Hi Tweets,

Today, May 13th, a male Wilson's Phalarope was present at
the Kent ponds; a Birdathon group I was leading for Rainier Audubon
Society found a pair there on Sunday, May 11th. Apparently they
staged a minor incursion into the Greater Puget Sound Region the
evenings of the 9th and 10th of May. After doing a "Big Day"
with Scott Downes on Saturday (12:01 A.M. to 8:45 P.M.) and then
leading a South King County Birdathon starting at 8 A.M. Sunday
I was more than a little rummy by 2 P.M. Sunday when we found
the Phalaropes. I can only describe my feeling upon finding these
birds, and observing them from less than 20 ft away, as ecstasy!
Certainly the unexpected nature of the find had something to do
with it, but also being able to share it with our group of a
dozen Birdathonners mad it that much more special.

With Yellow-headed Blackbirds, a Black Tern, and seven
species of shorebirds seen at the Kent Ponds over the weekend
i think the prognostications of doom expressed on tweeters some
time ago were, gladly, inaccurate. While the ponds are still
fenced off ('til Spring '98) some viewing can be done and the
future of the area will be interesting, especially after re-
vegetation starts.


Jim Flynn
bf519 at scn.org
Renton, WA