Date: 8/28/25 2:06 pm From: Michael Hobbs via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Marymoor Park (Redmond, King Co.) 2025-08-28
Tweets - A rather drab, dull, overcast morning today, without much of anything UNTIL...
Very distantly, from the Lake Platform, I found a small gull flying. After watching it for quite a while, and after Jordan got some photos to zoom in on, we were able to be certain we had a SABINE'S GULL ! New bird for the park, and Marymoor Bird #247.
There were also some small birds flying low over the water near the Sabine's. I thought they might be swallows, but they just didn't fly right. While they couldn't have been ID'd from Marymoor without a scope, it turned out these were RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. I was able to see these again on a late scan of the lake and could tell they were phalaropes, and other birders at Idylwood Park (a little further south along the west edge of Lake Sammamish) were able to identify them with certainty. The only other time we've had Red-necked Phalarope was one bird on September 20, 2018.
Other Highlights: Rufous Hummingbird - One at the Pea Patch. Third-latest sighting we've ever had at Marymoor Least Sandpiper (?) - From the Lake Platform we also heard what sounded very much like Least's flight calls, but could spot no birds Cooper's Hawk - Two juveniles. Eric saw them interacting early in the morning. We had two sightings of individual birds later
Misses today were numerous: Hooded Merganser, Vaux's Swift, Glaucous-winged Gull (maybe had one way out over the lake), American Barn Owl, Willow Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Barn Swallow, Marsh Wren, Red-winged Blackbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Wilson's Warbler. The only warblers we had were Common Yellowthroats.
For the day, just 45 species. It's amazing how a few rare birds can turn a Meh Day into a Great Day.
