Hey tweets, the Fill shrike was still there yesterday, giving many
birders quite a show. We had plenty of photographers with giant lenses
and complaints! They wanted the bird to fly over from Mud Island to
the mainland so as to be closer and in better light. No such luck.
They snapped off many photos, nevertheless, but all were pretty small
and a bit blurry. I was getting my little hopes up about the bird
being a super rarity from Siberia when my husband John showed up with
our scope. I managed to see a fair amount of gray on the bird's wings,
so Northern Shrike for sure. Still a great bird.

The crows were out in mega force yesterday, helping the UW crew clean
up the garbage strewn all over the parking areas by football fans.
They were so full of themselves that they chased every raptor who had
the temerity to show up, including a Northern Harrier, a Merlin, a
Cooper's Hawk, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, and a Red-tailed Hawk. I felt bad
for the Northern Harrier especially. I'm sure it came here thinking it
could peacefully cruise the cattails for any stray rodents, not
realizing that a Sunday football-aperitif was awaiting it. Last seen,
it was spiraling up a thermal in the middle of a murder of crows. It
was that spiral that brought the Sharpie to the crows' attention, I
think. The sharpie was probably migrating south on its own thermal
track, when a few crows broke off and went after it, too. Pure mischief.

The gulls were numerous at the parking lot, along with the crows. Most
were Glaucous-winged and Ring-billed, but there was one Thayer's, much
to my surprise. - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com