Now venture over to the pond, but stop about a yard or so away. Again, you will have to wait a while for birds to accept your presence and show themselves, but it is worth it. People have seen nearly 200 different species of birds (4) in UBNA- it is a great habitat for wetland species, a perfect inlet from Lake Washington. The diversity ranges from the large Great Blue Herons and noisy Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) to various tiny sparrows and swallows. Before they are visible, take time to notice the birdsong around you. Close your eyes even; can you begin to distinguish different calls?
Listen:
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
American Widgeon (Anas americana)
By now, Mallards and Gadwalls, in couples this time of year, may start fly overhead noisily. Watch their landing sequence- they tend to cruise flat in, upright themselves with several flaps, and splash noisily into the water. Yet once in the water, they’re able to float gracefully around the pond, leaving triangular wakes. Speaking of noisy birds, if you notice splashing sounds beyond the ducks, you may see a crow bathing itself, splashing around in the shallow water on the other side of the pond.
Foreground-Canada Geese and Goslings
Back left: Gadwalls (Anas strepera)
Back Right: Mallards
My favorite sight, however, is the air show given by the sparrows and swallows. At first, all you can is one distinctively triangularly shaped bird swooping up and down, low over the water, high over land, up and down. More may join it, swooping around one another playfully, and daringly close to you. You may be able to distinguish the amazing color of the Violet-Green Sparrow, the blue of the Barn Swallow, and other shades ranging from metallic green to black of countless other species. I once saw up to 15 of these birds, and was stuck in the middle of a playful air ballet, mesmerized by their moves. Take a minute to notice their flapping patterns-sparrows fly up with a fluttery and almost frantic motion, crows fly with smooth up and down but noisy wing movements, and herons glide in with hardly any wing movement. The birds here hold such diversity in their behaviors and looks, its amazing to think they are all apart of the same family and share the same space.
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