Decided to swing through some Kent area birding sites on the way back from the airport early this AM, and was well rewarded.? First stop was 204th St.? Near the gates to the little cemetery, I finally had my FOS Black-headed Grosbeak, as well as several Wilson's and Orange-crowned Warblers.? Down the hill, I stopped at the flooded field, where no fewer than 15 Pectoral Sandpipers were foraging along the grassy edges.? Also a few Killdeer, a single Least S'piper (I assume--it was far and I was scopeless,) and a pair of Spotted S'pipers.? One of the Spotties was vigorously displaying to the other, standing tall, with breast feathers fluffed out and wings slightly open.? His partner seemed quite unimpressed.? Where 204th ends at Frager Rd, a flock of grazing Canada Geese had a lone Greater White-front tagging along.? On to the Green River NRA, where I was treated to nice, eye-level views of a flashy male Western Tanager, at least one Warbling Vireo
(these two near the animal shelter,) and a dazzling, vociferous Yellow Warbler near the locked gate leading to the interior dike trail.? A pair of oddly silent Caspian Terns,? a fishing Osprey, and a Wood Duck wearing his best technicolor dream coat rounded out the experience.? Final stop was a quick circuit of the Boeing ponds.? Despite a group of men training their duck-dogs to swim across the pond, I was able to find a pair of Cinnamon Teal in the tiny, shallow pond closest to the Boeing structures, and the usual Green Heron.? Best bird here, though, was seen as soon as I stepped out of my car, which I had parked on the pulloff (trailhead) at the southwest corner of the pond.? Between the pond corner and the big drainpipe leading under the road, is a tiny patch of brown cattails.? I mean TINY:? I could almost wrap all of them in my arms.? Right in the middle of that tiny bit of appropriate habitat stood a bittern.? S/he assumed the standard
camouflage pose, with bill pointed straight up, showing off sleekly streaked undersides, the only horizontal aspect being its line of sight, pointing directly at me, standing only ~15 feet away.? Since all the cattail leaves were bent and crushed, this position actually made the handsome bird MORE visible, and I almost laughed out loud.? After circling the pond, seeing more dogs than birds, I bid farewell to the bittern, same place, same pose.?
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Jeff Bryant
Seattle
jbryant_68 AT yahoo.com