Subject: Search for the Phalarope
Date: May 8 20:46:22 2000
From: marissa j benavente - junebug99 at home.com


Good Evening Tweeters:

i spent the rainy morning searching for the wilson's phalarope reported
yesterday at the montlake fill. much to my chagrin, it was nowhere to be
seen. the trip however was not wasted as i was treated to a beautiful
aerial display of scores of swallows feeding over the main pond. they were
also quite considerate in alighting in trees along the side so that i could
compare all 5 species perched at close range. the savannah sparrows were
everywhere; calling, feeding and interacting. i also listened to a single
male american goldfinch singing from the treetops, quite a beautiful song,
and not at all like the usual chatter that i'm used to hearing. a single
adult bald eagle perched high in a snag overlooking the fill the entire time
that i was there. the rain didn't seem to be encouraging hunting. there
were more goslings than i could count, at all stages of development.
however, they all still had nubbins for wings.

in terms of shorebirds, i found least sandpipers, western sandpipers,
killdeer and one lone female long-billed dowitcher. i identified her as
this based upon the following. bill was impressively long, she was all
reddish on the underparts with really almost no detectable white in the
underbelly area. she had significant barring all along the flanks, and
along the neck as well. she was busy feeding most of the time in the main
pond. i was able to view her at close range, no more than 25 feet as she
was concentrating on feeding. she was quite cooperative and moved to allow
views from all angles, even from behind!! then she graciously flew over to
the next pond so that i could observe her in flight as well. at that point
she must have been full and tired as she tucked her bill, pulled up one leg
and seemed instantly to drop off to shorebird dreamland.

marissa j benavente
seattle
junebug at pol.net