Hey tweets, My advice is, get on down to the Fill by first (or perhaps
second) light tomorrow. Things are really moving right now. I made the
mistake of lazing about until 8:30 this morning, so I think I missed some
vital migrants. But what I did see was eye-popping.

The highlight, without question, had to be two PURPLE MARTINS hunting for
bugs over Union Bay. The way that the sunlight glinted on their purple
feathers was truly breath-taking. How I hope that they will make use of the
gourds for nests next year.

Another highlight for me was a pair of LINCOLN'S SPARROWS among the
cottonwood brush by the dead beaver snag, an unexpected sight and an
unexpected location. One of the sparrows was a juvenile. Both of them were
fouffing out their feathers, apparently so wrapped up in that activity that
I managed to open up my camp stool, set it on the ground and arrange myself
for viewing just five feet away, all without disturbing the sparrows at all.
Or maybe they were oblivious to me because of the hat I was wearing. I
always wear the same hat. I've come to think that perhaps the birds
recognize me and realize that I am harmless. Maybe the hat even looks enough
like a bird's bill that they think I'm some kind of big bird, although one
who molts my body and wing feathers rather often. If they were describing me
for a field guide, they might say, "Large, plump-bodied bird with a short
neck, blue bill and crown. Plumage is highly variable, and molts occur
daily, though all tend to be drab colors, mostly browns, blues and grays.
Can be found year-round at the Montlake Fill; is especially active in the
early morning and late afternoon. Believed to roost somewhere in the
Laurelhurst neighborhood, though attempts to radio-collar the bird have been
unsuccessful as yet."

Also a thrill was a good-sized flock of vireos and warblers gleaning the
poplars by the picnic tables. There were so many it seemed that every branch
held a bird, but they were so high up and the leaves are still so large that
it was hard to identify species. I know I saw warbling vireos and Cassin's
vireos, along with Wilson's warblers lower down. But I also caught
tantalizing glimpses of things that might have been much more unusual. We'll
never know. Where are the cops (or in this case, birders) when you really
need them?

Also on view today:

pied-billed grebe
great blue heron
Canada goose
mallard
gadwall
northern shoveler
cinnamon teal
wood duck
lesser scaup
bufflehead
American coot
least sandpiper
spotted sandpiper
osprey
band-tailed pigeon
rock dove
Anna's hummingbird
belted kingfisher
northern flicker
downy woodpecker
barn swallow
purple martin
Steller's jay
American crow
black-capped chickadee
bushtit
Bewick's wren
American robin
cedar waxwing
European starling
Cassin's vireo (a whole flock, hunting grubs along with warbling vireos)
warbling vireo
Wilson's warbler
common yellowthroat
savannah sparrow
song sparrow
white-crowned sparrow
Lincoln's sparrow
red-winged blackbird
American goldfinch
house finch - Connie, Seattle

csidles at isomedia.com