[Tweeters] Green Lake Sora is a feeder bird

[Dianna Moore]

Thanks, Mark, for this bit of birding experience. I am a storyteller (all
writers are) and very much enjoy hearing reports of people like Ed. I fear
an aging population means a loss of these kinds of people. They have so
much knowledge they have accumulated by long-time observations.
Citizen-science at its best!
Great that you listened and thanks for sharing.
Dianna Moore

On Sat, Jan 9, 2021 at 9:50 PM <tomboulian at comcast.net> wrote:


> The Sora currently being seen at Green Lake city park in Seattle is tame

> as a Sora can be—I think.  Stopped by with my partner today for a picture

> since, well, when does one get a really good picture of any rail.  Upon

> arriving at the most likely spot gleaned from e-bird sightings (directly

> east of Bongo’s/65th St) a man saw us approaching with our big camera and

> waved us over to see it.  That simple; right next to the Green Lake Trail.

> That man is Ed--the fellow who has been feeding peanut chips to wildlife

> here and at several other sites around Green Lake for years.  Interesting

> fellow with recognition of many of the individual birds and people he

> interacts with.  Indeed, the Sora appeared to recognize him and his

> whistle, if that’s possible. It repeatedly came within 8 feet or so of us,

> slowly and calmly with no fear; swimming etc. as others have reported,

> poking at greens and cattails in addition to nabbing up peanut pieces.

> Ed told as may stories of birds and plants he’s encountered in the area,

> and though he’s no bird expert (he says he didn’t know what the thing was

> until a birder ID’d it), but “it’s been here since summer”  He was

> interested to see pictures and hear  on my phone of this bird and others he

> did not know (Fox Sparrow and Golden-crowned kinglet)

> Two local residents stopped by and thanked him for helping their interests

> in both trees and birds of the park.

> Although I’m sure its technically verboten to feed wild life in City parks

> (squirrels and a rat were also in this menagerie), this certainly is a

> great example of what a nature ambassador can look like.  We gave him a few

> bucks for bird seed.

>

> FYI if you are not familiar with Green Lake Park at this time, be advised

> that Covid rules require a counter-clockwise movement only around the

> extremely busy foot path (though you can easily come around the outer

> non-regulated trail and drop down at many points)  Also, if you encounter

> Ed, he does not wear a mask.  And although we parked without incident near

> the row of homeless person’s RV’s along Green Lake Drive, just know that

> this is here.

>

> Mark Tomboulian

> Shoreline WA

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