Hey tweets, the Fill has been serenely quiet these past several days.
If you like plants, then this is the spot for you. If you like birds,
be prepared to stay a while and exercise your patience. Today, I was
all the way to the main pond before I saw even one *bird* of any
persuasion, and then it was a crow. The sky was blue, the wind was
still, the sun was at my back, the falling leaves are beginning to open
holes in the foliage - the stage was perfectly set for birds, but no
one came out of the wings, at least no one with wings. There were
plenty of joggers.

However, after 3 hours, I accumulated 46 species, so go figure. Best
birds of the day for me were:
? an entire flock of Orange-crowned Warblers, foraging with
Yellow-rumps (I've never seen a flock of Orange-crowneds before) and a
Yellow Warbler; with the Common Yellowthroats still present, I had a
four-warbler day
? a Norther Harrier being chased by one of the 3 (three!) resident
Cooper's Hawks, while 2 (two!) Red-tailed Hawks looked on (is it any
wonder the place is almost bird-free?)
? a PURPLE FINCH foraging in the great habitat immediately north and
east of the southwest pond
? two Virginia Rails in the marsh on the bay
? American Wigeons back in force, along with one gorgeous Northern
Pintail female, the duck version of Grace Kelly, feeding regally
amongst the scullery maids (i.e., Gadwalls)
? Ruby-crowned Kinglets are back
? Lincoln's Sparrows everywhere

Yesterday was Wilson's Snipe day. There were three flying around the
lagoon, and one asleep on the southwest pond. The day before that,
there were 3 Greater Yellowlegs on the main pond. It's been a slow
shorebird season. I wish some of you Kent Ponders would send some
pectorals and a couple of stilts up this way. - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com