Hey tweets, I just got back from the Fill after seeing a very
interesting shrike. I *think* it's a juvenile Northern Shrike, but it
has a disturbingly short bill for a Northern. It is rather brown in
color - no gray that I could see. It was perched on the tallest snag
of the Southwest Pond. Then it dove down toward the pond. When it
reappeared, it was perched in a lower bush. I had good, long looks but
no scope. Eventually it flew over to the cattails and went hunting
along the edge of the lake.

I was not the first to see this bird. A guy I never saw before (sorry
I didn't get his name) saw it first in the bushes on the west side of
the Main Pond. It then flew into the dead willow snags before flying
away. He said he thought it was a Loggerhead, but I'm pretty sure that
is not right. Loggerheads don't have brown plumage even when immature
or juvenile.

If you want to see this bird, I think you'd better hurry. The weather
won't hold past today, and probably neither will this bird.

A little warning: this is a football Saturday and the fans are already
starting to arrive (although the game won't start for many hours yet).
You can park in the little lot on the west side of the CUH library.
There is a sandwich sign halfway blocking the entrance, but this is to
keep out football parkers.

Also on view this morning were many other wonderful birds, including:
Bonaparte's Gull flying around close to shore; two Ruddy Ducks on the
lake; several Canvasbacks and Lesser Scaup on the Cove; a Bufflehead
pair on the Cove; and a Western Meadowlark in the field east of the
Main Pond.

Yesterday a gorgeous Pileated Woodpecker glommed onto the big snag
near the Lagoon just as the sun came out and lit up its topknot. The
bird looked like a living ruby set on velvet, though a lot noisier
than you'd expect a ruby to be. A male Brewer's Blackbird with a
little harem of females was in the dead snag on the Southwest Pond
(where the shrike was just now). An absolutely stunning immature Red-
tailed Hawk with pure-white bib and undertail coverts is hanging
around too. It is one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever
seen, although I have to admit it did preen its indistinct belly band,
leaving a couple of feathers sticking out in a very messy way.-
Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com