Douglas F. Daily
ddaily at u.washington.edu
Seattle WA

> come into the fields along the access road. However, they are sitting on a
> slough easily visible from the observation tower (wonder whether they do
> that so that everybody has to pay entrance fee? :) ), and sometimes they

I have a true story about a young canadian couple who did the naughties
on that observation tower in late August, not a time with a lot of
birder activity. I doubt that they did it so that everybody has to
pay the entrance fee, but they still had a few observers.

Between mushrooming and birding I see quite a lot of life that
most people would miss.

isn't that why we do it? the experience?

I have become much more observant about small brown birds recently,
because like finches, you may see house finches, but sometimes there's
a sneaky purple finch in there.

Myfirst Lincoln's sparrows were just tossaway small brown birds until
i finally recognized their distinctive markings, then, as you
learn small signs/patterns, other species show up where you
thought it was all smalll and brown.