What a simple joy it is indeed to amble around the Loop Trail at the Montlake Fill, occasionally encountering fellow birders and friends, admiring the spring foliage, perhaps pausing to do a sketch, with a well-mannered dachshund in tow. Not to mention enjoying the birds.
Here is a Yellow-rumped Warbler foraging:
And here is another Yellow-rumped Warbler just pausing for a moment to allow me to snap its profile in all its glory.
Next is a Black-capped Chickadee foraging:
And finally, for a change of from songbirds and foraging, here is a stunning male Wood Duck just drifting along:
In the non-bird category, the turtles can be seen warming themselves up in the sunshine on nearly every available log or stump:
There were more birds this past weekend to enjoy, and a little sketching, and plenty of dog walks, but I shall save something for tomorrow.
Glorious weekend . . . glad you had such fun! Hope you watched the game yesterday and didn't give up on the guys!
ReplyDeleteI almost *went* to that game! But morning stuff went longer than planned and I got too tired. But I sure did enjoy watching it (at least in some innings...) and am glad I wasn't there in person. I might very well have left early. Jeez. What an up-and-down team we've had these first two weeks!
DeleteWow! That wood duck *is* stunning. I am also agog at how very fancy the yellow-rumped warblers become this time of year. Who the hell gave them the unflattering name of "yellow-rumped," however? They are as handsome and exotic as any other warbler one is likely to encounter and yet they're "rumped." Or worse, "butter butt." I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteSunday afternoon at Lincoln Park included too many invisible birds for me to be entirely contented, and certainly we didn't see any flycatchers. But still, a warm sunny spring day is hard to beat.
Yes, the first time a British birder told me that they called them "butter butts", I laughed, but afterward I thought, "wait a second...these birds are too pretty for such a silly name." I suppose it is helpful with newbie birders in ID'ing them, though.
DeleteI did see your post about Lincoln Park -- glad you got to go wading. I was at Golden Gardens but Truman was afraid of the surf so we didn't go in. So I filled up his wading pool when we got home and he hopped right in.
Our red-winged blackbirds are back, but I haven't seen any warblers yet. And if they come back this week, they are going to be cold, poor babies. The high today won't even reach 50. So I'm greedily enjoying your weather and birds by proxy instead.
ReplyDeletePamela
I saw a whole flock of yellow rumps today! Seems early...
ReplyDeleteAlso, a vulture over my backyard...not after the warblers, though.
What wonderful photos you do (I'm sure I've said that before).
(biblio_tech masquerading as Anonymous)