I witnessed this afternoon at Padilla Bay was literally hundreds of Great Blue Herons evenly spaced out on the mud-flats at low tide as far as my binos could see.  I have never seen that many GBH's at one location.  A nice sunset helped as well.  Ended up with 36 species in an hour at Breazale.  Not too shabby for me.
  

• Sandpipers are flocking to Grays Harbor with at least 25,000 on Tuesday (4/27/) and more to come.
• Also I saw at upwards of 100 least sandpipers at Nisqually at around 8pm today. 

• The willows near the interior pond had a singing WARBLING VIREO.  
• YELLOW WARBLERS were heard singing all along the woodlot south of the main parking lot. 
• Tons of LEAST SANDPIPERS, two WILSON'S SNIPE and two LESSER YELLOWLEGS were the only shorebirds I could find amongst the vegetation/ponds from the Twin Barns.  
• I had lots of fun watching the antics of three A. BITTERNS along the back edge of this pond (as viewed from the Barns overlook).  They were chasing each other on foot (all puffed up) and on the wing (necks outstretched).  I watched one doing his gulping and pumping but couldn't hear the "song" over the highway noise...bummer.  
• Heard five WILSON'S WARBLERS calling to each other (seemingly, as the songs followed closely behind one another) along the short stretch of shrubs along the boardwalk by the barns.  

• 01 - 1 east of Woodinville from the Tolt Pipeline Trail; 2 west of Hoquiam; 1 further west of Hoquiam
• 02 - 2 west of Easton; 2 west of Cle Elum; 3 at Cle Elum; 1 west of the Para Ponds
• 03 - 1 over Meig's Marsh on Bainbridge; 1 at Bainbridge; 1 along Hwy 97, Chelan County; 8 circling above the Hoquiam River bridges
• 04 - 1 at Lateral C Road; 1 at Pumphouse Road (both Yakima County); 6 along Wenzel Slough Road; 10 along Brady Loop Road; 3 near Bowerman Basin; 1 north of the Humptulips River; 7 over Bowerman Basin; 2 at Hoquiam; 3 east of Aberdeen; 9 perched in trees along Wenzel Slough Road + 2 in another tree; 1 soaring over Graveyard Spit
• 07 - 4 at Point Roberts
• 09 - 7 at Saturna Island, B.C.; 3 feeding on a possum carcass on Allen Road in Roy
• 10 - 7 west of Satus taking turns at a banquet; 1 near the Umtanum Creek Trail; 6 near Satsop; 5 along the Brady Loop Road; 2 west of Montesano; 2 at Tokeland; 1 at Elma; 5 at Gowlland-Tod Provincial Park, B.C.; 2 at the Pilchuck Tree Farm north of Arlington; 1 at Duckabush
• 11 - 1 just west of Othello; 2 east of Elma; 3 along Wenzel Slough Road; 8 along Brady Loop Road; (?) at McGregor Marsh, B.C.; 1 at Gardiner, near Sequim
• 12 - 2 near Cle Elum; 4 feeding on a road-killed deer between Bridgeport and Leahy Junction
• 13 - 1 soaring over Scatter Creek south of Olympia; 2 soaring over Kalama; 1 south of Kalama
• 15 - 1 in Pitt Meadows
• 17 - 2 at Bottle Beach; 2 west of Montesano; 4 east of Elma; 1 east of Summit Lake
• 18 - 6 at the Julia Butler Hansen NWR; 3 at Weir Prairie, Thurston County; 1 near Tenino; 4 at the Centralia Steam Plant; 1 at Ft. Steele, B.C.; 1 over Lake Terrell, near Ferndale
• 19 - 7 soaring above Nanoose Bay, B.C.; a kettle of 2 in Nanaimo, B.C.; 1 in Pitt Meadows, B.C.; 1 along the edge of Frenchman Coulee; 1 soaring over the town of Mineral
• 20 - 1 at MP101/I-90
• 21 - 1 in Burnaby, B.C.; 2 near Boundary Road in Burnaby, B.C.
• 23 - 2 at Kalama
• 24 - 3 near Wenzel Road; 1 at Shoeweiler Road Wetlands; 7 at Ocosta; 3 near Aberdeen; 1 near Elma;
• 25 - 1 southwest of Littlerock; 1 at the Nisqually NWR; 4 or 5 near ??; 2 east of Ocean Shores; 1 west of Hoquiam; 1 at Pitt Meadows; 2 at Mt. Woodside joining the hangliders; (?) at Legacy Marsh, B.C.
• 26 - 3 near Crocker/South Prairie
• 27 - 9 flying over Sequim; 6 at Grant Narrows Park in Pitt Meadows, B.C.
• 28 - 1 between Duvall and Carnation; 1 teetering over I-90 east of Cle Elum
• 30 - 1 circling above the Evergreen State College; 1 soaring very high on a powerful thermal southwest of Littlerock