Following Connie's report of shore birds when I visited the Fill Friday afternoon I focused my attention on the ponds. Hopping to improve my shorebird identification skills and possibly add a life bird or two. I took Connie's post along to guide me. And sure enough there were shorebirds on Shoveler's Pond. I'm not as good as Connie, I only found 3 species to her 4. LB Dowitchers, Least, and Killdeer. The Dowitchers were a life bird for me. (I'm closing in on 200)

After the ponds I walked the road behind the dime lot. I found a PB Grebe on a nest. As I was thinking of how I was going to describe the location of the nest in sailed a Bald Eagle. Quickly the grebe on the nest covered the eggs with vegetation and slid off into the water where it stood watch over the nest from about 10 feet away. The Eagle soaring overhead set every creature in the area on alert. All the families, Mallard, Wood Duck, Canada, and Gadwall formed tight clusters. Crows and a GBH chased and yelled at the raptor. Eventually the Eagle landed in the dead tree. While the crows kept the eagle on the tree most everyone went back to business as usual, but it was obvious that they were still on alert. Eventually the Eagle flew off in the direction of the 520 Bridge. The grebe returned, added some vegetation to nest climbed up, uncovered the eggs and resumed incubating. Only then did I notice that a second grebe was there too hidden in the lily pads. It was quite a drama to watch.

To find the nest stand near the big green scoreboard, look toward the dead tree, about half way, and a little to the left, among the lily pads is the nest.

Linda Phillips
linda_phillips1252 at msn.com<mailto:linda_phillips1252 at msn.com>
Kenmore 98028-2616