On an absolutely perfect weekend, 15 people (5 cars) went on an E. L. Wash.
Audubon Society (ELWAS) field trip to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary near
Vancouver, BC, and Drayton Harbor at Blaine, Birch Bay, Lummi Flats and
Samish Flats. We had a total of 81 species.

We recorded 43 species at Reifel on a very crowded day. What with the
beautiful weather a large number of people showed up at Reifel. With our
large group in amongst the crowds, the walk took longer than usual and we
didn't have time to go to Iona Is. afterwards as planned (will have to plan a
separate trip to there). I will just report on the more interesting birds
seen. Probably the highlight of the trip was a NORTHERN GOSHAWK. One of our
eagle-eye spotters saw this bird in a far off tree. It stayed long enough to
get a scope on it and few people to look at it before it flew off. Didn't
see it again. Of course there were the usual thousands of SNOW GEESE putting
on their show. Others of note were a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, TRUMPETER
SWANS, SANDHILL CRANES (2), all the usual ducks, including Eurasian Wigeon,
BALD EAGLES, NORTHERN HARRIERS, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS,
MOURNING DOVE, and CEDAR WAXWINGS. Late in the afternoon we walked the dike
at the end of River Road and added COOPER'S HAWK, SHORT-EARED OWL, MARSH WREN
AND VARIED THRUSH.

We spent the night in Blaine and birded the pier on a gorgeous morning. We
added COMMON and PACIFIC LOONS, COMMON and BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, OLDSQUAW,
WESTERN GREBE, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, PELAGIC CORMORANT, BELTED KINGFISHER,
WESTERN SANDPIPER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and one SANDERLING.

We went to Semiahmoo spit on the other side of Drayton Harbor and saw our
first HARLEQUIN DUCKS, COMMON RAVEN, and GREATER SCAUP. At Birch Bay SP we
saw three RED-THROATED LOONS. As we left Birch Bay and drove along Grandview
Road we spotted four OSTRICH (not included in count). Then another highlight
at the boat access to Lake Terrell where we saw a single SNOW BUNTING.

Lummi Flats produced our first RED-TAILED HAWK as we proceeded to the Samish
Flats, including the area known as West 90. We picked up two PEREGRINE
FALCONS, AMERICAN KESTREL, DUNLIN and one ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK which we watched
for well over a minute while it was hovering over one area without dropping
to the ground. It was still hovering when we left. We picked our last
species at the end of Rawlins Road by the North Fork of the Skagit R. It was
a single NORTHERN SHRIKE. We didn't see any Short-eared Owls which is shy we
had stopped there. By then it was time to head for home after a glorious
weekend of birding.

Hugh Jennings
Bellevue, WA
hughbirder at aol.com