Subject: no luck on Skagit specialties
Date: Dec 2 10:34:31 2002
From: Lynn & Carol Schulz - linusq at worldnet.att.net
Tweeters:
I had to laugh at Gary Bletsch's msg about no luck on the Skagit specialties, especially since that is where Charlie Wright and I plan to go tomorrow. I agree completely about the difficulty of birding blackbird flocks, hoping for that one Rusty Blackbird (that would be a lifer for me). In fact, I can only compare it to looking at gulls at a distance (that is much easier, but BORing. There was also my bad experience of trying to bird in the mudflats at Fir Island, needing hip waders, and falling in the mud. That was a bummer.
Tomorrow, we are also trying for a this-year Tropical Kingbird, and I hope Charlie gets it for his list. And we just might escape the fog that was okay yesterday here in south King County, but awful on Sat and Sun (visibility 1/4 mile). It's predicted to get thick again this week.
Too bad there is not better birding up in the mountains, where it's sunny and relatively warm.
Thanks, Gary for a bitter? but very funny message.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines
linusq at att.net
----- Original Message -----
From: Gary Bletsch
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 9:38 AM
Subject: no luck on Skagit specialties/HOSP behaviour
Dear Tweeters,
Not having had much time to chase specialties in Skagit County of late, I decided on December first to try for the Orange Bishop and Red-shouldered Hawk at the Game Range, the Prairie Falcon on the Samish Flats, and the Rusty Blackbird at SR20 and Farm-to-Market Road. I found none of these birds. Counting this year's Rusty Blackbird, plus the one at the same location five or six years ago, I am now roughly oh-for-15 for this particular species in Washington.
One last thing. I think that working over flocks of winter blackbirds in search of rarities has got to be one of the most challenging types of birding I have experienced. It doesn't hurt my neck as much as following swallow flocks in flight, but at least the swallows keep flying right by my nose. Eventually I'll get a look. It's more maddening than trying to get a shy little marsh species to emerge from the wet vegetation--at least that rail or sparrow stays in his little marshy patch. He won't be going anywhere. I can wait him out. The blackbird flock, though, flies down to eat, right in front of my nose, and then flies off for no apparent reason. Sometimes they stay for half an hour, other times they come in, eat two seeds, and then go away for an hour or more. They also love to perch on exactly that telephone pole which offers the worst possible viewing angle from the car (which I use as a blind). Oh well, maybe o! ne of these days I'll get lucky...
Good birding,
Gary Bletsch
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