Subject: Sunday birds
Date: Apr 3 15:09:17 2000
From: Joe Mackie - jmackie at cc.wwu.edu


I was out yesterday in the blazing sun trying to scare up interesting spring
migrants. Took in the loop at the Skagit Wildlife Refuge at Conway...just
the usual suspects...didn't see a single warbler (heard YRWA). On first
arrival, I had a Peregrine Falcon motoring by ghost-like in the fog just as
it started to burn off. Had 5 RUHU, 2 of which were doing the "J" flight
courtship display, their gorgets flashing like laser beams in the sun when
they stopped on a dime at the bottom of their dive.

In line with the perennial thread about window-attacking,
territory-defending birds...when I first pulled into the parking lot, before
I even got out of my vehicle, a Black-capped Chickadee landed right on my
windshield! Then it quickly swung around to the passenger side rearview
mirror and attacked it. Then around to my side and did the same thing to
that side mirror just inches from me. When I returned to the lot for lunch
after my walk, I noticed two BCCH systematically going around to each
vehicle (6) and attacking the side mirrors! Man! This looked like a
full-time job on a Sunday afternoon for these two little guys. I noticed
that each vehicle had characteristic deposits on each door by the mirrors.
Anybody else seen such a thing?

I spent the early afternoon on the south face of Blanchard Mountain in
northern Skagit County wondering if I might spot any migrating raptors on
such a fine sunny day. On first look, I had a Merlin thermaling up out of
the Samish Flats and over the top of the mountain. Later, from the hang
glider launch site I listened to some tall tales from glider devotees about
"talking with Eagles" while soaring over the bay. From there I had 3 RTHA, 6
BAEA (3 adult, 3 juv.), an unidentified accipiter in the distance, and, for
Diane, a total of 9 Turkey Vultures (1 at SWR, 1 over the Samish Flats, and
7 in a kettle over Chuckanut Mt.).

Eyes to the skies,
Joe Mackie
jmackie at cc.wwu.edu