Hey tweets, Linda Wakeman and I were sitting in the Urban Hort parking lot
this morning, resting our tired dogs after leading a SAS walk around the
Fill, when two birders sauntered by and informed us that they had seen
nothing too interesting on their walk, unless you count that dunlin in full
breeding plumage. Remembering the infamous avocet of years ago that two
birders told me about and I pooh-poohed because there are "never avocets at
the Fill," we creaked to our feet and set out to find that dunlin. We did,
too. It was feeding vigorously at the north end of the main pond. It's only
the second one I've ever seen at the Fill. It looked like it was planning
to stick around for at least the rest of the day, so hurry on out and take
a look.

Other finds:
The swallows are back: tree swallows are investigating the two houses built
on the platform in Union Bay; one barn swallow popped out of the ether as
we watched, and later so did a couple of violet-greens and one cliff.

The savannah sparrows are back, looking mighty bright in their new feathers.

Bewick's wrens are calling and nest-building. Marsh wrens ditto (and for
once, they are showing their little bodies).

The hardy Anna's hummingbird that has stuck out the whole winter on bushes
near the wedding rock now has some competition from latecomers. It seems
unfair.

The white-crowned sparrows are calling and calling, one of the most
poignant sounds in nature, I think. - Connie, Seattle

csidles at mail.isomedia.com