Hi, Tweets

Yesterday, Ann van der Geld and I headed north to see the hawk owl and were
rewarded with a most gorgeous day and good views of this handsome owl. Not
close enough for good photos, but quite 'seeable.'

We returned via the Sammish and Skagit flats. The great-tailed grackle was
not at the feed store when we arrived in the late afternoon, but probably
was a block away or somewhere. Lots of raptors around: 30 bald eagles, 11
northern harriers, and 36 red-tailed hawks. We had a one-falcon day!! A
beautiful merlin perched along Bradshaw Road, preening in the mid-afternoon
sunshine. Only one black-crowned night heron was at the usual spot (that we
could see), but a bald eagle sent thousands of snow geese into the air on
Fir Island as we passed. Also saw about 300 swans along Bradshaw.

While falcons and grackles eluded us, it was a great day.

Cheers, Diann
___________________________
Diann MacRae
Olympic Vulture Study
22622 - 53rd Avenue S.E.
Bothell, WA 98021
mailto: tvulture at halcyon.com
http://www.halcyon.com/tvulture/