Monday with Ospreys and More

On Monday Truman and I went to the Montlake Fill where I intended to do what I'd wanted to do a week ago Sunday -- walk around the loop trail in about an hour, and then go up to the UW campus to sketch.  I didn't do it that Sunday because Connie was at the Fill and we wound up having a lovely three-hour walk-and-bird-and-chat session instead.

Connie's car was not in the parking lot, so my plan panned out this time.  I did pause to do a quick sketch at the Fill itself when I spotted the fallen logs in the photo above.

As we resumed our stroll, I heard the call of an Osprey, and looked up to see this:

 The crows were not pleased about the Osprey's return to the Fill.

A second Osprey hovered nearby.  Eventually both birds flew off and all was quiet.

We neared the Southwest Pond, where the male Red-winged Blackbirds were busy announcing their territories to all who passed.

Suddenly I heard an Osprey call again, and looked up just in time to see the pair fly onto the nesting platform.

 

These birds look like the same pair that successfully raised three young last summer.  They were given the names Chester (left, for his pure-white chest) and Lacey (for her brown "lacey" collar).

After a couple of minutes they both flew off.  I do hope they return and raise another family this year.

Meanwhile, a bit farther along, I spotted two coyotes:

Goodness.

We successfully navigated the Fill in one hour, and then I went up to the UW campus, where Truman admired some cherry trees.

I decided to practice drawing arches, and the Suzzallo Library seemed like a good subject for that:

 I didn't get very far with this sketch, as there were two skateboarders in the square, and the constant banging and yelling disturbed both me and Truman.  Oh, well.

I'm sure I can find arches to practice on somewhere quieter some day.