Subject: Spencer Island
Date: Sep 8 10:35:47 1997
From: Tracee Geernaert - Tracee at iphc.washington.edu


Tweeters-
Yvonne B and I led a Audubon trip to Spencer Island yesterday. It was a
great morning, no wind and sunny. The treatment ponds were full of
Northern Shoveler. Ruddy Duck and Horned Grebe were around as well. It
was eclipse plumage time too so identification was a challenge. We saw 4
or 5 Red-necked Phalaropes. Unfortunately it was high tide at the marsh
on the island but we did manage to see an American Bittern that actually
was visible for a good 10 minutes. Yvonne somehow spotted a resting
Virginia Rail. The shorebirds were mostly flying overhead waiting for
some patch of mud to appear but there were 3 Common Snipe feeding and we
heard a Greater Yellowlegs. The Barn Swallow were flocking up in huge
numbers along with 1/2 dozen Vaux's Swifts. We also had great looks at
Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers. The Red-tailed Hawks were soaring with an
Osprey and we think we identified a Northern Goshawk doing the same
thing. Has anyone else seen a Goshawk out there recently? I saw one
about a year ago. We spotted 2 flycatchers, one Western Wood Peewee and
a Willow on the way back to the car. Yellow-rumped Warbler and Common
Yellowthroat were still around too. I counted 51 species. It was a great
day.

Tracee Geernaert
tracee at iphc.washington.edu