Hi All:

A bit of urban birding yesterday, interspersed with errands, turned up signs
of spring.
Did anyone watch an osprey nest last year on one of the light standards at
the driving range at the Interbay Family Golf Center (15th W, south of
Dravus St.)? One of the naturalists at Discovery Park told me about it
several weeks ago. I was flabbergasted that I had driven by it at least
every other weekend for the past year and never glanced at the driving
range, much less the lights. This nest may explain some of the Ballard and
Greenlake osprey sightings last year. There were two birds on the nest
yesterday afternoon; they weren't there the weekend before.
Just west of Queen Anne Hill, five crows bombed an adult red-tail with the
degree of intensity seen in the spring when red-tails remember that crows'
nests can provide munchies. Except for once, when a crow may have tapped the
red-tail on the back, the other crow swoops aimed at the hawk's wingtips.
At Herrings House Park, I heard a familiar harsh call and spotted a Caspian
Tern, heading north. This is the first sighting of the season for me. I
wonder if it will be allowed to nest *somewhere* this year or be a political
football, again.
Also at HH Park, two Killdeer with 4 half-grown young vigorously attacked
and drove off a crow that got too close. The young ones still had single
breastbands and the most scruffy, long down imaginable where there will soon
be tail feathers. There's a picture of that age in Dennis Paulson's
shorebird book - check out the "tail".
Happy spring!

Ruth Taylor
Seattle/Ballard
rutht at seanet.com