Hey tweets, today the Fill fulfilled its greatest promise, to be celestially glorious despite all that we humans visit upon it, whether it be garbage, oceans of wood chips, or miles of PVC pipe.

I was standing near the fallen Lone Pine tree getting rained on by the only large cloud in the vicinity, when a rainbow began to form to the north. It grew steadily brighter until it caught the fires of the sun and suddenly arched fully across the horizon, a glowing bridge of light separating the darker clouds above from the pale greens and pinks of spring below. I stood up to pay homage, when I heard a bird calling its wild call, and a WHIMBREL flew under the rainbow, passed by my head, and disappeared into the eastern sunlight. It's the first Whimbrel I've ever seen at the Fill, the sixth recorded sighting in 119 years.

In a daze, I staggered along the Loop Trail until I got to Main Pond, where I thought I would gather my thoughts and get my breath back. Before I could, though, a blur of beige caught my eye, and a BREWER'S SPARROW appeared in the willow tree south of the pond. It is only the third one to appear at the Fill in 119 years. I shared the sighting with Bill Driskell, photographer Karin (didn't get her last name), and later Alex MacKenzie.

As we were contemplating this wonder, a little flock of shorebirds flew by, in which a DUNLIN in full breeding plumage figured large. Later we found 3 LEAST SANDPIPERS in the mudpuddles created by the construction equipment of the mitigation company. The spring flow of shorebirds through Puget Trough, truncated though it may be, is in full swing.

Also present today:
Chester and Lacey (the two parent OSPREYS of last year) are bringing sticks to their nest pole next to the Loop Trail. Thirteen American Wigeons (late for this time of year) were sleeping on Main Pond. Two WOOD DUCKS have been checking out holes in snags in the alder grove south of the kiosk. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (both morphs) are everywhere. WARBLING VIREOS, WILSON'S WARBLERS, YELLOW WARBLERS, BLACK-THROATED GRAYS, and ORANGE-CROWNED have all been seen. CINNAMON TEAL pairs think there is enough habitat for them to make new teals. Four AMERICAN PIPITS were present yesterday - I didn't see any today but other birders did.

We live in nature, as nature lives in us. - Connie, Seattle

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