[EBB Sightings] Jewel Lake field trip

Dear Birders:

The first-Friday-of-the-Month Jewel Lake walk is billed as a one-mile
stroll around Jewel Lake.  On this spring morning, overflowing with
birds, we only made it up only a few yards on the Pack Rat trail before
we were waylaid by a glorious Western Tanager, singing Warbling Vireos,
flocks of Cedar Waxwings -- the beauties go on and on.  And for once,
I'm quite at a loss for words to describe the treasures of this spring
morning among the oaks, bays, ferns, and flowering Thimble berries of
Jewel Lake.

The trip did not begin on a promising note.  As I stood at the
beginning of the trail trying to relocate the willow where the month
before a Downy Woodpecker had been excavationing a nest hole, a voice
in the bushes called out: "Look, a tree has fallen and you can see the
broken eggs and the remains of a nestling."  Alan Kaplan who sees,
hears, and smells everything was brought to the spot by the smell of
bruised willow leaves on which willow leaf beetles were feeding (I kid
you not.)  He then delivered up the small, slender bettle and a gnawed
leaf with a cluster of tiny eggs. 

Our abundance of riches continued with the arrival of Dave Quady who
upon seeing and hearing a Pacific-slope("Pac Slope") Flycatcher
provided us with a mini-seminar about the subtleties of the lower
mandibles on various flycatcher.  Between Alan and Dave, the woods were
forced to yield their secrets (did I mention that they're both very
funny guys which meant that I was more than usual challenged to keep my
footing on the narrow.trail)?

I suppose ahead somewhere near where the trail drops down to the lake,
a Winter Wren was singing, but that will have to wait for another day.

The Swainson's Thrush has arrived announcing its presence with call
notes.  It appears that these thrushes have to settle in for a couple
of weeks before singing.

Additonal sighting:  The redoubtable Dr. Gilbert, patron saint for the
Wilson's Warblers and responsible for their leg bands, was glimpsed
slipping through the trees suited out as usual with his oversized
earphones. 

Phila Rogers


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and 
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ