>Michael Price asked -

>>While biking up at UBC near the Anthrop Museum (biking for exercise, no bins
>>allowed, wouldntcha know it ;-) I heard a strange song, pretty sure it's a
>>warbler.

>Brown Creeper??? Two whacks on the carrier for no bins. You must do penance and just
>ferret out this creature again.

> - Jack

I wonder what other stories are to be told about birding while exercising
or the conflict between the two activities. I remember a friend telling
about modifying the usual noontime running route with work colleagues to
include the better birding sites and some of the other runners taking up
an interest in birding as a result. As a swimmer I enjoy swimming
outdoors and many of the best views I've had of eagles and osprey have
been while swimming in Silver Lake (SE Everett, WA). Sometimes the osprey
have taken fish very close to where I was, around 20 feet away. There
have been some dramatic aerial battles between the osprey and the eagle
for the catch, too. On a couple occassions eagle have launched themselves
from their perch, dropped low above the water and flown directly over me
with their head rotating to keep an eye on me as they passed overhead.
Just checking things out, I guess. I'm glad I don't have to worry about
being plucked out of the water like the fish do. Swallows are always
around in the summer and the view from the water level in the middle of
the lake is superb. In the fall during the pre-migration gatherings the
sky is thick with activity as the swallows swoop around endlessly.

So just how waterproof are those "waterproof" bins anyway?

Ed Schulz
Everett, WA
eschulz at eldec.com