Kevin and Tweeters,

On Wed, 2 Sep 1998, Li, Kevin wrote:

> On Aug 27 from a boat in the Nisqually Delta, Cathy Laetz, Kris Baker and I
> were privileged to see a flock of well over 100 common mergansers, so many
> that they made the water appear to boil;

Somebody please tell me what is on the minds of those mergansers. I was
stationed on the beach on the east side of the Nisqually River mouth
(below railroad tracks) today and I estimated the flock of Common Mergansers
to be at least 300, perhaps 400. But, they are possessed. They act as
though constantly in some kind of race to get to the next location which
appears to be a more or less random choice of direction. But the don't
fly, oh no, that would be cheating. They skuttle as fast as they can under
leg power, with necks stretched forward, churning a great wake from behind.
Once they cross the great Nisqually Reach, they appear to have little better
to do but turn around and head back. This, all in a group.

I also heard Purple Martins. They must have been very high up, I couldn't
see them. The Purple Martin boxes at this end of the refuge had quite
a few Starlings hanging out on or near them. I fear they are serving
the Starlings quite well.

There were three Red Crossbills in what I believe are Bitter Cherry
trees along the edge of the beach. Robins were in there too.

A Townsend's Chipmunk entertained me briefly. I have never seen one
climb so high in a tree.

I found the remains of several critters along the railroad tracks, a fawn,
an opossum, and a subadult Bald Eagle.

A good-sized flock of Band-Tailed Pigeons hung out in the area.

Also, at least three separate adult Bald Eagles, a Cooper's Hawk,
Red-tailed hawks, Mallards, Bonaparte's Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls,
Scaup that looked like Lessers to me, and lots more.

The Red Crossbills were the highlight for me. I really wanted to find
Western Fence Lizards but no such luck.

Kelly McAllister