Greetings,

Field trip report for 25 February 2001, Snohomish County

Smith Farm Wildlife Area at the end of Eide Rd near Stanwood
Savannah Sparrow - about 15 total seen in several areas in the grassland.
Western Meadowlark - a flock of 26 in the field just west of the parking lot at the end of Eide Rd. Most of the individuals in this flock were singing a low pitched song which I presume is the muted or whisper song. These birds produced a non-stop rolling fluted concert which was definitely the highlight of the day. Since most of the birds in this flock were singing I was wondering if females also sing this song or perhaps most of the birds in this flock were males.
Red-winged Blackbird - a flock of about 290 feeding along one of the brush rows at the edge of a large field. Every bird in this flock was a female, couldn't even find a first winter male. There were males off to the north in another field.

Stanwood Sewage Treatment Ponds
Trumpeter Swan - 35 on the large pond. 10 of these were immatures.
Yellow-rumped Warbler - one at the north end.
Orange-crowned Warbler - one at the north end.

Boe Road, Stillaguamish Flats
Short-eared Owl - one flying at the west end of the Boe Rd.

Good birding,
David Beaudette
Shoreline