I just returned from a business trip to Seattle. I was able to add a day to go birding, and enlisted the help of Michael Hobbs, a very accomplished birder from the area. We met at my hotel at 6 am, and our first stop was Marymoor Park, in Redmond, a place that Michael has been surveying on a weekly basis since 1994. My principal target here was Red-breasted Sapsucker, but we first looked for a number of owls that have been seen. No luck there, but as it started to lighten up, it became very evident that this was a birdy area to be sure. We spent about 3 and a half hours going through a loop of a little over 2 miles, with a nice variety of habitats. Highlights included
- a five woodpecker day, including two wonderful Red-breasted Sapsuckers drumming on the metal caps of light posts, and a nice view of a Pileated Woodpecker
- Some very nice looks at both Anna's and Rufous Hummingbird
- some of the local specialties, including Varied Thrush, Townsend's Warbler, and Chestnut-backed Chickadee
- a flyover of a small group of Waxwings, including one Bohemian, fairly unusual for the area
- and good looks at several sparrows that I rarely see - Golden Crowned, and Fox
March 28 - Marymoor Park, King County, Washington
85. Spotted Towhee
86. Glaucous-winged Gull
87. Bewick's Wren
88. Anna's Hummingbird
89.
Red-breasted Sapsucker
90. Red Crossbill
91. Varied Thrush
92. Townsend's Warbler
93. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
94. Golden-crowned Sparrow
95. Fox Sparrow
96. Double-crested Cormorant
97. Bushtit
98. Yellow-rumped Warbler
99. Rufous Hummingbird
100. Pied-billed Grebe
101. Pileated Woodpecker
102. Bohemian Waxwing
103. Tree Swallow
104. Violet-green Swallow
105. Mew Gull
106. Chestnut-backed Chickadee