Subject: [Tweeters] yard birds & SPU kudos
Date: Feb 9 09:46:38 2005
From: pslott - VariedThrush at comcast.net


Tweeters,

Just had a Fox Sparrow in my yard yesterday, the first seen in nearly 5
years! Given that the only water in my yard is the birdbath, I'm
wondering if it could be from all the ditches dug last year by Seattle
Public Utility around the periphery of my city block to slow and filter
the rain water from the streets before it races down the hill and hits
salmon-bearing Piper's Creek in Carkeek Park. There's a holding pond on
the opposite corner that may have attracted the bird and caused it to
check out the block. Lucky I happened to notice it before I left for
work. It was near the trench Alan dug and naturalized to drain
downspout water from the property. The trench looks just like a stream
bed and was running well the day before yesterday.

A month ago, I was treated to my first yard Hutton's Vireo. This was by
far the best look I've ever had at this species. The bird fidgeted near
the window as it waited for Juncos to clear out of the birdbath.
Finally, it flew down and got in the bath with a Junco, then finished
with a nice preening in a leafless mock orange about 15' away from me.
The uniform toe and tarsus color was quite evident with the plainer
wingbars. However, what was most apparent to me was that it entered the
yard alone (unlike the RC Kinglets), was not quite as hyper, and had the
audacity to challenge a Junco at the bath. I managed to get a little
video of a RC Kinglet failing miserably to displace a Chickadee from the
bath several weeks ago. Although I see the RC Kinglets every winter,
I've never seen one succeed in taking a bath. Now if I can just tear
myself away from those big eyes long enough to study the beak I will
have a good comparative base.

The yard remains my always-available best training ground for detailed
observation.

Patricia S. Lott
Seattle, WA
mail to: pslott at comcast.net