Subject: Kestrel/Orca dilemma, Anna's H. increase
Date: Nov 10 21:41:55 2001
From: newboldwildlife at netscape.net - newboldwildlife at netscape.net


Hi All!
Driving the new bridge to Magnolia was the only low point of the afternoon. As you head up to Magnolia, you see a vast Port of Seattle parking lot that has to be the worst example of public land use in Seattle, especially because this was probably the pettiest place in the city at one time. (A recent painting from the 1800s printed in the Atlantic Monthly showed the site in its pastoral days). Somebody should question the Port for thinking this natural intertidal wetland area should be a parking lot.

The first thing Delia and I saw in Discovery Park were two Kestrels flying past us. When we got to the Sand cliffs, some nice people informed us they were watching Orcas, but just then one of the Kestrels came back, perched near us and started vocalizing uncontrollably. I had to decide which to turn my attention to and that’s not easy when the Kestrel happens to be your favorite bird in the whole world. (This is the first time I ever had this particular problem). But then the Kestrel sprinted off in a some kind of attack on the other Kestrel a quarter mile away so we had nothing to look at but distant Orcas. They were spread out over a huge area at least a mile off shore, apparently doing individualized fishing. The day continued pleasantly as we saw two Kingfishers in another intra-species dispute, a number of very handsome Black Scoters and some White Winged Scoters and a couple really big rafts of Western Grebes. On the way back we saw a Sharpy and 4 Cedar Waxwings, three groups of singing Chorus Frogs, and the pleasant sight of a Winter Wren working the residential zone. At the lighthouse we were surprised to see the Orcas again, fairly close off-shore with white eye patches showing, sleep-swimming in single file and heading North pretty fast. I counted 16 above the surface at once (we didn’t think there was more than one mature bull), and assumed there were 20 or more total, including some very small ones.

By the way, I am toying with the idea of doing a press release about the increases in Anna’s Hummingbirds in Seattle. Scrub Jays could be included, or the press release could be about them instead. My thinking is that the media should be interested in general news on birds. (Marv recently asked what’s wrong with NPR, and that’s one thing. They don’t give non-crisis or non-expedition- inspired news about wildlife and non-garden plants in a regular feature or format).

Anyway, if anyone thinks this is a good idea and has more expertise and ability to get the facts and data accessed and organized, feel free to e-mail me.

Ed Newbold, tweeter by digest, Beacon Hill, Seattle , where recent sightings include a Black Merlin, night flying Killdeer, both native frog sp., and constant Anna’s Hummingbirds. newboldwildlife at netscape.net





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