Just a couple of notes on birds in Ballard, Sat. morning there were
still about 50 Western Grebes in the spillway area of the Ballard Locks.
They're very active and very vocal and the sidewalks around the spillway
make it seem like an amphitheater, they're quite visible even without
binoculars.

At Golden Gardens Park on Shilshole bay there has been as many as 300
Brant, mostly from Meadow Point north, but Thursday they were spread out
along the shore the entire length of the beach, it was really something
to see.

Two years ago when they completely remodeled Golden Gardens I wondered
aloud how long it would take for it to get back to "normal", well this
spring the area is alive with bird songs, the Red-winged Blackbirds are
back in force, Song Sparrows, White-crowned sparrows, more Black-capped
Chickadees and Robins than I care to count. New birds for me in this
area include a House Wren hopping right at my feet, (As far as I can
remember this is the first House Wren I've ever seen. Bigger than a
Winter Wren but smaller than a Bewick's. Very plain with a gray eye
stripe.) Three Savannah Sparrows were hopping along the shoreline of the
pond and singing their slight, almost tinny song. During the winter I
saw as many as nine Killdeer on the lawn, this spring I've seen four.
Belted Kingfishers are active from the Locks through Golden Gardens, but
I haven't been able to identify individuals the last few weeks. There
are still a few pairs of Red-breasted Mergansers and a few Barrow's
Goldeneyes around plus an alternate plumage Horned and Red-necked Grebe.
There is still a Common Loon hanging around the Marina at Shilshole, it
tends to be between piers G and K or near the boatramp. It seems like
it's been there all winter.

Cliff Drake
Seattle, WA
cdrake at zipcon.net