Subject: Baird's at Fill
Date: Sep 18 19:39:01 2001
From: Constance J. Sidles - csidles at mail.isomedia.com


Hey tweets, Two Baird's sandpipers were at the Fill this evening. Lovely
birds, not a bit shy. They flew into the south end of the main pond and fed
along the shore until they were standing almost at my feet. I got terrific
looks at their long, long wings and their bright plumage. One of them
checked me out pretty thoroughly, staring with one eye, then the other. But
I stood very still and evidently passed muster.

Also on view: 10 wood ducks on the bay - 8 males in breeding plumage and 2
females. The American wigeons are back (hurray), and an orange-crowned
warbler was in the brush along the main pond.

Altogether, another great day at the Fill, and one that started out as
slowly as any I can remember. I saw exactly three species (rock dove,
white-crowned sparrow and northern flicker) from the parking lot until I
got to shoveler pond. No starlings, not a single duck on the main pond, no
crows if you can believe that. Naturally I thought a Cooper's might be in
the vicinity, but I didn't see any, nor the peregrine that was hanging out
there the day before. Just stillness, with the gray clouds hanging still in
the air and the leaves slowly drifting down one by one. The sort of day
that breeds poetry in us Seattleites, even in my philistine soul.

But once at the main pond, things really started popping and just kept
getting better. The final icing on the cake was the green heron I spotted
running along the logs at the north end of the bay, looking rather like
Igor hurrying off to fetch something for Dr. Frankenstein. Yes, master, it
was great. - Connie, Seattle

csidles at mail.isomedia.com