Tweeters -

A day after having all four wisdom teeth removed, my doctor advised me to
get as much exercise as possible in order to take my mind off the pain and
recuperate faster. So what did I do? Biked from my house to the Montlake
Fill. A good, but exhausting bike ride. My Dad and I went through the
arboretum and Foster Island, hoping for orioles and tanagers, but no such
luck. In all, approximately 35-40 species, and the best came from the fill
itself where I found a SPOTTED SANDPIPER and COMMON SNIPE along with many
CANADA GEESE and their goslings. I sadly found two abandoned nests, one with
three eggs and the other with five :( Four swallow species: TREE,
VIOLET-GREEN, BARN, and CLIFF. Perhaps the biggest surprise was a trio of
REDHEADS - two males and one female. However, one male looked much more
orange in color on the head than the other bright red male. In comparison to
the other drake it looked slightly different. Someone might want to check it
out, just in case. There was also an immature male COMMON GOLDENEYE. Other
ducks included CINNAMON TEAL and GREEN-WINGED TEAL, MALLARD, NORTHERN
SHOVELER, and BUFFLEHEADS. I noticed a female mallard with several very new
chicks trailing after her. Only one raptor - a BALD EAGLE. There is also
obviously a movement of WILSON'S WARBLERS, of which we saw several.
All in all an excellent day to take my mind off the pain.

Good Birding!!!

Tyler Davis, 15
Mercer Island, WA