Hey tweets, I've been experiencing winter for the past week, visiting
my son in Idaho and Yellowstone. Snow closed several roads in the park
- we barely made it out from Grant Village and had to ask the rangers
to open the "Closed Road" sign near Old Faithful for us to escape to a
lower elevation. I have always wanted to see snow covering the humps
and heads of bison - I just didn't expect to do so in June.

This was not a birding expedition. However, I do have eyes in my head
and couldn't help but notice:
Trumpeter Swan on nest with a cygnet (I've never seen *that* before)
a number of Swainson's Hawks
2 Sandhill Cranes
ibises galore around the Great Salt Lake

For mammals we really lucked out: a grizzly bear just 40 yards away
from the road, tearing up roots; herds and herds of bison, including
one herd that swam across a river while we watched (babies had a lot
of trouble with that); elk; coyotes; rabbit; moose (!).

Old Faithful is still reasonably faithful, you'll be glad to hear.
Bathtubs of water still come gushing out impressively. The forests of
blackened trees from the 1988 fire are still everywhere to be seen,
but plenty of new growth makes the park look quite green.

On my first day back here in paradise, naturally I went to the Fill
this morning. What a glorious planet we live on; "Avatar" has nothing
on us. (Well, except I would like to have my own flying steed,
wouldn't you?)

The first bird I saw was a CEDAR WAXWING. Waxwings were everywhere, in
fact. At the Purple Martin gourds, there was a CHIPPING SPARROW. Wow.
Look for it foraging on the ground near the greenhouses and along
Union Bay Circle Road. Other birds of note today: Caspian Tern over
the lake; two baby KILLDEER in the Dime Lot; Wood Ducks out and about;
two DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS hanging around the lake who will
probably stay the summer; Warbling Vireos appear to be nesting, which
is unusual for the Fill; and Western Tanagers still in the alder grove.

No Purple Martins have come to our gourds yet. We do have a pair of
nesting Tree Swallows who took over one gourd. Not what we were hoping
for, but better than starlings or House Sparrows.

I'm planning on leaving the gourds up all summer and fall, in case any
passing martins are out shopping for real estate for next year. And
who knows? Maybe we'll still get some nesters. Given the strongest La
Nina event in a long time, anything can happen. Gene notes in his new
book (due out this fall, I hope) that Chipping Sparrows used to be a
common summer resident and breeder in Seattle years ago when there was
still a substantial supply of big conifers and rough clear-cuts. Now,
with that habitat gone and replaced by suburban plantings, they are a
rare migrant in the lowlands of the county and a scarce nesting
species along the Cascade Crest. Yet, here is one at the Fill. -
Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com
www.constancypress.com
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