Hey tweets, Do any of you over the age of 50 remember those westerns that
used to air so commonly on television back in the late 1950s? If you do, and
if you're like me, you can easily call to mind the obligatory camera shot of
the brassy sun beating down from a mercilessly cloudless sky on the hapless
cowboy who, for one reason or another, found himself stuck out in the middle
of the desert without horse, water or his trusty six-shooter. That was me at
the Fill yesterday afternoon: no horse, water or trusty six-shooter.
Luckily, I did have my binocs, so I caught a sight that would perk up even
the most dehydrated cowpoke. As I was wilting by the wedding rock, trying to
squeeze myself into a tiny patch of shade, I happened to look up in time to
see two immature BALD EAGLES spiraling around each other. Then one turned
upside-down and extended its landing gear. The other eagle flew in and
locked feet. Then the two eagles spun around each other faster than those
rocket spin rides at a country fair. They fell but refused to let go and
disappeared out of sight behind some houses. The sight was more revivifying
than a romp through the sprinkler.

Also on view:

pied-billed grebe
great blue heron
Canada goose
mallard
wood duck (two on Union Bay; they like to come out into the lilies,
especially late in the afternoon)
bald eagle
ring-necked pheasant
killdeer
least sandpiper
pectoral sandpiper
glaucous-winged gull
belted kingfisher (a pair, including Silent Cal)
northern flicker (red)
American crow
tree swallow
cliff swallow
barn swallow
black-capped chickadee
Bewick's wren
European starling
cedar waxwing
savannah sparrow
red-winged blackbird
house finch
American goldfinch - Connie Sidles, Seattle

csidles at isomedia.