All,

I was at Theler Wetlands in Belfair Saturday from 6:45 to 12:00. Among
the birds I saw were:

Belted Kingfisher
Red-winged blackbirds
Cedar Waxwings
Caspian Terns
Mallards
Goldfinch (many)
Tree Swallows
Barn Swallows
Killdeer
Virginia Rail
Bushtits
Long-billed Dowitchers
Great Blue Herons

I did not see the Green Heron, but others there told me they saw it. I
caught a glimpse of the Rail at the same place as last week. The most
notable differences from last week were the Dowitchers and the GBH.
There were about six Dowitchers working the mudflats across the channel
from me.

The GBH are normally everywhere at Theler, but I haven't seen a single
one in July. Saturday I was there at low tide and four GBHs were
feeding in the river. They were wading the channel, snaring fish as
they went. Then they would fly to a new location and repeat the
process. At one point two of them got into a squabble and one chased
the other around in what looked like an aerial game of tag.

Photos of the Great Blue Herons at work and play here:

http://skygardener.zenfolio.com/p501987442

John Riegsecker, Gig Harbor, WA
jriegsecker at pobox dot com

--
John R.