Hey tweets, It was so good to get back to the Fill today to enjoy our brief
moment of sun. I've been chained to my desk for *weeks.* But today I
escaped, if only for a couple of hours. What a joy birding is, the very
wine of life (see what being cooped up does to me). Notable birds: American
kestrel, Canvasback, male Buffleheads back for the winter, one extremely
shy Lincoln's sparrow (in the brambles just north of the covered bench).
Also in those brambles was a plethora of house finches, white-crowned
sparrows, a song sparrow and a fox sparrow. I don't know about you, but I
find it very difficult to tell song sparrows apart from fox sparrows,
especially if I get only a short glimpse. The bird books don't help much,
either. Reading them, you'd think that only an idiot would be unable to
tell the two species apart, they are so obviously different. Too different
to even comment on. So for years I've felt like a prize idiot. But today in
perfect light, one of each paraded out in full view. I'm not saying I could
make a snap ID in the future, but their faces really are distinct from each
other. Altogether my husband and I saw 32 species in an hour and a half. -
Connie, Seattle

csidles at mail.isomedia.com