11:30 start - water level low and going lower (5:52 high tide - 10.8ft;
13:27 low tide (minus) 3.4ft)
12:12 end

Tweeters,
Over 80deg F, more east than north breeze, clear skies, and Mt. Rainier
looking good from Turning Basin #3. Watched the male OSPREY of the
crane-boom pair fly from the edge of the nest to a light pole in the
Boeing parking lot. It bobbed it's head several times (probably fixing
prey in it's sights), then flew-coasted to the river to the southeast,
returning with prey within a minute to the nest.

Eleven recently hatched MALLARD ducklings were with "mom" just below me
on the east bank. A second-year GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL landed nearby,
provoking the adult duck to flatten out on the water, head down, and
tail fanned out. The gull walked away, then started foraging in the
river.

A passerby told me that he'd seen [what he described as] a COMMON
MERGANSER and 5 young yesterday on the river here. I scanned quite a few
times, but didn't see them. I'll have to take an occasional walk outside
just to verify this report.

A KING 5 helicopter hovered over Tukwila south of TB3 during the entire
time I was outside. It was joined after noon by a KOMO 4 chopper. The
story, from what I found on line, dealt with the carjacking of a couple
of cars: http://www.komotv.com/stories/37063.htm It's not just about
the birds around here.

Birds seen during this scan include the following:
Canada Goose (17)
Mallard (20; incl 11 ducklings)
Double-crested Cormorant (2)
Great Blue Heron (2)
Osprey (4; Hamm Creek and crane-boom pairs)
Glaucous-winged Gull (16)
Rock Pigeon (17)
American Crow (6)
Cliff Swallow (13)
Barn Swallow (2)
Bewick's Wren
American Robin
European Starling (6)
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird (2)
House Finch (2)
House Sparrow (3)

May all your birds be identified,

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