[SeattleUte]

The greenbelt behind my house houses a huge blue heron habitat. There is a big oak tree with 49 nests, last count. In the mornings over coffee I see them rise in a column against the sunrise. In sillhouette they look like taradactyls (sp?). I'm pretty sure artists' impressions of flying reptiles were influenced by heron in flight.

The largest salmon run in the 48 contiguous states comes in sumertime up an estuary visible from my house and three minutes away by foot. There's a viewing area below ground but even better is to see the water boiling with them and their sillhouettes and shadows darting around just below the water surface.

Exotic waterfoul abound, heron, loons, cormorants, malards, wild geese, some I can't name, etc.

Sea lions follow the salmon run and breach sunlit waters and croak and bark in the early morning and evening.

We get eagles in the fir trees in our yard. Crows come and dive bomb them and make a terrible racket.

If I hike across the peninusula from my house (30 min.) there is a three mile stretch of beach and a light house. Low tide is best, with the tide pools and birds. Fortunately, no one can drive there save with a special permit.

All this 17 minutes from downtown Seattle. I can cross a little foot bridge and arrive in the urban hip Ballard neighborhood.