Howdy--

So there I am straddling that impossible bridge at Bottle Beach today and
I come face to face with the thick *burr* of Stuart McKay...Gad,
Tweets are everywhere...that is, everywhere there is good birding..we
had a good chat while we checked out the shorebirds..I'll leave that
report to him, as he was there when the tide was higher and the birds
weren't quite such a long way off...he practiced telling some of the
*whoppers* he's saving for the *All Tweets* gig and I'm beginning to
think we might have to award some sort of prize to the best anecdote
delivered...sober, of course..

On the way down, Jean, my old grad school buddy and I took the Wenzel
Slough Rd loop in Elma..we stopped at the Osprey nest and checked out one
fledged or nearly fledged chick. the adult was perched in a neighboring
tree keeping an eye on things..the loop didn't yield much in the way of
birds, but in the fall it's thick with migrants and passage R/T's.
kestrels,etc..definitely worth the effort if you're headed that way anyhoo..

Just before the Raymond exit (Rte. 107) a merlin crossed the road pumping
away in the falcon manner...I nearly ran off the road trying to ID an
accipiter..(tiercel Coop? hen Sharpie?) and noticed activity at the big
Osprey nest across the freeway...on the return trip we stopped on the entry
ramp..(trick is to get off at the Raymond exit..cross the street and
enter the ramp to get back on..it sort of makes an S and then you stop
with a terrific view of the osprey nest. There was one nearly? fledged
chick on the nest. I was watching for activity, when a second bird flew
in and perched in the nest tree, but down about 10 feet..it had a fish, so
I got out the scope and watched the fish get et..spent an enjoyable 1/2
hour there without any hassle from the cops.. the chick on the nest peeped
continually (I assume food-begging) all the time the other chick was whaling
on that fish it caught...I have to remind myself that 70 - 80% of raptors
don't make the first year...(see Don B.'s post about the begging passage gos
at the banding site..)

All in all a terrific day...except for a weensy little glitch..I slid
around a curve in Aberdeen and drifted over into the left lane without
signaling and cut off a State trooper on his way off
shift...sigh-hhhh..he was very nice,but I did get a written warning...
nothing like paying attention to one's driving..if he'd been a bird, I
would have seen him..

Tom

Tom Foote footet at elwha.evergreen.edu
Lab II
The Evergreen State College (360) 866-6000 x6118
Olympia, WA 98505