Hey tweets, According to Steve Poole, the channel 4 weather man, we're
halfway through summer. But according to the birds, we're already into
fall. Frankly, I prefer the birds' take on the issue. Of all the seasons, I
like summer the least. It's hot and (uncharacteristically for Seattle)
humid. The ducks are all in hiding, no doubt because they are so
scruffy-looking. Rarities are... well, rare. The birds are taking care of
babies. And just as I always feel like crossing to the other side of the
street when I see a new parent pushing a stroller coming at me, I also try
to avoid having to deal with birds in the same condition. You can see that
my crankiness level is at an all-time high.

So my spirits were particularly gladdened when I saw a little flock of
short-billed dowitchers feeding on the main pond this morning. Yes, it's
definitely fall, and another summer has bitten the dust. There was also a
western sandpiper present, along with several killdeers. The swallows have
all pretty much left, although waves of swallows from farther north will
keep coming through from time to time. This morning, a substantial flock of
cliff swallows was busy skimming the main pond for a drink. A few
violet-green swallows were also soaring high in the sky, along with just a
couple of barns and trees. The cedar waxwings have left the berry bushes
and are now concentrating on the loosestrife at the north end of the main
pond. I wonder if they're eating the vast hordes of weevils that have
decimated the loosestrife? The weevils do look fat and juicy, and the
loosestrife is all dead and dry, so that experiment is really working. My
best spot of the day was a downy woodpecker fluttering about in the
cottonwoods near the picnic tables. I know the woodpeckers are always
present, but I don't see them very often. Even when they call, they can be
darn hard to spot - although of course they are not in the class of marsh
wrens or soras for that matter.

I ran into Don Ostrow of Seattle Audubon, who told me he was hunting for
ten leaders to lead beginning birders on a walk about Lincoln Park on
September 21. He expects the turnout of newbies will be substantial, so his
goal is to find enough experienced birders to split people into groups of
five to ten. If you can spare the time, it would be a great mitzvah for
SAS, which needs new members. Just think about the possibilities of having
many new eyes over there in West Seattle, scanning the sound for rarities.
No telling what the big storms of winter will blow in - it sure would be
nice to have regulars on hand to check the waters often. Even as often as I
go to the Fill, I missed the sharp-tailed sandpiper of two years ago, as
well as the northern saw-whet owl of eight years ago. And I don't even want
to talk about the avocet. So I'm a great believer in the more eyes, the
merrier.

If you're interested in helping SAS out, you can email Don at
jostrow at seanet.com or you can call him at 206-783-7108. You can also
contact Paul Webster at 932-0352,email: paul.webster at attbi.com- Connie,
Seattle

csidles at mail.isomedia.com