Subject: On the Duwamish - 9/5/2003
Date: Sep 5 13:26:05 2003
From: Desilvis, Denis J - denis.j.desilvis at boeing.com


Tweeters,
11:34am start: Water level at 7.5ft
11:54pm end: Water level at 8.1ft

Gorgeous day, with lots of salmon jumping in the river. Few birds around, but one of the juv. OSPREY's was flying around with a small fish firmly in its grasp. After the Osprey climbed to a height at least triple that of the local power towers, it started doing what appeared to be a roller-coaster flight. (Very intriguing.) It then glided downriver.

Of note on the mammals: Saw the first Eastern gray squirrel on this site. The critter was on my side of the 7-foot fence; climbed it and scrambled onto the barbed wire on top, and jumped into a bankside shrub. It hunkered down in the middle of the shrub, where it watched me during the whole time I was scanning the river.

Birds seen during this scan included the following:
Canada Goose (28)
Mallard (17)
Common Merganser (8; the usual family fishing party)
Osprey (2; one adult, one juv.)
Glaucous-winged Gull (2)
Rock Pigeon (10)
Belted Kingfisher
American Crow (2)
Barn Swallow (2)
European Starling (3)
House Finch

Like I said, few birds around, but a very nice day.
May all your birds be identified,

Denis DeSilvis
Seattle, WA
denis.j.desilvis at boeing.com