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Kascadia
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PostSat Mar 28, 2020 12:05 pm 
We had a rough legged hawk winter here, something we'd not seen before. The hawk was often on the ground in our pastures, and seemed to be feeding off the ground (bugs/worms?), or perching in small trees before swooping down to the ground. Disappeared about a month ago, I assume s/he's on their way to the Artic. Would love to see a bird's eye view of that trip. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rough-legged_Hawk/id

It is as though I had read a divine text, written into the world itself, not with letters but rather with essential objects, saying: Man, stretch thy reason hither, so thou mayest comprehend these things. Johannes Kepler
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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostTue Mar 31, 2020 4:39 pm 
Towhees are usually fairly shy. Tis the season when they are more visible and bolder. Saw and heard a bunch of them today at Richmond Beach. Three in plain sight in one little tree, I don't think I'd ever seen more than 2 at once prior to that. Also several white crowned sparrows singing their little hearts out.

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Anne Elk
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PostThu Apr 02, 2020 4:08 pm 
neek wrote:
Used to be a rare sight in Seattle, now a frequent backyard presence
Must be true! Yesterday as I left the house to pick up some groceries, I heard an unusually raucous crow commotion. Across the street in the neighbor's tall backyard walnut tree was a bald eagle, totally surrounded on the other branches by a large squadron of agitated crows. I watched for a couple minutes, then ran back inside to get my camera ... too late. I live in "east" Ballard, and have never seen a bald eagle in the city this distance from the waterfront.

"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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ale_capone
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PostFri May 08, 2020 10:59 am 
Been having fun watching our 12 ducks and three chickens trying to defend the back yard. With us home, they have been getting to free range daily. The chase off the crows and robins. Yesterday they seen a small bird with a funny hair do like a quail. It was hopping along the wood pile. Didnt seem phased by the ducks or us. We have an owl and a small hawk competing for the hunting grounds in our green space. Raven is nesting nearby, but haven't seen where.

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cdestroyer
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PostThu May 14, 2020 9:17 am 
checked my feeder yesterday to see several lazuli bunting. a very pretty blue
izulu_bunting
izulu_bunting

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Sculpin
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PostThu May 14, 2020 9:30 am 
cdestroyer wrote:
several lazuli bunting. a very pretty blue
Awesome! You live in the right area. They come through the NW when the serviceberries are ripe. When the berries are wiped out they will head north.

Between every two pines is a doorway to the new world. - John Muir
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Kascadia
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PostThu May 14, 2020 11:27 am 
The black headed grosbeaks returned to our feeders last week. Beautiful birds and their songs are outrageous - masters of improv.

It is as though I had read a divine text, written into the world itself, not with letters but rather with essential objects, saying: Man, stretch thy reason hither, so thou mayest comprehend these things. Johannes Kepler
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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostMon May 18, 2020 4:12 pm 
Kascadia wrote:
The black headed grosbeaks returned to our feeders last week. Beautiful birds and their songs are outrageous - masters of improv.
up.gif My parents have them in SW Washington, a bit east of Portland. I don't recall ever seeing them in Pugetopolis. Cool birds.

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostMon May 18, 2020 4:14 pm 
Stood and watched a flicker excavating a hole near the top of a power line pole. Every 5 or so seconds the head would reappear and toss out a mouthful of sawdust type stuff. Whole body was in the hole already. I'm assuming nesting site. A couple blocks from my house, I'll have to take a gander up there every time I walk by.

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostMon May 18, 2020 10:41 pm 
Saw one momma mallard with 10 little puffballs today at Boeing Creek Park. Surprised I haven't been seeing more babies. They should be out by now.

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ale_capone
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PostTue May 19, 2020 7:04 am 
Breakfast served! Just saw the raven come and pick up its daily free meal. A huge dead mouse I left it. We have a rodent problem around our poultry pens. I use a variety of traps, but obviously no poison. I wont get into the specifics, but I feel bad taking any life, so I try to be humane. A week ago I forgot the carcasses on top of a barrel. The next day, they where gone. I kept doing it, and they kept disappearing. It's on top of a 55gallon drum, so I knew it wasn't a rodent getting them. Thought it was the crows, but I was wrong. Kinda neat. A bird feeder for ravens.

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ale_capone
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PostTue May 19, 2020 7:06 am 
olderthanIusedtobe wrote:
Saw one momma mallard with 10 little puffballs today at Boeing Creek Park. Surprised I haven't been seeing more babies. They should be out by now.
That's one of favorite scenes in the bird world. Most birds hide their young in the nest while they are cute. Ducks parade theirs around.

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cdestroyer
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PostTue May 19, 2020 8:25 am 
western tanagers have arrived. bright red head and brilliant yellow body

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cdestroyer
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PostThu May 21, 2020 1:53 pm 
got some kind of yellowish/brown medium size bird...either a longspur or meadolark juvenile maybe..they dont sit long enough to get a good look..

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostFri Jun 05, 2020 5:40 pm 
I picked a few salmonberries and tossed them to the mallard floofballs. They went after them like a pack of ravenous wolves. Lack of fear of humans and boldness seems to be inherent and not learned, they came very close to me. Momma wasn't worried, she got in on the action too.

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