Subject: Duwamish afternoon 3-31-2004 - Osprey follow-up plus
Date: Apr 1 06:28:38 2004
From: Desilvis, Denis J - denis.j.desilvis at boeing.com


Tweeters,
As I prepared to leave work yesterday (3:30pm), I spotted an Osprey on the west-bank power tower, then saw something on Turning Basin #3 that made me grab my bins (I park right next to the river) -- a female HOODED MERGANSER, the first I've seen here, near the goose exclusion area across the river to the south. As I was checking her out, I looked up and saw the Osprey circling TB3, and thought "Wow! That was a quick dash from the tower." I glanced downstream and saw the first Osprey still on the tower. The SECOND OSPREY completed the circle of TB3, heading downstream, gaining altitude, and then landed within 4 feet of the first Osprey. As I left the parking lot, both birds were still there. It may be the Hamm Creek pair are both back.

Note about the merganser: I don't seem to get many second chances to see what might be ephemeral species here on the Duwamish. Dowitchers and Spotted Sandpipers come immediately to mind. Yesterday morning, I glanced at the river and saw a merganser swimming toward the opening behind the goose exclusion area (it's a peninsula) and immediately thought "Hoodie." However, I didn't have my bins, the light was behind the bird, it was swimming away from me, and it was across the river. As it disappeared around the bend, I rationalized my sighting: must be a female Common Merganser, which are usual this time of year. Still, I thought it looked a bit foreshortened to be a Common Merg. When I looked out on the river as I left work in the afternoon, there was no doubt that what I was seeing near the goose exclusion area was a female Hooded Merganser. Second chances: Timing can be everything when you're birding!

May all your birds be identified,

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