Got back from Seattle Sunday night (the 15th), after attending
a conference for wildlife rehabilitators, and found it a delightfully
birdy place after months of basically chickadees, magpies and
ravens here in Anchorage. Ruby-crowned Kinglets were tuning
up (a sound I now associate with true spring), Bewick's Wrens
were singing and scolding, and I even ran into a fellow Tweetster
on the platform at Foster Island.

I was staying with friends and talked one of them into taking me
to any park we could find (he's not a birder). When I saw a
young man with binoculars gazing down into the marsh grasses,
I had to butt in. It was Michael Hobbs. He was looking at a
Virginia Rail, by golly, a lifer for me, and also put me on to
a Marsh Wren which was one of my "better view desired" birds.

Going back up the trail, a female Anna's hummingbird zipped
by and popped into its nest. First time I've ever seen an active
hummingbird nest. Later we found the resident male Anna's
at the Arboretum.

So, it was a neat day. Hardly any rain during my stay either. I'd
forgotten what big city traffic was like though. Yikes!

Chris Maack
CMaack at compuserve.com