Morning tweets,

Saw that there were going to be huge numbers of people out for UW Weekend so I decided to get out to UBNA early. I started at 6:4oam actually by the helipad by the UW golf range. Was nicely surprised by a female Brewer's Blackbird carrying nesting material, and then 4 males and another female flew into the other side of the helipad. I had seen a family raised here last year and the female carrying nesting material certainly looks promising for this year too.

As I walked along the road I peaked over at the fields and saw that there were not only the common-this-time-of-year Mew and Glaucous-winged Gulls, but a number of fairly late Ring-billed Gulls. Seems like most have left for cooler climes already.

As I made my way over to Shoveler's Pond, I heard the Ring-necked Pheasant crow a few times. Hope he finds himself a girlie...been 2 years too long since I saw any hens out there. The Brown-headed Cowbirds are calling and singing everywhere, as are Common Yellowthroats and Savannah Sparrows. There was a flock of Cedar Waxwings in the woods across the trail from Shoveler's Pond when I detected a different sound - a singing Brown Creeper! I so love that high pitched little squeaky violin song they have!

As I curled around the trail towards the little pond under the cottonwoods where the Solitary Sandpiper has been seen, I saw...the Solitary Sandpiper! Strutting and bobbing all about, occasionally doing the raise both wings straight up display and then going back to bobbing and strutting. What was that! I saw a brown shape fly from the left (east) side of the trail and land for a second on the trail and then move into the underbrush. I brought up my bins and scanned the area only about 25 feet from me and out popped it's head, then it's breast and then the rest of the body. My first UBNA Hermit Thrush! Connie Sidles has reported them before, but I had always missed them. She gave me the tip once to keep an eye out in the very area I found the bird and she turned out to be right! I did run into her later in the morning and let her know I had seen the bird and she rushed over to try and get it too - I hope she did!

Anyway as I moved on around the pond, I checked the little southeastern pond surrounded by reeds and picked up a lovely pair of Cinnamon Teal in a cozy spot with the sun glinting off their feathers. What beautiful birds they are!

As I got over by the central pond, I quickly picked up all of the Cliff, Tree, Violet-green and Barn Swallows. Scared up a Western Meadowlark accidentally.

Got to the last westernmost pond, and saw the Virginia Rail sneaking about the reed pads. Always seems like they are trying not to get their feet wet, yet they live in a very wet environment...

On a hunch, I decided to keep going across the the main trail at the Y and headed for the little pond way at the north end by the utility yard. Got to a favored moist spot and saw 2 Wilson's Snipe before they each popped up with a start. Ended the morning at two hours and totalled up 54 species. Not a bad way to spend a gorgeous spring morning in Seattle!

Brett A. Wolfe
Seattle, WA
m_lincolnii at yahoo.com


---------------------------------
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.