Hi Tweets,

I led a group of friends and Rainier Audubon members on a Skagit trip that we had postponed during the poor weather two weekends ago. Today was great both bird and weather-wise. Mild, fairly sunny in the PM and only a little wind on the Samish flats.

The highlights of our trip were, in chronological order:

Stanwood STP:
1 Oldsquaw
1 Merlin
10-15 Common Redpolls. The redpolls were in the alder and weeds across from the entry gate.

Boe Rd, S. of Stanwood (near the pit toilet)
1 Varied Thrush
1 Hermit Thrush

Norman Rd, across from Boe Rd.
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
1 Harris Sparrow (1st winter?)
1 White-throated Sparrow
These birds were near the bridge, about a ? mile east of the intersection with Marine Drive. Park just before the bridge, on the right-hand side road. Look at the old garden/farm plot on the north side of Norman Rd. The birds were in the corn stubble, etc., often feeding in front of the old tire and rusty farm equipment. You need a scope to see them very well.

Samish Flats
1 Prairie Falcon (on Bayview-Edison Rd, near Sullivan Rd.)
1 Peregrine Falcon at the Samish Island Rd west 90
Saw lots of Harriers, Redtails and Roughies, but no Short-eared Owls when we were there around 2:30

Skagit Game Range Headquarters, Fir Island
4 Pine Grosbeaks (as have been reported before)
1 White-throated Sparrow (on the west dike)

Following up on info from Ruth & Patrick Sullivan and Dave Hayden, we went down the ?west? dike. This is the one that?s straight ahead of you as you come in the headquarters. The grosbeaks were about ? way down (1/3 mile?) the dike. We missed them the first time we walked down the dike, but lucked out on the way back. All are female or young. One looked like it may have been a little reddish on the head and rump, but mostly they are gray with the russet colored head/rump.

Good birding ?

Jim Flynn
Federal Way, WA
buteoreg at aol.com