Hey tweets, this morning was unearthly beautiful at the Fill, with the
grasses flowing in the breeze and not another soul in sight. The grass
has grown so tall now that it's almost like walking through an ocean
of green surf - the stems almost touch each other over the trail. I
measured one grass stem, and it was 1.15 Connies tall. It was by no
means the tallest grass stem in the field.

As I was conducting my measurement, an OSPREY flew right over my head,
peering down at me as it went by. Too big, it must have concluded, or
perhaps not fishy enough. It kept on going, to compete with two
CASPIAN TERNS and Ma Eagle on the lake. Ma is busy feeding at least
one youngster now and has given up on ducks and coots. She's
concentrating on fish. I don't know if that's because she somehow
senses that the nutrients in fish are just what a young eaglet needs
or because the duck population has been so severely depleted. The big
flocks of wigeons and coots are completely gone, although a couple of
pairs of AMERICAN WIGEONS have apparently decided to spend the summer
here, along with numerous triads of GADWALLS.

The Main Pond was loaded with swallows: Cliff, Barn, Tree, Violet-
green and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED. A pair of Northern Rough-winged tried
to nest two years ago, and maybe they're trying again this year. In
among the swirl, I thought I spotted a BANK SWALLOW, but it was gone
before I could be sure. I did see a chest band, but it seemed not dark
enough, so maybe I just saw the smudging of a rough-winged. I wish my
eyes were quicker!

As I sat there trying to follow all the action, I heard the most
musical song. It was a male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK in the willow, spang
up against the blue sky. I tell you, life doesn't get much better than
this, to see such a glorious bird in perfect weather at my favorite
place on earth, singing just for me. Now, I know intellectually that
that bird was really singing for a mate and could not have cared less
about my listening pleasure. But when you are the only member of the
audience in a very large concert hall and the maestro is belting out
his favorite aria, you can be forgiven for feeling like it's a
performance just for you.

A WILLOW FLYCATCHER was hawking for insects in the lower reaches of
the same willow tree. He probably thought he was just as musical as
the grosbeak, but if so, I have news for him.

The MOURNING DOVE I found the other day on the road leading into the
Dime Lot was at the Corporation Yard feeding station this morning.
The baby KILLDEERS that have been roaming around the Dime Lot have
really grown in the past few days. They look a lot more adult already.

I know a lot of you have been discouraged by the recent ban on long-
established social trails. I hope in the long run we can get a few of
them re-established. But in the meantime, the Fill is still the Fill.

For more goings-on at the Fill, check out my blog at www.constancesidles.com
.
- Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com
www.constancypress.com




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