The weather was spectacular today so it was a great time to visit the
Montlake Fill, the first time in three weeks due to travel to the East
Coast and birding last week over on Manashtash. Pretty slow (except for
at least 5 and maybe 6 common yellowthroats scattered around all areas
and singing away) and I was just telling myself that even when there are
not a lot of birds, it is still a privilege just to be out, when one of
those always possible surprises completely turned around my thoughts of
the success of the day. In the cove between the fill and Laurelhurst I
spied a male wood duck near the reeds and then a second and a third male
and then three females all popped out. Six wood ducks...more than I
have ever seen at once before and a bird that I had missed earlier this
year. That was almost exactly at noon. A few hours later I was out in
front of my house in the Laurelhurst area and heard a familiar whistling
overhead. Sure enough an osprey was soaring above...and then another,
and then another, the latter being chased by a crow. In the trees
across my street an olive sided flycatcher was asking for three beers
and an Anna's hummingbird was flitting about. Thank you birds...