We made our periodic census today and were privileged to watch a peregrine kill. We were in the small manmade marsh when it zoomed over our heads right in front of us, at about 10 feet off the ground. It then continued west, descending to about 6 inches above the central dike for about a hundred feet. Then a small puff of feathers was easily visible. We watched him dine for about 30 minutes, hoping that other birders would arrive, but none did. The victim was a small female duck, perhaps a bufflehead. The peregrine appeared to be a juvenile Pacific (Peales), according to the drawings in Sibley. There were aluminum bands on both legs. I could not read any numbers.

Otherwise, a Lincoln's sparrow was the first I have seen there this winter, there were 82 Trumpeter Swans in the field to the East, and 2 Bald Eagles were sitting by their nest in the large cottonwood tree to the Southeast. 5 snipe were by the Hamilton Lumber smokestack. Usually only 2 or 3 fly up when I walk by them.

Dan Logen
Stanwood