A recent posting invited bird lovers to consider
purchasing a property on Bainbridge Island. I visited
there on Sunday and it's a wonderful place. Alison and
Lenny wanted to offer more nesting opportunities for
birds on their 10 acres, so they worked with various
agencies to create a covenant-protected nature preserve,
The Wild Swan. Their home (tours.360house.com, #37777)
has 5 wooded acres including a 1-acre pond; there's an
additional wooded area shared by all the lots (there are
8 or 9 total; many are for sale). It's quiet and very
birdy: I saw wood ducks, pintails, flycatchers, wrens,
towhees, jays, kingfishers, and a resident pair of
trumpeter swans; today there are mergansers, ring necks,
golden-eyes, redheads and herons as well. The pond is
fed by a small stream so it remains fresh, and there are
several trails and water fountains throughout the shared
area. Bring your walking shoes for a look this Sunday
during their open house, 12p-5p (fresh cookies!): R on
Day Road to Sunrise, L on Sunrise, L on Misty Vale, L on
the first gravel driveway; look for the signs. There
are several car and van pools (and more forming) for the
Bainbridge-Seattle run; it's about 1.25-1.5 hrs each
way. It's a gorgeous place, and so heartening to see
the commitment they have made for wildlife.

--Rebecca Galloway
Northgate, Seattle