The Fill was quiet today (until the rain arrived). Mostly the usual suspects and their juveniles. We seem to be heading to birding summer.

Two BLACK SWIFT seen running together ahead of the showers coming off the lake and heading north. Earlier there was one VAUX'S SWIFT feeding with the swallows.

A large kettle of gulls formed on a thermal just before the showers moved in a couple of CALIFORNIA GULLS mixed in with mostly RING-BILL GULLS and a handful of GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS and at least one GLAUCOUS-WINGED x WESTERN GULL.

I didn't hear the WILLOW FLYCATCHER in the "blue forest" but another birder I met did.

The KINGBIRDS seem to have departed.

Interesting behaviors:

A COOPER'S HAWK seen carrying prey heading north and soaring followed soon after by another COOPER'S HAWK making an attack (with Northern Harrier like wing stalling turn) by the Greenhouses. The local BALD EAGLES tag teamed a couple of ducks on the Lake but didn't catch anything. The CROW (spp :-) are still eating Sticklebacks. VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW using a slow flying technique for insect hunting immediately above lily pads on the lake so their ground speed is effectively zero in the breeze.

34 species seen in 3 hours.
--
Kevin Purcell (Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA)
kevinpurcell at pobox.com
http://kevinpurcell.posterous.com
http://twitter.com/kevinpurcell