Hi Tweets,

Does a birder ever not bird? I signed up for a Motorcycle Safety
Foundation basic skills course this weekend so that my motorscooter
riding will be as safe as I can make it. After all, I want to get to
Hansville in one piece with optics intact. The range portion of the
course is in the parking lot of the Boeing Family Center near Paine
Field. Dummy me did not have her binoculars in the car, but when I
pulled in this morning I recognized the area as one we cover in the
Mukilteo wedge of the Edmonds CBC. So, before we even started riding
this morning I had a Northern Flicker, four Crows in pairs playing in
the sky, and Robins everywhere. Then during the riding exercises I
looked up to see a beautiful adult Red-tailed Hawk, wings spread,
tail brilliant in the sun. After everyone left to head back to the
classroom portion of the course, I hung around to eat my lunch. A
little pishing the perimeter of the parking lot pulled in two Ruby-
crowned Kinglets. Okay, I'm now in good counting shape for the
upcoming CBC season--one, four, one, two, and a bunch! We finish the
class tomorrow. The binoculars are riding to Everett with me!

Good birding,

Carol Riddell
Edmonds