Yes, they really are back!

Both trips this week over the 520 Bridge I saw the eagles again. On Tuesday, Ernest was keeping watch for the next meal in the usual place, south side of the western end of the bridge. Today Ethel swooped in for a landing upon a light post in the center section of the bridge, the 'floating' part. We don't see the eagles there often. They seem to nearly always hold court on those westernmost light posts. But she landed there today, looking sharp. Apparently the parents are well rested after their summer of intensive child rearing, and now are back to the nest to settle in for the upcoming cold season. And the cold season just might finally be ushering in to the Pacific Northwest, after a record 3 month dry-as-a-bone spell of weather that has broken every record for drought since records began here. Since mid July we have seen exactly .03" of precipitation. A mere 14 minutes of drizzle on a day in September, and that has been IT. However the huge high pressure system that has parked just west of Vancouver Island since June or so seems finally to be ready to move, and we expect to see real rain by the weekend, or by early next week at the latest. Back to the weather we are famous for. The straw lawns and fried flower gardens in our area will welcome the change, but for many of us this has been a welcome long sunny spell.