Subject: [Tweeters] Edmonds marsh (3/28)
Date: Mar 28 21:00:23 2010
From: Bill Anderson - billandersonbic at yahoo.com


Coincidentally, I observed and photographed a great blue heron catching and eating a small rodent today at the Edmonds marsh.? The heron landed not too?far from the walkway and went into stalk mode.? The?person with me shouted, "it's got something"??and we?saw it walking with?a small rodent between its bills.?? Looking at my photos,?the?heron?was holding the rodent by its neck.????I assume the kill was near instantaneous as the rodent did not appear to be struggling.?The heron held the rodent for several minutes before repositioning it in its mouth and swallowing it.?? ?

Other marsh action included my friend finding a bushtit?nest?below and to the left of the second (east to west) viewng platform.? We watched a male and female bushtit enter and leave the nest.???The nest was behind too many twigs for me to take photos like I did the day before of the one on the fish hatchery grounds that Carol mentioned.

The marsh wrens were singing/squawking up a storm down in the reeds, but?occassionally?came up to the top long enough for me to snap some photos.? They appeared to be carrying cattail fuzz in their mouths.? For the second day in a row I saw one get attacked by a song sparrow.??
Bill Anderson; Edmonds, WA.