Subject: Fill update
Date: Sep 9 10:12:13 2001
From: Constance J. Sidles - csidles at mail.isomedia.com


Hey tweets, The Fill has been really jumping the last two days. Yesterday,
as Hugh Jennings reported, there was a lone pectoral sandpiper on the main
pond. I think he must have felt like the odd one out, because he was very
wary when I approached. He didn't spook, but he gave me some hard looks,
first with one eye, then the other, then both eyes head-on, then repeat. I
have a suspicion that my hat was comforting to him - I'm just another
big-billed bird on the pond, outsized, it's true, but harmless.

Also at the Fill yesterday, a couple of Rufous Hummingbirds, and several
warblers. Hurrah. Two yellows and four common yellowthroats. The yellow
warblers were extremely bright in the sunlight, almost glowing. I also saw
a Lincoln's sparrow, which has become an unusual sight at the Fill since
the blackberry bushes have been cut down. And, you'll be pleased to know, I
finally, finally saw the green heron everybody has been spotting for weeks.
As a matter of fact, I could hardly miss him. He flew right past me on his
way to the willow tree at the north end of the main pond, and just in case
I missed that, he called repeatedly.

Today, however, was not his day. He was perched out on a log at the north
end of Union Bay, and a river otter was stalking him. The heron was very
unhappy. I could see that he wanted to stay on the log, but the otter was
too aggressive. So, squawking loudly, the heron flew into the cattails. The
otter calmly marked his territory with a stream of urine. Also on view
nearby was a beautiful raccoon, fishing for mussels at the end of the bay.
The morning mist was rising off the water, and it was an unearthily
beautiful sight.

In that same area, the marsh wrens were coming through today in good
numbers. The little family of Bewick's wrens that nested in the willow tree
on the shore there was out in force today too. Everybody was yelling at
everybody else. In the bay, there was a pair of Ring-Necked Ducks, and a
few Wood Ducks in breeding plummage.

A flock of Steller's jays is hanging around, an annual sight at the Fill
about this time. Also, I think the Cooper's hawk is back (or maybe his
really beefy cousin, the sharp-shinned). I saw him yesterday take down a
flicker behind the bricks stacked near the art building. Today he flew into
the cottonwoods lining the northernmost pond. It might have been a big
sharpie, but I got the distinct impression it was a smallish Cooper's. I
wish someone else would get down there and give me an opinion.

Altogether for the past two days, I saw 48 species. - Connie, Seattle

csidles at mail.isomedia.com