Subject: Fill news
Date: Aug 8 07:00:47 2000
From: Constance J. Sidles - csidles at mail.isomedia.com


Hey tweets, Yesterday evening at the Montlake Fill was fabulous, even more
so than usual. The main pond was positively stuffed with migrants: five
flocks of westerns and leasts, numbering more than 50 birds (including
obvious juveniles); a lesser yellowlegs; two dowitchers; and 3 semipalmated
plovers (a first for me at the Fill, although I know they've been reported
there before). As my husband and I sat on the west side of the pond,
watching the light slowly fade to dusk, wonder of wonders, a beefy
peregrine falcon powered out of the ether and dove on the birds hidden in
the willow pond (the secluded pond closest to the parking lot restoration
project). I know there were large numbers of shorebirds on that pond,
because they kept exchanging themselves with the birds on the main pond. I
think the peregrine flew away hungry, lost in the sun. But I believe it was
the same one we saw on the day of our loosestrife-pulling project. FYI, a
belted kingfisher has also been hanging around the pond, as have two wood
ducks who seem to have overcome their shyness around people.

On a more sobering note, I also encountered a dog off leash, which chased a
pheasant. Its owner seemed pleased at the dog's aggression, that is until
he noticed me glaring at him. Then he tried to call his dog back, to no
avail. Why is it that the people who think they control their dogs but
don't are the ones who seem to believe it's a good policy to let their dogs
run illegally free? When I confront them, they ALWAYS say their dogs are
completely obedient, despite obvious (and immediate) evidence to the
contrary. Okay, I'll breathe into a bag now and recover my aplomb.

The loosestrife we pulled seems greatly intimidated. I know Stuart McKay
has been digging out the roots we left when we chopped the flowers down. I
think we all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to him. It is thanks
largely to his efforts that we're having such a fabulous fall migration,
I'm convinced.

I also encountered a UW employee who has been pulling loosestrife too. He
said that one kind of beetle and one kind of weevil have been released in
large numbers at the seasonal pond (now dry) farthest to the east, near the
large stand of cottonwoods. The loosestrife there does indeed look
gloriously sick. He said that the real test of the project will come when
the bugs must survive over the winter and hatch out again in the spring.
This is especially critical in the other major release area, around the
Potholes in eastern WA. Kevin, the UW employee, implores us not to disturb
the loosestrife to the east of the main pond, as he and his colleagues
continue to study the effects of the beetles and weevils. I confess I did
pull one large plant on the round pond to the south and east of the main
pond, where I have seen breeding soras. I tried to resist, but the plant
proved too much for me. - Connie, Seattle

csidles at mail.isomedia.com