Hi, Bob and Tweets,

I didn't want to mix up the official kingfisher report with other stuff!
Thursday afternoon I received a report from Dale Wesley that they had seen
a turkey vulture on Samish Island, so we made quick plans to go up today.

We left in pouring down rain and it rained most of the way, gradually
brightening as we neared the Conway turnoff. Then, for the next four hours
NO rain at all - it was really windy, but wonderful birdwise or, I should
say, eaglewise. Most of the bald eagles were either having quite a ball in
the air or were in the fields, few in trees which seemed sort of unusual.
But, as I said, it was very windy.

Raptorwise, we had 66 bald eagles (44 adults, 4 subadults, 20 immature), 16
redtails, 6 northern harriers (2 males), 3 roughlegs (where'd they all
go??), and one prairie falcon.

It was a 1-falcon day, but worth it. We had hoped to find the gyr or some
of the peregrines on Sunset Road, but upon turning down all we saw was wave
after wave of dunlin - 10,000 give or take a few would not be excessive.
They were all over the field turned to lake. As we drove east on Sunset,
along the north bank where the mud becomes 'lumpy' we spotted the prairie
falcon. I stopped for a photo, but he/she immediately rose up and from
behind the small mud embankment came a handsome roughleg. Both birds flew
up and over the watery field and, as they did so, so did the thousands of
dunlin. Quite a sight!!

The usual duck species were all over the place and on Fir Island Road there
were five black-crowned night herons crouched on the lowest branches of
*their* tree. Thousands of snow geese on Fir Island and small pockets of
Trumpeters from Stanwood to Edison. Lots of great blue herons. Didn't
look for towhees and such.

As soon as we hit I-5, the heavy rains started and stayed with us all the
way back. Great day up there, though. And, no, we never found the turkey
vulture even after repeated trips around Samish Island. It was seen at the
four-way stop at Halloran and the Samish Island Road (from Alice Bay).
Good luck to others in finding it.

Diann MacRae
Bothell
tvulture at halcyon.com