Hi Tweeters,

Boy the old email postings have gone up during the time I was on vacation. ?I enjoyed the CBC discussion a lot. ?I have not participated in one yet. ?Still gull challenged and found I haven't really considered the alcids that much.

The 16th I went to Nisqually and observed what would have been Wild Kingdom stuff pre-birding. ?A juvenille Northern Harrier was perched on a dead bird in one of the flooded fields surrounded by water. ?He eventually tried to open up the bird to feed and in the process lifted the dead bird's head and neck out of the water. ?It was a cackling canada goose that was in rigor. ?So every time the harrier tried to make a good rip at the breast the stiff neck and head would pop out of the water and darned near smacked the harrier in the face. ?After about 4 try's the harrier left after being challenged by a puffed up gull. ?The gulls were able to feed without lifting the head up. ?I think it was an angle thing...

The next day I intended to go to Julia Butler Hanson but missed the Longview exit due to the fog so wound up at Ridgefield instead. ?No fog there! ?Ruth and Patrick Sullivan were there that day I found out from their posting. ?I went around the driving loop twice in the morning as well. ?2 different cars of people I ran into during the first loop had gotten good looks at a shrike but I didn't find it the second time around. ?I saw many of the same birds the Sullivan's did. ?I enjoyed the flyovers of the Sandhill Cranes and the great looks at the Rough Legged Hawks. ?The light immature was particularly beautiful and very close to the car path. ?I added American Bittern on my second pass through. ?It popped out of some reeds or cattails and grabbed and swallowed a medium size frog and then afterwards backed into it's spot and briefly flaired it's ruff. ?This was just beside the road as well.

Monday I went close to home to the Dash Point peir to see the Ancient Murrelets. ?I ran into Hugh and Derek from ELWAS as they were leaving. ?They got fair looks at the murrelets but should have stuck around because about 15 to 20 minutes later the murrelets came in very close to the dock. ?The funny thing is my best memory of them is when they decided to fly away from the dock they were facing away from me and I could see their tiny, dark, webbed feet as they lifted off the water. ?That day ended with a spectacular sunset at Lincoln Park.

So the next day I went again with Carol Schultz and Steve Johnson to Dash Point but no luck but at Des Moines dock got to see Rhinoceraus Auklet which was a new bird for me as well as the Ancients were. ?Apparently the Rhino's are fairly common and I didn't even know that...

Wed. to the Skagit and my best memory of the week which was an extended family group of Trumpeter Swans off of Boe road. ?They seemed so relaxed and were doing some head bows, I would call it, to each other and were quietly "talking" amongst themselves. ?Beautiful and calming memory to call up as I am back to work. ?Saw a Varied Thrush off Norman Rd. ?Explored Fir Island more than I have in the past and saw a largish flock of Meadowlarks off of Dry Slough Road. ?At least a dozen birds, maybe two but they were shy and when I stopped to observe them they went for thicker cover.

Minimalist birding on Vancouver Island,on a trip with my Mom but found a great place beyond the Sydney marina, away from the ferry terminal and got to see Harlequins up close, Black Oysercatcher, including a flyby, and Red Breasted Merganser. ?Wishing for that scope again because some kind of rockpiper out there as well, maybe Black Turnstone.

Fun week and realizing I am seriously getting into this birding thing. ?It is so wonderful to be outside and with nature.

Kathy

Kathy Andrich
Roosting in Renton
kjandrich at netscape.net

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