Hi All
Yesterday I went to Nisqually NWR not really expecting anything great as the
season is still early for spring migration though you wouldn't know it from
the weather. It was a beautiful springlike day though, and while the only
new arrivals were about 8 to 10 very active tree swallows, it seemed like
everything wanted to be seen. The marsh wrens were hollering for attention,
the white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows were posing like never before,
and a tree swallow sat on a piling in McCallister creek while I walked back
and forth to get the best angle for a picture. While I was studying the tree
swallow, a bufflehead, then a hooded merganser, and finaly a female common
goldeneye lit directly below me in the creek and stayed for their portraits.
One of the little birds probably shouldn't have been so willing to be seen
as he ended up being lunch for a merlin. The merlin sat unconcerned some
distance away, eating, while I fumbled around changing the extender on my
camera to a longer one so I could get his picture.
And finally, near the river overlook at the end of the boardwalk, a bewick's
wren popped out and gave me several poses to choose from. And on the way
back to the parking lot, the cutest little animal sat eating a twig while I
took his picture. It was probably a nutria, although it seemed enough
different that it may have been a muskrat. I haven't for sure ever seen a
live muskrat though.
So like I said, nothing really spectaculer, but much too fine a day not to
share. Photos are at: http://www.pbase.com/jvhigbee/current

Joseph Higbee
Spanaway, WA.
Mailto: jvhigbee at hotmail.com