Hey tweets, the Fill today gave abundantly but slowly. Which was okay,
since it was such a gorgeous day - no trouble to sit and enjoy the
autumn colors, the faint mist in the air making the hills look like a
Renaissance painting. I have certainly sat through other days when
conditions weren't so nice. The snow day in April comes to mind, when I
congealed so solid I thought I would have to roll home, since my legs
had stopped working. Seems like a long time ago, and for the birds, it
is. That was the beginning of their breeding cycle, and now we're at
the end of it. A whole new crop of teenagers has entered the world,
acting stupid. For example, one group of Barn Swallows was harassing
the dove as it sat innocently atop the willow snag, a trouble to no
one. Another group of swallows were diving down to take a drink on the
fly, not gracefully like their elders but with big splashes. I thought
one was going to have to swim for shore. They are on a steep learning
curve like all youngsters, and I hope they make it.

Best birds of the day:
Horned Grebe on the main pond
Long-billed Dowitcher on the main pond
Mourning Dove on the main pond
Virginia Rail at the point
Green Herons on the main pond and at the point
American Wigeon on the bay
Cinnamon Teal coming into breeding plumage on the lagoon - nice
comparison with Northern Shovelers and Green-winged Teals
Violet-green Swallow high overhead - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com