Subject: Marymoor, Friday Morning (Weasels & Birds!)
Date: May 29 20:06:31 1998
From: lydia - lydia at wizards.net


Hi Tweeters!

Before work today I went for a brief walk down to the platform at the end
of the nature trail at Marymoor Park.

I went down to observe the PIED BILLED GREBES. They were there and I got
to watch their interactions with each other. When I arrived only one was
in view and wasn't doing much.....just sitting on the water. A few
minutes later the other one popped up. The first bird "came alive" and
the two grebes greeted each other by softly clucking and cheek and bill
rubbing. Soon they swam closer to where I was standing and I got to
watch them perform all sorts of cleaning beahavior. I also spotted the
nest. There are now two eggs!

A few redwing black birds (red&yellow) danced around on the lilly pads.

On my way back I spied some small sparrow-ish birds flying around close
to the ground near the model airplane flight zone. These birds were
medium brown and as they were flying I could see redish brown on their
wings. They were too small for swallows and weren't swooping like
swallows.

I also spied a KILLDEER dancing around on the edge of the road.

But the real treat was catching a litter of baby martins frollicking
around the footbridge on the path. These teensy-tiny baby weasels
startled me as much as I startled them. I froze in my tracks as the
scurried away. Moments later they climbed back to the bridge to stare at
me. They kept playing hide and seek until only one returned for one last
stare at the strange creature.....me.

I'm pretty sure they were martins. They were dark reddish-brown on top
and a lighter shade on the bottom. They had long slender tails with
darker tufts on the ends. Their body language said "weasel" or "ferret",
but they were so tiny! Martins are the smallest of the weasel family
aren't they? Those little critters were having so much fun, I really
enjoyed watching them romp!

I never have much time for my bird&critter watching at Marymoor, so I'm
thrilled by even a small number of sightings on my breaks.

Lydia

Lydia Gaebe In Kent, WA
lydia at wizards.net
Pete Tomack's STEEL AND GLASS available NOW!
Web Page Is Up and "Out There"!!! www.wizards.net/tomackandeastwind
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