As a tyro birder I went to Magnuson park last Wednesday to look for the
Cedar Waxwings as I have not seen them before, but it turned out to
cloud over with a cold wind off the lake and I did not dress warmly
enough and did not have a hat. I parked at the south end by the boat
ramp. Only a couple crows inland but several birds on the water -
without my book could ID mallards of course and a male Bufflehead. But
saw a distinctively marked fowl I did not know with a white crescent
behind the bill and in front of its eyes making me pull my book out of
my backpack and IDed a male Blue-winged Teal. Don't know if he was an
unusual or common visitor but thought I would mention it. Walking back
to my car saw one of the crows on the ground working on a rat carcass.
Margaret Sandelin
Seattle