Subject: [Tweeters] Fill today
Date: Aug 31 15:05:11 2013
From: Connie Sidles - constancesidles at gmail.com


Hey tweets, migration has started at the Fill, as evidenced by Western Tanagers foraging this morning in the upper canopy of the alder grove south of the kiosk, accompanied by several Warbling Vireos and some Yellow Warblers. A Greater Yellowlegs made Main Pond ring with its clarion bugles, an appropriate instrument to herald the opening of Husky Stadium and the first football Saturday in more than a year. People were already driving into the Husky parking lot when I arrived at 7 a.m., a full 12 *hours* before the game starts. I can't party like that any more at my age - actually, now that I think of it, I couldn't party like that at any age!

All these were great birds to see, and much enjoyed by all who saw them. But the best bird of the day for me was a drab, mustard-yellow American Goldfinch, who eyed with longing a Song Sparrow taking a long, leisurely bath in the warm waters of Main Pond. The goldfinch clearly wanted to join in but hesitated, due to the possible presence of predators and also big, scary creatures with eyes the size of castanets (me, with my binoculars). As the goldfinch paused on the end of a twig that overlooked the sparrow, another goldfinch lined up behind the first one. Becoming impatient with its place in line, it edged up against the first goldfinch, trying to nudge the reluctant bather into the water. No luck. Finally, losing all patience, it gave a tremendous peck to the behind of the first bird, which, startled, lost its grip on the twig and fell into the water. Thereupon, everyone fled. Bathing decorously is one thing; cannonballing into the pool is quite another. - Connie, Seattle

constancesidles at gmail.com
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