hello tweets.

the montlake fill was hot and sunny today, with very light breezes.
the sun was so bright at times that i could barely see. however, i
still managed to see a few bird species, despite the fact that i spent
at least half of my time there, pulling up purple loosestrife, which
is rapidly taking over everywhere.

i did see some nice birds, especially the pair of long-billed
dowitchers, still in breeding plumage, that were feeding among the
purple loosestrife. i was aware that they were there, but i couldn't
see them well enough when i first discovered them to make certain of
my ID, except to call them "dowitchers." well, after pulling purple
pond eaters, er, purple loosestrife, for half an hour, i found
myself within 20 feet of them. i observed them for some time while
they foraged in the shallow water of the central pond, and i am
sure they are long-billed dowitchers because of the dark rufous
coloring, barred tips on their breast feathers, and a clear rufous-
colored vent (no white). these two birds were clearly a pair, since
one was larger and much darker red than the other.

the 8 western sandpipers were also in breeding plumage, and all
were fairly large and their bills appeared to be quite long, leading
me to believe they were all adult females.

there were many cedar waxwings at the fill, singing loudly in their
buzzy voices and hawking insects over the surface of the central pond.
the sparrows are becoming very quiet, rarely singing at all, as are
the warblers.

the swallows were showing off their newly-fledged chickies. one of
the numerous cliff swallows almost crashed into my forehead as i was
walking around the side of a willow tree. the barn swallows were
especially talkative today, chirping and singing gaily, and using
loud squeeks as verbal puctuation marks. i am always impressed by
barn swallows because they like to sit side-by-side in small clusters,
singing as though they are deep in an important conversation with
their companions.

i was at the fill from 1100am until 1230pm, and saw a total of 43 bird
species. my bird list follows for those who might be interested;

pied-billed grebe
double-crested cormorant
great blue heron
mute swan
wood duck, dime lot pond
mallard
gadwall
northern shoveler
bald eagle
ring-necked pheasant
california quail
american coot
western sandpiper, 8
long-billed dowitcher, 2
glaucous-winged gull
caspian tern
rock dove
vaux's swift
anna's hummingbird
northern (red-shafted) flicker
downy woodpecker
american crow
tree swallow
violet-green swallow
cliff swallow
barn swallow
black-capped chickadee
bushtit
bewick's wren
marsh wren
american robin
european starling
cedar waxwing
yellow warbler
common yellowthroat
savannah sparrow
song sparrow
white-crowned sparrow
red-winged blackbird
brown-headed cowbird
house finch
american goldfinch
house sparrow

other birds seen;
hybrid goose, probably canada X greater white-fronted
white domestic goose

non-avian list;
red-eared slider turtles
bullfrogs and their many tadpoles
dragonflies, robin's-egg-blue eyes and abdomen, thorax is a
charcoal grey and last segment of abdomen is dark, probably
black
white butterflies (cabbage white?)
mourning cloak butterflies
tiger swallowtail butterflies
three species of ladybugs (some with no spots, some with two spots,
and some with 7-9 spots, on a wing cover that ranged in color
from bright orange to brilliant scarlet)
two species of bumblebees

Deborah Wisti-Peterson email:nyneve at u.washington.edu
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
Visit me on the web: http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/
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