Couple of interesting experiences this weekend.

Carkeek Park in Seattle:
11 BARROW'S GOLDENEYE right next to the beach, doing the head bobbing
thing. 6 beautiful males.
The other remarkable thing was a GREAT BLUE HERON in the park itself. I was
with a group of maybe 9 people next to the stream listening to a talk on
stream ecology when the heron first flies over us, then lands not more than
30 feet away. Then he began to walk toward us! Wow! Several people
commented they'd never been that close to a heron before. We continued
talking and moving around, didn't seem to bother him a bit. One very good
birder in our group thought it might be a juvenile who just didn't know any
better. His fishing skills were not very heron-like either. He walked back
and forth almost continuously.

And haven't heard anything about Juanita Bay in Kirkland lately. Today
there were some large rafts of birds including GREEN WINGED TEALS, CANVAS
BACKS, RING-NECKED DUCKS, AMERICAN WIGEONS, HORNED GREBES and RUDDY DUCKS
and one NORTHERN SHOVELER. And of course, the usual COOTS, PIE-BILLED
GREBES, MALLARDS, GADWALLS and DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS and a BELTED
KINGFISHER, didn't get the sex. And a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS in the
small pond.
The green-winged teals were vocalizing. I've never heard that before!

And the weather? This is November?!! Fantastic! Sunny and 65 degrees.

Christy Anderson
Bellevue, WA
christya at gte.net