Subject: Is it spring?
Date: Jan 23 20:27:54 1998
From: Cliff Drake - birder at juno.com


My car still doesn't work, and the Chittenden Locks are only a half mile
away, so that's where I go for my morning walk more often than not.
Thursday morning I watched first two then three male Red-breasted
Mergansers doing their courtship routine around one female. I watched for
about twenty minutes as the males craned their necks upward and danced -
I can't think of any other term - then circled the female with heads
down. The Barrows Goldeneyes were doing a lot of head bobbing as well.
Shortly after an immature Bald Eagle flew over, east to west, it had just
a sprinkling of white on the head and tail. Right in front of the
visitors center two Stellar's Jays were noisily moving from tree to tree
while a Spotted Towhee dug around in the main display garden while large
flocks of Juncos, Robins, Crows and Starlings filled the trees. Then to
top it all off two accipters circled over the parking lot. I almost
forgot, the dusky Canada Goose was drinking from a puddle on the sidewalk
and I was able to get a few feet from it, of course I left my camera at
home. Still it was a fun morning.
=================
Cliff Drake
Seattle, (Ballard) WA
Birder at Juno.com