Went out this afternoon (Monday 3/25) to try a second time for
the Painted Bunting at E. Garfield and 17th Ave. E. on Capitol Hill. My
wife, Bunny, and I ran into Mark Miller from Vancouver, WA out there.
He had been there for the better part of an hour, and we for about 15
minutes, when the Bunting appeared at about 3:20 PM, reappearing at 3:30
and sitting on a bare branch below the feeder for a couple of minutes,
and then back at 3:40. Good light and an impressive bird. Mark thought
it to be a first year male heading into breeding plumage, but not yet
with the totally red breast of the breeding male. Mark was also able to
diagnose the Zebra Finch pair in the cage on the second floor of the
house inside the window! Wow!
We then went to the parking area behind the Museum of History
and Industry. Looking across at the U of W boathouse, we counted
roughly 143 Double-crested Cormorants festooning the tall trees around
the boathouse across the canal. I don't know when I've seen such a
crowd there.
Finally, today's brand new issue (May 2002) of Consumer Reports
has an article entitled "The Long View" rating 30 all-purpose binoculars
including the Canon with image stabilization (10X). If you, or anyone
you know, is consideering binocular purchase, this article might be of
significant assistance.
Fran Wood (male)
Seattle (Madrona district)
<fbwood at u.washington.edu>