On Fri, 17 Mar 2000 MBlanchrd at aol.com wrote:

> What was your benchmark bird?

Pygmy owl, sitting quietly at close range. I was only eleven years old but it made an impression; had me
carrying around a Peterson Field Guide for the rest of the day, trying to identify every bird I could find.


Saw a merlin this evening while mired in heavy traffic on I-5 overlooking Nalley Valley in Tacoma.


Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife