Hello Tweeters

This is my first and introductory post to the list. However, I've been reading
it for a couple of weeks now, and I really appreciate the interesting and
thoughtful discussions that the list generates.

First, a quick introduction - I consider myself an intermediate birder and
have
been seriously birding for about three-four years now (seriously as in
keeping a
life-list and taking the binos everywhere I go). However, I grew up with
birder
parents (who took trips to places like the Priblofs) and I have always been
into hiking, camping and wildlife watching.

I have a special interest in gulls, and a unique gull viewing opportunity to
share. I work downtown at 2nd and Columbia, next door to an old Key Bank
building which hosts several nesting pairs of Glaucous Winged and Glaucous
Winged x Western hybrid. One pair is practically right outside my window and I
have been able to watch the whole nesting cycle for two years in a row now.
This
year I even got to watch as one of the eggs was laid. It's like working on a
research station (except I don't get to hear them through the sealed
glass). I took copious notes on their behavior last year, mostly just
watched them this year. Current update - chicks are in the process of
fledging, and a couple look like they may not make it.

I've been really inspired by these gulls somehow, for reasons which relate
to some of the discussion on tweeters. as Kelly said

>Personally, when I walk down a dingy concrete canyon and see a House
>Sparrow hopping around looking for crumbs next to some derelict curled up
>around a brown paper bag, I don't think "Gosh, if that House Sparrow weren't
>there, maybe this place would have bluebirds." I'm happy there's a few
>feathered life forms that can survive under those conditions.

Here! Here! I have great respect for those critters that say to us "pour
all the concrete you want, we'll eat your garbage and nest on your roof."
It says something about the tenacity of life and reminds us that even in
the city we are still part of the cycle of life, not apart from it.

Urban wildlife can be surprising though. The other day I saw a flock of
Bushtits in the locust trees across the street from the Federal Building
(you can't get much more downtown than that). I'va also seen chickadees,
and there are House Finches nesting in the trellis of the garden at the
Norton Building.

Come to think of it, Why shouldn't we have bluebirds downtown?
I have often looked out over all those gray roofs and thought there could
be some great gardens in all that space. A few buildings do have some
greenery - the most impressive is one on the corner of Third and Columbia
that has several fir and cedar trees growing at least 2-3 stories high from
a garden on a fourth-floor landing.

Ooops. I've rambled.

Bye

John Chapman
Seattle