I return to the city periodically to visit family and take care of business. The traffic today was insane and I didn’t budget enough time for things and had to cancel a stop. This fortuitously gave me time to visit an old favorite spot, Yesler Swamp.
Parking was easy at the Union Bay Nature Preserve where we walked this ~0.5 miles boardwalk loop. Grey spindly trees against an only slightly brighter sky, a cacophony of birds chattering amongst the brush. Chickadees, wrens, Red Wing Blackbirds and many more.
One turn of the boardwalk opened up against the lake providing distant views and exposing the daily lives of waterfowl. Teals, Wood Ducks, Mallards, and Mergansers. Shovelers working the murky edges.
A heron atop an old bird house, an early season Flicker pounding out its staccato drumming looking for a mate. One loan Bald Eagle made repetitive passes over a flotilla of Scoters looking unsuccessfully for its lunch. Yet scaring them back and forth in great flurries of wings and water.
After twenty minutes it was time to go to my next appointment. Thank you nature for recharging my batteries.
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