Hey tweets, an immature or possibly very pale female HORNED LARK was
hanging around the Main Pond this morning, foraging in the short grass
and gravel trail at the southeast side of the pond. It is very tame.
At first, I thought it was an American Pipit - there is a flock of
pipits near the pond, too. Then the more I looked, the more I thought
lark. Here are the field marks:

Pipit-sized, more or less. Fine streaking on the head, even finer
streaking on the nape, then heavier "tiling" (but not very dark) on
the back. Rufous on the rump. White outer tail feathers. A black mask
(but not one that trends downward - it's more like a shrike mask, but
only in the front of the eye). A faint black bib. No horns. No yellow
under the chin. White undersides, with a little faint and fuzzy
streaking near the front end, nothing near the back end or vent. Could
have been some smudgy streaking on the flanks - I saw a little, but
the bird's wings hid most of this area. Didn't see the tail in flight.
Broad, pale eyebrow.

Behavior: The bird was feeding in the short grass right by the Main
Pond. It spent most of its time in a crouched, almost hunched position
in one place, not tall like a pipit. When it moved, it walked (no
hopping), but it liked best to stay crouched in one spot and pick up
food.

If you go to the following web site and look at picture #20, the Fill
bird is very like the one in the photo:
http://amazilia.net/images/Birds/Larks/HornedLark.htm

This morning was otherworldly at the Fill. John and I got there before
dawn, just in time to see a BARN OWL take off from the field north of
Wahkiakum Lane, head briefly west, then fly powerfully off to the south.

We tried to see the owl again by heading over to the Main Pond, but we
couldn't hurry and the owl could. I think the owl was anxious to get
back to its daytime roost before the crows started flying. Meanwhile,
we were rooted to the spot by the sheer beauty of this morning. A
blanket of mist lay over the land, so diaphanous that we could not see
it where we stood, and yet when we walked a few paces down the path
and looked back, there was the mist. The sun came up in a blaze of
orange and yellow, no messing around with pinks today. Not a single
breath of air stirred the leaves.

As the Fill awakened to the day, more birds began to appear, starting
with the Bewick's Wrens (which seem to be the earliest risers this
year). A Peregrine Falcon came along, followed a little later by a
Cooper's Hawk. That made the American Pipits in the field east of the
Main Pond freeze into invisibility. A little flock of Least Sandpipers
was flying over the water lilies on the lake. They touched down
briefly but bounded away when the UW marching band started cranking
up. It's a football Saturday, so be warned. If you do decide to try
for the Horned Lark, you can park in the little lot on the west side
of the CUH buildings. There is a sandwich sign partially blocking the
entrance, but that is to keep the football fans out. - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com