Hello Bruce and tweeters,
I am sory did not responding to all birders what wrote to me about the
American Bittern.We went back to windows 95.As we bough or windows 98 latley
we had nothing than trouble and our computer went slower than faster.So we
start new and our computer works better now.
Bruce there was two Solitary Sandpiper on Sunday evening,when we visit there
late comming from Ridgfield.There was on two different ponds,one was on the
pond behond the office,perfect pond for this species.The other was on the
pond by the twin barns.Marcus Roening and Heather Ballash saw the bird on
the pond by the barns .We did not seeing any Bittern at the Nisqualy
refuge,but it proable was to late in the eveningWhat struck me the most on
the Bittern in Ridgefield the plumage this bird displayed.On both shoulders
he had white soft feathers fanning out plus this bird was in a
trance,otherwise we could not watching this display so close and so long.I
certainly wil publish this photos on a later date.
A note from our yard: On Wednesday we had our first Black-throaded -Gray
Warbler in our yard and visit our dripping birdbath constantly.Dennis
Paulson wrote a message last weekend,where he had many birds visit his
birdbath with runnig water.I must emphasize that running water will attract
the most birds.Yesterday we had two adult Golden-crowned Sparrow came to our
yard,and today there also visit our running birdbath both of them with a
house finch .This birds proable this comming true,but it is still nice this
to get them for a few days.We waiting now for the Swanson's Thrush what been
comming herefor the last few years.Last year we had one comming on May 8th
what is realy an early date.

Ruth Sullivan
godwot at worldnet.att.net
Tacoma

----- Original Message -----
From: <Fremontinn at aol.com>
To: <GODWIT at worldnet.att.net>; <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, May 03, 2002 10:05 AM
Subject: Am. Bittern Display


> Ruth and Tweets,
>
> Last weekend I went to the Gray's Harbor Shorebird Festival. Although
very
> wet on Friday, Sat. was quite decent. Birding was good with most all of
the
> previously noted species seen plus Tufted Puffins in breeding plumage but
the
> highlight was my stop by Nisqually NWR on the way home on Sunday. Some of
> the highlights at Nisqually were the pair of Solitary Sandpipers (can they
be
> solitary if there were two together?) and a Spotted Sandpiper at the
"back"
> of the wetland adjacent to the Visitor's center (on the way to the Twin
> Barns); a Yellow Warbler (my first this year) and a female Rufous
Hummingbird
> on her nest both where the trail from the Visitor's Center meets
MacAllister
> Creek; and last but certainly not least was the American Bittern inside
the
> Ring Dike around 6:00 pm. It was sitting in the open preening in the warm
> late-day sun pausing occasionally to "unk-a-lunk." While this is the
> location where I most often get to see the Bittern at Nisqually, I have
never
> seen this amazing display before, anywhere. The looong neck of the
Bittern
> became very short as it filled with air like a balloon before making its
> call. Although I was in high gear to get back to the parking lot to keep
a
> commitment to my wife to cook dinner on the grill, I couldn't leave this
> sight for 15 minutes. Then I had to walk away leaving the Bittern basking
in
> the sun and with the "unk-a-lunk" calls continuing as I completed the walk
> around the ring dike. This was truly the highlight of the weekend and a
> sight to remember. Ruth, I share your excitement and amazement.
>
> It's truly an amazing world, if you stop to notice.
>
> Good Birding to All,
> Bruce Jones
> Shoreline