Subject: Nisqually
Date: Mar 24 10:24:37 2000
From: mail to:jbroadus at seanet.com - jbroadus at seanet.com


I gave myself permission to play hookey from work yesterday and Jerry and I
walked the loop at Nisqually Wildlife refuge.
I was hoping to see something unusual for my birthday present and I did.
I saw a lone bushtit. It was diddling around in some twinberry and I watched
for quite a while and did not see any more.
The big treat for the day was aerial fireworks at the Heronry(sp?) along the
river. An immature Eagle came in and stirred up the herons and upset a pair
of red-tailed hawks. the red-tails proceeded to dive bomb and harass the
eagle. They both got above him, tucked their wings and went into a full
stoops on the Eagle. This pissed off the Eagle, who chased the hawks
through the trees, then was chased by them and this all went on only a few
yards from the heron's nests. It was amazing to see them swoop in and out
of the deciduous trees like a couple of accipiters. Needless to say, the
herons all went out for a cup of coffee until this was over. we could not tell if
the red-tails had a nest back in there.
It looks like a rough year for the herons.
Clarice Clark
Puyallup, WA. 98371
mailto:jbroadus at seanet.com