Hey tweets, the day started off silvery gray, instead of dim gray as
usual, but still it was hard to leave home. My husband had to try
several different gambits: "Those birds won't watch theirselves," he
twanged, in his best Ernest P. Worrell voice. No response. "Evan's
probably out there already, finding a Whooping Crane or some other
rarity." I twitched but otherwise did not stir. "There's no wind at
all, so you'll be able to see all the warblers." I found myself
nodding, yes, that was true. "Time waits for no man, including birders."

Fine. Ever since I saw the Eddie Murphy movie, "Holy Man," I've been
aware of the fleeting nature of time. Spring comes but once a year,
and as Murphy's character "G" says, each of us has only so many
springs in our lives. For me, there are probably more springs in the
past now than in my future. I can't afford to miss any! I shot out the
door.

The Fill was, as always, fabulous. A GREEN HERON greeted me as I got
out of the car, flying past Paulson Prairie, of all places, and
letting out a loud squawk to let me know it was there. Silvery light
touched the greens of lush plants, bathing the Fill in luminescence.
As the sun began to burn off the mist, the swallows showed up: Cliff,
Barn, Tree, Violet-green, Northern Rough-winged. Eventually, the
Vaux's Swifts joined them, late as usual. Like me, I guess the swifts
have a hard time leaving their cozy chimneys. CINNAMON TEALS filled
every pond, more than I've ever seen before. I didn't know this, but
when they fly by, they make a kind of clattery noise, like a cyclist
on gravel. You have to be close to hear it, but with so many flying
around, that was no problem.

Back at Sidles Swamp and the alder grove, things began to pop. The sun
was getting warm (oh frabjous day), and the bugs were becoming active,
attracting the insectivores. In this little area, sitting on my camp
stool amid the brambles, I saw: YELLOW WARBLER, numerous Yellow-rumps,
WILSON'S, and ORANGE-CROWNED; Warbling Vireos, Western Tanager, a
Brown Creeper (!), Western Wood-Pewees, and (best bird of the day) a
DUSKY FLYCATCHER. (I'm pretty sure!) Field marks: upward tail-wagging,
long tail (visually anyway, due to relatively short wings), soft
"whit" call, bill dark on underside but with pale near base, and
pretty wide-looking. I've been seeing several Hammond's Flycatchers
for the past couple of weeks, and this bird was quite different.

If you go to look for it, be careful. There are other flycatchers
here, too. I have seen Pacific Slope here recently in addition to
Hammond's and Western Wood-Pewee. No Willow Flycatchers yet, but I'm
expecting them any time now. - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com
www.constancypress.com
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