What a show!, Um(p)tanum was at its usual high level of activity, but the
highlight of the day was a pair of nesting Pygmy Nuthatches trying to
scare off 2 Lewis' woodpeckers who had decided the bark feeding was best
right next to the opening to the Pygmys nest.
The giant Lewis' mostly ignored the buzzing little Pygmys who were only
slightly aggressive in their physical attempts to drive off the
interlopers. They mainly relied on verbal assaults to convince the
woodpeckers to move on, and oh, the language they used! Modesty prevents
me from reproducing it here.
Meanwhile the background sounds continued, a grouse thumping in the
distance, Black Headed Grosebeaks singing from every bush (it seemed) an
occasional Bullocks Oriole song, and the Lewis' rap rap rapping on the
Pygmys pine. What a gorgeous day!


David Wilbur 206-685-2366
Stable Isotope Lab 206-685-3351 fax
School of Oceanography dowilbur at u.washington.edu
Box 357940
Univ. of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-7940 USA
http://www.ocean.washington.edu/research/sil/index.html