Hey tweets, Evan Houston asked me to let you know that he found two
male LAZULI BUNTINGS at the Fill today, along with a Black-throated
Gray Warbler. When he told us, several of us spent the next several
hours trying to relocate them, to no avail. Evan found the buntings in
the field south of the greenhouses; the warbler was in Surber Grove.
You could have found me there too - I was a lot more conspicuous than
the birds. Apparently now we're all hiding.

Yesterday I spent with several Seattle Aubudon board members on the
annual board birdathon. What a lot of gonzo birders. I'm still reeling
from fatigue, and also brain overload: I learned so much from these
incredible birders, about new places I've never been and about skills
I don't have, at least not yet. It was illuminating.

The best bird of the day for me came - of course - at the Fill, where
we started. It was a HOUSE WREN, only the fourth time I've ever seen
one there. It was singing on top of the little willow trees in the
reclaimed habitat immediately east of the Dime Parking Lot pond. Later
in the morning we heard it singing in the blue forest just north of
Wahkiakum Lane, where the Loggerhead Shrike was earlier in the year. A
great little guy.

Today, the best I could do (and it was pretty darn good) was to hear a
Spotted Towhee singing practically in my ear. I was sitting under a
bush near the Wedding Rock, trying not to feel too sorry for myself
for having missed Evan's birds, when the towhee flew into that same
bush. I'm not sure if he thought I was part of the foliage or whether
he just didn't care, but he let loose with his rattle-song not ten
inches away from my ears. It was deafening and utterly charming. -
Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com