Hey tweets, Ricky Young, the famous Washington State surfer, always
used to say, "If you do something, something happens; if you do
nothing, nothing happens."

Today, my husband and I did something. We looked out at the gloomy
rain pouring down all day and imagined we saw the clouds breaking up a
little, late in the afternoon. This could only mean one thing: time to
get down to the Fill.

We were wrong about the clouds, but I'm so glad we went anyway because
we found a SAY'S PHOEBE newly arrived from the south and hawking for
insects despite the rain and increasing wind. We found it on the west
side of the lagoon, south of the Dime Parking Lot, flying from cattail
to cattail. This is the first phoebe I've seen for more than a year,
and a welcome sight, with its cinnamon belly warming up the day.

Also on view, a California Gull in the frisbee field, along with Mew
Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls - a great chance to compare yellow-legged,
black-wing-tipped gulls all together in one small area. I can't
remember when I've had a better chance to see all three at once, and
close up.

The Brewer's Blackbirds are coming back to their nesting colony in the
bushes surrounding the helipad. The PE department has erected a couple
of baseball backstops in the field for the first time. I tried to
estimate if any intramural player stood a chance of being able to hit
a fly ball as far as the blackbirds' nests and concluded they are
probably safe.

Yesterday I was at the Main Pond and saw a sight I've never seen
before: an American Coot in a tree! It was eating buds but was clearly
not well adapted to arboreal life. Every time it stretched out its
neck to reach for a bud, it would over-balance on account of the fact
that it's built like a butterball. To compensate, it would wave its
wings wildly, like a pedestrian trying to navigate an icy sidewalk.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whew.

One last bit of news: Ma Eagle is on eggs. Pa swoops down into the
fields from time to time to snatch a talonsful of grass to line the
nest. He brings his gift to his mate and then stands on the edge of
the nest, gazing into it intently. Don't know if he's proud or puzzled
or doing the eagle equivalent of doh-de-doh-de-doh, but he strongly
reminds me of the way my husband first looked at the baby when the
baby's diaper needed changing. Intently. - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com