Hey tweets, the Fill was livelier today than it has been for more than
a week. Honestly, it's been so quiet lately I started to wonder if
2012 and the accompanying lava lake that is scheduled to flood us out
had arrived earlier than predicted. (As I noted in my last post, it's
a well-known fact that birds always flee south right before these
types of events.)

Today, though, seemed more normal. The sun was out, the sky was blue,
I could see birds' colors for a change. Wow. The biggest surprise of
the day was a flock of 30 or more PURPLE MARTINS foraging over the
lake on the eastern side of Waterlily Cove. It was a mix of adults and
juveniles, very beautiful. I'm hoping they took the trouble to fly a
little inland to check out the high-end gourds we installed last
spring. The Ritz, we should call the installation, it's so fancy. How
can any martin resist?

Also on view today: a Green-winged Teal on Main Pond, Virginia Rail
near the Turtle Logs (Waterlily Cove), Spotted Sandpiper on Main Pond,
a sizable flock of Barn Swallows accompanied by a few Violet-Greens,
an unidentified empidonax (darn thing wouldn't call, even though I was
willing it with all my might to let out just one little che-bek for a
Fill first of Least - it had the right head/tail proportions, but no
positive ID could be made), and Yellow Warblers coming through.

Yesterday there was a Western Sandpiper on Main Pond. The mud
continues to look very good, so my little hopes are high for a good
showing of juvenile sandpipers in the next few weeks.

The Pin-tailed Whydah, by the way, was seen again on Sunday. This time
it was out in plain view at Southwest Pond. Not my plain view, however
- I have yet to see this skulker. - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com
www.constancypress.com
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