Lead a walk ?around? Green Lake (Seattle, King Co., WA) this morning for members of Fiends of Green Lake Park. Clear skies, 43 ? 53 degrees F. Almost no wind.

We met at 8 AM at the west beach (Bathhouse Theatre), along the lakeshore. One person was there to witness the two Dunlins that briefly landed on one of the diving platforms out in the lake. Something about early birders catching the Dunlin?..

A male Belted Kingfisher also made a brief appearance before most people showed.

Most waterfowl that frequents the lake in winter has left, but instead there were many songbirds flitting through the trees along the shore. The walk ended by 11:45 but we didn?t make it around the lake. Only partway to the turtle logs near the Aurora Ave. underpass (going counter-clockwise).

A great Blue Heron did two flybys. We (I) mused (aloud) about why the soles of their black feet are yellow. Counter-shading seems a bit far-fetched. When they wade in water hunting fish, they move their feet ever so slowly. I imagine not too many fish will get between the bottom and a heron?s foot. So counter-shading the feet so they don?t stand out against the lighter sky?..nah.

I am not aware of any courtship or aggressive behaviors in Great Blue Herons that might explain the contrasting color.

One participant wondered if the yellow color is actually the ?default? melanin color, and that the black of the legs and feet is the ?changed? (adaptive) color. The black having evolved to make the feet and legs less visible as the bird wades through water. But then how do you explain the bright yellow legs of some other herons? And why exclude the soles?

Checking the Birds of North America account the yellow soles aren?t even mentioned?..

Wile we were speculating on puzzling bird features, I threw out a long time favorite question of mine: if dark stripes beneath the eye reduce glare (athletes) then why would the Belted Kingfisher have white spots next to the eyes? Granted the biggest spots are directly in front of the eye (only smaller ones below the eyes), but still. I find a white spot in that location in a bird that has to deal with glare from water surfaces counter intuitive.

My personal theory is that these ?false eyes? provide the young inside the nest chamber (at the end of an 8-foot long burrow; quite dark) with a target for food begging. If they peck in the direction of the white spots (assuming they can be seen once the chicks, hatched blind, acquire vision) they ought to hit the bill of the adult. Since dark pigments are stronger than light pigments, limiting the white to small spots, rather than say the whole bill, may provide an explanation.

Again, checking the Birds of North America account did not provide an answer, but at least the spots were mentioned.

The silly things that keep me occupied while watching birds??

Anyway, back to the birds seen in the park.



Canada Goose (at least 2 pairs breeding on the island)

Wood Duck (pair, close to shore, quite tame)

Gadwall

Mallard

Greater Scaup (2 females)

Bufflehead (two dozen at least)

Hooded Merganser (1 female foraging close to shore, quite tame)

Common Merganser (1 female napping on the island, chased off by Canada Goose)

Great Blue Heron

Osprey (several hunting over the lake)

Bald Eagle (adult with prey on island, chased by food-begging (!) immature)

Cooper?s Hawk (immature female, chased off by crows)

American Coot (getting ready to leave, flying easily)

Dunlin

Glaucous-winged (and hybrid) gulls

Rock Pigeon

Anna?s Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Northern Flicker

American Crow

Violet-green Swallow

Tree Swallow (prospecting for nests in the pilings at the beach (holes for ropes going through-and-through, unsuitable for nesting) happens each early spring)

Cliff Swallow (bunch perched repeatedly on the platform?s diving board supports)

Barn Swallow (a few)

Black-capped Chickadee (excavating nest in dead stump; great chance to illustrate the value of snags!)

Bushtit

Red-breasted Nuthatch (entering nest site; snag value again)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (many; all those identified Audubon?s, saw one Myrtle 2 days ago)

Savannah Sparrow (in tree, posing, good looks through scope)

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

House Sparrow



Saw 2 Pied-billed Grebes two days ago, but none today.

Golden-crowned Kinglet (2 days ago, didn?t get to that area today)

American Goldfinch (2 days ago, not today)



The turtle logs were covered in many Red-eared Sliders and a few Western Painted Turtles, soaking up the sunshine.



All in all a very pleasant walk.



Cheers,

Martin Muller, Seattle

martinmuller at msn,.com