Hey tweets, The Fill was surpassingly beautiful today. The snow dimpled
the fields with little hillocks of white, shadowed blue by the sun.
Each snow crystal dazzled in the still air, and a few remaining poplar
leaves caught the light and reflected it back in molten gold. Gold-leaf
indeed.

The sparrows were out in force, eating chicory seeds. There were tons
of LINCOLN'S, GOLDEN-CROWNS, and SONG SPARROWS. Also present were small
numbers of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and wrens of various sorts.

The most spectacular sighting, though, was 16 swans swimming
majestically on the lake. I have never seen so many at the Fill before.
Most were TRUMPETERS, but at least one was a TUNDRA. Also present were
3 CACKLING GEESE, and hosts of ducks: BUFFLEHEADS, AMERICAN WIGEONS,
GADWALLS, MALLARDS, NORTHERN SHOVELERS, GREEN-WINGED TEALS, RUDDY
DUCKS, RING-NECKED, LESSER SCAUP, COMMON and HOODED MERGANSERS,
NORTHERN PINTAILS, and WOOD DUCKS.

The BALD EAGLE pair are getting ideas again. I think we're in for
another brood come spring. The days will start to lengthen now that
we're past the shortest day of the year, and sunshine will return to us
soon. Driving to the Fill was an adventure of slip-sliding along dirty
brown slushy streets, but nature in all its beauty lay at the end of
the drive. It was worth the struggle to get there. - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.co