Hey tweets, For a change, the wind wasn't howling yesterday, so I fled down
to the Fill to see what had blown in. I had the kind of experience that the
Fill is famous for: I got peace of mind in a little corner of nature set in
the heart of urbanity.

All was still as I walked around my favorite place on earth. The air clung
to me like the caress of a warm fleece jacket. Not a soul was there, and no
leaf stirred. The sharp odor of rank weeds vied with the suntan-oil smell of
the lake. Car noise was faint in the distance, so faint I could easily
ignore it as I listened for the high-voltage cries of RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS
chasing down little insects that had just metamorphosed into flyers.

On the slough near the golf driving range, three CINNAMON TEALS swam
nervously into cover when they caught sight of me. A SPOTTED SANDPIPER
teetered its way down a log and then took flight as my giant Eyes fixed on
him, studying his every feather through my binocs. Must have been highly
unnerving to the poor fellow.

On the main pond, hordes of BARN SWALLOWS and one incredible BANK SWALLOW
were shooting around catching bugs. Two more SPOTTED SANDPIPERS were pecking
at the mud, and at least three COMMON YELLOWTHROATS had arrived. But the big
action was on Union Bay, where the ducks are beginning to arrive. AMERICAN
WIGEONS swam around in large numbers, two RUDDY DUCKS were sleeping, and a
little flock of WOOD DUCKS were out and about, along with numerous GADWALLS,
GREEN-WINGED TEALS and NORTHERN SHOVELERS.

Over by the greenhouses, a single tree held: FOX SPARROW, SONG SPARROW,
SAVANNAH SPARROW, SPOTTED TOWHEE, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, HOUSE FINCH, RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD, CEDAR WAXWING, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW and BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEE. Some tree.

Here's everything I saw:

pied-billed grebe
great blue heron
Canada goose
mallard
gadwall
American wigeon
green-winged teal
northern shoveler
ruddy duck
wood duck
American coot
Virginia rail (heard)
spotted sandpiper
glaucous-winged gull
ring-billed gull
rock pigeon
rufous hummingbird
northern flicker (both red- and yellow-shafted)
barn swallow
bank swallow
Steller's jay
American crow
black-capped chickadee
Bewick's wren
European starling
cedar waxwing
common yellowthroat
spotted towhee
savannah sparrow
song sparrow
white-crowned sparrow
fox sparrow
red-winged blackbird (flying overhead; all the cattail ones seem to have
left)
American goldfinch
house finch - Connie, Seattle

csidles at isomedia.com