Montlake Fill Field Trip (7/29/06) Highlights

We started from the north end of the Center for Urban Horticulture. One of our first birds was an Anna's Hummingbird. Cedar Waxwings and American Goldfinches were present. A number of Violet-green and Barn Swallows were picking off insects overhead and a few Vaux's Swifts were rapidly flexing their wings.

The first pond (Shoveler Pond) was dry. The meadows were covered with the beautiful blue flowers of the Chicory (see photo). In Union Bay were Wood Ducks, Pied-billed Grebes, a large flotilla of Gadwalls out in the lake and Red-winged Blackbirds. Black-capped Chickadees were in the trees.

At the main pond it took a while searching before finding a few gems. Two Long-billed Dowitchers were rapidly stitching in the mud. A couple of Killdeer were feeding on the shore and nearby were two Least Sandpipers. They were first thought to be Westerns, but when we got a closer look thru the scope we saw that the upper part of the legs were yellow. The lower parts were dark from mud. In the west wetlands we saw a Pied-billed Grebe sitting on a nest. A Virginia Rail responded to calls. The complete list of birds follows:

SPECIES SEEN
From 7/29/2006 to 7/29/2006 ~ in Montlake Fill ~ 30 seen
Pied-billed Grebe
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Virginia Rail
American Coot
Long-billed Dowitcher
Least Sandpiper
Killdeer
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Vaux's Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
American Crow
Cedar Waxwing
American Robin
Bewick's Wren
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
American Goldfinch
House Finch
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird