Hi all,
1.  In non-electrifying birding news Delia and I had Bonapartes Gulls in the channel and Purple Finches at Utah while dipping yesterday on Harris Sparrow at Discovery Park and heard, as confirmed by Connie Sidles and Sam__(last name)______(Young birder who was first to see the Union Bay Harris Sparrow)  a Swamp Sparrow while dipping on Harris Sparrow today at Union Bay.  Pretty good for a 2-dip weekend!.
2. I have always wanted to type the words "Seattle birders see Ostrich on pelagic trip," and we did recently get a call from the indomitable Brian Pendleton and his wife Darschelle from Johannesburg. They reported taking a pelagic trip out of Capetown and seeing Sooty Shearwater, Northern and Southern Giant Petrel, Pintado Petrel, Shy Albatross, and on the way back looking toward land they had two Ostriches running on the beach.
3. I do not presuppose all or anyone on Tweeters necessarily shares my views on the Cheasty Greenbelt but I would like to post a link to a copy of my advertisement today in the Seattle Times about Cheasty and a copy of the text of the ad which is mercifully short.
Here is the link:       

https://ednewbold.com/public-nature-both-losers-in-cheasty-plan/

Here is the text: 
Kicker:Cheasty: bird-rich, wet, deciduous-forest remnant
Headline: Public & Nature losers in Cheasty plan

The Parks Dept is acting like a 'captured bureaucracy' with Cheasty Greenspace. First, in an opaque process, it designated a user-group to whom to gift the land. Then Parks tried to move through the required process as quietly as possible, using the understandable joy of the user-group as evidence for the plan's approval.  But this is a bad plan! When we give land to a particular user-group, the general public gets excluded. We will be banned from most trails--from ever truly seeing Cheasty. Less-abled people will be denied access completely. With only 16% of Seattle's Park land devoted to natural areas, and with some of Cheasty's breeding birds in the crosshairs of the 6th extinction, the plan also disrespects Nature. It's been defeated once in court already.  Parks should start over.
Ed Newbold Wildlife Artist


This issue is now in play and Parks is moving fast. A lawsuit has been filed. If anyone is interested in getting connected to those opposing the Park's Cheasty plan, shoot me an email and thanks!

Best wishes everyone,
Ed Newbold  from Beacon Hill, Seattle ednewbold1 at yahoo.com
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