Subject: Ballard Locks
Date: Oct 19 15:38:55 1996
From: Cliff Drake - birder at juno.com


I have nothing unusual to report, but It was a fun morning nonetheless.
1. From the 'Why do the birds always pose when I don't have my camera'
dept:
A Bonaparte's, a Heerman's and a Mew Gull were sitting side by side
on the cable not 10 feet from the sidewalk. It was a perfect chance for a
good picture.
2. An immature Bald Eagle circled over the west side of the spillway,
chased by the usual flock of crows. It suddenly dove for a fish, and the
entire bird population of the locks went into an uproar. Gulls, Crows,
Starlings, a Comorant and even two Great Blue Herons flew up, circling
and squawking. Even the Herons kept up a steady noise. The Eagle came up
empty taloned and seemed unperturbed by the whole uproar it had caused.
I'nm no good at judging the age of Eagles, but it showed no white on the
head or tail, but had a lot of white spotting on the body and the
underside of the wings.
3. Three female Common Mergansers, the first i've seen in Ballard this
year, and two cormorants and a harbor seal were all diving together at
the west entrance to the large locks The large lock was draining, so the
area was also filled with gulls in there usual feeding frenzy. (The fresh
water boils up as the lock is drained, bringing up the goodies from the
bottom, the gulls love it.) In the crowd were Heerman's, Mew, Bonapartes,
Glaucous Wing (and hybrids) and one California Gull , adults and
juveniles. I've yet to find a place where you can get as close to the
gulls as you can at the locks.
4. Friday morning at Shilshole/Golden Gardens there were the usual
crowd of birds, but what disturbed me most were the rats! I saw them
running across the sand, climbing on the rocks near the new creek, and on
the rocks nearby. In ten minutes I saw about twenty brown rats. They have
new signs up asking people not to feed the birds and to clean up after
themselves and their dogs to help control the rodent population, but I
had no idea it was so bad. I'm sure part of it was the 11.2 foot high
tide, but still... Let me ask you Tweeters a question. When you see
people throwing bread or whatever to the semi tame birds at places like
this do you say anything to them? I'd like to have a pamphlet or
something to give people. I'd even volunteer to leave it on windshields.
I may have to call the parks department...
Sorry this turned into such a book! Any comment on the rats?
=================
Cliff Drake
Ballard, WA
Birder at Juno.com