Hi.

Two days ago I thought I saw something interesting happen
at Green Lake. On the one hand, it seems possible; on
the other hand, it might just very well be some coincidences
that caused me to get a phony impression.

I was walking north along the path, south of the Blackbirds'
cattail area, where the path begins to parallel Aurora Ave.
There was still one large bush/small tree between me and
the cattails. Suddenly I heard two loud splashes and, since
I was scanning anyway, I quickly looked in the direction of
the sounds. I saw a dark bird (probably a red-winged blackbird,
although it might have been a swallow since they do that, but
it didn't give me the impression of a swallow) flying very low
over the water near shore, in my direction, and then darting out
of sight behind the large bush mentioned above.

Along what was apparently the path of the bird (and this apparent
path was consistent with its direction of flight when I saw it),
were two expanding sets of ripples, such as are made when the carp
jump out of the water a bit. There are/were quite a few carp hanging
about just under the surface of the new lilly-pads these days, and
it is not unusual to see these large fish jump completely out of
the water. And the sounds that caused the ripples were similar
to the sounds that the fish make. (And what else could have made
the sounds and ripples? Would the bird have actually touched down
to the water twice and made such a splash?)

Anyway, it at first seemed like the bird had indeed touched down
twice, but my brain immediately dismissed that because of the
more or less level flight of the bird. My next immediate impression
was that the bird had flown out from shore, very close to the
surface of the water, looped around and back to shore, and that as
it flew, a couple of carp apparently jumped out of the water at it,
perhaps "thinking" that it was a large insect (or something). The
second set of ripples was very close to where the bird was when I
first saw it.

I guess the other possibility is that a couple of carp jumped out
of the water, but that their jumps were completely unrelated to
the flight of the bird, i.e., a complete coincidence.

So, do fish jump at birds? Am I guilty of putting together
(strongly) coincidental events to make something that would be
neat if it happened? I put off submitting this question, but
I find that I am still interested in the answer.

bob mauritsen
green lake
seattle