Hi Everyone,

I saw my first OSPREY of the year this morning along Fish Hatchery Road - heard it first, and then it flew over, checking the river for prey. Also had two TURKEY VULTURES along Neal Road, and the first BAND-TAILED PIGEON I've seen this year. Also along Fish Hatchery Road I ran into (presumably) the same RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER that I mentioned the other day drumming on a No Dumping sign. Well, today he was cavorting around with two other birds, noisily flying up and down the road and periodically stopping to drum on things, including the same sign again. While I was watching I had a new experience with this species - I had the binocs on one of the Sapsuckers about 20 yards away, while standing along the side of the road. As I was watching, the bird flew directly at me, becoming huge in the binoc field of view. I lowered the binocs and here came the bird, flying directly toward my head. I flinched and he veered away no more than two feet from me. My best guess is that !
he was
so intent on impressing the ladies that he mistook me for a post until I moved. (I have been mistaken for a post before, but usually that's one of my 'friends' making a rude comment about their opinion of my intellect at the time...smile!) Maybe if I had been able to stand completely still I would have had a truly close-up view of this species as it started to drum on my forehead!

John Tubbs
Snoqualmie, WA
johntubbs at comcast.net
www.tubbsphoto.com