Subject: [Tweeters] Vesper Fill
Date: Apr 5 16:58:24 2009
From: Connie Sidles - constancesidles at gmail.com


Hey tweets, Well, we certainly all needed this day, didn't we? Wasn't
it just great to be out there to see the faint green buds on the trees
and hear all the birdsong? We *deserve* a day like this after the
winter we had. I got dressed this morning in my usual five layers,
scraped some frost off the car windows, and got down to the Fill by
6:40 a.m. By noon, I was sweating. Ordinarily, I hate that; I've
always agreed with the Victorians that it is unnatural to sweat. But
today it was a welcome relief from the cold. When was the last time it
was hot enough to be uncomfortable?

I was hoping for a lot of spring arrivals today, and they were there:
One of the original two subtle but beautiful female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS
was still finding plenty to eat in the field east of the Main Pond,
and then after about an hour, she transferred herself back over to the
west side. She likes to perch in low trees, or the odd post left over
from student study plots or Lord-knows-what-that-structure-is sticking
out in the middle of the field.

In the brush north of the southwest pond and east of the Dime Parking
Lot pond, I found a VESPER SPARROW early this morning. It was in
company with a Lincoln's Sparrow, a Savannah, a Song, and a Golden-
crowned, as well as one Pine Siskin, so good chances for comparisons.
Along with the Fox Sparrow and White-crowned I found in the Surber
grove, today was a seven-sparrow day, not counting the Spotted Towhees
or juncos.

One of the Song Sparrows in this brushy area of the Loop Trail, by the
way, has the ugliest song I have ever heard. It's not even really a
song - more like a heavy metal concatenation of irritatingly loud
sounds. He was up in a tree singing his little heart out yesterday. I
did listen, despite the fact that all I wanted to do was exit the
theater. At the end, he glanced at me. "No," I said and shook my head.
What is he thinking? Is the younger generation of Song Sparrows
turning away from trills? Perish the thought.

Cliff Swallows are here in numbers now, as reported yesterday. The
Tree Swallows are setting up house in the snags and condos scattered
mostly in the western part of the Fill. However, today I saw a couple
checking out the two houses in Union Bay, so maybe they will move in.
This area used to be the most popular for Tree Swallows, when there
were lots of big snags at the point. But when the last of the snags
fell down, the swallows moved off. I guess they like communal living.
The beavers have been hard at work creating new snags, at least snags
that will last for a year or two. They have been girdling really big
cottonwoods and poplars all over the place. Sometimes the beavers keep
up their work until the trees fall down, but a lot of times, they stop
with the job half-done, a surprise, considering beavers' legendary
work ethic. The CUH people tell me there are 6 beaver lodges
encircling the Foster Island, University Slough, Union Bay crescent.

Common Mergansers are gathering in ever-increasing numbers on the
lake. Be sure to look over each one carefully. My records show that
migrations of the past reliably produced a few Red-breasted Mergansers
as well. - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com