Subject: [Tweeters] Swamp Sparrow at Fill
Date: Apr 11 15:52:10 2008
From: Constance Sidles - constancesidles at gmail.com


Hey tweets, the Dalai Lama came to UW campus today and must have spread
his benevolence far and wide because, along with a bajillion buses that
filled the dime parking lot end to end, he brought a terrific set of
great birds today.

Best bird: a SWAMP SPARROW (found south of the CUH building, where the
field stretches south to the swamp and the treeline - at the
southwestern-most cottonwood tree, there is a fallen-down giant tree,
now covered with brambles and brush. The sparrow was hopping around on
the brambles in plain view at 7:30 a.m.

Other great birds: an Osprey flying over, 3 Virginia Rails fighting in
Cinnamon Teal Pond (the pond nearest the point), Ring-necked Duck on
the main pond, Barn and Cliff Swallows are back, Pine Siskins still
around, Common Yellowthroats singing their little hearts out.

Altogether, I saw 53 species.

As I said, the best bird for me was the Swamp Sparrow. I found it as I
was sitting on my camp stool in the tall, wet grass down at the
treeline, watching all the activity that's going on in this little
hotspot right now. Some House Finches are making a nest in a dead tree
screened by ivy, and like many newly-weds, they are never far apart. A
female Anna's was sticking her tongue out nearby. I'm sure that had
nothing to do with the quality of the aerial display being staged by a
hopeful male, who demonstrated impressive hovering skills and created
big cartwheels in the sky, ending each circumnavigation with a
commanding screech. It fell on deaf ears. Yellow-rumped Warblers (both
Myrtles and Audubons) were fly-catching among the bushes and trees. I
had to watch each and every one of them in case there was another kind
of warbler mixed in. There wasn't, but that was really only my excuse
to look at them closely - truly, the males are in such bright plumage
now that they look like little suns shining here and there. Then a
sparrow popped up onto a bramble branch and presented his back to me.
At first I thought it was a Lincoln's, my favorite sparrow. But then he
turned his head and I realized this was no Lincoln's. The rusty cap
(not yet a solid rust), the white throat, pale stripe above the eye,
gray cheek, and *very* rufous wings were distinctive. The bird posed
first one way, then another, almost like a runway model showing off the
latest spring designs. Then it flew to another bramble and kept posing.

Time stopped. My eyes drank in every detail of this thrilling bird, my
soul filled to the brim with pure beauty. Then the joy spilled over and
came pouring out.

I do not remember walking back to the trail. I suppose my feet did
their usual work, but perhaps not. Perhaps I just floated. Later in the
day, I encountered dozens of people walking back to their cars after
listening to the Dalai Lama speak. They all mentioned how uplifting he
was. I've heard the Dalai Lama speak on TV, and I think he is an
inspiring spiritual leader. But the only thought that ran through my
mind as I listened to people praising his speech was, "Little do they
know." They were all walking on the trail. I was still treading on air.
- Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com