The Sullivans' Lesser Yellowlegs and LB Dowitcher counts are record-highs
for the county according to my data, and the Stilt Sandpiper is about the
11th. The relative absence of coverage at key times is likely a big
factor--Skagit Flats are really extensive and don't get covered as well as,
say, Crockett Lake or certain other spots do, because of the more difficult
access onto the flats (unless the shorebirds happen to be feeding right in
front, it's a muddy walk with plenty of hidden holes, but Jensen is the
quickest WMA access out to the open flats)....Single Bank Swallows seem to
be increasingly reported on Fir I. in late summer-fall, around Maupin
Rd-Jensen, and especially on the telephone wires at the west end of Mann Rd.
(just prior to the Skagit WMA hdqrts) when large mixed swallow flocks are
staging there, in late Aug-Sept.

Stilt Sandpiper in Skagit Co has turned up most often at Jensen and has
become almost annual, and on occasion shows at the Skagit City farm pond,
which is also one of the best county spots for Solitary, Baird's, and
Semipalmated Sandpipers in August-Sept., but water levels are key and the
pond can be birdless on some visits. Across the street from the Skagit City
farm pond in riverine forest, Bullock's Orioles are sometimes present, and
Am. Redstart has been reported here, in August.

The wooded and shrubby areas across from and north of the Fir church (south
from the Skagit City farm pond, where you meet back up at the main road) can
be birdy also, the oddball being a Ringed Turtle-Dove found here last
summer.

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
email: scottratkinson at hotmail.com





>From: "Ruth Sullivan" <godwit at worldnet.att.net>
>Reply-To: godwit at worldnet.att.net
>To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
>Subject: Stilt Sandpiper at Jensen Access,Skagit Co.
>Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2001 19:46:01 -0700
>
>Hello Tweets,
>
>Today Dave Hayden, and my mother and I birded mostly Skagit Co. at two
>locations, and partially in northern Snohomish Co. at the Stanwood STP,
>after we originally attempted to scout Jetty Island, but all ferry
>schedules
>were cancelled for the entire day, as we arrived after 9am at the Everett
>waterfront, due to recent poor weather conditions yesterday, eventhough
>weather conditions today were quite favorable throughout the day with
>partly
>to mostly sunny skies, with the only rain showers occuring in the morning
>driving along I-5 around Mountlake Terrace to the Snohomish Co. line, but
>the rest of the day was enjoyable, including NO major wind.
>
>The main highlight of the day was a juvenal STILT SANDPIPER at the Jensen
>Access of the Skagit WRA in Skagit Co.,at 2:35pm(incoming tide), as we
>watched the bird amongst large numbers of shorebirds, including 220
>Long-billed Dowitchers, 35 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 16 Greater Yellowlegs,
>among other species, as they foraged along the marshy edges bordering the
>southern side of the dike. Due to high tide conditions all shorebird
>viewing
>was made along the dike, mainly east of the parking lot, until we left at
>3:30pm. Upon arriving to this location we immediately noticed good numbers
>of shorebirds as they searched for feeding/roosting locations south of the
>dike, with many being well viewed in the marshy borders along the dike, and
>would occasionally fly up, then relocate. We were able to really scour this
>location fairly extensively, as the shorebirds allowed close views, being
>one of our best locations of day, as far as diversity, as we normally DO
>NOT
>bird north of Everett, but we were interested in all of the recent and past
>sightings from this location, and the "West 90 Ponds" near Samish Island,
>and by the well published sight guide written by Dave Beaudette in the
>Volume#7 Number 2 1999 issue of Washington Birder, as he describes several
>additional shorebirding locations within western Skagit Co., along with 2
>maps showing exact shorebird locations. We were well pleased to visit 3 of
>the 6 shorebird locations that he describes in his sight guide, with the
>last location we visited being the "Skagit City/Moore Rd. Pond" at 3:45pm,
>which is on private property, but well viewed fom the intersection of both
>roads. All these locations offer great shorebirding potential into mid to
>late fall, especially the "West 90 Ponds", with 4 out of 7 active ponds
>currently noted to have shoreline visible during our extensive visit,
>creating shorebird habitat, presumeably being probably best at high tide
>from nearby Padilla/Samish Bay, but not exclusively. Despite a
>restless,unleashed dog that ran through the first pond southwest of the
>parking lot, flushing a shorebird flock, we had a worthwhile visit to this
>new personal birding location. Perhaps we will visit these locations more
>often in weeks to come, but I-5 traffic(Seattle to Everett) seems to keep
>us
>back.
>
>Our first major stop was made at the Stanwood STP at 10:15pm in northern
>Snohomish Co., where we found all the recent sightings by birders, with a
>one additional species, being two juvenal RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. We arrived
>at the "West 90 Ponds" at 11am, as we walked from pond to pond through the
>open fields, checking each pond over for shorebirds,(with 3 out of 4 active
>ponds hosting shorebirds), before returning back to the parking lot at
>12:30pm, then we drove back south along Bayview-Edison Rd, where we flushed
>a Great Horned Owl out from a barn, north of Hwy.20. We arrived at the
>Jensen Access of the Skagit WRA at 2pm at incoming tide, and remained
>through outgoing tide until 3;30pm, as we greatly enjoyed such good
>diversity at this location, as we never intended to get too much upon
>arriving, as well as all the other areas during the day. After birding
>Jensen Access we made a quick check at the "Skagit City/Moore Rd. Pond" at
>3:45pm, on our way back to I-5, before continuing home.
>
>A list of other notable highlights at listed locations includes:
>
>Am.Wigeon
>1 female at Port of Everett,Snohomish Co.(SN)
>5(2 males,3 females) at Stanwood STP,SN
>
>REDHEAD
>2 males at Stanwood STP,SN
>
>Ring-necked Duck
>3(1 male,2 females)at Stanwood STP,SN
>
>Lesser Scaup
>1 pair with 10 young at the Stanwood STP,SN
>
>Common Merganser
>14 females at Port of Everett,SN
>
>Osprey
>28 at Port of Everett,SN
>
>Semipalmated Plover
>1 at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,Skagit Co.(SK)
>
>Greater Yellowlegs
>1 at Port of Everett,SN
>5 at "West 90 Ponds",SK
>16 at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,SK
>1 at "Skagit City/Moore Rd. Pond",SK
>
>Lesser Yellowlegs
>1 at "West 90 Ponds",SK
>35 at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,SK
>
>SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER
>2(1 adult,1 juvenal)at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,SK
>
>Western Sandpiper
>210+ at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,SK
>
>Least Sandpiper
>2 at Port of Everett,SN
>2 at "West 90 Ponds",SK
>35 at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,SK
>6 at "Skagit City/Moore Rd. Pond",SK
>
>Baird's Sandpiper
>1 adult at "West 90 Ponds",SK(photographed and videotaped)
>1 at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,SK
>
>Pectoral Sandpiper
>1 adult at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,SK
>
>Long-billed Dowitcher
>15 at "West 90 Ponds",SK
>220 at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,SK
>1 at "Skagit/Moore Rd. Pond",SK
>
>Wilson's Phalarope
>3 juvenals at "West 90 Ponds",SK
>1 juvenal at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,SK
>
>BANK SWALLOW
>1 at Jensen Access of Skagit WRA,SK
>
>A wonderful day of shorebirding in Skagit Co.!
>
>Good birding,
>
>Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
>GODWIT at worldnet.att.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp