hello, bird lovers...

a mostly quiet evening that started out well...

i accidentally flushed a virginia rail at the end of the western stub... it
flew about 15-20 feet, then settled into the sedges before i knew what hit
me... about 15 minutes later, i came back a little more wary, and was
rewarded with a few photos of it (or a close relative) in almost the same
spot...

most of the rest of the evening was spent trying to find something to shoot:

* a great blue heron located himself off the western boardwalk end,
and for a while, it looked like he had juvenile company... it turned out to
be (i think) american coots... i was photographing directly into the sun,
but at least one shot shows MUCH shorter legs and stubbier body...
* heard black-headed grosbeaks all over the place, but only one photo
(poor quality, well into the brush)...
* american goldfinches are everywhere EXCEPT in photo range (grin)
* only a few cedar waxwings and northern flickers are around... no
red-breasted sapsuckers seen...
* bushtit and starling juveniles were found at the willow overhang on
the eastern boardwalk, but were too deep in the brush (and nervous) to be
photo'd
* adult bald eagle traversed the park on the south edge, headed
westbound over water... only raptor seen...
* all the swallows are flying, including cliff and violet-greens...
* most of the redwings are gone... i haven't seen whitewall in over a
week now... again... :)
* some THING was making a new call in the sedges between the western
stub and the western boardwalk... it was loud enough for hendra and i to
hear it (and wonder), separated by almost 50 yards...
* the pied-billed grebes have started a second family... reports are
that at least two new eggs are on the nest, and neither of the previous
young were spotted... when last i was here a few days ago, one of the
juveniles was nesting (or appeared to be)...
* and lots of mallards (in eclipse plumage?) along the water at the
eastern boardwalk... at least one female, however, with one chick, was
seen...

00 caren
http://www.parkgallery.org
usually found at juanita bay park, kirkland, WA
carenp somewhere near the vicinity of yahoo and dot com

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