Subject: Eurasian Green Wing Teals at Black River Forest!!!!!!
Date: Jan 17 14:24:37 2000
From: Lydia - lgaebe at email.msn.com


Sunny, Beautiful Day!

I headed out to explore the Black River Forest in Renton this morning.
For those not familiar with the area's history, the Black River was Lake
Washington's natural outlet to Puget Sound. When the Lake Washington Ship
Canal was built the lake level was dropped to that of Lake Union. This nine
foot drop was enough to "kill" the Black River, as the outlet was now via
the Canal. (Kinda scary to think the fate of Lake Washington's level is in
the hands of the Army Corps of Engineers!) Just about all of the river's
course is now under concrete with a small exception on the far west end of
Renton. Springbrook Creek flows into this faux lake. Depending on the
amount of rainfall, the Green/Duwamish at Fort Dent Park will either
overflow into the Black River area, or the Black River will flow into the
Duwamish.

Here's a list of my sightings this morning

*EURASIAN* GREEN WING TEALS!!!!!! (First ever sighting for me!)
AMERICAN GREEN WING TEALS playing host to their Eurasian cousins
NORTHERN SHOVELRS
MALLARDS
GADWALLS
AMERICAN WIGEONS
BUFFLEHEADS
SCAUP (female)
COOTS
CANADA GEESE
GREAT BLUE HERONS (Twelve of these beauties stalking fish and frogs and just
hanging out in the trees.)
BEWICK'S WREN
WINTER WREN
SONG SPARROW
BELTED KINGFISHER
REDWING BLACKBIRD
ROBINS
A hawk of some sort flew overhead into the sun.

At the Tukwila Pond behind Toys R Us I spotted a little BLACK CAPPED
CHICKADEE exploring a tree cavity! Maybe it was "house hunting".
Also seen at Tukwila Pond:

DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS (12 of them hanging out their wings to dry in the
morning sunshine.)
NORTHERN SHOVELERS
PIED BILLED GREBE
HOODED MERGANSERS
CANADA GOOSE with a broken wing
RUDDY DUCKS, napping in the morning sun

Heading out again.....

Lydia Gaebe In Kent, WA USA
lgaebe at msn.com
Until I get a new website up, be sure and visit this one:
http://joy.songbird.com/zisa/