This morn Anne Winskie and I birded Fir I. in Skagit County. With overnight
lows dropping to 44 F., I figured the Skagit WMA hdqrts would be pretty
lively with passerines, and from dawn to 9 a.m. there was a fairly good
movement, we had two decent flocks but no real rarities. At Jensen, the
shorebirds weren't nearly so cooperative as last Monday, and there was no
sign of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper seen Monday. Still, we had 12 sp. and
all in all it was a pretty good day.

1. SKAGIT WMA hdqrts (migrant sp. highlights)

Virginia Rail 3 (one flushed right on outer loop trail)
Gr Yellowlegs 2
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Vaux's Swift 12
DUSKY FLYCATCHER 1 (n. end of loop trail near visitor center, flock #2)
Hammond's Flycatcher 3
Willow Flycatcher 3
Empidonax, sp. 1
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET 1 (first of season, n. loop trail flock #2)
RED-EYED VIREO 1 (boat launch/parking area flock #1)
Warbling Vireo 7
warblers: 40 of 7 sp., including MacGillivray's Warbler 1, flock 1
Lincoln's Sparrow 3
W. Tanager 3
Black-headed Grosbeak 2

2. MANN RD. WEST

Cinnamon Teal 4
Wood Duck 8
BANK SWALLOW 2 (among many VG and Barn Swallows on wires)
Cliff Swallow 1

3. JENSEN

AM. GOLDEN-PLOVER 1 (juv.)
GODWIT, sp. 1 (either Bar-tailed or Marbled, fly-by/away with dowitchers)
Baird's Sandpiper 10
Pectoral Sandpiper 8
Com. Snipe 1
N. Rough-winged Swallow 1
HORNED LARK 1
Am. Pipit 2

NOTES. As Stuart noted, the hunting season has begun, at Jensen goose
hunters had set up stake-outs out on the flats. In addition to the daytime
birds, the following were heard in flight by night (5-5:45 am) from our
place in n. Lake Stevens: Killdeer 1, LEAST SANDPIPER 1 (new), Swainson's
Thrush 6, Savannah Sparrow 2, sparrow, sp. 1, Purple Finch 1.

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
email: scottratkinson at hotmail.com



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