We finally made the pilgrimage to Ft. Simcoe for the Lewis' Woodpecker show.
Apart
from the sheer numbers, the most enjoyable parts were (1) the spectacle of
fly-catching
and "soaring" woodpeckers (at one point six were aloft simultaneously), and
(2) the
incongruity of one of them perched atop a tree just a couple of feet away
from an
American Kestrel.

The other interesting part of this visit was an Ash-throated Flycatcher. I
wasn't expecting
this at all, but I see on the maps that this is very close to the northern
cusp of its range.

The water was low at Toppenish, but we got great looks at American Avocet,
Black-necked Stilt, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and Cinnamon Teal.

Upon returning home, I checked out the Barn Owls at Marymoor and found a
still-downy
young one out of the nest. The mother was feeding its sibling, still up in
a tree, but
did not feed the early departer. I didn't know whether she had given it up,
or was just
skipping it out of concern that she would give away its location with me
hanging around.
Out of respect for the latter possibility, I quickly left.

Jim McCoy
jfmccoy at earthlink.net
Redmond, WA