I made a brief stop this morning at the new ponds at Golden Gardens Park
and saw a small mammal swimming and diving in the north (? the one on the
right as you cross the bridge) pond. It seemed too small to be an otter
or a muskrat, my initial estimate was 14 to 18 inches long without tail,
3 or 4 inches across. Its tail wasn't noticeable. It made only two brief
appearances before it disappeared, but an arm of that pond is out of
sight from the bridge. Color-wise it was a brownish gray, but everything
looked gray, the rain, the water, the sky, the ducks... The Audubon Guide
says the Long-Tailed Weasel is a good swimmer - I wish I could give more
information, but it gave me only a brief look - any ideas?

The ducks, gulls and starlings love the rain it seems. The lawn from the
Teen Center to the ponds was covered with Mallards and Wigeons, gulls and
starlings. At least 300 ducks, probably more. The rain keeps the dogs and
kite flyers away...
=================
Cliff Drake
Seattle, (Ballard) WA
Birder at Juno.com

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